IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SPENT OR USED LEY RESULTING FROM THE PREPARATION OF WOOD OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES EMPLOYED. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER STOCK
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Sinclair, of Leith, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Boiler Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SPENT OR USED LEY RESULTING FROM THE
PREPARATION OF WOOD OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES EMPLOYED. IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PAPER STOCK."
Scaled the 25th August 1871, and dated the 24th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Sinclair at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
24th June 1871.
I, GEORGE SINCLAIR, of Leith, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Boiler Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SPENT OR USED LEY RESULTING FROM THE
PREPARATION OF WOOD OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES EMPLOYED IN THE Manu-
·FACTURE OF PAPER STOCK," to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to cooling, distilling, and evaporating the spent
ley resulting from the preparation of wood or other fibrous substances

page_text: employed in the manufacture of paper stock, the heat given up by cooling
the spent ley being employed for heating the new or fresh ley before
admission into the vessels wherein the ley together with the wood or
other fibrous substances are boiled. And the result of the Invention is
to effect considerable economy and saving of time, whilst the oils, tur-
pentine, soda ash, or other substances contained in the ley are recovered
for useful purposes.
After the wood, esparto, straw, or other fibrous substance has been
treated by boiling it in the ley, the hot ley and steam are blown into a
cylindrical or other shaped vessel which is situated in an oblong, square,
or other shaped trunk having a water-tight division or partition connected
both to the central part of the tank and the central part of the vessel.
This tank is filled up with liquor, which may consist of new ley in one
compartment of the tank and water in the other compartment, so that
the vessel contained in the tank is thus immersed in the liquor, and
receives heat from the hot ley and steam blown into the vessel from the
boiler, in this manner hot liquor is provided for the next charge of the
boiler, thereby saving time and fuel. The spent ley after having thus
parted with its heat is discharged from the vessel into a distilling
apparatus, when the oils and turpentine are taken off, or in place of
distilling the spent ley it may be taken direct from the vessel to the
evaporators, which consist of a shaft or tower of square, oblong, polygonal,
oval, or circular form containing one or more winding flues. At the
lower part of the said shaft or tower two hearths or roasters are situated
having a division wall between them. One end of each hearth or roaster
is connected to a furnace specially constructed to burn the smoke.
Between the furnaces and hearths or roasters two chambers are situated,
that nearest the furnace being a mixing chamber or smoke burning
chamber, whilst the other is a chamber for receiving the flame from the
furnace and distributing it to the hearths or roasters. Hollows or spaces
are by preference formed in the walls between the chambers and in
those constituting the upper parts of the chamber through which the
air for maintaining the combustion is supplied, and thereby becomes
heated. When using the evaporator the furnaces should be fired alter-
nately so that when smoke is issuing from one furnace a bright hot
flame issues from the other furnace and both enter the smoke consuming
chamber, where they become admixed with the required quantity of
hot air for their combustion. At the top of this shaft or tower a tank is

page_text: situated for holding the spent ley which is to be evaporated with a
chimney passing up through it or near to it, and by preference having
a steam jet contained therein for the purpose of producing a current
and a partial vacuum in the winding flues of the evaporator, thereby
aiding the evaporation and causing the products of combustion, steam,
and fumes to pass over the roasting ash and boiling ley in the hearth
and flues up through the chimney and into the atmosphere. The
evaporator may be made of iron or fire-brick. When the spent ley is
ready for evaporation it is discharged from the tank into the winding
or spiral flue, down which it travels until it reaches the bottom, where
it enters the roaster or hearth, and it is then stirred up and roasted by:
the heat from the furnaces until ready for being withdrawn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Sinclair in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SINCLAIR, of Leith, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Boiler
Maker, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 35th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Sinclair, Her special license that I, the
said George Sinclair, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, tho said George Sinclair, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, uso, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SPENT OR USED LEY
RESULTING FROM THE PREPARATION OF WOOD OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES EM-
PLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER Srock," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Sinclair, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Sinclair, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to cooling, distilling, and evaporating the
spent ley resulting from the preparation of wood or other fibrous sub- 1
stances employed in the manufacture of paper stock, the heat given up
by cooling the spent ley being employed for heating the new or fresh
ley before admission into the vessels wherein the ley together with the
wood or other fibrous substances are boiled. And the result of the
Invention is to effect considerable economy and saving of time, whilst 1
the oils, turpentine, soda ash, or other substances contained in the ley
are recovered for useful purposes.
After the wood, esparto, straw, or other fibrous substance has been
treated by boiling it in the ley the hot ley and steam are blown into a
cylindrical or other shaped vessel, which is situated in an oblong, square,
or other shaped tank having a water-tight division or partition connected
both to the central part of the tank and the central part of the vessel.
This tank is filled up with liquor, which may consist of new ley in one
compartment of the tank and water in the other compartment, so that
the vessel contained in the tank is thus immersed in the liquor, and
receives heat from the hot ley and steam blown into the vessel from the
boiler. In this manner hot water is obtained for washing the pulp in
the boiler, and hot liquor is provided for the next charge of the boiler,
thereby saving time and fuel. The spent ley after having thus parted
with its heat is discharged from the vessel into a distilling apparatus,
when the oils and turpentine are taken off; or in place of distilling the
spent ley it may be taken direct from the vessel to the evaporator, which
consists of a shaft or tower of square, oblong, polygonal, oval, or circular
form containing one or more winding flues. At the lower part of the
said shaft or tower two hearths or roasters are situated having a division
wall between them. One end of each hearth or roaster is connected to a
furnace. Between the furnaces and hearths or roasters two chambers
may be situated, that nearest the furnace being a mixing chamber or

page_text: smoke burning chamber, whilst the other is a chamber for receiving the
flame from the furnace and distributing it to the hearths or roasters.
Hollows or spaces are by preference formed in the walls between the
chambers, and in those constituting the upper parts of the chamber
5 through which the air for maintaining the combustion is supplied, and
thereby becomes heated. When using the evaporator the furnaces are
preferably fired alternately, so that when smoke is issuing from one
furnace a bright hot flame issues from the other furnace, and both enter
the smoke consuming chamber, when they become admixed with the
O required quantity of hot air for their combustion. At the top of the
shaft or tower a tank is situated for holding the spent ley which is to be
evaporated, with a chimney passing up through it or near to it, and by
preference having a steam jet contained therein for the purpose of pro-
ducing an upward current and a partial vacuum in the winding flues of
the evaporator, thereby aiding the evaporation and causing the products
of combustion, steam, and fumes to pass over the roasting ash and
boiling ley in the hearth and flues up through the chimney and into the
atmosphere. When the spent ley is ready for evaporation it is discharged
from the tank into the winding or spiral flues, down which it travels
until it reaches the bottom, where it enters the roaster or hearth, and
it is then stirred up and roasted by the heat from the furnaces until
ready for being withdrawn.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :—
On Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a longi-
tudinal vertical section of the first part of the apparatus constituting
this Iuvention; Figure 2 is a horizontal section thereof on the line x, x,
Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same on the line
y, y, Figure 1.
This apparatus consists of a vessel A. preferably of a cylindrical form,
as shewn, and which is situated in an oblong tank B divided into two
compartments by a water-tight partition C connected to the central parts.
of the tank B and of the vessel A, as shewn. Both divisions of the
tank B are filled with liquid, water being introduced into the com-
partment a and new ley into the compartment b, so that the vessel A is
entirely submerged in liquid. The vessel A communicates by means of

page_text: a pipe D with the boiler in which the wood, esparto, straw, or other
fibrous substance employed in the manufacture of paper stock is treated,
and which is not shewn on the accompanying Drawings, but may be of
After
any of the ordinary classes of boilers employed for that purpose.
the fibrous substance has been treated in the boiler the hot ley in which
it has been boiled and the steam are blown through the pipe or duct D
into the vessel A, where the heat given off in cooling one charge of
the spent ley is utilized in heating the fresh or new ley contained in the
chamber 6 of the tank B previous to another charge of the said new or
fresh ley being conducted through the pipe or duct E into the boiler,
where it together with the wood or other fibrous substances are boiled.
In this manner hot ley is provided for each new charge of the boiler,
thereby saving time and fuel. Previous to introducing a fresh charge
of ley into the boiler, or to removing the wood or other pulp left therein
after the spent ley has been drawn off into the vessel A, as hercin-before
described, a stream of water from the chamber a of the tank B, which
has also become heated by the cooling of the spent ley in the vessel A
is conducted through the pipe F, shewn at Figure 1, into the boiler in
order that the wood or other pulp contained therein may be thoroughly
washed before it is removed from the boiler, and also that the boiler
itself may be washed out before the fresh charge of ley and of wood or
other fibrous substance is introduced thereinto. After such washing of
the pulp and of the boiler is effected the water is run off through a cock
or valve situated in the bottom of the boiler, and the pulp is then ready
for being removed therefrom. The spent ley, after having parted with
its heat to the new ley contained in the chamber 6 and to the water
contained in the chamber a of the tank B is discharged through the
duct or pipe G, shewn at Figure 1, into a distilling apparatus not shewn
on the Drawings, but which may be of any ordinary type of still wherein
the ley is kept at a temperature sufficient to drive off from it the volatile
matters, such as oils and turpentine, contained therein.
In lieu, however, of first distilling the spent ley it may be conducted
direct from the vessel A to the evaporating apparatus, illustrated under
one form in horizontal section at Figure 1, Sheet 2; in longitudinal
section at Figure 2, Sheet 2; and in transverse section at Figure 3,
Sheet 2. This evaporating apparatus consists of a tower or shaft A of a
rectangular form, as shewn on the Drawings, at the upper part of which
a tank B to receive the spent ley, or the residue of the ley after being

page_text: distilled, is situated, as shown at Figures 2 and 3; and at the lower part
of the tower or shaft A two hearths or roasters C, C, are situated, as
shewn more particularly at Figures 1 and 3, Sheet 2. The tank B com-
municates with the roasters or hearths C, C, by means of two winding
flues D, D', separated from each other by a wall or partition E, and
which extends from the top to the bottom of the tower or shaft A
throughout its whole length. On each side of the partition or wall E
other partitions F and G are situated, which divide each of the flues.D
and D' into two parts, as shown in transverse section at Figure 3,
Slicet 2, of the Drawings. The partitions F and G are terminated at à
distance inwards from the ends of the tower or shaft A, as shewn at F",
Figure 2, Sheet 2, so that communication may be continuous between
the parts of the flues D and D' on each side of the partitions F and G.
On further referring to Figure 2, Sheet 2, it will be observed from the
dotted lines that the section of each flue D and D' on opposite sides of
the partitions F and G has a different slope, that is to say, the portion
on one side of each partition F and G inclines from the front to the back
of the tower or shaft, and the portion on the other side from the back to
the front of the tower or shaft. Each flue D and D' also inclines from
the sides of the tower or shaft A towards the centre, as sliewn at
Figure 3, Sheet 2. The two hearths or roasters C, C, at the lower end
of the tower or shaft A are also separated by a division wall H, as shown
at Figures 1 and 3, Sheet 2. The hearths or roasters C, C, receive the
spent ley as it flows through each of the flues D and D', and one end of
cach hearth or roaster C, C, is connected to a furnace I, shewn in hori-
zontal section at Figure 1, in longitudinal section at Figure 2, and in
end elevation at Figure 4, Sheet 2, and which furnaces are under this
arrangement specially constructed to burn the smoke. Between tho
furnaces I, I, and the hearths or roasters C, C, two chambers J and K.
respectively are situated, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. In the chamber J
the gases and smoke rising from the fuel in the furnaces I, I, become
mixed with air, and issue therefrom in the mixed and burning state to
the chamber K, which receives the flame from the furnaces I, I, and
distributing it to the hearths or roasters C, C. Hollow spaces d, d, are
by preference formed between the back wall of the chamber J and the
front wall of the chamber K, as shewn in horizontal section at Figure 1,
Sheet 2, through which the air for maintaining the combustion is supplied
and thereby becomes heated. When the evaporating apparatus is in

page_text: operation it is intended that the furnaces I, I, should be fired alternately
so that when smoke is issuing from one furnace a bright hot flame issues
from the other furnace. In lieu of constructing the evaporating appa-
ratus with a smoke burning chamber J and combustion chamber K
between the furnaces I, I, and the hearths or roasters C, C, as herein-
before described and shewn at Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 2, these may be
dispensed with, and the furnaces I, I, may communicate directly with
the hearths or roasters C, C, as illustrated in vertical section at Figure 5,
and in half horizontal section at Figure 6, Sheet 2. When the spent
ley is ready for evaporation it is conducted either from the distilling
apparatus herein-before referred to, or from the vessel A, illustrated on
Sheet 1 of the Drawings, into the tank B on the upper end of the tower
or shaft A, whence it is discharged into the winding flues D and D³ at
the openings m, Figures 2, 3, and 5, Sheet 2, down which it travels
until it reaches the position n, Figure 2, Sheet 2, whence it flows round
the end of the partitions F and G, and thence in an opposite direction
until the position o, Figure 2, is reached, when it again flows round the
other ends of the partitions F and G on to the position marked p,
Figure 2, and so on until the ley has traversed downwards through the
entire length of the flucs D and D', when the bottom of the tower or
shaft A is reached, where it is discharged into the roasters or hearths C, C,
and is then stirred up as required by an attendant inserting an agitating
instrument through openings, one of which is shewn closed by the
doors r, Figure 2, and roasted by the heat from the furnaces until the
ash is ready to be withdrawn through the openings S, S, shewn at
Figures 2 and 3, Sheet 2, of the Drawings. The ley as it passes down
through the flues D and D' is partially evaporated by the heat and waste
products of combustion passing over it up through the flues on their
course to the chimney L, and I sometimes introduce a jet of high-
pressure steam into the chimney L at or near the lower end, which
blowing upwards causes a partial vacuum in the flues D and D', in order
to facilitate the draught of the furnaces and the evaporation of the ley,
and also to aid in drawing off the products of combustion, steam, and
fumes of the roasting ash and boiling ley in the hearths and flues to the.
chimney L. The flues of the tower or shaft A are provided at each turn;
with traps or doors u, as shewn at Figures 2, 3, and 5, Sheet 2, in order
that they may be casily cleaned out from time to time as required. In
lieu of constructing the evaporator with two flues D and D', two hearths
or roasters C, C, and two furnaces I, I, as herein before described and

page_text: shewn on the Sheet of Drawings now last referred to, any other number
of the said flues, hearths, or roasters and furnaces may be employed, or
more than one evaporator may be placed in communication with one
roaster. In lieu of forming the tower or shaft rectangular, as shown.at
Sheet 2 of the Drawings, the said tower or shaft may be of any polygonal
form, oval, or circular.
Figure 1, Sheet 3, is a vertical section of a circular evaporator;
Figure 2 is a part plan and part horizontal section of the same on the
line x, x, Figure 1. Under this modification the flues through. which
the spent ley travels on its course to the hearths or roasters B aro
arranged spirally in the interior of the tower or shaft A, as indicated by
the dotted lines at Figure 1, Sheet 3, .that is to say, the flue which
commences at a, Figure 1, winds round to b, thence to c, d, e, f, g, and
terminates at h, where it discharges on to the hearth or roaster B, and
the flue commencing at the upper end of the tower A in the position
marked i winds round, as indicated by j, k, l, m, n, o, and P,
and
discharges the ley on to the other hearth or roaster B, from whence the
ash after having been sufficiently dried and roasted is removed through
sido doors, as herein-before described. In place of constructing the
evaporator with two sets of flues it may be constructed with one set or
more than two sets of flues. In addition to the roasters C, O, herein-
before described and shewn upon the annexed Sheets of Drawings,
second roasters may be employed situated at the side or sides, or at the
back of those herein referred to, and communicating therewith by one
or more openings or flues through which the operator pushes or draws
the roasting ash by his hoe, rake, or other operating instrument, and the
roasting ash being thus acted upon by the heat of a second fire is more
rapidly dried and rendered fit for use.
It is to be understood that the evaporators herein-before described
may be constructed of brick, masonry, or iron.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner of putting the same
into practice, I desire to observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement or construction of apparatus for utilising the
licat of the spent ley, as herein-before described and shewn at Sheet 1 of
the Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.

page_text: Second. The arrangement or construction of evaporators with winding
or spiral flues communicating with roasters, and down which flues either
the spent ley or distilled ley residue travels, as herein-before described
and shewn at Sheets 2 and 3 of the Drawings hereto appended, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Sinclair, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.