US109766A - Improvement in the manufacture of paper-pulp - Google Patents

Description

aura %iair5 pried cam CHARLES B. SAWYER, or FITOHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, Assreuon, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WILLIAM PRATT AND ABBY A. WILLIAMS.

Letters Patent, No. 109,766, dated November 29, 1850'.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that .1, CHARLES E. Sawvnn, of Fitchburg, in the county of I/Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have made certain discoveries and inventions in the Manufacture of Pulp, such as is used in the manufacture of paper, and other articles of like nature for which paper-pulp'is ordinarily used; and in order that others may understand the nature of my invent-ion I give the ollowing description of the same. I l

As no drawings are necessary to illustrate this, I proceed to say that I have discovered from actual experiment that the tops or vines of the common potato, when properly treated, are capable offuruishing a much more tenacious fiber, and a-pulp that will make a. stronger paper, cardfor pasteboard, and at a much cheaper rate than can be. made from the pulp of'wood, straw, or grass, and such like substances as have hitherto been used for making paperpulp.

Again, I have found thatthe'addition of the po-' into itself in small quantities to the vines, while in process of preparation, adds strength to the fiber and increases the solidity and glassiness' of surface when used for card or box-boards.

Ihave found, also, that the addition of one-fourth or one-third of my peculiar pulp to that obtained from wood and other; vegetable substances ma-l terially increases the strength of these when made into paper and other'like articles of manufacture.-

The potato-vine contains within itself a glutinous matter not furnislied by other vegetable substances which have been before applied'to papermaking, and the vine is much more easily re-- duced to a stringy pulp; that is, the same amount of beating or grinding will ,reducefit to the consistency necessary for the formation of=paperwithout cutting the libers'hort, and improving its strength.

I have found, also, that where my paper has been made into paper there is less sizing required to make a good and merchantable paper than in the use,of ordinary stock. T

The vines are first cut into convenient lengths by being fed into the ordinary stock-cutting machine, say from two to live inches in length. 7

They are then rinsed either in warm or cold water to free them from grit or dust, and are then boiled in water from four to six hours, according to the quantity of the pulp to be made, a-longer boiling being needful when the pulp is to be made into books or newspapers than for wrapping and boxboards.

The vines are thendrained in the tank, and alterbox-board and such like goods, nothing further is ne-. cessary.

Where atougher paper'or stronger board is used, I add to the vines, while being beaten, about onehalf bushel of raw potatoes to the 13011 o'fvines, the starchy matter of the tuber'is eliminated and mixes with the pulp, rendering it stronger.

Where a finer stock is required, as for printingpaper-and card-board, I add one or one and a halt bushel of potatoes to'the ton of vines, not confining myself, however. to these exact quantities, but varyingthern in accordance with the results which I wish toproduce. r \Vhcn the pulp is to be made into the wrappingspapel' or coarse box-boards, bleaching is necessary; but where a whiter product. is required, I bleach the pulp in thefirst period of its preparation.

I have-found from experience'thatthe ordina- 1" process of bleaching other stocks does not answer for pulp made from vines, but as my peculiar process of bleaching will form the application for anotherpatent, I do not further allude to it here. The specimens which accompany this specificatibn are marked as follows:

Specimen A is a piece of the pulp before it is ground fine enough for working into paper. I

Specimen B is a piece of wrapping-paper madefrom-this stock without admixture of other stock or of the potato itself.

Specimen O is a piece of pulp ground fine, and which also has been partially blacked. This also is pure vine-pulp.-

Iam aware that paper-pulp has beenmade' from straw, grass, wood, reeds, and some other vegetable substances, but I know of no vegetable substance which furnishes so.strong a fiber in the pulp, and with so little cost either in crude material, or with solit-tle expense in preparation, as the pulp which I makefrom the potato-vine.

"Therefore, while I do 'not claim broadly the use of raw vegetable material," nor either of them to which I have 'above'alluded,

What I do claim asvnew, and desire-to secure by Letters '-Patent, is-- a 1. The vine of the potatoe, for the manufacture of pulp for paper and other like articles, as pasteboard and papier-mache.

2. The tuber itself incombination with thc-po-.

Witnesses:

T, A. CURTIS, Onennuon BUCK-LAND.