84 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



angle shall be on the widest end of the cone, a diagonal line drawn 

 through the center of the corner coinciding with the axial line of the 

 cone. Then, as the shawl revolves on its table, the impression is suc- 

 cessively laid on, so that the corner device shall exactly fill up the 

 corners of the fabric. Another peculiar plan consists in stretching 

 some classes of square fabrics upon a round table, when wet, so that 

 the square temporarily assumes a circular form. In this state it is 

 printed by a conical roller, and a peculiar distorted effect is obtained 

 by reason of the corners of the piece being very little stretched, whilst 

 the parallel sides, which have undergone excessive stretching, will 

 shrink to their original state in drying, thus contracting the impression 

 at those parts. We are, of course, enabled to give but a mere outline 

 of these valuable improvements here. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER. 



THE following is a description of a process lately brought out in 

 England for the manufacture of paper, by Messrs. Coupler and Mellier. 

 The first part of this invention consists in manufacturing pulp for paper- 

 making from straw and other similar vegetable matters, and from the 

 bark of the osier or chestnut-tree, by the use of a boiling solution of 

 hydrate of soda or potash, in conjunction with other chemical means, 

 and without mechanical operations. 



The patentees conduct their processes as follows : They make use 

 of an open vessel with a perforated false bottom, on which are placed 

 the materials to be operated on, previously cut or otherwise divided 

 into short lengths. From the top of this vessel (which is to be closed 

 while the operation is proceeding) a pipe leads to a second vessel 

 capable of holding from CO to 70 gallons, in which is placed the alka- 

 line solution, and which is employed at a strength of from 7 to 10 

 Baume. The end of the pipe in the first vessel is provided with a 

 rose-head. When the process is to be commenced, steam is to be 

 turned on into the alkaline solution, and its temperature raised to the 

 boiling point. An excess of steam is then admitted, and the solution 

 forced through the pipe, and dispersed in a shower over the straw ; 

 when the solution is exhausted in this way, a fresh supply is introduced, 

 and this operation repeated. A communication is established between 

 the vessels by another pipe from underneath the false bottom of the 

 first, and a circulation of the heated liquor is thereby maintained for 

 about eight hours. Hot water is then forced through, and this washing 

 is continued until the liquor comes off of a strength of about 1 Baume. 

 Cold water is then supplied to the materials, and passed through until 

 it comes off clear. In order to bleach and disaggregate the fibres, 

 they are then submitted to the action of a solution of hypochlorite of 

 alumina, or other hypochlorite, of a strength of about 3 Baume, and 

 again washed in hot water in order to remove the superfluous bleach- 

 ing liquid. This reduces the mass to the condition of half stuff which 

 is manufactured into paper according to the usual modes, operating 

 with or without the addition of rag pulp. The quantity of alkaline 



