STUFF GATE 141
of much attention by the engineers who fit up our machines. It is too often
just a valve opened by a rough-threaded screw and without any gauge attached
for the machineman's guidance. Those men who run machines making fine
papers, where there are many changes, would appreciate a valve opened by
a micrometer screw, with a good gauge, showing clearly the difference made
by the slightest alteration. A record of makings can then be kept by the
machineman with the approximate readings of the stuff-gate gauge. This, of
course, will not give the correct position for weight, speed, breadth, etc., from
one making to the next, but if carefully kept will be of very great assistance
in giving the machineman a good idea of what he may put on for a start. As
no machine is immune from stoppage through foreign substances or clumps
of uncleaned fibres coming through, or not coming through, the opening of
the stuff gate, provision should be made for a quick and full opening to clear
away the obstruction.
It is important that the stuff gate should always be worked as wide as possible
to lessen this risk. Thin papers, of course, require a small opening, but the
beaterman and machineman should have a settled consistency for thick and
thin papers worked in conjunction with a written record. In this way a paper
that normally would require a small opening would be put down with more
water from the beaters and the stuff cock could then be further opened up.
The very little trouble required to keep a record of stuff-gate opening is very
amply repaid by the smarter working of the machine, quicker and more
accurate changing of sorts, and less broke* Where two chests of the same
size are worked, the consistency of the stuff, which just means weight per
ream, may be kept practically constant by careful filling to the same level
Various devices have been tried, worked by the density or consistency of the
stuff, for regulating the stuff gate and keeping steady weight. But this is one
of the many points in paper-making where human skill cannot be replaced
entirely by automatic means. While several firms have produced many types
of consistency regulators, none of these has proved entirely satisfactory for all
kinds of paper. The very fact that there are so many varieties of these regu-
lators on the market, and that new ones are always coming out, seems to
confirm this. A point that is worth noting is that fine stuff requires less opening
than strong stuff for the same weight per ream, and heavily loaded stuff less
than unloaded.
It is remarkable that remote controls for stuff and water gates are not standard
equipment in every paper-mill.
As these gates are usually in an elevated position by the head box, much
cbjie and effort is wasted by the machineman when making changes. When
it is considered that until he makes an adjustment, the paper may be the wrong