Friedrich Gottlob Keller
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Gottlob Keller (born June 27, 1816 in Hainichen, Germany
– died September 8, 1895 in Krippen, Germany
) was a German machinist
and inventor
, who (at the same time as Charles Fenerty
) invented the wood pulp
process for the use in papermaking
. He is widely known for his wood-cut machine (used for extracting the fibres needed for pulping wood). Unlike Charles Fenerty, F.G. Keller took out a patent for his wood-cut invention.
was made from rags. Papermaking began in Egypt (see Papyrus
) c3000 BC. And in 105 AD, Ts'ai Lun a Chinese inventor, invented modern papermaking using rags, cotton, and other plant fibres by pulping it. Then in the 18th century a French scientist by the name of René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
suggested that paper could be made from trees. Though he never experimented himself, his theory caught the interest of others, namely Matthias Koops. In 1800 Koops published a book on papermaking made from straw. Its outer covers were made from trees. His method wasn't like Fenerty's (pulping wood); instead he simply ground the wood and adhered it together. His book does not mention anything to do with wood pulping.
in Hainichen, Saxony (north-eastern Germany
). But he was very unhappy. His interests were in machines. Keller carried with him an "idea-book", where he jotted down all these different kinds of machines. He had subscriptions to many of the leading publications on machines, and was well read in the sciences on mechanics. In his latter years he recalled an article he read in his youth about the works of the French mathematician René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
. He took great interest in Réaumur's works, and was curious about his efforts in finding a method for making paper from trees. Réaumur himself never pursued the idea (later saying in 1742, "I am ashamed not yet to have tried this [paper making from trees] experiment since it is more than twenty years since I have realized the importance of it and since I have announced it."). It was an idea that stuck with Keller. And in 1841 the 25-year-old Keller jotted down in his "idea-book" about a wood-cut machine; a machine that could extract the fibres from trees for the use in pulped wood paper making.
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and F.G. Keller started at the same time, and made their discovery public at the same time, and at the same time found that no one was interested in it. But Keller remained dedicated. Since he couldn’t get national support, Keller sold his invention to a paper specialist, Heinrich Voelter
, for about £80. A patent was granted to Keller in August 1845, in Saxony, Germany
, in both names (Keller and Voelter), and Voelter began production on a mass scale. Voelter did not want to leave Keller at first because only Keller possessed the knowledge to build a suitable wood-grinding machine. But eventually that changed. After 1848 the first machines came out, and in 1852 the renewal of the patent came due, but Keller did not have the money to renew his part of the patent. Therefore, Voelter was the sole patent holder and continued the work, in large profit, without Keller.
remained the sole patent holder, leaving Keller unemployed and penniless. The wood-grinding machine was a success though. Voelter had sold many throughout Europe and the Americas. By 1852 ground-wood pulped paper was being produced regularly in the mill of "H. Voelter’s Sons" in Heidenheim, Germany. The "Frankenberger Intelligence and Weekly" (in Saxony, Germany) was the first newspaper to use Keller’s invention; pulped wood newsprint. It took a couple decades for newspaper and book printers to get comfortable which the idea of using pulped wood instead of pulped rags, but by the 1860s the new process had gained much popularity, and the transition began. By the end of the 19th-century there were few remaining printers (in the western world) using rags in lieu of wood for paper making. Throughout his life, Keller received no royalties from his invention. In 1870 he received from a number of German paper makers and other associations a small sum of money, which he used to buy a house in Krippen, Germany. Then towards the end of his life, various countries put together a fair sum of money for him, enough for a worry-free retirement, and he also received several awards in recognition of his invention.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
– died September 8, 1895 in Krippen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) was a German machinist
Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
and inventor
Invention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
, who (at the same time as Charles Fenerty
Charles Fenerty
Charles Fenerty , is a Canadian inventor who invented the wood pulp process for papermaking, which was first adapted into the production of newsprint. Fenerty was also a poet...
) invented the wood pulp
Pulp (paper)
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
process for the use in papermaking
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
. He is widely known for his wood-cut machine (used for extracting the fibres needed for pulping wood). Unlike Charles Fenerty, F.G. Keller took out a patent for his wood-cut invention.
History of Paper (before 1844)
Before wood pulp, paperPaper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
was made from rags. Papermaking began in Egypt (see Papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
) c3000 BC. And in 105 AD, Ts'ai Lun a Chinese inventor, invented modern papermaking using rags, cotton, and other plant fibres by pulping it. Then in the 18th century a French scientist by the name of René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur was a French scientist who contributed to many different fields, especially the study of insects.-Life:Réaumur was born in a prominent La Rochelle family and educated in Paris...
suggested that paper could be made from trees. Though he never experimented himself, his theory caught the interest of others, namely Matthias Koops. In 1800 Koops published a book on papermaking made from straw. Its outer covers were made from trees. His method wasn't like Fenerty's (pulping wood); instead he simply ground the wood and adhered it together. His book does not mention anything to do with wood pulping.
Early life
Keller spent his childhood and youth working for his father as a weaver and leaf-binderBinder
The reaper-binder, or binder, was a farm implement that improved upon the reaper. The binder was invented in 1872 by Charles Withington. In addition to cutting the small-grain crop, it would also tie the stems into small bundles, or sheaves...
in Hainichen, Saxony (north-eastern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
). But he was very unhappy. His interests were in machines. Keller carried with him an "idea-book", where he jotted down all these different kinds of machines. He had subscriptions to many of the leading publications on machines, and was well read in the sciences on mechanics. In his latter years he recalled an article he read in his youth about the works of the French mathematician René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur was a French scientist who contributed to many different fields, especially the study of insects.-Life:Réaumur was born in a prominent La Rochelle family and educated in Paris...
. He took great interest in Réaumur's works, and was curious about his efforts in finding a method for making paper from trees. Réaumur himself never pursued the idea (later saying in 1742, "I am ashamed not yet to have tried this [paper making from trees] experiment since it is more than twenty years since I have realized the importance of it and since I have announced it."). It was an idea that stuck with Keller. And in 1841 the 25-year-old Keller jotted down in his "idea-book" about a wood-cut machine; a machine that could extract the fibres from trees for the use in pulped wood paper making.
Keller's Invention
From 1841 (after noting his idea), Keller worked eagerly on his wood-cut machine. He had spent most of his life so far with his father as a weaver and binder, and making attempts on inventing all sorts of machines. But this wood-cut machine became his true passion, which he remained dedicated to over the following three years (from 1841 to 1844). In 1844 he completed his work and produced a piece of pulped wood paper from his wood-cut machine. In the summer of 1844 he sent in a sample paper to the German government. He wanted to get financial support for an improved wood-grinder machine and to develop papermaking further, but was declined. This is interesting because both Charles FenertyCharles Fenerty
Charles Fenerty , is a Canadian inventor who invented the wood pulp process for papermaking, which was first adapted into the production of newsprint. Fenerty was also a poet...
and F.G. Keller started at the same time, and made their discovery public at the same time, and at the same time found that no one was interested in it. But Keller remained dedicated. Since he couldn’t get national support, Keller sold his invention to a paper specialist, Heinrich Voelter
Heinrich Voelter
Heinrich Voelter was a German inventor and paper manufacturer.Heinrich Voelter grew up in Heidenheim and attended elementary school there, where he was taught by his grandfather. At age 14, he began an apprenticeship at a Heidenheim weaver shop...
, for about £80. A patent was granted to Keller in August 1845, in Saxony, Germany
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, in both names (Keller and Voelter), and Voelter began production on a mass scale. Voelter did not want to leave Keller at first because only Keller possessed the knowledge to build a suitable wood-grinding machine. But eventually that changed. After 1848 the first machines came out, and in 1852 the renewal of the patent came due, but Keller did not have the money to renew his part of the patent. Therefore, Voelter was the sole patent holder and continued the work, in large profit, without Keller.
Latter Years
Heinrich VoelterHeinrich Voelter
Heinrich Voelter was a German inventor and paper manufacturer.Heinrich Voelter grew up in Heidenheim and attended elementary school there, where he was taught by his grandfather. At age 14, he began an apprenticeship at a Heidenheim weaver shop...
remained the sole patent holder, leaving Keller unemployed and penniless. The wood-grinding machine was a success though. Voelter had sold many throughout Europe and the Americas. By 1852 ground-wood pulped paper was being produced regularly in the mill of "H. Voelter’s Sons" in Heidenheim, Germany. The "Frankenberger Intelligence and Weekly" (in Saxony, Germany) was the first newspaper to use Keller’s invention; pulped wood newsprint. It took a couple decades for newspaper and book printers to get comfortable which the idea of using pulped wood instead of pulped rags, but by the 1860s the new process had gained much popularity, and the transition began. By the end of the 19th-century there were few remaining printers (in the western world) using rags in lieu of wood for paper making. Throughout his life, Keller received no royalties from his invention. In 1870 he received from a number of German paper makers and other associations a small sum of money, which he used to buy a house in Krippen, Germany. Then towards the end of his life, various countries put together a fair sum of money for him, enough for a worry-free retirement, and he also received several awards in recognition of his invention.
See also
- Charles FenertyCharles FenertyCharles Fenerty , is a Canadian inventor who invented the wood pulp process for papermaking, which was first adapted into the production of newsprint. Fenerty was also a poet...
- Wood pulpPulp (paper)Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
- PulpwoodPulpwoodPulpwood refers to timber with the principal use of making wood pulp for paper production.-Applications:* Trees raised specifically for pulp production account for 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% and second- and third- and more generation forests account for the balance...
- René Antoine Ferchault de RéaumurRené Antoine Ferchault de RéaumurRené Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur was a French scientist who contributed to many different fields, especially the study of insects.-Life:Réaumur was born in a prominent La Rochelle family and educated in Paris...
- PapyrusPapyrusPapyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
- PaperPaperPaper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
- History of printingHistory of printingThe history of printing started around 3000 BC with the duplication of images. The use of round "cylinder seals" for rolling an impress onto clay tablets goes back to early Mesopotamian civilization before 3000 BC, where they are the most common works of art to survive, and feature complex and...