In the same statement, it was shown that the expense of making paper by hand is 16s. per cwt., whereas by their machine it is only 3s. 9d.; so that upon 432,000 cwts. the quantity annually made in Great Britain and Ireland (as founded upon the fact that one vat can make 480 cwts. of paper, and that there were 900 vats in the kingdom), the annual saving by the machine would be 264,600l., or 345,600l. - 81,000l.
In a second statement laid before the public in 1807, the patentees observe that their recently improved machine, from its greater simplicity, may be erected at a considerably reduced expense. “Mr. Donkin, the engineer, will engage to furnish machines of the dimensions specified below, with all the present improvements, at the prices specified below.
| Inches. | If driven by straps. | £ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 or 4 | vats | 30 | between | the | deckles | 715 |
| 6 | ditto | 40 | ditto | ditto | 845 | |
| 8 | ditto | 44 | ditto | ditto | 940 | |
| 12 | ditto | 54 | ditto | ditto | 995 | |
| If driven by wheels. | ||||||
| 3 or 4 | vats | 30 | between | the | deckles | 750 |
| 6 | ditto | 40 | ditto | ditto | 880 | |
| 8 | ditto | 44 | ditto | ditto | 980 | |
| 12 | ditto | 54 | ditto | ditto | 1,040 | |
“Instead of 5 men, formerly employed upon 1 machine, 3 are now (in 1813) fully sufficient, without requiring that degree of attention and skill which were formerly indispensable.
“In 1806 the machine was capable of doing the work of 6 vats in twelve hours; it is, however, now capable of doing double that quantity, at one-fourth of the expense. For by the various improvements enumerated above, the consumption of wire is reduced nearly one-half, and lasts above double the time; the quantity of paper produced is doubled; and, taking into consideration the work which is now performed by the men over and above their immediate attendance upon the machine, it may be fairly stated, that the number of men is reduced to one-half; consequently the expense of wire and labour is reduced to one-fourth of what it was.
“The other advantages incidental to the nature of the process of making paper by this machine, may be classed in the following order:—
“1st. That the paper is much superior in strength, firmness, and appearance, to any which can be made by hand of the same material.
“2d. It requires less drying, less pressing and parting, and consequently comes sooner to market; for it receives a much harder pressure from the machine than can possibly be given by any vat press, and is therefore not only drier, but, on account of the closeness and firmness of texture, even the moisture which remains is far sooner evaporated, on exposure to the air, than it would be from the more spungy or bibulous paper made by hand.
“The superior pressure, and the circumstance of one side of the paper passing under the polished surface of one of the pressing rollers, contribute to that smoothness which in hand-made papers can only be obtained by repeated parting and pressing; consequently a great part of the time necessarily spent in these operations is saved, and the paper sooner finished and ready for market.