The Story of The Eagle Paper Machine



The Eagle Paper Machine was built in Great Britain in 1912 by a purveyor of dandy rolls. Unfortunately the builder's name remains a mystery. The machine was fabricated mostly of bronze and brass. Rumor has it that the designer destroyed the drawings so the machine could never be duplicated. First exhibited at the 1914 World's Fair in Leipzig, Germany, The American Writing Company of Holyoke, Massachusetts purchased The Eagle by outbidding England's Lord Northcliff.


The Eagle then made its journey to the United States where it was displayed at various trade shows. The last time The Eagle is known to have made paper was at the Chicago's World's Fair in 1939. After several decades of sitting in a crate, American Writing papermaker Ray Beaudry convinced management to display the machine at events around the country. During this time the machine was shown running mechanically without making paper. In 1989 the last American Writing mill ceased operation and The Eagle went back to its crate for nearly ten years.


Late in 1998, CAN-AM MACHINERY president, Daniel Nigrosh purchased The Eagle with the goal of making paper for the first time in 60 years. The machine has now been rebuilt with the help of well-known papermakers, Bill English and Frank Emerson.


No modifications have been made to the original design which sports a:


  • Machine Chest
  • Flat Screen
  • Headbox
  • Fourdrinier with 4" wire width, deckle straps, dandy, 35-table rolls, flatboxes, shake
  • Forward and Reverse Felted Press Section
  • 9-Top and Bottom Felted Dryers, 4" diameter
  • Felt Stretches and guides
  • Five Roll Calender
  • Reel
  • The entire line is powered by a 1/4 horsepower motor that drives a series of pulleys connected by leather belts.


"The World's Smallest Operating Paper Machine"


Year Mfg: 1912 - 4" Wire Width - 8 ft. Overall Length - 5 FPM


Can-Am Machinery believes The Eagle is not only the smallest operating fourdrinier in the world, but also the oldest machine running that has never been modified from original design. As the industry leader in used equipment sales, Can-Am's mission is to find value in assets that have been idled for one reason or another and put these assets back into useful production. The Eagle machine is a small-scale example of the services Can-Am provides for the Pulp & Paper Industry.