The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1897-05-31
HOW CELLULOID is MADE.
Produced by the Combined Action Of
Pressure and Heat.

Pressure and Heat.
Celluloid is made by the com bined
action of pressure and heat, or with
the aid of solvents, in that case in
the cold. The camphor is dissolved
in alcohol, as little as possible, and
the solution sprayed through a rose
on to the pyroXylin, which must
be perfectly dry. A second layer
of pyroxylin is added, moistened
again with camphor solution, and
so on. The gelatinous lump is work
ed between iron rollers, to which it
adheres. The layer is split longitu-
dinally and rolled again.
The cakes, o. inch thick, are cut
into plates about ? feet by foot,
which pass for "a hours into hy-
draulic presses, which are doubly
steam jacketed. The mass is now
sawed into plates, which are dried at
about 95 degrees F. for week or
two, and finally cut into smaller
pieces, from which the articles are
stamped. Further particulars are
difficult TO obtain. The writer in
the Gummi Zeitung believes, how
ever, that Magnus & Co of Berlin
pour 100 parts of ether ON 80 Of
collodion wool and % of camphor
and stir the covered mass in earth
enware vessels with rubber sticks
until a homogeneous gelatinouS
mass is obtained, which is then roll
ed. AT St. Denis ethyl alcohol is
said to be used. Apart from dye
stuff and other additions the cellu-
loid consists on an average of two
thirds of pyroXylin and one-third
of camphor. More camphor imparts
an unpleasant smell and impairs the
strength of the product The chem
ical constitution of celluloid is still
doubtful.
The celluloid is generally sup
piled in rods of feet III length, or
in plates of 80 inches by y inches,
of yellowish color, unless dyed. 1t
cannot be exploded by heat, blows
or friction. 1t burns, but the flame
can easily be blown out. 1t leaves
an ash skeleton, which continues to
sparkle family for some time. 1t is
soluble in ether alcohol, while either
of the ingredients alone only at
tacks the camphor.
Concentrated acids and caustic al
kalis decompose or carbonize the
celluloid. While the finished article
IS not dangerous, tho manufacture
is highly so. Various additions to
render the celluloid less infiamma-
bic are hardly required. The small
er articles are cut ready in the cold,
dipped into hot water, bent and
shaped, and plunged into cold water
again to retain their shape Larger
articles are pressed in heated molds.
If reheated during further opera
tlons, the articles lose their shape.
The comb manufacture is simpler
than with hard rubber. The teeth
are stamped with dyes, by hand or
machinery, and then polished with
pumice stone and cold water. The
dyes are generally added at the
time when the pyroxylin and cam
phor are mixed. Striped articles are
obtained by superposition of plates
of different colors and cross cutting
of the compressed blocks. Surface
dyes may be dissolved in acetic acid
or acetic ethers, which slightly at
tack the celluloid Trade Journals
Review.
Fooled His Rival.
The Philadelphia Record tells this
story of a trade war. In order to
boom business an enterprising gro
Ger on certain day advertised sew
eral thousand cent loayes of bread
for sale at l cent each. His rival
was in despair until a brilliant idea
came into his head. He hired a
small army of boys and girls to buy
up all the loayes at l cent each. At
2 o'clock Grocer No. / had sold all
his bread, and those who came
later denounced him as fraud. who /
had fooled them with lying adyer-
tisement. Meanwhile the foxy gro /
Ger around the corner, with more
than 1000 cent loaves stacked up
on his kitchen floor, put out a big
sign: Fresh bread A cent loaf |
for cents. We never advertise /
what we have not got He thus not |
only discounted his rival and turn
ed the tice in his own favor, but I
M odo a r1ro{if ON tho broad 40 xva1I