UTILIZATION OF MEERSCHAUM AND MEERSCHAUM WASTE
Year: 1878

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "UTILIZATION OF
MEERSCHAUM AND MEERSCHAUM WASTE." A communication from abroad by
Isaiah Smith Hyatt, of No. 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris.
Sealed the 28th March 1879, and dated the 21st December 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Morgan-Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st December 1878.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. " UTILIZATION OF MEERSCHAUM AND MEERSCHAUM WASTE."
munication from abroad by Isaiah Smith Hyatt, of No. 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris.
A com-
It is well known that meerschaum is not an homogenous substance, that it has
holes, that its volume is always limited, that its configuration allows with difficulty
of its transformation into articles for the trade without undergoing losses or waste
which are more or less considerable, and that besides its cost price is relatively
high.
This Invention consists in utilizing the waste produced in the manufacture of
meerschaum articles, which waste is actually of no value, by submitting them to a
preparation or treatment and by mixing them with certain other materials, so as to
form a plastic or solidified mass which presents a perfect homogeneousness and
other considerable advantages, as well in the manufacture of various articles out of
this product as in the beauty and duration of said articles.
For the manufacture of certain objects, the configuration and size of which exceed
by far those of the blank pieces of meerschaum, the meerschaum itself may also be
employed, as the treatment and moulding of this composition are much less expen-
Dine 9.71

page_text: sive for this manufacture than the actual mode of cutting the same out of the
meerschaum in its natural state.
The operation is as follows:-
First. The waste is pulverised into an impalpable powder by any of the well-
known processes.
Second. I make a solution composed of say five parts by weight of nitro-cellulose,
with from three to five parts by weight of gum camphor, and add thereto a suffi-
cient quantity of ether (say three parts) and alcohol (say one part) or any other
well-known solvents of nitro-cellulose in order to form a syrup. The above
indicated approximate proportion of these four ingredients which in practice have
given excellent results are not absolute and may vary to a limited extent, according
to the nature of the rough products, the articles to reproduce, &c.
Third. To this solution thus obtained is added the above-mentioned pulverised
meerschaum in the proportion of say one hundred parts to five parts of nitro-
cellulose contained in the solution.
Fourth. The whole is mixed intimately in any well-known manner.
Fifth. The excess of the solvents is allowed to evaporate either naturally or
artificially, and,
Sixth. The mass is again reduced to a powder.
The powder thus obtained is the material which is employed for the manufacture
of a large quantity of articles; for this purpose it is introduced and pressed into
metallic or other moulds heated to a temperature of from one hundred to one hundred
and twenty degrees centigrade.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
I claim as my Invention is the above-described mode of treatment and moulding of
meerschaum waste, as well as of the meerschaum itself in its natural state.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, One thousand eight hun-
dred and seventy-eight.
TTTTTUM MORGAN DROWN
(57)
WILLIAM MORGAN BROWN.