IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING GUTTA PERCHA, INDIA-RUBBER, AND COMPOUNDS CONTAINING ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Chatterton, of Highbury, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
GUTTA PERCHA, INDIA-RUBBER, AND COMPOUNDS CONTAINING ONE OR BOTH OF
THOSE SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Chatterton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
81st January 1861.
I, JOHN CHATTERTON, of Highbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING GUTTA PERCHA, INDIA-RUBBER, AND COMPOUNDS CONTAINING ONE OR BOTH
OF THOSE SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists in methods of and machinery hereafter stated for
treating the above-named materials to or with hot water while being -other-
wise acted on for the purpose of freeing them from dirt, woody fibre, and other
impurities capable of being removed by water.
My first method consists in causing heated water, by preference at about

page_text: 200° Fahr., to flow in a continuous stream or streams, or in jets into and through
the masticator or kneading machine while charged with and acting on the
material under treatment; the water carrying with it the woody fibre and
other impurities passes away through boles in the masticator case. Or, instead
of applying hot water as just mentioned, I apply it at intervals, say, at about
every fourth revolution, more or less, of the shaft of the masticator, for which
purpose I employ any suitable form of flushing apparatus, or I make use of
an apparatus I bave invented for the purpose, and which I construct thus:
I fix a small hopper-bottomed cistern at a suitable height over and above the
masticators, and in the cistern I fit a V-shaped trough called a tumbler, having
a pivot at each end, and hung in suitable bearings slightly out of the centre.
The tumbler is fixed so as to turn over when the water which flows into it
reaches to the height to make the front the heavier, when it discharges its
contents into the cistern, and then through proper conducting pipes to the
masticator to flush the whole of the inside of it completely. This flushing
operation may be repeated as often as necessary.
Another method of cleansing gutta percha and such like plastic ma-
terials, is to use hot water instead of cold in the tanks of the machines
known as "tickers;" and I prefer to make the tanks of an oval form, with a
dividing plate down the centre, and with a space at each end to allow the
material to pass to and from the "ticker." Agitators or paddles are fixed at
suitable distances to drive the material round the tank. The operation of
"ticking" is repeated as often as needed. The material being kept at a
proper temperature, and the "ticker" revolving very rapidly, a large quantity
is cleansed in a short time.
I sometimes employ a series of rolls fixed in a similar tank to that last before
described, and so arranged that the hot water completely covers the bottom
rolls, and partially the top rolls. The material as it is driven round the tank
is taken up by and between the rolls, and is made to pass continuously from
one set of rolls to another as long as required. I prefer to drive the rolls at
different speeds, each pair from the first or leading set a little faster than the
preceding pair. The material being operated on is by these means stretched
er opened in its passage from rolls to rolls, and the cleansing rapidly com-
pleted. When the material in passing round the tank comes to the rear of
the leading rolls it accumulates, and the entire operation is repeated. The
rolls may be fluted or plain, or one of each.
In some cases fix a dividing plate or knives in front of the rolls, the object
being to present as much surface to the action of the water as may be. A jet

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Chatterton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHATTERTON. of Highbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Chatterton, Her special licence that I, the said John Chatterton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Chatterton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
GUTTA PERCHA, INDIA-RUBBER, AND COMPOUNDS CONTAINING ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE
SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Chatterton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Chatterton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in methods of and machinery hereafter stated for
treating the above-named materials to or with hot water while being other-
wise acted on for the purpose of freeing them from dirt, woody fibre, and
other impurities capable of being removed by water.

page_text: My first method consists in causing heated water, by preference at about
from 180° to 200° Faht., to flow in a continuous stream or streams, or in jets
into and through the masticator or kneading machine while charged with and
acting on the material under treatment. The water carrying with it the
woody fibre and other impurities, passes away through holes in the masticator
case. Or, instead of applying hot water as just mentioned, I apply it at
intervals, say, at about every fourth revolution, more or less, of the shaft of the
masticator; for which purpose I employ any suitable form of flushing appa-
ratus, or I make use of an apparatus I have invented for the purpose, and
which I construct thus:-I fix a small hopper-bottomed cistern at a suitable
height over and above, the masticators, and in the cistern I fit a V-shaped
trough called a tumbler, having a pivot at each end, and hung in suitable
bearings slightly out of the centre; the tumbler is fixed so as to turn over
when the water which flows into it reaches to the height to make the front
the heavier, when it discharges its contents into the cistern, and then through
proper conducting pipes to the masticator to flush the whole of the inside of it
completely. This flushing operation may be repeated as often as necessary.
Another method of cleansing gutta percha and such like plastic materials, is
to use hot water instead of cold in the tanks of the machines known as
"tickers," and I prefer to make the tanks of an oval form, with a dividing
plate down the centre, and with a space at each end to allow the material to
pass to and from the "ticker." Agitators or paddles are fixed at suitable
distances to drive the material round the tank. The operation of "ticking"
is repeated as often as needed. The material being kept at a proper tem-
perature, and the "ticker" revolving very rapidly, a large quantity is cleansed
in a short time.
I sometimes employ a series of rolls fixed in a similar tank to that last
before described, and so arranged that the hot water completely covers the
bottom rolls, and partially the top rolls. The material as it is drawn round
the tank is taken up by and between the rolls, and is made to pass con-
tinuously from one set of rolls to another as long as required. I prefer to
drive the rolls at different speeds, each pair from the first or leading set a little
faster than the preceding pair. The material being operated on is by theso
means stretched or opened in its passage from rolls to rolls, and the cleansing
rapidly completed. When the material in passing round the tank comes to
the rear of the leading rolls it accumulates, and the entire operation is
repeated. The rolls may be fluted or plain, or one of each.
In some cases I fix a dividing plate or knives in front of the rolls, the object

page_text: being to present as much surface to the action of the water as may be. A
jet of hot water may be made to flow on to the rolls. Although I prefer to
place the rolls horizontally, they may be placed vertically.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Chatterton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
JOHN CHATTERTON. (L.s.)