AN IMPROVED MATERIAL APPLICABLE TO MANY PURPOSES FOR WHICH
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Warren, of Stratmore Terrace, Shadwell,
in the County of Middlesex, Paper Maker, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED MATERIAL APPLICABLE TO MANY PURPOSES FOR WHICH
"
Sealed the 9th February 1853, and dated the 12th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Warren at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th October 1852.
I, PETER WARREN, of Stratmore Terrace, Shadwell, in the County
of Middlesex, Paper Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED MATERIAL APPLICABLE TO MANY PURPOSES
FOR WHICH PAPIER MACHEE AND GUTTA PERCHA HAVE BEEN OR MAY BE
USED" to be as follows:-
I take the straw of any fibrous vegetable substance and cut it into
short lengths by means of any suitable machine, and in order to open
out and divide, when desired, the knots which may exist in the straw
pass it through a pair of mill stones or other equivalent apparatus.
I take the straw thus cut and divided and boil it in some, strong
alkaline or caustic alkaline solution. The mass is then reduced to a
pulp in a rag engine or other suitable machine, then moulded and

page_text: pressed into the required form. It is next dried, pressed or rolled,
dipped in oil, oleaginous or glutinous matter, and then baked.
Although I have mentioned straw alone, rags or various other
materials capable of being reduced to a pulp may be used in combi-
nation therewith to suit certain manufactures, but I prefer the use of 5
straw alone.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Warren in the Great Scal Patent Office,
on the 12th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
PETER WARREN, of Stratmore Terrace, Shadwell, in the County of
Middlesex, Paper Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Peter Warren, Her special licence that
I, the said Peter Warren, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as J, the said Peter Warren, my executors, administra-
tors, 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 "AN IMPROVED MATERIAL
APPLICABLE TO MANY PURPOSES FOR WHICH PAPIER MACHE AND GUTTA
PERCHA HAVE BEEN OR MAY BE USED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Peter Warren, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Peter Warren, do hereby declare

page_text: 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:
My Invention consists in manufacturing or producing a new material
or composition of a character. analogous to that of papier maché, by
treating the straw of any fibrous vegetable substance susceptible of such
treatment according to the process herein-after described. The new
material which I obtain by my process is capable of being employed as
a substitute for papier maché, and also gutta percha and its compounds,
in the formation or manufacture of many articles for which these
substances are now used, such as panels and mouldings for railway
carriages and other structures, trays, picture and other frames, door
knobs, buttons, &c.
The method in which I manufacture my said improved material is
as follows: I take the straw of any fibrous vegetable substance, such as
wheat, barley, oat, rye, and other similar straws, and cut the same into
short lengths by means of any suitable cutting machine. As the nature
of such machines is well understood it will not be necessary for me to
describe the same here. In order to open out and divide, when desired.
the knots which may exist in the straw, I pass the same through a pair
of millstones, or between crushing rollers, or I submit the same to the
action of any other equivalent apparatus in order that the séparation
and division of the knots and fibres may be thoroughly and effectually
performed, and in some cases in order to facilitate this part of the
process I apply water or other liquid in a hot or cold state to the
materials under operation; I then take the cut and divided straw and
boil the same in a strong alkaline lye, or solution of caustic alkali, such
as soda, potash, &c., until a pulpy mass is produced, which effect will,
however, depend in a great measure on the nature of the straw
operated on, and the strength of the alkaline lye or solution which is
employed. After this the mass is transferred to the machine known in
the paper making trade as the rag engine, or to any other suitable
machine, where it is reduced to pulp in the manner practised when
operating on rags, &c. in the manufacture of paper. The pulp is next
partially-dried,-in-which-state-it-may-be-rolled-or-pressed-into-sheets-or

page_text: moulded into other forms, and the rolled or pressed sheets or moulded
articles are then dipped in oil or oleaginous or glutinous matter, and
baked in an oven, as is well understood in the manufacture of similar
sheets or moulded articles from papier maché. The sheets and
moulded articles when manufactured in this way may be ornamented
by japanning or by painting and varnishing, or by inlaying the surface
with sbell or other such material as is commonly practised in the
ornamenting of articles composed of papier maché and gutta porcha.
And where colored sheets or moulded articles are required to be
produced pigments or coloring matter might be introduced into the
pulp while in the rag engine; the subsequent processes of drying,
rolling, pressing, or moulding and baking being performed as before
described.
In the foregoing description I have mentioned straw of various kinds
as being the substances which I use in preparing my improved material,
but I do not confine myself to the use of these substances alone, as
a pulp suitable for some manufacturing purposes might be produced
by combining therewith pulp obtained from rags and various other
materials: I do not, however, recommend the same, and prefer the use
of pulp made without such addition.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, an the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,―
The manufacture of a material, which may be used as a substitute
for papier maché and for many purposes to which papier maché and
gutta percha have been or may be employed, fron straw pulp submitted
to pressure, and then oiled and baked, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Warren, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three.
PETER WARREN. (L.S.)