Improvements in Gutta-percha Compounds, and in the Modes and Means of Preparing or Treating the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gutta-percha Compounds, and in the Modes and
Means of Preparing or Treating the same.
I, ROBERT DICK, of Greenhead, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to and comprises special new or improved gutta-percha
compounds, or mixtures to be used as such, and to improvements in the process, or
mode and means of treating or preparing the raw materials, or component substances
of these, and also of the complete mixtures, into an improved prepared compound or
material, ready for being made or manufactured into all articles, for which gutta-
percha has heretofore been used otherwise in a usual manner. My Invention will
improve the character, quality, or fibre of the compounds so prepared, and as a
consequence also improve the quality of the articles produced therefrom, besides
effecting a great saving in the cost of production over that heretofore obtained in such
like processes and manufactures. It is well known to practical manufacturers of
gutta-percha and of india-rubber articles from the imported raw material, that while
gutta-percha, and balata (which is so similar that it will be herein referred to as an
equivalent) and india-rubber, each in the raw state, are very differentmaterials, having
different general characteristic qualities peculiar to them. The former (gutta-percha
and balata) possess great toughness and hardness, with a minimum degree of
elasticity, and are capable of beingpressed and shaped intoarticles in the natural state,
merely slightly heated to a plastic condition without changing their properties, so that
when cool they permanently retain their structural shape or form. While on the
contrary, raw india-rubber, which has a maximum of elasticity with a minimum of
hardness, has heretofore, after being cleaned, required to have its elasticity removed
by being greatly rolled, pressed, and drawn under dryheat through rollers into a friable
consistencyand then mixed and reduced with solvents and sulphur and othersubstances
to a soft dough and then shaped and moulded, and afterwards furnaced under pressure
at a high heat (which would dissolve gutta-percha) to vulcanize and change its nature
in this wayto make it topermanently retain the clastic forms given to it. Still there are
great varieties or kinds of both substances in the "raw "state, having these qualities
in various degress between the maximum and minimum of their respective class.
The nature and novelty of my invention and improvements consist (for making one
ingredient of my new compound) in taking india-rubber in the raw state (such as
India, Africa,and Borneo rubbers, which have heretofore been only treated, as herein-
before stated, as rubbers) and treating them very much as the tougher kinds of
gutta-perchas have heretofore been treated, that is,cutting them up into small pieces
and cleaning out all the bark and earths (which come mixed with them in the
state) by crushing them in a dry or wet state through rollers with their surfaces turn-
ing at different speeds, or through tearing toothed breakers, to work out all the bark
and foreign matter by washing and agitating the material through agitating cold and
warm water baths or cisterns, or directly rolling the cleaned rubber into thin sheets,
retaining all their tough elasticity ready for use as one of the ingredients of my new
compound as hereinafter described. The selected
raw gutta-percha or balata to
be used for forming the other ingredients of the new compounds, are broken up and
cleaned, in cold and warm water baths, of their bark and foreign matters, and after-
wards treated in their wet, hot, plastic state, all as gutta-perchas have been as
heretofore, but so mixed and cleansed in their mixers or "masticators" at the lower
temperatures, with steam or hot water, suited to the desired plasticity or doughy
character of the gutta-percha being treated, which when thus homogeneously mixed
into a tough doughy consistency is rolled out into thick warm plastic sheets. Each
raw
29

page_text: warm sheet of gutta-percha compound is then doubled and a thin sheet of the said
previously prepared rubber inserted between the folds or between two sheets or layers
of the gutta-percha, when they are again passed through the rollers and rolleddownto
their original thickness, thus thoroughly heating and incorporating the thin rubber
sheets with the layers of gutta-percha, while heated and moist with hot water. The
sheet is again doubled and another layer of the very thin previously prepared rubber
inserted, and again passed through the rollers to incorporate and roll the whole to its
original thickness in a hot moist state. This treatment is repeated until the desired
sufficient quantity of the new prepared rubber material is incorporated into the rolled
sheet, or until the required proportion of gutta-percha is incorporatedwiththe rubber,
after which it may be doubled and rolled again as many times as desired without
putting any more of the rubber material into it, toworkit into a complete homogeneous
and good tough gutta-percha compound material for general use. These compound
sheetswould then preferably be cut up and passed through a "masticating" ormixing
machine, preferably a single roll mixing machine with lateral angled mixing vanes
which do not tear the material,such as at present used for treating gutta-percha,but
by these improvements having the case closed in to treat the said previously rolled
compound material of rubber and gutta-percha under a moist heat with steam or hot
water at a high temperature, as say from 2120 to 240° Fahrenheit; which new treat-
ment enables this new compound material to be worked into a tough plastic doughy
state that retains all its original toughness and elastic fibrous nature, whenit is again
rolled out into sheets as a homogeneous gutta-percha compound ready forgeneral use.
I have found that as much as one fourth by weight of the said first prepared sheets of
rubber material may be added to the whole mixture or compound prepared sheet of
gutta-percha and rubber, or guita-percha, balata, and rubber, or balata and the
prepared rubber alone; and that when desired a much greater proportion of "low"
rubbers, having a minimum of toughness, can be used in this way, the ingredients of
the perpared sheets of rubber giving greater toughness and durability to the whole
compound than that obtained from the best gutta-percha or balata compounds as
heretofore prepared. These new or improved compounds so prepared are capable of
being used for all the purposes for which the best gutta-percha or balata compounds
are used, such as for the making of machinery driving belts and bands, the soles of
hoots and shoes, chemical vessels, working rings for pumps, the covering and insu-
lating of electric, telegraphic, and telephonic wires and cables, and for the making of
dissolved composite solutions for coatings of this new mixture.
An important property of gutta-percha and gutta-percha compounds proper, over
and above those stated of retaining their tough and solid shape and tensile strength, is
that of their power of cohesion or being cemented, and shrinking on other materials,
as on metallic wires for perfect insulation; while india-rubber and its compounds are
not so capable of being cemented and shrinking on such different materials, although
having greater elastic power of cohesion in the particles.
Although I have herein so far mainly referred to the treatment of "low rubbers"
with a minimum of elasticity, as a new ingredient for these improved gutta-percha
compounds, it is to be understood that I can in like manner and by the same improved
process treat the best and toughest elastic rubbers, such as para rubber, to incorporate
à considerable proportion of these also into my new gutta-percha compounds with
great advantage in and for the manufacture of gutta-percha articles generally.
For a great number of purposes, as is at present well known and practised in
gutta-percha mixtures, old vulcanized india-rubber articles can be ground up into a
fine crumb or friable elastic state and a small proportion of this mixedwith these new
gutta-percha and rubber compounds, or gutta-percha, balata,and rubber compounds;
and various colouring pigments may be mixed in like manner with these new com-
pounds, as these have been mixed heretofore with the best and ordinary compounds of
gutia-percha for various purposes.

page_text: COMILLIE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gutta-percha Compounds, and in the Modes and
Means of Preparing or Treating the same.
I, ROBERT DICK, of Greenhead, Glasgow Lanarkshire, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement in
writing, that is to say :-
My Invention has reference to and comprises special new or improved gutta-percha
compounds, or mixtures to be used as such, and to improvements in the process, or
mode and means of treating or preparing the raw materials, or component substances
of these, and also of the complete mixtures, into an improved prepared compound or
material, ready for being made or manufactured into all articles, for which gutta-
percha has heretofore been used otherwise in a usual manner. My invention will
improve the character, quality, or fibre of the compounds so prepared, and as a con-
sequence also improve the quality of the articles produced therefrom, besides effecting
a great saving in the cost of production over that heretofore obtained in such like
processes and manufactures. It is well known to practical manufacturers of gutta-
percha and of india-rubber articles from the imported raw material, that while
gutta-percha and balata (which is so similar that it will be herein referred to as an
equivalent) and india rubber, each in the raw state, are very different materials,
having different general characteristic qualities peculiar to them. The former (gutta
percha and balata) possess great toughness and hardness, with a minimum degree of
elasticity, and are capable of being pressed and shaped into articles in the natural
state, merely slightly heated to a plastic condition without changing their properties,
so that when cool they permanently retain their structural shape or form. While on
the contrary, raw india-rubber, which has a maximum of elasticity with a minimum
of hardness, has heretofore, after being cleaned, required to have its elasticityremoved
by being greatly rolled, pressed, and drawn under dry heat through rollers into a
friable consistency and then mixed and reduced with solvents and sulphur and other
substances to a soft dough and then shaped and moulded, and afterwards furnaced
under pressure at a high heat (which would dissolve gutta-percha) to vulcanize and
change its nature in this way to make it permanently retain the elastic forms given
to it. Still there are great varieties or kinds of both substances in the **
having these qualities in various degrees between the maximum and minimum of
their respective class.
raw
33
22
raw state
The nature and novelty of my invention and mode and means of carrying my
improvements into practice consist in taking india rubber in the raw state (such as
India, Africa, and Borneo rubbers, which have heretofore been only treated, as
herein before stated, as rubbers) and treating them very much as the tougher kinds
of gutta-perchas have heretofore been treated, that is, cutting them up into small
pieces and cleaning out all the bark and earths (which come mixed with them in the
state) by crushing them in a dry or wet state through rollers with their
surfaces turning at different speeds, or through tearing toothed breakers, to work out
all the bark and foreign matter by washing and agitating the material through
agitating cold and warmwater baths or cisterns, or directly rolling the cleaned rubber
into thin sheets, retaining all their tough elasticity ready for use as one of the
ingredients of my new compound as hereinafter described. The selected raw
gutia-percha or balata to be used for forming the other ingredients of the new com-
pounds, are broken up and cleaned, in cold and warm water baths, of their bark and
foreign matters, and afterwards treated in their wet, hot plastic state, all as gutta-
perchas have been as heretofore, but so mixed and cleaned in their mixers or
masticators at the lower temperatures, with steam or hot water, suited to the
desired plasticity or doughy character of the gutta-percha being treated, which when
thus homogeneously mixed into a tough doughy consistency is rolled out into thick
warm plastic sheets. Each warm sheet of gutta-percha compound is then doubled
::

page_text: :6
This.
and a thin sheet of the said previously prepared rubber inserted between the folds or
between two sheets or layers of the gutta-percha when they are again passed through
the rollers and rolled down to their original thickness, thus thoroughly heating and
incorporating the thin rubber sheets with the layers of gutta percha, while heated and
moist with hot water. The sheet is again doubled and another layer of the thin
very
previously prepared rubber inserted, and again passed through the rollers to incor-
porate and roll the whole to its original thickness in a hot moist state.
treatment is repeated until the desired sufficient quantity of the new prepared rubber
material to the extent of from one fourth to one half by weight, is incorporated into
the rolled sheet, or until the required proportion of gutta percha which is inverse to
that of the rubber added as above, is incorporated with the rubber, after which it
may be doubled and rolled again as many times as desired without putting any more
of the rubber material into it, to work it into a complete homogeneous and good
Or otherwise by un
tough guita-percha compound material for general use.
alternative arrangement the raw india rubber may be mixed with the raw gutta
percha in the proportions desired, and put through the cleaning breakers or rollers
together, with the water to wash away the bark and foreign earths or matters and
rolled out into thin sheets. These compound sheets would then preferably be cut up
and passed through a masticating or mixing machine, preferably a single roll
mixing machine with lateral angled mixing vanes which do not tear the material,
such as are at present used for treating gutta-percha, but by these improvements
having the case closed-in to treat the said previously rolled compound material of
rubber and gutta-percha under a moist heat with steam or hot water at a high
temperature, as say from 212° to 240° Fahrenheit; which new treatment enables
this new compound material to be worked into a tough plastic doughy state that
retains all its original toughness and elastic fibrous nature, when it is again rolled out
into sheets as a homogeneous gutta-percha compound ready for general use. I have
found that as much as from one fourth to one half by weight of the said first prepared
sheets of rubber material may be added to the whole mixture or compound prepared
sheet of guita-percha and rubber, or gutta-percha, balata, and rubber, or balata and
the prepared rubber alone, depending on the quality of the gutta-percha or balata,
and of the india rubber; and that when desired a much greater proportion of "low"
rubbers, having a minimum of toughness, can be used in this way, the ingredients
of the prepared sheets of rubber giving greater toughness and durability to the whole
compound than that obtained from the best gutta-percha or balata compounds as
heretofore prepared. These new or improved compounds so prepared are capable of
being used for all the purposes for which the best gutta-percha or balata compounds
are used, such as for the making of machinery driving belts and bands, the soles of
boots and shoes, chemical vessels, working rings for pumps, the covering and
insulating of electric, telegraphic and telephonic wires and cables, and for the
making of dissolved compound solutions for coatings of this new mixture for
attaching gutta percha, leather and other materials, heretofore made only of pure
gutta-perchia, and dissolved us usual in strong mineral and wood naphthas or carbon
disulphide.
An improved property of gutta percha and gutta-percha compounds proper, over
and above those stated of retaining their tough and solid shape and tensile strength,
is that of their power of cohesion or being cemented and shrinking on othermaterials,
as on metallic wires for perfect insulation; while india-rubber and its compounds are
not so capable of being cemented and shrinking on such different materials, although
having greater elastic power of cohesion in the particles.
Although I have herein so far mainly referred to the treatment of "low rubbers"
with a minimum of elasticity, as a new ingredient for these improved gutta-percha
compounds, it is to be understood that I can in like manner and by the same
improved process treat the best and toughest elastic rubber, such as para rubber to
incorporate a considerable proportion of these also into my new gutta-percha com-
pounds with great advantage in and for the manufacture of guita-percha articles
generally.

page_text: For a great number of purposes, as is at present well known and practised in
gutta-percha mixtures, old or vulcanized india rubber or india rubber articles can be
ground up into a fine crumb or powdered friable elastic state, and a small proportion
as from to of this mixed with these new gutta-percha and rubber compounds, or
gutta-percha, balata, and rubber compounds; and various colouring pigments may
be mixed in like manner with these new compounds, as these have been mixed
heretofore in the masticating part of the process with thebest and ordinary compounds
of gutta-percha for various purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.-
First. The manufacture and use of compounds composed of raw gutta-percha,
balata, or gutta-percha and balata, with raw india-rubber, either with or without a
proportion of crumb or reduced vulcanized india rubber, substantially as herein
described.
Second. The manufacture and use of compounds, composed of gutta-percha,balata,
or gutta-percha and balata, with india-rubber, mixed and prepared substantially as
herein described.
Third. The use of the herein described process, or mode and means of preparing
compounds of gutta-percha, balata, or gutta-percha and balata with india-rubber,
substantially as herein described.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.