AN IMPROVED PLASTIC COMPOSITION, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF MACHINERY FOR A min CAREE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Walton, of Haughton Dale Mills, near the
City of Manchester, Card Manufacturer, for the Invention of " AN
IMPROVED PLASTIC COMPOSITION, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF MACHINERY FOR
A min CAREE
Sealed the 17th July 1857, and dated the 20th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Walton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th January 1857..
I, FREDERICK WALTON, of Haughton Dale Mills, near the City of Man-
5 chester, Card Manufacturer,. do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
.for "AN IMPROVED PLASTIC COMPOSITION, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF MACHINERY
FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in an improved manner of cleansing. lacs of all
:descriptions, and other resins possessing the same properties, for the purpose
of removing their coloring matters, sticks, stones, and other foreign matters;
also mixing fibrous substances with the aforesaid lacs and resins for imparting
Ito them tenacity and strength, and in coloring the same by suitable pigments;
also the application of masticating machinery for effecting the cleansing and
intimate mixing of the lacs and resins, fibrous substances, and coloring
.

page_text: matters; and also of a steam-cased: cylinder, with a piston and screw to keep
the composition in a fit state for moulding, the same being forced out of a hole
in the cylinder by the screw and piston when required for use; also the
application of this improved composition: for such brush backs or mountings as
are described in the Provisional Specification of Letters Patent applied for by
me on the 22nd Oct 1856, and for all descriptions of brush backs, ornamental
mouldings, picture frames, door handles, door plates, curtain rings, tubes, rails,
boxes, busts, statuettes, veneers, and other articles'; also in the application of
ornamental forms made of any suitable material, and inserted into recesses of
sunk dies, the said composition being then moulded on to the said forms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
WALTON, of Haughton Dale Mills, near the City of Manchester, Card
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most, Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the "year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick Walton,. Her special licence that I, the said Frederick Walton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the said Frederick
Walton, 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, Jand
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PLASTIC COMPOSITION,
AND IN THE APPLICATION OF MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME," Lupon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick. Walton, 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.
31
ги

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Walton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement. (that is to say):
The nature of my Invention. consists in an improved plastic composition,
made of lacs, or other resins possessing tho same or similar properties,
combined with fibrous substances for imparting tenacity and strength, and, if
requisite, with, colouring matter to improve the appearance. My Invention
also consists in the application of masticating machinery, and of a steam-cased
or...otherwise. heated cylinder, furnished with a piston rod and screw for
preparing my improved plastic composition, and keeping it in proper condition
for working; also in the application of ornamental forms in combination with
my improved,plastic composition..
In performing my Invention, I immerse a quantity of shellac or other
suitable lac or resin in cold water, and agitate it to cause the wood or light
foreign matters.to.rise to the surface; the foreign matters are then removed by
skimming or otherwise, the water is then poured off, and the shellac or other
suitable lac.or resin is spread out to facilitate the operation of removing the
stones or other heavy foreign matters. When the shellac or other suitable lac
or resin has been thus partially purified, it is boiled in water to render it soft,
or in a fit state to be kneaded or masticated; it is then put into a masticating
machine, and heated, if requisite, by steam or other means during the operation
of kneading.or masticating.
I do not limit myself to the use of any particular construction of masticating
machine, but prefer the one ordinarily used for india-rubber or gutta percha.
During the operation of kneading, hot water is poured on to the shellac or other
suitable,lac,or resin in the masticating machine, for the purpose of removing
the colouring and foreign matters liberated by the operation, a hole being made
in the bottom of the case of the machine to allow the water and foreign
matters to escape. When the lacs or resins are sufficiently purified, the
supply of water is.shut-off, and the kneading proceeds until they are partially
dried, fibrous substances are then put into the masticating machine, and
intimately incorporated with the lacs or resins.
I do not, limit, myself to the use of any particular fibrous substance, but. I
prefer the short fibres of cotton or wool, as being the cheapest and most easily.
obtained. The proportion of lacs or resin and of fibrous substance admits of
being.considerably varied; but for most purposes I find that five pounds of lacs
or resin to three-quarters of a pound of fibrous substance gives a good result.
In order to improve the appearance of the composition, and to render

page_text: it suitable for ornamental purposes, I use coloured fibrous substances, or add
pigments, colours, or dye materials, either in the masticating machine or
otherwise. The composition thus prepared is then placed in the steam cased
cylinder, shewn in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1
represents an end elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan in section. The object of this
steam-cased cylinder is to keep the composition perfectly plastic, or in a proper
condition for being moulded or otherwise worked into shape. a is the cylinder,
surrounded by a casing b; steam is admitted into the space between the cylinder
and casing through the pipe c, and the water or condensed steam is carried off
by the pipe d. The cylinder is closed by the lid e, through which is an
opening f; within the cylinder is the piston g, furnished with a screwed piston
ród h, this screw passes through the nut i, and has a handwheel j. The opening f
in the lid e is closed by the flat part of the lever k. When a portion of the
composition within the cylinder a is required, the attendant raises the lever k
into the position indicated by a dotted line in Fig. 1 to uncover the hole f, the
handwheel is then turned round, thereby causing the piston to advance in the
cylinder, and forcing a portion of the composition to exude through the hole f
in the lid e; by depressing the lever k this portion is cut off, and is placed in
a mould, or otherwise disposed of. I wish to remark here that any other mode
of heating the cylinder a may be adopted, the object of heating the cylinder
being to keep the composition in a fit state for moulding.
The improved plastic composition above described is applicable for the brush
backs or mountings described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
me on the Twenty-second day of October One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six. It is also applicable for brush backs of the usual form, for veneers,
mouldings, door knobs, door plates, picture frames, ornaments for furniture,
curtain rings, tubes, boxes, busts, statuettes, and other useful or ornamental
articles.
The articles made of this improved plastic composition may be ornamented
by placing forms of gold, silver, brass, and other metals, mother-of-pearl, ivory,
glass, or other ornamental substances, or imitations of such metals or sub-
stances in recesses of the dies and moulds, and then moulding the composition
over these forms.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the proportions or details given, as the same may be considerably
modified without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; but
what I do claim is,-
First, the improved plastic composition described.

page_text: Secondly, the application of masticating machinery for the purposes described.
Thirdly, the application of a steam-cased or otherwise heated cylinder for
he purpose described.
And, fourthly, the mode of ornamenting my improved plastic composition,
lescribed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Walton, have hereunto set
my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year. of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
FRED WALTON. (L.S.)