CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUITA PERCHA, AND ITS APPLICATIONS ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HANCOCK, of Grosvenor Place, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of January, in the ninth year of Her reign, did,
for, Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Hancock, ny executors, administrators, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said Charles
Hancock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles Hancock, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF GUITA PERCHA, AND ITS APPLICATIONS ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH
OTHER SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that I, the said Charles Hancock, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of iny said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed;
to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancerywithin six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully, and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Charles Hancock, hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described in and by
the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in certain improved methods of preparing
gutta percha for manufacturing purposes. If the gutta perchia to be operated
upon is not very impure, it may be at once submitted to the processes herein-
after described; but if it should contain manyimpurities, then it will frequently
be desirable previously to submit it to the cleansing process, described in the
Specification of Letters Patent for England, granted to Richard Archibald
Brooman, on the Eleventh March, One thousand eight hundred and forty-five,
for Certain Improvements in the Preparation and Application of Artificial
Fuels, Mastics, and Čements," or any similar process, by means of which the
gutta percha may be freed from the grosser impurities. According to one of
my methods of preparing gutta percha I place it in a plastic state in a cylin-
drical screw 'press, kept hot by a steam jacket or otherwise, and having a
bottom perforated with numerous holes. Upon this perforated bottom I place
one strainer, or two, three, or more strainers, made of perforated metal plate,
or strongwire gauze, and resting upon each other, and each succeeding strainer
being finer, or having a greater number of holes or meshes, than that imme-
diately below or preceding it, and so that the finest strainer shall be at the
top. I then bring the piston or follower of the press down upon the mass of
gutta percha (by hand or other suitable power), and squeeze it through the
strainers and perforated bottom, from which it falls down in a much purified
state. This operation may, if necessary, be repeated, the gutta percha being
in such case, in the first instance, passed through a coarser set of strainers, and
then through one or more of a finer description. I then transfer theguttapercha
in this purified state to a masticating machine, such as is commonly employed
in the preparation of caoutchouc, and kept hot by any suitable means, and
work and knead the gutta percha until it is brought to the consistence of dough
or putty. According to another of my modes of preparing gutta percha,
instead of passing it through the screw press, as before described, I take the
plastic mass and pass it once,twice, or as much oftener as may seem expedient,
between a roller and one, two, or more adjustable guages, such as are used in
caoutchouc manufacture, for the spreading or cleansing of caoutchouc solution
(the roller and guages being heated and kept hot by hot water, steam, or any
other convenient means), and then I pass it through the masticating machine,
us before. Or, thirdly, I take the gutta percha as imported, and dissolve it by

page_text: means of rectified oil of turpentine,oranyother suitable solvent, and filter the
solution while warm through flannel or felt, or fine wire gauze, after which I
distill off the solvent and evaporate the residuum to the consistence of dougli
or putty. It must be understood that whilst preparing gulta percha as above
described, it must be kept at such a temperature as will cause it to be in a
plastic state. The gutta percha prepared by either of the modes herein-before
described is rendered lit for any ordinary manufacturing purposes, and may be
pressed into blocks, spread into sheets, or made to assume such other shape
as may be desired.
23
or caout-
Secondly, my Invention consists in making a compound elastic water-
repellant substance for manufacturing purposes, by combining gutta percha
with an elastic and water-repellant substance, called "jintawan," recently.
imported for the first time from the East Indies, and which has never hereto-
fore, to the best of my knowledge and belief, been used in the arts and
manufactures of this country; or by combining gutta percha with jintawan
and caoutchouc. The gutta percha which is intended to be combined in this
way, should, if necessary, be cleansed from impurities, and may, if desired, be
previously prepared, as herein-before described. The "jintawan
chouc should also be cleansed from its impurities, if any. Gutta percha and
jintawan "I combine by placing these two substances in the intended pro-
portions (cut into pieces) in a masticator, such as is used for masticating
caoutchouc,and then operateupon the two materials bythat machine until they
are intimately blended together; and I make the triple combination of gutta
percha, jintawan," and caoutchouc by means of a masticator, in the same
manner. For the purpose of making these combinations I vary the proportions
of the two or of the three substances, which I combine accordingto the quantity,
which it is desired that the combined substance shall possess, employing a
larger proportion of any one of the substances to be combined when it is
desired that the peculiar qualities of that substance shall predominate in the
"
combined article.
Thirdly, myInvention consists in combininggutta percha or gutta percha and
caoutchouc, or gutta percha and "jintawan," or gutta percha, caoutchouc,and
"jintawan," with orpiment, liver of sulphur, or other sulphuret having like che-
mical propertieswhich will enable it to combine effectuallywith the otherarticles
above mentioned, and afterwards subjecting the compound substance to heat,
as herein-after described, whereby in each case, the compound, besides possess-
ingthewater-repellent property of gutta percha,caoutchouc, and "jintawan" in
their simple states, is rendered more permanently soft and elastic. The pro-
portions in which these substances may be respectively used in each case may

page_text: be varied according to the quality which it is desired that the compound article
shallpossess, and a larger or smallerquantity of eachsubstance used, accordingly
as the peculiar property of that substance is more or less required in the com-
pound product. Thus, if it is desired that the compound substance shall possess
great stiffness without great elasticity or extensibility, then the proportion of
gutta percha used for making the combination must preponderate over the
other materials according to the required degree of stiffness; so also tho
softness of the compound may be varied by increasing or diminishing the
quantity of orpiment, liver of sulphur, or other sulphuret which is used.
A good compound for bands or tapes is formed by combining fifty parts of
gutta percha, twenty-four parts of "jintawan," twenty parts of caoutchouc,
and six parts of orpiment. I may state, as a general rule, deduced from the
experiments which I have made, that the proportion of orpiment or other
sulphuret used ought not to exceed twenty-five per cent. When the orpiment
or other sulphuret is combined with the gutta percha alone, Ladd it in a state
of powder while the gutta percha is passing through the, masticating machine,
throwing in the orpiment or other sulphuret from time to time that the two
substances maybe the more thoroughlyblended ;andwhen the orpiment or other
sulphuret is combined with gutta percha and caoutchouc, or with gutta percha
and "jintawan," or with gutta percha, caoutchouc, and "jintawan," I put the
two or the three substances with which it is to be combined intothe masticating
machine together, and then add the orpiment or other sulphuret, in manner
aforesaid. When "jintawan" or caoutchouc is used in making the compound
article the combination of the materials will be much facilitated by previously
moistening the "jintawan," and caoutchouc, or such of them as are used, with
rectified oil of turpentine, or some other solvent, so that they may be softened.
The orpimented or sulphuretted compound is next to be exposed to a heat of
from three hundred to three hundred and forty degrees, for a period varying
according as the temperature is higher or lower; with a heat of three hundred
degrees Fahrenheit, I keep the article exposed to it for about sixty minutes;
with a heat of three hundred and forty degrees, for about fifteen minutes
only. The required heat may be obtained by means either of high-pressure
steam, or of water heated under pressure, or of hot air. In making any of these
compounds a portion of sulphur may be used in place of an equal portion of
orpinient or sulphuret; but I consider the use of sulphur to be objectionable,
because of the offensive smell which it imparts to the article, and of the
tendency which sulphur has to effloresce or exude from the surface of it, and
therefore I prefer the use of orpiment, or some other sulphuret which will
combine more effectually with the other component parts of the article. In

page_text: some cases I simply mix the orpiment or other sulphuret with the gutta percha
and caoutchouc,or gutta percha and "jintawan,"or gutta percha, caoutchouc,
and "jintawan," in the masticating machine, and dispense with the subsequent
heating process, before described. The orpimented or sulphuretted substance.
thus produced is not so lasting as that which has been subjected to the heating
process, nor is the sulphuret so thoroughly combined with the other articles,
but for many purposes where great durability is not required it will be found
to answer sufficiently well.
"
Fourthly, my Invention consists in a mode of rendering gutta percha, or a.
combination of that substance with "jintawan "and caoutchouc, or either of
them, of a verylight, porous, and spongy texture, suitablefor stuffing or forming
the seats of chairs,, cushions, mattrasses, saddles, horse collars, buffers, and for
many other useful purposes. If gutta percha is compounded with "jintawan
and caoutchouc or either of them, forthe purposes of this part ofmyInvention,
the proportions of those articles must be varied, according to the nature of the
article required to be produced; the principal difference in the quality being
produced bythelarger or smallerproportion of gutta perchawhich maybe used;
and whenever great elasticity is intended to be produced, the quantity of gutta
percha should be smaller, as for example, in the manufacture of gutta percha
andits compoundsinto springsfor clocks, locks, clasps, blinds, rollers,&c.,or into
bands, belts, garters, string,&c. ;and whenever the spongy article is intended to
be of a stiffer or firmer description, then the quantity of gutta percha must
preponderate over the other articles to the extent requisite to produce the
desired result. To gutta perchia which is intended to be made porous or
spongy for such purposes as aforesaid, must be added about ten per cent. of
rectified. spirit of turpentine or other proper solvent, and the whole mixed'
together by any convenient means; and if any of the above-mentioned com-
pounds of gutta percha is intended to be similarly treated, the caoutchouc or
"jintawan" used therein must be previously dissolved in from one hundred to
two hundredper cent.of a similar solvent, the quantityof solvent being more or
less,according as the product is intended to be more or less spongyandelastic.
To the article which is intended to be made porous and spongy must be
added. alum or carbonate of ammonia, or some other readily volatilizable
substance. If the article which is intended to be made porous and spongy
is required to be more permanently soft and elastic, it should be combined
with oupiment, liver of sulphur, or a sulphuret, in the same way as described
in the third part of my Invention. A portion of sulphur may in such a case
be used,but I prefer orpiment, liver of sulphur, or a sulphuret,for the reasons
I have before stated. The article which is intended to be made spongy and

page_text: porous must then be thoroughly mixed with from ten to twenty per cent. of
alum, carbonate of ammonia, or some readily volatilizable substance, either in
the masticating machine, or by any other convenient means. The material
thus prepared may be put into moulds or forms, or upon trays, or confined in
such a way as to cause it to assume the form which it is intended to possess.
The material is then to be put into an oven or chamber, heated by steam or
other convenient means to a temperature of from two hundred and fifty to two
hundred and sixty degrees of Fahrenheit, at which temperature the article
must be kept from one to two hours, according to the desired result. The
effect of the exposure of the article to this high temperature will be to drive
off the solvent with which it has been mixed, and at the same time the alum,
carbonate ofammonia, or othervolatalizable substance, before-mentioned, cause
the article to swell, and will render it porous and spongy. When the article
has been exposed to this temperature for about an hour it will be in the most
porous and spongy state, and if this operation is further prolonged the effect
will be to render it less elastic and more rigid.
Fifthly,my Invention consists in imparting, by the following process, to gutta
percha and its various combinations with caoutchouc and jintawan, when orpi-
mentedor sulphuretted as aforesaid, almostanydegree of hardness and tenacity
without injury to its water-repellent property. I take the gutta percha, or
gutta percha compound, after it has gone through the process described under
the third head of this Specification, and while it is yet in a plastic state, and
press it into moulds, which I bind tightly together with iron plates, screws,
and nuts; I then place these moulds in a chamber or vessel, raised by steam or
hot air to a temperature of from three hundred to three hundred and eighty
degrees, for from one to five or six days, varying the degree of heat and the
time of exposure to it, according to the degree of hardness and tenacity
required, after which I set the moulds aside to cool slowly. The gutta percha
and gutta percha compounds maybe so hardened bythis means as to be turned
in the lathe like wood or ivory,and they are according to this process rendered
applicable to a great variety of purposes for which they could not in any other
state be suitable, such as ornamental andarchitectural purposes, pictureframes,
knife and sword handles, door handles and pannels, walking sticks, chessmen,
seal holders, paper cutters, combs, flutes, musical keys, buttons, pulleys, and
vessels of capacity, &c. The material may be either at once formed into any
of these articles by making the moulds of the form and figure of the articles,
or it may be produced in the first instance in plain blocks, and afterwards cut
up and fashioned at pleasure by such tools and instruments as are ordinarily
used for like purposes.

page_text: Sixthly, my Invention consists in improving gutta percha as well when used
by itself as when combined with caoutchouc and jintawan, or either of them,
in so far as regards softness and pliancy, by the means following (always sup-
posing it to havebeen inthefirst instance either orpimentedor sulphuretted):-
I subject the article, whether single or compound, and whether it is in the
state of blocks, or of sheets, or of threads, or in any other state, to the action
of sulphurous acid, and this I do either by exposing it to the acid in the state
of
vapour, or by steeping it in water impregnated with the acid, or by spreading
over the article a paste made of sulphuric acid and ivory or bone dust, or
animal charcoal, and then placing it in a steam-heated chamber or vessel.
Seventhly, my Invention consists in adding to gutta percha and its com-
pounds, when passing through the masticating machine, and whether they are
mixed or not mixed with orpiment or other sulphuret, about ten per cent. of
vegetable wax or tallow, whereby they are much improved in point of softness
and pliancy.
Eighthly, my Invention consists in forming, in manner following, certain
varnishes which may be applied to the waterproofing of leather or cloths; and
by applying them, either alone or mixedwith coloring matters, to gutta percha
or its compounds, or to articles made from then, they may have a fine glossy
exterior given to them, and the smell of any ingredients which may have been
mixed up with them, and which may be of any offensive nature (such as
sulphur) may be effectually shut in. For this purpose I take gutta percha alone,
or gutta percha combined with jintawan and caoutchouc, or either of them,
orpimentedor sulphuretted, asbeforedescribed, orsulphurized, and dissolved, by
confining the mass in a steam-tight vessel, and by placing that vessel in a
chamber heated by steam or other convenient means to a temperature of from
three hundred degrees to three hundred and eighty degrees of Fahrenheit;
or I mix gutta percha and caoutchouc, or gutta percha and jintawan (using
the substances indifferently so far as regards the proportion one bears to the
other) with sulphur or orpiment, or other sulphuret, in the proportions before
directed to be observed where these substances are introduced with about
from eight to ten parts of animal or vegetable wax, or of animal or vegetable
fatty matter, and then dissolve in rectified spirits of turpentine,andevaporate,
as before. As these varnishes combine readily with colors they afford the
means of rendering a numerous class of articles, such as elastic rings, bands,
bandages, straps, &c., much more extensively suitable and vendible than
before. These varnishes mixed with colors may also be used for the purpose
of painting or printing cloth, leather, or any other fabric, and will be found

page_text: very useful as cements, particularly in combining gutta percha and its com-
pounds with silk, cotton, and other textile fabrics..
Ninthly, my Invention consists of the improved apparatus for making bands
of gutta percha and its compounds, represented in the Drawing annexed.
A, A, are two iron rollers, which are set to a width corresponding to the
thickness desired to be given to the intended band. The material of which
the band is made is past in a broad sheet between these rollers, and carried
thence round a drum or roller B; as it is wound on this roller it receives on
its surface from the drum roller & a sheet of cotton cloth or other suitable
fabric as indicated by the dotted line in theDrawing, which hasbeen previously
damped, whichprevents anytwo of the convolutions of theguttapercha material
from striking together. When the roller B has had a suflicient longtli of the
gutta percha material wound upon it, it is removed for a time to allow the
material to cool, and after this cooling has taken place, the roller B, with the
material still upon it, is restored to its bearings in the frame. E is a strong
frame or bar, which extends across the frame K, K, in a direction parallel to
the roller B,and holds a series of knives F, fixed in the angular position repre-
sented; the edges of these knives face, the roll of material on the roller B:
The free end of the material is carried from the roller B on to the opposite
roller G,and secured to it, passing over an intermediate roller E, which comes
immediately under the knives. A power being applied to the roller G, the
material is drawn from off the roller B,and the knives,as it passes under them,
cut it up into strips of any width for which the knives may have been adjusted.
Saw cuts or notches are made in the roller H for the reception of the points
of the knives, as represented in the Drawing; and the frame E has saw cuts
to receive the edges of the knives, corresponding with those in the roller H,
so as to keep the knives steady and true. The roller C is used during this
cutting operation to receive back the damp cloth as it is re-delivered from the
roller B. The screw i serves to tighten the piece of wood at the back of the
knives, and so to keep them properly adjusted; circular knives or saws may be
used instead of straight ones, but I prefer the latter. In some cases I prefer
making bands by spreading the gutta percha material upon cloth surfaces by
means of flatting mills gently heated, and after such surfaceshave been coated,
I lead them through the mills one upon the other, and after the two first are
united, I put another and another, until I arrive at the desired strength and
thickness, taking care that sufficient heat is' used to unite the surfaces. If an
increase of heat is required over the heat of the mills in order to ensure a
secure union, I blow upon the surface of the gutta percha material, by an

page_text: ordinary blowing machine, hot air. The material is used in a plastic state, and
spread on in the same manner as is commonly known and practised by caout-
chouc manufacturers, and then I cut them into strips by the same apparatus
as herein-before described.
Tenthly, my Invention consists in the following improved method of plating
or coating gutta percha or its compounds with metals:-I place a sheet ofvery
thin metal, as gold leaf or tin foil, upon a flat metal plate, or in or on suitable
moulds or dies, and then lay over that a sheet of the gutta percha or gutta
percha compound, after which I heat the metal plate and apply a strong
pressure to and upon the two superimposed sheets, which have the effect of
causing them to adhere closely and permanently together.
Eleventhly, myInvention consists in making cards for carding wool, cotton,
and other fibrous materials in manner following:-I make the backs either of
gutta percha alone, spread in a plastic state to a sufficient thickness on a cloth'
or felt, or other suitable foundation, or of any of the gutta percha compounds
which are of sufficient flexibility and consistence for the purpose, and I
insert the metal teeth in these backs according to any of the known and
approved methods followed in the manufacture of such cards.
Twelfthly, my Invention consists in mixing with the gutta percha, prepared
in the manner first herein-before described, and whilst it is in the masticating
machine, shell lac, or resin, or asphalte, or some other resinous or bituminous
matter, and when the materials are thoroughly amalgamated I spread the
mixture while in a fluent state upon cloth or leather, or any other suitable
foundation.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that the following are the
improvements which I claim as constituting the same;-
Firstly, I claim the improved modes of preparing gutta percha for manu-
facturing purposes, herein-before described.
Secondly, the combining gutta percha with the newly imported substance
called jintawan and caoutchouc, or with jintawan alone, as before described.
Thirdly, the combining of orpiment and other sulphurets with gutta perchia
and its compounds, in manner herein-before described.
Fourthly, the manufacturing of gutta percha and its compounds into porous
or spongy substances, in manner herein-before described.
Fifthly, the manufacturing of gutta perchia and its compounds into hard
substances, in manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Sixthly, I claim the mode of rendering gutta percha and its compounds
softer and more pliable by treating it with an acid,as herein-before described.

page_text: Seventhly, the mode of rendering guttapercha and its compounds softer and
more pliable by the addition of wax, tallow, or other fatty matters, as herein-
before described.
Eighthly, the two varnishes before described, and the modes in which they
are respectively prepared.
Ninthly, the mode of plating or coating gutta percha or its compounds with
metals, as herein-before described.
Tenthly, the improved apparatus for making bands, before described.
Eleventhly, the making of cards, for carding wool and other fibrous sub-
stances, of metal. teeth set in backs composed of gutta percha, or some of its
compounds, laid on cloth or felt, or other similar foundation, as before
described.
And, twelfthly, the combination of gutta percha and its compounds with
resinous and bituminous matters,, in the manner and as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hancock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
CHARLES (L.s.) HANCOCK.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED that the instrument aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute inade in the fifty-fifth year of the reign
of Elis late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of July, One thousand eight hundred and