Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1889
[A communication from abroad by AMAND GRAVELIN, of Rue Guillaume, Liége,
'Belgium, Chemist.]
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 (hancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of plastic compounds (which the inventor
has termed "Eburite") suitable amongst other purposes for knife and revolver
handles, gun stocks, toilet articles, basins and trays, and generally wherever ebonite,
horn and like substances can be employed.
The nature of the invention may be described as follows:
The foundation of the compound is paper manufacturer's or other fibrous pulps to
which is added as an agglutinating material albumenous and other substances the
nature of which are hereinafter described.
In practice it is proposed to use blood in its natural state or dried or else the serum
of blood according to circumstances. The principal mixtures are about as follows-
For a hard dark coloured material―

page_text: This is steeped for some hours and the desired colouring matter added when the
mass is thoroughly mixed and worked together.
Instead of resin, or with it thoro may be added in varying proportions, wax, gum-
lac, or other fatty or resinous bodies such as, for instanco, paraffin, ozokerit, or other
analogous substances.
Instead of blood, if it is desired to obtain a hard but pale coloured product, the
serum of blood may be employed and to the mass may be added either caseine, white
of egg, gelatine, glue, starch, dextrine or suitable gums. To produce a softer material
about 3 Kilos of Sanguine may be added to the first given mixture.
To impart a grantor degree of hardness a small percentage of silicate of soda or
potash may be added in the form of a more or less concentrated solution. To stiffen,
hardon, coagulate or colour the pulp for certain purposes a few hundredth parts of
unslaked lime or of metallic salts or oxides may be added.
With the pasto obtained by any of the mixtures above described, a rough model of
the article to be made is first prepared and thon this model or " biscuit is allowed to
dry at a slow heat of about 50° centigrade. It is then placed in a mould of cast steel
or other suitable material representing the article to be made which is heated to about
say 150° contigrade and above that if necessary. The article thus obtained is
practically uninflammable, as it would only be consumed at a slow rate in the fire.
It is waterproof, that is to say, it will stand very long exposure under water without
undergoing any change. This imperviousness is not superficial only, for on an article
being broken, the water will not penetrate the substance at the surface of cleavage.
It possesses higher resisting power than the hardest of woods, does not soften under
ordinary heat, nor is it rendered brittle from the effects of cold. Nails and screws
may be driven into it and it can be worked in the lathe without difficulty. It can
likewise be made into very thin panels equal to leather in point of plinney and solidity,
and boing a bad conductor of electricity, may therefore be employed as an insulating
material.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1888

page_text: To impart a greater degree of hardness a small porcentage of silicate of soda or
poinsh may be added in the form of a more or less concentrated solution. To stiffon,
harden, coagulate or colour the pulp for certain purposes a few hundredth parts of
unslaked lime or of metallic salts or oxides may be added.
With the parts obtained by any of the mixtures above described, a rough model of
the article to be made is first prepared and then this model or "biscuit" is allowed to
dry at a slow heat of about 50° contigrade. It is then placed in a mould of cast steel
or other suitable material reprosonting the article to bo mado which is hontod to about
say 150 centigrade and above that if necessary. The article thus obtained is
practically uninflammable, as it would only be consumed at a slow rate in the fire. It
is waterproof, that is to say, it will stand very long exposure under water without
undergoing any change. This imperviousness is not superficial only, for, on an
article being broken, the water will not penetrate the substance at the surface of
cleavage.
It possesses higher resisting power than the hardest of woods, does not soften under
heat nor is it rendered brittle from the effects of cold. Nails and screws may be
driven into it and it can be worked in the lathe without difficulty. It can likewise be
made into very thin panels equal to leather in point of pliancy and solidity and being
a bad conductor of electricity may therefore be employed as an insulating material.
Flaving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
Lion and in whit manner the same is to ho performed (as communicatel to me
by my foreign correspondent) I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An improved compound composed of paper paste or fibrous pulp and an
albumenous substance such as blood substantially as described.
2. An improved compound formed by adding to a proportion of the pasto us
described under hea ling "A." un albumenous substance such as blood and either
resinous or oily or fatty bodies or both with or without a suitable colouring matter
substantially as described.
3. An improved compound formed by adding to a proportion of the paste as
described under heading "A." an albumenous substance such as the serum of blood
and white of egg, starch or suitable gummy substances substantially as described.
4. An improvel compound formed by the addition to the before described pastus
of either silicate of soil or unslaked lime or metallic salts or oxide substantially as
described.
4. An improved compound prepared and moulded into the desired shape substantially
as set forth.