COMPOSITION OR COMPOUND, AND A MODE OR PROCESS OF TREATING MOULDING THE SAME (SUCH COMPOND BEING FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES IN THE ARTE, OR FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS USEFUL OR ORNAMENTAL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Mudge Merrick (junior), of the State of Mas-
sachusetts, of the United States of America for the Invention of
COMPOSITION OR COMPOUND, AND A MODE OR PROCESS OF TREATING
MOULDING THE SAME (SUCH COMPOND BEING FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
IN THE ARTE, OR FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS USEFUL OR ORNAMENTAL
Sealed the 6th April 1860, and dated the 25th January 1869.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Mudge Merrick
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 25th January 1869, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that I, JOHN MUDGE MERRICK (junior), of the State of
Massachusetts, of the United States of America, have made a new and
useful invention of "A COMPOSITION OR COMPOUND AND A MODE OR PROCESS OF
TREATING AND MOULDING THE SAME (SUCH COMPOUND BEING FOR VARIOUS USEFUL
[Price 8l.]

page_text: PURPOSES IN THE ARTS, OR FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS USEFUL OR ORNA
MENTAL ARTICLES)," and I do hereby declare the nature, and constituents,
and the manner of making the said composition to be described as
follows:-
The composition in question I term diatite, that is to say, the
said Invention consists mainly in a composition of which the ingredients
are gum shellac, or its equivalent, and finely powdered silica, the latter
being prepared in any proper manner well known to chemists or
mineralogists, or existing in nature in the form of a diatomaceous
deposit or infusorial earth.
My Invention further embraces a process or method of treating and
moulding such composition so as to reduce it to a moulded form or
moulded formis. The composition thus made may be formed into
various useful or ornamental articles, such as buttons, boxes, inkstands,
telegraphic wire insulators, card and photograph cases, picture
frames, as well as various other articles as sometimes made from
compositions of which caoutchouc or gutta percha constitute a material
ingredient.
In making my said Invention I have sought to obtain a composition
of a plastic character which should have, when at ordinary atmospheric
temperature, great compactness or induration
and 21. very smooth
surface, or be capable of receiving a very fine polish, and I have dis-
covered that the ingredients of my said composition when combined in
the manner substantially as herein explained are productive of or
possess such important requisites or advantages, also that one or more
pigments may be mixed with them so as to impart to the composition
almost any desirable color or shade of color.
In carrying out my Invention, as respects the production of the
composition, it may be stated that the silica to operate to the best
advantage in many cases should be in the state of an impalpable
powder, or be as minutely divided as it may be possible to obtain or
reduce it by any known process of art or chemistry. It may be in the
form of the silicious earth known as diatomacious or infusorial deposits,
which are naturally in a state of very minute division. In this state it
is to be mixed with the gum shellac, which may also be in a powdered
or comminuted condition. In making the mixture I generally employ
equal quantities by weight of each ingredient, but I by no means
confine my compound to such proportions of its ingredients, as they may

page_text: be varied to a considerable extent without materially changing the
character of the composition. After mixture of the said materials, viz.,
gum shellac and finely-divided or powdered silica, the mixture should be
brought to a semi-plastic state through heat applied to the mixture in
any proper way, it being preferable to accomplish this by means of a
vessel, or kettle, or table heated by steam. After having been thus
treated the material should be passed or run between one Ol' morc
pairs of heated cylinders or rollers, which may be heated by steam, and
may be such as are usually employed in rolling or pressing caoutchouc,
or compounds in which such may be a constituent. The mixture or
pasty mass should be passed repeatedly between such rollers, and be
reduced by them until the ingredients may be sufficiently incorporated.
The compound while warm or hot may next be passed or run between
one or more pairs of die or moulding rollers in a cool state, such rollers
being similar to such as are employed by confectioners to reduce an
article to a form approximating to that which is to be finally given to
it by dies or moulds.
In lieu of thus preparing the material for being subjected to the dies,
it niay be otherwise treated, that is to say, after having subjected it
to the action of the rollers it may be run therefrom in the form of a
sheet and upon a metallic or other proper table, and next be cut or
broken up or otherwise, divided into the necessary forms. Or instead of
running it upon such a table, the sheet may be run through or subjected
to the action of stamping or cutting mechanism, by which it may be re-
duced to the desirable shapes. The forms or masses thus produced are
next to be re-warmed if necessary, and subsequently placed between dies
heated to a proper temperature, and such dies should be brought
together, or one be forced toward the other with a strong pressure, so
as to thoroughly compress the material into and against the moulding.
surface or surfaces of such dies and cause it to take or
assume the
desirable form or forms. On removal from such dies, the article or
articles so made will generally be found to possess great induration and
strength, and a very smooth surface or one having a high lustre or
polish.
What I claim as my Invention is, the new material or composition,
substantially as described
composed of mum
حد الحطم

page_text: Also the above-described method or process by which such material or
composition is treated and moulded into one or nipre useful or
ornamental forms by rollers and dies, the whole being essentially as
herein-before explained.
JOHN MUDGE MERRICK, JR.
(L.S.)