Improvements in Treating Gutta Percha or its Compounds for the Manufacture of Golf Balls and other Goods.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Treating Gutta Percha or its Compounds for the
Manufacture of Golf Balls and other Goods.
I, JAMES HENRY RYMER PATERSON, B Sc., of 10 Millerfield Place,
Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, Lecturer on Chemistry, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a process or processes of treating gutta percha or its
compounds to render it more suitable for use chiefly in the manufacture of golf
balls and other goods which it is desirable should be of light or approximately white
colouring throughout.
The improved treatment consists mainly in dissolving the raw gutta percha or its
compounds in petroleum, shale spirit or other solvent, separating the sedimentary
matter, agitating with water or steam and separating by precipitation, decolorizing
or bleaching the solution by suitable reagents, removing the resin wholly or in part,
adding coloring pigments if required, washing and freeing the treated gutta percha
from petroleum.
In carrying out the invention I take the gutta percha by preference in its natural
state or after mastication to remove dirt, and subject it to the action of the solvent
which may be American petroleum, shale spirit, British petroleum, benzine or the
like, the heavier runnings resulting from the distillation of petroleum being
preferably used, and the more volatile runnings retained for the subsequent washing
operation. The gutta percha is conveniently dissolved either by stirring in the
solvent, by allowing it to stand on a grating near the top of the dissolving tank
applying heat and gently stirring, or by suspending it on a flat filter cloth over but
immersed in the solvent. The resin in the mass is dissolved out in cold petroleum,
and the solution of the gutta begins about 10° Centigrade. Consequently the
resin may be so far as desirable separated out before dissolving the gutta. After
allowing the solution to stand for deposit and separation of sediment, it is agitated
with water or with steam, water being preferably used in less bulk than the
petroleum solution. Agitation is carried on until thorough admixture is effected
and on allowing to settle the water and foreign matters are precipitated or
separated out. The sedimentary matter in the solution may be left until the water
is added and it is in that case deposited with the precipitate.
The clear liquid is then drawn off and bleached. The bleaching process may be
effected by agitation with sulphurous acid in solution with water or by passing
sulphurous vapour through the liquid or by washing the gutta after precipitation
from solution with the sulphurous acid solution or by otherwise exposing it to the
gas. Or the bleaching may be effected by agitating the liquid with hydrogen
peroxide, or with bleaching powder solution, carbonic acid being passed through it
in the latter case; or by agitating with hypochlorous acid solution with or
without the subsequent addition of sulphurous acid as an auxiliary bleacher and as
antichlor.
As it is desirable that the precipitate should be dry i.e., free from suspended
water the solution is allowed to stand for from 2 to 24 hours: and the clear solution
run off. The sediment consists of water mixed with petroleum solution and water
and along with any colouring matter which should have come down in the water

page_text: precipitation in the dissolver. This sediment is conveniently added to the next
batch in the dissolver after solution but before agitation with water. This settling
need be only done if a watery solution has been added for bleaching.
The liquid may then be run into another vessel and there cooled or allowed to
cool. When cold the gutta precipitates as a paste. Pigments may be added
during precipitation to impart the desired colouring to the finished goods. For the
purpose of separating the resin the gutta paste is or may be run into a centrifugal
machine. It is then washed with petroleum preferably the first runnings or more
volatile portion which should be removed within as short an interval as possible.
For this purpose the gutta may be exposed to the air or to currents of warmed air
from which the petroleum vapour may be recovered by cooling, or the paste may
be treated in a press or kneading machine to squeeze out the petroleum. The
petroleum may be advantageously removed under reduced atmospheric pressure as
also in a non-oxidising gas such as carbonic acid.
The residues from the dissolver are collected and heated to above 40° Centigrade
when the dirt (if not already settled) falls to the bottom of the water while what
contains gutta percha and petroleum floats on the top. This is run off and allowed
to cool, the petroleum run off and the black gutta dried in air or melted and put
through the process as described or otherwise utilized.
The water precipitation and bleaching operations or the latter alone may be
dispensed with in order to produce black gutta, which is more elastic than the best
gutta percha as ordinarily manufactured.
Dated this 29th day of May 1895
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
2 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Treating Gutta Percha or its Compounds for the
Manufacture of Golf Balls and other Goods.
I, JAMES HENRY RYMER PATERSON, B.Sc., of 10 Millerfield Place,
Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, Lecturer on Chemistry, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to a process or processes of treating gutta percha or its
compounds suas to render the gutta percha or its compounds more suitable for use
chiefly in the manufacture of golf balls and other goods which it is desirable should
be approximately white or of light colouring throughout.
In carrying out the invention I take the gutta percha by preference in its natural
state or after mastication to remove dirt, and subject it to the action of the solvent
which may be American petroleum, shale spirit, British petroleum, benzine or the
like, the heavier runnings resulting from the distillation of petroleum being
preferably used, and the more volatile runnings retained for the subsequent
washing operation. The gutta percha is conveniently dissolved either by stirring
in the solvent, by allowing it to stand on a grating near the top of the dissolving
tank applying heat and gently stirring, or by suspending it on a flat filter cloth
over but immersed in the solvent. The resin in the mass is dissolved out in cold
petroleum, and the solution of the gutta begins about 40° Centigrade. Conse-
quently the resin may be separated out before dissolving the gutta, though this is
unnecessary. The next step is to agitate the solution with water or with steam,

page_text: water if used being less in quantity than the petroleum solution. Agitation is
carried on until thorough admixture is effected and by allowing to settle the water
and foreign matters are precipitated or separated out.
According to the method I have adopted in practice, the gutta percha is treated
in a dissolving tank of cylindrical form having a conical bottom, and an air-tight
cover, a sufficient quantity of Pratt's spirit of specific gravity 7000 being added to
dissolve the gutta percha into a mass of oily consistency. Such a rotating stirrer
or other mixing apparatus is fitted in the tank as to ensure proper action of the
solvent on the gutta percha. Heat is conveniently applied by means of a water
jacket, the water in which is maintained at a temperature of from 40° C. to 55° C.
by a steam coil or like means. After stirring to complete the solution the coarse
sediment may or may not be allowed to settle and then be drawn off.
After solution the water for decolorizing is added and agitated violently with the
stirring apparatus. The solution is then allowed to settle for about 20 hours or
until clear.
The solution now clear is drawn off into another tank, but the sediment or
emulsion remains in the dissolving tank. This sediment is mixed in the dissolving
tank with fresh petroleum and allowed to settle, which it does in a very short time,
and the refuse is run off from the bottom of the dissolver.
If bleaching is desired it may be effected by agitating with a dilute solution of
sulphurous acid in water or with dilute hypochlorous acid solution with the
subsequent addition of sulphurous acid as an auxiliary bleacher and as antichlor,
and then washing out the chemicals, thus:- -Water to about twice the volume
which was added of sulphurous solution is run in, gently agitated, settled, and then
run off.
Whether bleached or not, the solution may then be run into another vessel and
there cooled or allowed to cool or it may be cooled or allowed to cool in the
vessel in which the bleaching operation takes place. While cooling the gutta
precipitates as a paste, the addition of alcohol or other precipitant formerly added
being omitted as unnecessary and disadvantageous.
The cooling is assisted by passing water through the water jacket of the vessel
in which the precipitation takes place, and the material is agitated by the stirrers
during precipitation partly to assist cooling but chiefly to granulate the gutta, to
render it thoroughly porous and to make it portable. The precipitation generally
takes place at a temperature below 18° C., and it is effected in about two hours, but
a part may continue to precipitate for a longer period.
Pigments may be added during precipitation or subsequently to impart any
coloring desired to the finished goods.
For the purpose of separating the resin and the petroleum from the solid gutta,
the gutta paste is removed and run into a centrifugal machine or press. For the
purpose of removing the residual resin the gutta is then washed with petroleum
preferably the first runnings or more volatile portion. For the purpose of removing
the remaining petroleum the gutta may be exposed to the air or to currents of
slightly warmed air, or may be treated in a heated kneading machine to volatilize
the petroleum. The petroleum may be advantageously removed under reduced
atmospheric pressure.
The water precipitation and bleaching operations or the latter alone may be
dispensed with in order to produce black gutta, which is more elastic than the best
gutta percha as ordinarily manufactured.
The gutta is lastly subjected to a process of kneading to agglomerate and produce
the fibre and other characteristic properties of gutta percha, the pulp being
softened by heat and kneaded under rolls or by other means.
The treating by cooling without the addition of alcohol or other precipitant t
precipitate the gutta paste and separating the petroleum and resin may be applied
to solution of gutta percha in petroleum or other volatile solvent from which the
sedimentary coloring matter had been removed by any process other than water
precipitation such as by deposition with plaster.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The process of treating gutta percha for the manufacture of golf balls and
other goods, which consists in dissolving the raw gutta percha in petroleum spirit
or other volatile solvent in the heat, agitating the solution with water or steam,
allowing to settle and running off the clear solution, bleaching and adding colouring
pigments if required, cooling the gutta solution to precipitate the gutta, separating
the resin and finally washing with petroleum spirit and driving off the petroleum
from the treated gutta, substantially as described.
2. The treating of gutta percha by dissolving it in petroleum spirit or other
volatile solvent in the heat, and separating the gutta in a purified state by agitation
with water or steam and precipitating the pure gutta from solution by cooling,
substantially as described.
3. The treating of gutta percha dissolved in petroleum spirit or other volatile
solvent by agitation with water or steam to separate the pure gutta from
sedimentary matters, substantially as described.
4. The treating of gutta percha by dissolving in petroleum spirit or other volatile
solvent in the heat, separating the clear solution, precipitating the gutta by cooling,
separating the petroleum and resin, and freeing the gutta from residual petroleum,
substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of February 1896
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.