IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PLASTIC COMPOSITIONS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN JAMES VARLEY of Phoenix Villas, Merton in the County of Surrey
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PLASTIC COMPOSITIONS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the treatment of that class of compositions which
contain resins, gums, lac, tars or pitches and which compositions are mixed or
manufactured under heat or by solvents and are of a plastic nature, that is to say,
those compositions of a kindred nature to that known as lionite and which are
used for moulding various articles of utility and ornament.
It is well known that articles made from compositions such as those above
named are defective in that they one and all are subject more or less to be acted on
by heat, that is to say by such heat as is derived from the sun, from exposure of
the goods in shop fronts or even from warm rooms, whereby the goods become soft
and warped and bent and in many cases they are rendered entirely useless when
brought in contact with such heat as above named, and thus the marketable value
of all such goods is greatly reduced.
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The object of this Invention is to obviate the defect in the articles made of
plastic compositions such as are above mentioned owing to their liability to become
warped or altered in shape under the action of heat. This object is effected by so
treating articles made from such compositions that they shall be rendered practically
proof against and not liable to be injured or put out of shape by the action of heat
as above described. This is effected by subjecting them as hereinafter described
to the action of heat sufficient to harden and in a measure to bake them without
rendering them brittle or liable to be cracked. The plastic compositions may be
moulded while in a plastic state and are afterwards converted by the application of
heat into a non-plastic substance of a stiff and solid character; this treatment
renders goods made from the cheap plastic materials hereinafter mentioned equal
in many respects to those made from that material known as vulcanite, which is of
far greater cost. Compositions which are partly composed of resins, gums, tars
and pitches and gums of a resinous nature are for the most part mixed under beat,
the heat being applied in order to soften the resins, guins and the like, other
substances are then added, either of a fibrous or non-fibrous nature, the whole being
mixed together and thus a composition is obtained as is well known which, when
heated is of a plastic nature and can be mou'ded into articles of any desired shape;
it is to these articles that this Invention has reference.

page_text: For the purposes of my Invention I find it advantageous to employ a chamber
suitable in size and shape to the requirements of the articles to be treated and
apply heat in any ordinary way to such heating chamber. Suitable plastic
compositions may as is well known be made of various substances in various
proportions. For instance a suitable composition may be made by combining
about eight pounds of shellac, four pounds of rosin, sixteen pounds of fibre, two
pounds of tar and one pound of lamp black but these proportions may as is obvious
be varied according to the object sought to be attained. Also other gums and
substances may be used to produce a plastic composition that may be converted
and hardened by heat according to my Invention. The heating chamber should be
provided with shelves or frames which should be supported and divided one from
the other so that the articles to be treated may be placed therein so as to be
conveniently heated but not being liable to be damaged; after moulding or
otherwise shaping the articles in the plastic composition I place them in the heating
chamber. I then by means of a suitable arrangement such as a blast pipe
connected with the chamber blow in a current of hot air over and about the
articles or goods to be treated, this operation is continued until the articles or
goods have undergone a change and have become hard and of so tough a nature
that they will no longer soften under the effect of the degree of heat to which such
goods are likely to be exposed.
I sometimes provide the chamber constructed to contain the goods to be treated
with steam pipes for raising the temperature up to about 150° to 300° Fahrenheit
according to the nature of the composition. The heat should be applied gradually
and not raised too high so as to risk injuring the articles by causing them to crack.
The articles are placed, supported or suspended as the nature of the goods may
require in the chamber and allowed to remain under the action of the heat until
they have become toughened or hardened or changed in character in the manner
described. It is obvious that other suitable means of heating the chamber can be
employed.
It may not always be found necessary to support or suspend the goods to be
treated according to my Invention as some classes of goods are of such shape that
they may be so placed as not to become damaged in any way, In such cases the
goods may be placed on racks or frames or the like but in most cases it is found
advantageous to support them in some way until they become hard enough to
retain their shape or they may be placed in moulds.
The articles so treated will when the.heat is properly applied for a sufficient
time be found to be changed or converted in character instead of being comparatively
soft and yielding to the action of heat they will be found to be tough, hard and
heat resisting.
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T
1004

page_text: I JOHN JAMES VARLEY, of Phoenix Villas, Merton, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PLASTIC COMPOSITIONS" 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 the treatment of that class of compositions which
contain resins, gums, lac, tars, or pitches and which compositions are mixed or
manufactured under heat or by solvents and are of a plastic nature, that is to say,
those compositions of a kindred nature to that known as lionite and which are
used for moulding various articles of utility and ornament.
It is well known that articles made from compositions such as those above named
are defective in that they one and all are subject more or less to be acted on by
heat, that is to say, by such heat as is derived from the sun, from exposure of the
goods in shop fronts, or even from warm rooms, whereby the goods become soft
and warped and bent and in inany cases they are rendered entirely useless when
brought in contact with such heat as above named, and thus the marketable value
of all such goods is greatly reduced.
The object of this Invention is to obviate the defect in the articles made of
plastic compositions such as are above mentioned owing to their liability to
become warped or altered in shape under the action of heat. This object is effected
by so treating articles made from such compositions that they shall be rendered
practically proof against, and not liable to be injured or put out of shape by, the
action of heat as above described. This is effected by subjecting them as herein-
after described to the action of heat sufficient to harden and in a measure to bake
them without rendering them brittle or liable to be cracked. The plastic coin-
positions may be moulded while in a plastic state and are afterwards converted
by the application of heat into a non-plastic substance of a stiff and solid character;
this treatment renders goods made from the cheap plastic materials hereinafter
mentioned equal in many respects to those made from that material known as
vulcanite, which is of far greater cost. Compositions which are partly composed
of resins, gums, tars, and pitches and gums of a resinous nature are for the most
part mixed under heat, the heat being applied in order to soften the resins, gums,
and the like, other substances are then added, either of a fibrous or non fibrous
nature, the whole being mixed together and thus a composition is obtained as is well
known, which, when heated is of a plastic nature and can be moulded into articles
of any desired shape; it is to these articles that this Invention has reference.
For the purposes of my Invention I find it advantageous to employ a chamber
suitable in size and shape to the requirements of the articles to be treated, and
apply heat in any ordinary way to such heating chamber.
Suitable plastic compositions may, as is well known, be made of various
substances in various proportions. For instance, a suitable composition may be
made by combining about eight pounds of shellac, four pounds of rosin, sixteen
pounds of fibre, two pounds of tar, and one pound of lamp black, but these
proportions may as is obvious be varied according to the object sought to be
attained. Also other gums and substances may be used to produce a plastic
composition that may be converted and hardened by heat according to my Invention.
The heating chamber should be provided with shelves or frames which should be
supported and divided one from the other so that the articles to be treated may be

page_text: placed therein so as to be conveniently heated without being liable to be damaged ;
after moulding or otherwise shaping the articles in the plastic composition I place
them in the heating chamber. I then, by means of a suitable arrangement such as
a blast pipe connected with the chamber, blow in a current of hot air over and
about the articles or goods to be treated, this operation is continued until the
articles or goods have undergone a change and have become hard and of so tough
a nature that they will no longer soften under the effect of the degree of heat to
which such goods are likely to be exposed.
I sometimes provide the chamber constructed to contain the goods to be treated,
with steam pipes for raising the temperature up to about 150° to 300° Fahrenheit
according to the nature of the composition. The heat should be applied gradually
and not raised too high so as to risk injuring the articles by causing them to crack.
The articles are placed, supported, or suspended, as the nature of the goods may
require, in the chamber and allowed to remain under the action of the heat until
they have become toughened or hardened or changed in character in the manner
'described. It is obvious that other suitable means of heating the chamber can be
employed.
It may not always be found necessary to support or suspend the goods to be
treated according to my Invention, as some classes of goods are of such shape that
they may be so placed as not to become damaged in any way. In such cases the
goods may be placed on racks, or frames, or the like, but in most cases it is found
advantageous to support them in some way until they become hard enough to
retain their shape, or they may be placed in moulds.
The articles so treated will, when the heat is properly applied for a sufficient
time, be found to be changed or converted in character instead of being com-
paratively soft and yielding to the action of heat, they will be found to be tough,
hard, and heat resisting.
It will be obvious that, the goods may be coated with any suitable varnish before
being subjected to the above described treatment.
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. Treating articles or goods made from plastic compositions such as above
named by subjecting them to heat and so changing them in character and quality
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. The manufacture of articles of a tough, hard, and heat resisting character by
subjecting them when made of plastic compositions such as are above mentioned
and while in a comparatively plastic state to the action of heat substantially in the
manner described.
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1004