IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PARKESINE OR COMPOUNDS OF PYROXYLINE, AND ALSO SOLUTIONS OF PYROXYLINE, KNOWN AS COLLODION
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Parkes, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PARKESINE OR COMPOUNDS OF PYROXYLINE, AND ALSO SOLUTIONS OF PYROXYLINE,
KNOWN AS COLLODION."
Dated the 11th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Parkes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th May 1865.
I ALEXANDER PARKES of Birmingham in the County of Warwick do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PARKESINE OR COMPOUNDS OF PYROXYLINE AND ALSO SOLUTIONS OF
PYROXYLINE KNOWN AS COLLODION" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
parkesine or compounds of pyroxyline and also solutions of pyroxyline known
ascollodion. The materials now well known as parkesine consist of pyroxyline
dissolved in or softened by solvents and usually mixed with coloring matters,
oils, and substances which control the inflamınability of the pyroxyline. In
manufacturing parkesine some difficulties are experienced in consequence of
the high volatility of the solvents heretofore employed. According to my present
Invention employ as solvents of the pyroxyline in this manufacture nitro
benzole, aniline and glacial acetic acid when these solvents are employed the

page_text: parkesine can be worked freely in the air. Or these solvents may be used in
combination with other solvents. I also according to my Invention render
the ordinary volatile solvents more suitable for use by the addition of camphor-
by this means I obtain to some extent the same advantage as by the use of a
less volatile solvent. In the manufacture of collodion also I dissolve pyroxyline
in nitro-benzole, aniline, and glacial acetic acid. Collodion so made is useful
as a varnish and that made with nitro benzole and with aniline is suitable
for photographic purposes and new effects are obtained by its use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Parkes in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
11th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I ALEXANDER
PARKES of Birmingham in the County of Warwick send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Eleventh day of May in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign
did for Herself Her heirs and successors give and grant unto me the said
Alexander Parkes Her special licence that I the said Alexander Parkes my
executors administrators and assigns or such others as I the said Alexander
Parkes my executors administrators and assigns should at any time agree
with and no others from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed should and lawfully might make use exercise and
vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland the
Channel Islands and Isle of Man an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF PARKESINE OR COMPOUNDS OF PYROXYLINE AND ALSO SOLUTIONS
OF PYROXYLINE KNOWN AS COLLODION" upon the condition (amongst others) that
I the said Alexander Parkes my executors or administrators by an instru-
ment in writing under my or their or one of their hands and seals should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention and in
what manner the same was to be performed and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imine.
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE that I the said Alexander Parkes do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof that is to say:

page_text: Ims invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
parkesine or compounds of pyroxyline and also solutions of pyroxyline known
ascollodion. The materials now well known as parkesine consist of pyroxyline
dissolved in or softened by solvents and usually mixed with coloring matters
oil and substances which control the inflammability of the pyroxyline.
In manufacturing parkesine on a large scale in accordance with the
Specifications of former Patents granted to me and when manipulating large
masses of material I have found considerable difficulty in the employment of
the volatile solvents hitherto used; By the present Invention I am enabled
to produce large masses or quantities in a much better condition in a shorter
time and with less solvent in proportion to the pyroxyline than is possible
with the solvents hitherto used. According to my present Invention I employ
as solvents of the pyroxyline in this manufacture nitro benzole aniline, and
glacial acetic acid-when these solvents are employed the parkesine can be
worked freely, in the air. Or these solvents may be used in combination with
other solvents. I also according to my Invention render the ordinary volatile
solvents more suitable for use by the addition of camphor-By this means I
obtain to some extent the same advantage as by the use of a less volatile
solvent-Nitro benzole and aniline are not rapidly volatile except at a high
temperature and this property enables me to employ them alone or with other
solvents with very great advantage as the dissolved pyroxiline andits com-
binations can be worked in rolls and by calendering or spreading machines
with great facility not drying too rapidly which enables me with facility to
coat telegraph wire or to make masses or sheets or to spread the combinations
on textile or other fabrics to produce waterproof cloth for garments or other
articles of any size or color and the same advantage I obtain when I
employ aniline camphor or acetic acid and the combinations especially
those made with nitro benzole or aniline can be worked freely in the open air.
When using nitro benzole I prefer to prepare the commercial nitro benzole
by distilling it off hydrochloric acid or chloride of calcium say six pounds of
either to the gallon of nitro benzole By this treatment the nitro benzole
of commerce is rendered much more pure and sweet in odour for my purpose.
The following is the manner in which I prefer to proceed in producing
parkesine according to this Invention I take 100 parts of pyroxyline and
moisten it with the ordinary solvent by preference naptha distilled off chloride
of calcium as is described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to
me and as is now well understood and I press out the excess of solvent by
a hydraulic press I then add the other solvent in the proportion of from
10 to 50 parts of prepared nitro benzole or aniline or I add 10 to 50 parts

page_text: of camphor then 150 to 200 parts of vegetable oil I use cotton seed or
castor oil by preference. This mixture I grind in rolls which are by pre-
ference warmed by steam admitted into them the grinding is continued until
all is well combined as a dough or paste which will be more or less stiff
according to the quantity of solvent employed-This preparation when made
to a suitable consistency and by preference with nitro benzole I can employ
for coating telegraph wire by placing it in a closed vessel with suitable
apparatus for passing the wire through as is now practised in coating telegraph
wires with gutta percha and I force out the parkesine on to the wire in the
usual way either as one coat or a series of coats. Gums resins and bitu-
minous substances may also be ground in and incorporated with the other
materials. In making parkesine with these new solvents the proportion of
materials are varied as heretofore according to the degree of hardness
required I will state that for the hard compounds less oil is used than
pyroxyline and that for the more flexible or softer compounds more oil than
pyroxyline is employed say from 150 to 200 parts of oil to 100 parts of
pyroxyline. Nitro benzole and anilineare solvents of gutta percha and india-
rubber as well as of pyroxiline gun cotton, thus by means of these solvents
I am enabled to employ these and a variety of other gums and resins in the
manufacture of parkesine better than by the solvents heretofore used and I
find a compound of 100 parts gutta percha or india-rubber softened by or
dissolved with nitro benzole or aniline with 100 parts of pyroxiline to make a
good insulating material for telegraph wire and it can be put on the wire in
the way usually adopted with gutta percha.
In making parkesine with glacial acetic acid I dissolve 100 parts of
pyroxiline in more or less of the acetic acid if for a stiff paste 50 parts
of acetic acid will be sufficient, for more fluid compounds 1.00 to 300 parts or
more of acetic acid may be used other substances such as gelatine dissolved
in acetic acid gums resins and others may be added as heretofore practised
in manufacturing parkesine.
In the manufacture of collodion also I dissolve pyroxyline in nitro benzole
aniline and glacial acetic acid-Collodion so made is useful as a varnish and
that made with nitro benzole and with aniline is suitable for photographic
purposes and new effects are obtained by its use. In making collodion I
dissolve pyroxiline in nitro benzole aniline or glacial acetic acid using a
larger proportion of soivent to the cotton than I employ when making
parkesine regulating the thickness by using more or less solvent as is the
practice when making collodion with other solvents I allow the dissolved
matter to stand or I filter for use this collodion can be combined with

page_text: collodion made with other solvents and for photographic purposes I find it
very desirable to use a mixture of nitro benzole or aniline collodion with
cther collodion as by using more or less nitro-benzole or aniline in com-
bination with ether the speed with which the collodion dries may be regulated
as desired and collodion thus made will be more easily spread on the plate or
other surfaces so as to obtain a perfectly smooth face than collodion made
entirely with the ordinary solvents.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I would have it understood that what I claim is the
employment of nitro benzole, aniline and glacial acetic acid or either of
then for dissolving pyroxiline in the manufacture of parkesine and similar
compounds of pyroxiline.
I also claim the employment of nitro benzole aniline and glacial acetic
acid or either of them in the manufacture of collodion.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Parkes have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Eleventh day of November in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
ALEXANDER PARKES. (L.S.)