Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Celluloid - Balls and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: .
Date of Application, 4th June, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892 ·
COME LEIE SIECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Celluloid -
Balls and the like.
I, PAUL HUNAEUS of the City of Hannover in the Empire of Germany Manu
facturer of Celluloid 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 :-
The object of my invention is to render the manufacture of celluloid balls con-
siderably simpler and cheaper. Said balls are made by joining two half globes or
hemispheres, and the latter are cut or punched out from circular or square portions
of a sheet of celluloid, zylonite or similar substance only one hemisphere being
formed from each portion in each press. In order to prevent the formation of
creases the portion of celluloid or the like must be larger than the die or mould
used, so that a rim or margin, be formed which is kept steady and held tight while
the hemisphere is being pressed out. Besides the dimensions must be carefully
studied so as to make sure that the piece is of sufficient size to forin the hemisphere.
On account of these two circunstances the portion or disc of celluloid employed
must be about one-third (at least) larger than the diameter of the hemisphere
This waste of material and the loss of time in cutting up the large sheets into
small portions are avoided by the process used according to my invention which is
fully described hereafter.
My invention consists in transforming sheets of celluloid, zylonite or the like
into a new body, that is into sheets or plates with a number of hemispherical pro-
jections and subsequently separating the latter from the flat portions of the plates
or sheets. The size of the sheets is immaterial, therefore the raw plates may be
used without having been previously cut up into smaller portions which means a
considerable saving in machinery, time and labour.
The hemispherical projections on the sheets are produced by means of a die of
the size of the sheets employed. In this die at a distance of say half an inch from
the margin are made a number of circular holes or hemispherical excavations or
recesses corresponding in size to the hemispheres to be formed and arranged so as
to lose the least possible amount of space leaving only a very small portion between
the holes or hemispherical hollows. In order to still further lessen the waste, holes
or hollows of smaller diameters may be made between three or four larger ones, the
balls sold in the trade not being of one uniform size.
The sheet of celluloid or the like having been heated so as to be ready to be
shaped or moulded is placed on this die and the hemispheres are formed by another
die being placed on the top of the sheet provided with hemispherical projections of
the required inside diameter of the hemispheres to be formed, the said projections
entering into the circular holes aforesaid as far as necessary to form the exact
hemisphere; or when hemispherical hollows are made in the die on which the sheet
is placed then the hemispheres may be produced by compressed air or gas the hollow
serving as a stop to limit the pressure.
The hemispheres having been formed and the mass having become cold while
being treated in any known manner to retain its shape the hemispheres are cut out
or stamped out in any known manner or by the following means:-
When a perforated lower die and an upper die provided with corresponding
hemispherical projections are used the latter may be provided with a sharp edged
extension of the outside diameter of the celluloid hemisphere which latter is cut
off when the extension enters the hole.
When a hollow excavation is made in the lower die instead of a hole a simple
bunch may be used.

page_text: The saving of material becomes the greater, the larger the sheets used are,
amounting from ten to thirty per cent.
Beside the advantages already mentioned the new process, according to my
invention secures a uniform thickness of the hemisphere, while with the system
formerly employed the hemispheres were contracted around the edge and extended
in the middle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. In the manufacture of celluloid balls and the like the means for producing
from an ordinary sheet of celluloid or the like a sheet provided with a number of
hemispherical projections of equal or different diameter and arranged so as to leave.
the least possible waste, said means consisting of a die provided with a number of
holes or excavations on which raw sheets of celluloid, or the like, of any suitable
size may be placed and held tight while the said projections are formed by means
of another die provided with projections or by pressure of air or gas substantially
:as' described.
2. In the manufacture of celluloid balls and the like the means for separating the
projections from the sheet of celluloid or the like consisting essentially in a sharp
edged extension around the hemispherical projections of a die which cuts out the
projection in the sheet after they are formed substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of June 1892.
BONNE & Co.,
57, Chancery Lane, W.C., Authorised, Patent Agents.