Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Artificial Whalebone, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application. 25th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th July. 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Artificial Whalebone,
and to Apparatus therefor.
We, MAURICE LEVY, Whalebone Manufacturer, of 1 Passage Violet, ALFred
RUSTIN, Engineer, of 38 Rue de la Chine, and LÉON BOYER, Whalebone Worker,
of 100 Rue Orfelx, all of Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of artificial whalebone and to apparatus
therefor.
The means which have heretofore been employed are not adapted for making
artificial whalebone from buffalo horn of a greater length than that of the horn
itself, and this length is moreover diminished by the pieces which have to be cut off
at the point and at the base.
We have devised a method by which artificial whalebone of any desired length
may be obtained.
It consists in first uniting together end to end two plates of
horn in order to obtain long pieces of whalebone by the use of a plane. In
the second place we unite together end to end the cut pieces of whalebone, even
the shortest lengths being utilized, and thus obtain as long a piece of whalebone
as may be desired, while the joint between the various parts can scarcely be seen.
The method is the same for uniting plates end to end and for uniting cut pieces
of whalebone however short these pieces may be.
From a short plate of horn only short pieces of whalebone could heretofore be
produced. We form on the side of the base a bevel or chamfer and unite together
the two plates obtained from the same horn by the means hereinafter set forth.
By planing we may obtain pieces of whalebone of very great length, while short
pieces of whalebone, which are taken from the sides, may be united end
to end. For enabling the pieces of whalebone to be united end to end
we also provide at each extremity a bevel or chamfer about two centimetres in
length.
The means which we employ for uniting the pieces of horn are as follows:-
Before effecting the bevelling we dip the extremities of the plates or pieces of
whalebone for from about five to ten minutes in a hot solution of bicarbonate
of soda (ten grammes of salt per litre being sufficient). We let the pieces of
whalebone sweat and then bevel them. The dipping of the pieces of whalebone
in the hot solution of bicarbonate of soda renders the horn very supple, the
gelatinous material of the horn has again become soft, which will ensure the
intimate union of the parts when they are joined. After the bevelling we join
the extremities to be united and fasten them together with a strip of paper.
The pieces of whalebone being thus prepared they are pressed in the hot state.
For this purpose we arrange side by side upon the bed plate of a press several
pieces of whalebone thus joined and surrounded by a wet cloth and subject them
to a strong pressure for from three to six minutes. After this operation the
piece of whalebone is scraped on the side where the joint is to be made as is
customary in the manufacture of whalebone.
Atter the union has been effected we dip the united part once more in the
solution of bicarbonate of soda in order that this part may preserve its suppleness
and may not be liable to break.

page_text: Having explained the manner in which we unite plates and pieces of whalebone-
we will now proceed to describe the apparatus which enables us to conveniently
perform the operations hereinbefore mentioned for obtaining pieces of artificial
whalebone of very great length.
The bevelling of the extremities of the plates and pieces of whalebone takes
place by means of the apparatus hereinafter set forth.
This apparatus comprises a support carried by a frame in which it is articulated
by means of an axis. In this support is placed a large carriage designed to
receive in a longitudinal groove the piece of whalebone to be bevelled; this piece
of whalebone is held by a cross piece articulated to the said carriage and operated
by a handle.
The carriage has attached to one of its extremities two cheeks the lower part of
which is inclined relatively to the sliding plane of the support the same amount as
the bevel to be formed. A grindstone or cutter adapted to turn upon an axis is
designed to cut the piece of whalebone at its extremity so as to produce the bevel,
and a stop plate which can be regulated horizontally and vertically serves to limit
the movement of the aforesaid carriage during the operation.
The support is held in its proper position by two screws which bear upon
the lower part of the support. These screws are designed to regulate the
inclination of the support according to the position and the size of the cutter, and
to compensate for the wear of the latter. A spring is arranged below the support
for holding the carriage constantly upon its guide. This spring is fixed on the one
hand below the carriage and on the other hand to the frame. It traverses
the support, passing through an opening formed in the lower part of the said
support.
This apparatus is used in the following manner : The workman passes the
extremity of a piece of whalebone below a cross piece of the carriage after having
caused it to move below a pressing piece, and conducts the whalebone below the
grindstone or cutter. By moving the carriage rearwards with the aid of the
aforesaid handle the front part of the carriage ascends, owing to the sliding
movement of the inclined planes upon lateral guides of the support, and thus
enables the grindstone or cutter to pass more deeply into the whalebone, thus forming
the bevel.
We join the bevelled extremities of two pieces of whalebone by juxtaposing them,
and we fasten these pieces together by means of a strip of paper to prevent them
from being separated. Then we put several pieces of whalebone thus prepared side
by side in a wet cloth and place the whole in a press.
The press which we employ comprises a horizontal hollow bed plate, which
receives through a cock the steam designed to heat it, and a certain number of
pressing plates operated by levers which are articulated upon a common axis and
carry counterweights. The pressing plates are heated by the aid of a steam
collector which is connected to each of the pressing plates by spiral tubes designed
to permit of the lowering of the upper plate upon the common bed plate.
The water of condensation flows through a tube into a tank filled with a solution
of bicarbonate of soda, and helps to maintain the temperature of the latter.
For uniting plates of horn it is expedient to employ screw presses having plates
of a larger width.
ليعه
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page_text: Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Artificial Whalebone,
and to Apparatus therefor.
We, MAURICE LEVY, Whalebone Manufacturer, of 1 Passage Violet, ALFRED
RUSTIN, Engineer, of 38. Rue de la Chine, and LÉON BOYER, Whalebone
Worker, of 100bia Rue Orfelx, all of Paris, in the Republic of France, 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:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of artificial whalebone and to apparatus
therefor.
The means which have heretofore been employed are not adapted for making
artificial whalebone from buffalo horn of a greater length than that of the horn
itself, and this length is moreover diminished by the pieces which have to be cut.
off at the point and at the base.
We have devised a method by which artificial whalebone of any desired length
may be obtained.
It consists in first uniting together end to end two thick flat
plates of horn and slicing or cutting the same by means of a draw knife or the
like in order to obtain long pieces of artificial whalebone. The pieces of artificial
whalebone thus obtained may be united together end to end, the shortest lengths
being by this means utilized so as to obtain as long a piece of whalebone as may
be desired, while the joint between the various parts can scarcely be seen.
The method is the same for uniting plates end to end and for uniting cut pieces
of whalebone however short these pieces may be.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice the figures of the said
drawing being hereinafter referred to.
From a short and thick plate of horn A Figure 1, which is drawn on a reduced
scale, only short pieces of whalebone could heretofore be produced. We form on
the side of the base a bevel or chamfer a and unite together two plates obtained
from the same horn as shown in Figure 2 by the means hereinafter set forth.
Figure 2 shows that by bevelling and joining we may obtain pieces of artificial
whalebone which are very long as indicated by the lines b and b¹. As regards the
short pieces of whalebone, which are taken from the sides, they may be utilized
by uniting them end to end. For enabling the pieces of artificial whalebone to
be united end to end we also provide at each extremity a bevel or chamfer about
two centimetres in length, Figure 3 which shows in longitudinal section drawn
to an enlarged scale of 3 to 4 times, the thickness of several pieces of artificial
whalebone united end to end.
The means which we employ for uniting the pieces of horn are as follows:-
Before effecting the bevelling we dip the extremities of the plates or pieces of
whalebone for from about five to ten minutes in a hot solution of bicarbonate
of soda (ten grammes of salt per litre being sufficient). We let the pieces of
whalebone sweat and then bevel them. The dipping of the pieces of artificial
whalebone in the hot solution of bicarbonate of soda renders the horn very
supple, the gelatinous material of the horn has again become soft, which will
ensure the intimate union of the parts when they are joined. After the bevelling
we join the extremities to be united and fasten them together with a strip of
paper.
The pieces of artificial whalebone being thus prepared they are pressed in the
hot state. For this purpose we arrange side by side upon the bed plate of a press
several pieces of artificial whalebone thus joined and surrounded by a wet cloth

page_text: and subjected them to a strong pressure for from three to six minutes. After
this operation the piece of whalebone is, scraped on the side where the joint is to
be made as is customary in the manufacture of whalebone.
After the union has been effected we dip the united part once, more in the
solution of bicarbonate of soda in order that this part may preserve its suppleness
and may not be liable to break.
Having explained the manner in which we unite plates and pieces of artificial
whalebone we will now proceed to describe the apparatus which enables us to
conveniently perform the operations hereinbefore mentioned for obtaining pieces of
artificial whalebone of very great length.
The bevelling of the extremities of the plates and pieces of whalebone is effected
by means of the apparatus represented in Figures 4 to 8; Figure 4 is a side view,
Figure 5 an end view, Figure 6 a longitudinal section, Figure 7 a transverse
section and Figure 8 a plan.
This apparatus comprises a support B carried by a frame C in which it is
articulated by means of an axis D. In this support is placed a large carriage E
designed to receive in a longitudinal groove a the piece of artificial whalebone to
be bevelled; this piece of whalebone represented at 6 Figure 6 is held by a cross
piece c articulated at d d to the said carriage and operated by a handle e.
The carriage E has attached to one of its extremities two cheeks ff the lower
part of which is inclined relatively to the sliding plane of the support B the same
amount as the bevel to be formed. A grindstone or cutter F adapted to turn upon
an axis O is designed to cut the piece of whalebone at its extremity so as to produce
the bevel; and a stop plate G which can be regulated horizontally and vertically
serves to limit the movement of the aforesaid carriage E during the operation.
The support B is held in its proper position by two screws H which bear upon
the lower part of the support. These screws are designed to regulate the
inclination of the support according to the position and the size of the cutter, and
to compensate for the wear of the latter. A spring is arranged below the support
for holding the carriage E constantly upon its guide. This spring is fixed on the
one hand below the carriage and on the other hand to the frame C passing through
an opening g formed in the lower part of the said support B.
This apparatus is used in the following manner:
The workman passes the extremity of a piece of whalebone below a cross piece h
of the carriage after having caused it to move below a pressing piece, and conducts
the whalebone below the grindstone or cutter F. By moving the carriage rear-
wards with the aid of the aforesaid handle e the front part of the carriage ascends
owing to the sliding movement of the inclined planes ff upon lateral guides k k of
the support B and thus enables the grindstone or cutter to pass more deeply into
the whalebone, thus forming the bevel.
We join the bevelled extremities of two pieces of artificial whalebone by
juxtaposing them, and we fasten these pieces together by means of a strip of paper
to prevent them from being separated. Then we put several pieces thus prepared
side by side in a wet cloth, and place the whole in a press.
The press which we employ is represented in transverse section Figure 9, in
longitudinal section Figure 10, and in plan Figure 11.
It comprises a horizontal hollow bed plate K which receives through a cock L
the steam designed to heat it, and a certain number of pressing plates M operated
by levers N which are articulated upon a common axis P and carry counter-
weights Q. The pressing plates M are heated by the aid of a steam collector R
which is connected to each of the pressing plates M by spiral tubes S designed to
permit of the lowering of the upper plate upon the common bed plate K.
The water of condensation flows through a tube T into a tank V filled with
a solution of bicarbonate of soda, and helps to maintain the temperature of the
latter.
For uniting plates of horn it is expedient to employ screw presses having plates
of a larger width.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The method of forming long pieces of artificial whalebone by uniting
together end to end two thick flat plates or pieces of buffalo horn and slicing or
cutting the same by means of a draw-knife or the like.
Second. The uniting together, end to end of thin and narrow strips or pieces of
artificial whalebone obtained by cutting or slicing the plates obtained according to
Claim 1 by means of a draw-knife or the like.
Third. The method of uniting strips or plates of horn to form pieces of artificial
whalebone of any desired length which consists in dipping the extremities to be
united in a hot solution of bicarbonate of soda, then, after sweating, bevelling the
said extremities, and uniting the bevelled extremities by pressure in the hot state,
and finally dipping the united part in the solution of bicarbonate of soda,
substantially as described.
Fourth. The apparatus for effecting the bevelling of the aforesaid strips or
pieces of horn and uniting the same to form pieces of artificial whalebone
constructed and combined substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 25th day of July 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.