IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CELLULOID, XYLONITE, AND OF SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1885

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF CELLULOID, XYLONITE, AND OF SIMILAR SUBSTANCES" (a com-
munication from William Carl Zeidler of Toronto, in the dominion of Canada,
Manufacturer) 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 the invention is to provide a simple, cheap quick, and effective
process for polishing the surface of celluloid xylonite zylonite, chrolithium,
pyroxylin, and similar substances, and at the same time to secure the said material
when made in any shape to wood or other material, and it consists, essentially in
submitting the celluloid or like material to pressure while heated, and preferably
cooling the same off, only a few moments being occupied in the pressing, heating
and cooling.
When the material named is to be fixed or secured to wood, or other material, an
ordinary coating of glue, or any suitable adhesive is applied to the surface, and the
two materials thus glued together are placed in the press to receive the pressure
while being heated and cooled as mentioned.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a screw press partially in section, and provided
with steam and water pipes.
Although the process may be applicable in the manufacture of many articles
composed of celluloid or like material it has been specially designed for use in the
preparation of key-boards, and consequently, for the purpose of illustrating this
invention I shall describe it as applied in this class of manufacture.
In order that the value and extent of this invention may be appreciated I shall
first explain the process now adopted in the manufacture of celluloid key-boards,—
that is to say, so far as it relates to the portion of which this is an improvement.
The sheet of celluloid is first glued onto the wood designed to form the keys and
the board thus prepared is allowed to stand for ten or fourteen days until the wood
and the celluloid have become sufficiently seasoned to ensure the dryness of the
material for polishing and cutting up. The surface of the celluloid is then scraped,
and afterwards rubbed down with pumice-stone, and finally polished with shellac
and oil. This process, all told, occupies about an hour, and as the glued celluloid
cannot be touched until ten of fourteen days after it has been glued a considerable
stock of partially manufactured material has to be constantly kept on hand.
By the adoption of this process, it only occupies above five minutes from the
time that the celluloid is first glued onto the board until it is polished and finished
ready to be cut into kevɛ.

page_text: "
The press used may be of any suitable construction, that which is illustrated
would answer the purpose, but the illustration is merely given for the purpose of
explaining the process.
A represents a hollow bed-plate; B, the moveable head of the press; and C the
screw which is provided with a handle D. A steam pipe E, leads into the hollow
plate A, and the water-pipe F, also leads into the interior of the said plate.
G is an escape pipe for drawing off the water from the hollow plate A. Suitable
cocks are of course provided for each of these pipes.
The top surface of the bed-plate A is made of steel, brass, or some hard material
capable of receiving a very high polish; it being important that its surface should
be very true and highly polished, as any blemish on the plate would be imparted to
the celluloid surface which is placed next to it..
The apparatus here specified is all that is used in connection with this process,
which consists in first sand-papering, or otherwise cleaning off the surface of the
celluloid to be polished and then glueing its other side onto the key-board, after
which the board is inserted into the press so that the celluloid surface shall be next
to the polished surface of the plate A.
The screw is then turned so as to press the wood and celluloid together. The
pressure need not be of any exact power, but I think it should be sufficient to press
out any superfluous glue between the celluloid and the wood. Steam is then
admitted through the pipe E, into the hollow plate A and when the surface of the
said plate is thoroughly heated the steam is in a minute or so afterwards turned off,
and cold water is admitted through the pipe F, into the hollow plate, which cools
the said plate off, and at the same time cools the celluloid and thoroughly hardens
the glue securing it in position. The key board thus prepared when removed from
the press will have its surface of celluloid highly polished without any further
manual labour.
Whilst it will be preferable to admit steam into a hollow plate for the purpose of
heating the celluloid during the period that it is being pressed I do not wish to
confine myself strictly to the use of steam, as a gas jet might be used for heating
the plate, and other means might be employed.
The cooling portion of the process is really for the purpose of hardening the
celluloid and its connection with the board, although it contributes to the high
polish imparted to the surface of the celluloid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1. The within described process for polishing celluloid and like material, which
consists in placing the cleaned surface of the celluloid or like material upon a hard
polished surface which is heated and the celluloid submitted to pressure against it,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The within described process for polishing and hardening celluloid and like
material, which consists in placing the cleaned surface of the celluloid or like
material upon a hard polished surface which is heated and the celluloid submitted
to pressure against it, after which the plate and celluloid are cooled off, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.