IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAISTERS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Henry Mason at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November 1880.
ALRED HENRY MASON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAISTERS."
One difficulty in the manufacture of plaisters is to get a material tough, elastic,
and very cheap, for the backing or basis, and yet one with sufficient rigidity and
devoid of chemical effect.
For this purpose I take leather scrap and pulp it into a pulp in the way rags are
pulped for paper making. This pulp I pass under couch rollers, or otherwise press
and deprive of its moisture, and work into thin sheets like paper. These are
extremely stiff, porous, and neutral in chemical effect. I usually prefer to perforate
them, and in such case perforate the name or trade mark upon them. Upon these
sheets I spread fossilline mixed with such medicinal matters as are desired for the
particular complaint. The backing is however valuable for other mixtures, besides
fossilline mixtures, in fact, for almost any mixture used in plaisters.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Henry Mason in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st May 1881.
ALFRED HENRY MASON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAISTERS."
This Invention for the manufacture of plasters is to provide a material tough,
elastic, and cheap, as a substitute for leather or other materials, and yet one with
sufficient pliability and devoid of chemical effect.
For this purpose I take animal skin scrap and make it into a pulp in the way
rags are pulped for paper making. The pulp I pass under couch rollers or other-
wise press and deprive of its moisture, and work it into thin sheets.
Full particulars of the method of manufacturing the article described by me as
"leatherine," from this material can be seen in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to John Harcourt Browne and David Lloyd Davies, entitled "Improve-
ments in the Manufacture of Sheets, Nets, Boards, Panels, Blocks, and the like,"
dated the 18th day of June, 1879, No. 2412. The thin sheets made of this
material in this manner are tough, pliable, porous, and neutral in chemical
effect.
I use the material as it is, or afterwards punch holes into the spread plasters
when I so require them.
"
Upon these I spread plaster compounds in combination with petroleum jelly,
to which I have given the name fossiline," but I use any hydro-carbon jelly
prepared from petroleum, and this substance is of definite chemical composition.
The compounds consist of any medicinal substances as are desired for the purpose
for which the plaster is required; the backing is also used for any other plaster
compound, and for the application of any mixture used in plasters, the object
of the combination being to cause the plasters to conform to the skin without
warming.
Having now described my Invention, and the best mode known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new
and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,
First. The manufacture of plasters in which the backing is composed of leather,
paper, sheets, or leatherine, substantially as described.
Second. The manufacture of plasters, medicated or unmedicated, in combination
with petroleum jelly spread on a tough, pliable, neutral material, such as leather-
paper or leatherine herein described, and when required perforated to any required
pattern, such, for instance, as the name and trade-mark of the dealer or
manufacturer.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Henry Mason, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ALFRED HENRY MASON. (L.S.)