IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF SOLIDIFYING THE JUICE OR SAP OF THE BULLET TREE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BALATA JUICE, AND THE JUICES OR SAPS OF TREES YIELDING SIMILAR OR ANALOGOUS ELASTIC PRODUCTS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Primerose Howard Vaughan, of 54, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF SOLIDIFYING THE JUICE OR SAP OF THE
BULLET TREE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BALATA JUICE, AND THE JUICES OR SAPS
OF TREES YIELDING SIMILAR OR ANALOGOUS ELASTIC PRODUCTS."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Sydney Rupert Pontifex, F.C.S., of Demerara,
in the Colony of British Guiana.
Sealed the 28th September 1866, and dated the 2nd April 1866.
Edwred
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Primerose Howard
Vaughan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd April 1866.
I, EDWARD PRIMEROSE HOWARD VAUGHAN, of 54, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF SOLIDIFYING THE JUICE OR SAP
OF THE BULLET TREE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BALATA JUICE, AND THE JUICES OR
SAPS OF TREES FIELDING SIMILAR OR ANALOGOUS ELASTIC PRODUCTS," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Sydney Rupert Pontifex, F.C.S., of Demerara,
in the Colony of British Guiana, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the treatment of the juico
or sap of the bullet tree, and which is known as balata juice, and also similar
or analogous juices or saps, whereby such substances are solidified in a moro
perfect manner and with less deterioration to the quality and elasticity thereof

page_text: than by the processes hitherto in use. In the first instance a small proportions
of weak acid, such as acetic, citric, or tartaric acid, or of one of the alkalies,
or wood spirit, or methylated spirit, is added to the juice which it is desired
to solidify, the necessary proportions of the additional ingredients varying
according to the condition of the juice, as will be understood by persons con-
versant with such operations. The juice is subjected to a continued agitating
or churning action by means of any of the well-known contrivances adapted
for the purpose; and a jet or jets of air, either hot or cold, is or are passed
into the juice, the effect of which is to separate the solid matter contained
therein in fine particles. The solid particles are caused to unite together by
the action of a jet or jets of steam, to which the juice is afterwards subjected.
The juice having been thus solidified should be washed in hot water to get rid
of any acid which may have been employed, and should then be submitted to
a sufficient degree of pressure to expel any water which it may have taken
up during the process of washing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
Emil
by the said Henry Primerose Howard Vaughan in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
PRIMEROSE HOWARD VAUGHAN, of 54, Chancery Lane, in tho County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Primerose Howard Vaughan, Her special licence that I, the
said Edward Primerose Howard Vaughan, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Primerose Howard Vaughan,
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 METHODS
O SOLIDIFYING THE JUICE OR SAP OF THE BULLET TREE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
BALATA JUICE, AND THE JUICES OR SAPS OF TREES YIELDING SIMILAR OR ANALOGOUS
ELASTIC PRODUCTS," a communication to me from abroad by Sydney Rupert

page_text: "
Pontifex, F.C.S., of Demerara, in the Colony of British Guiana, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Primerose Howard
Vaughan, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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
Patont Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Primeroso Howard Vaughan,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the treatment of the
juice or sap of the bullet tree, and which is known as balata juice, and also
similar or analogous juices or saps, whereby such substances are solidified in
a more perfect manner and with less deterioration to the quality and elasticity
thereof than by the processes hitherto in use. As the treatment of such
various products is substantially identical, I shall in this Specification refer to
the processes applicable to the solidification of balata juice, as exemplifying
the principles and mode of performing my said Invention. The juice or sap
of the bullet tree is ordinarily obtained either by passing the bark between
pressure rollers or by the operation of "tapping." In the latter case the
juice is obtained in a state free from fibres, but in the former fibres frequently
pass into the juice when the latter is being expressed by the rollers. In order
to separate such fibres from the juice to be operated upon it should be passed.
through felt, cocoa-nut fibre matting, or some other suitable fibrous material.
by means of pressure applied in any convenient manner.
The next process is to submit the juice to the influence of air, either in a
hot or cold state, for the purpose of separating and coagulating the solid
portion of the juice. The juice may be subjected to this operation either in
its pure and fresh state, or after it has become fermented naturally, or after
the state of fermentation has been produced by adding thereto. any suitable
ferment or ferments, or after the addition to the juice, either in the pure state
or in the state of .fermentation, a small proportion of acetic, citric, or tartaric
acid, or other analogous organic acid, or of one of the alkalies, or of rennet,
or wood naphtha, or methylated spirit, such last-mentioned substance or sub-
stances being so added to the juice to facilitate the "curding" or coagulation
of the solid particles thereof. The proportions of such additional ingredients
must necessarily vary according to the condition of the juice, as will be under-

page_text: stood by persons conversant with such operations. The air is forced into
or through the juice by means of a fan, or by any of the known blowing
apparatus adapted for the purpose, or by means of ordinary churning appa-
ratus, or by paddles, wheels, or centrifugals actuated by any suitable means
and working in enclosed spaces, but with access to air. The juice or sap
having been subjected to the before-mentioned processes, it will be found in
each case that the solid part thereof will be either totally or partially separated
from the liquid paste, such solid portion consisting generally of fine particles.
Steam or hot water may then be introduced into the apparatus containing the
juice by means of any of the well-known or suitable contrivances adapted for
the purpose; or the solid particles may be collected and removed into another
receptacle, in which the steam or hot water may be caused to operate upon
them. In either case complete coagulation of the solid particles will ensue,
whilst any acid which may have been employed will be removed, and the
resultant mass is then taken out and submitted to pressure by any suitable
means, when it will be ready for shipment. If the solid matter contained in
the juice or sap has not been sufficiently abstracted therefrom by the before-
mentioned processes the juice or sap is boiled in enamelled coppers, pans, or
receptacles, and subjected whilst boiling to a continued stirring or agitating
action. I may here mention that in order to prevent the juice or sap from
directly touching the bottom of the copper, pan, or receptacle it is desirablo
(although I do not expressly claim it as being part of my said Invention) that
some heavy oily substance of greater specific gravity than the juice or sap
should be added thereto. The object of the stirring or agitating process is to
promote the evaporation of the liquid portion of the juice or sap, and any
apparatus adapted for the purpose may be employed, as I do not claim any
precise form of stirrer or agitator, and many suitable contrivances are already
well known. The process is facilitated if the stirrers are made of a fluted or
corrugated material, so as at each revolution to take up a portion of the
liquid. When the juice or sap has been sufficiently evaporated or brought to
the requisite density it is transferred to large shallow steam boxes constructed
of corrugated material through which steam is passed, and in which it under-
goes still further evaporation at a temperature that will not injure the quality
of the gum, care being taken that the stirring is continued. The steam boxes
last mentioned may be placed in separate parts of the manufactory under
sheds with moveable roofs, so that the latter can be shifted and the rays of
the sun used as an additional means of producing evaporation and drying the
gum. A simple method by which the gum may in some cases be advan-
tageously obtained is to add wood naphtha or methylated spirits free from

page_text: saccharine matter, either separately or in combination with each other, in
sufficient quantity to fully precipitate the solid matter of the juice or sap,
which latter will be insoluble therein. The proportions necessary to be used
is about one gallon and a half of wood naphtha or methylated spirit to one
gallon of the juice, and instead of wood naphtha or methylated spirits any other
analogous liquids in which the resulting mass is insoluble may be employed.
The solid matter having been precipitated is taken out of the vessel in which
the operation has been performed, and pressed to separate the wood naphtha or
other substance which has been used and the liquid portion of the juice. The
latter may be afterwards distilled in order to recover the spirit.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion
that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details herein-before men-
tioned, as variations may be made therefrom without departing from the main
features or principles of my said Invention, and that what I consider novel
and original, and therefore claim as constituting my said Invention are, the
methods of solidifying the juice or sap of the bullet tree, otherwise known as
balata juice, and the juices or saps of trees yielding similar or analogous
elastic products, substantially herein-before set forth and described, or any
mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Primerose Howard Vaughan,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
R. S. M. VAUGHAN,
54, Chancery Lane.
E. P. H. VAUGHAN, (Ls.)