AN IMPROVED MODE OF TREATING GUMS, SUCH AS INDIA- RUBBER OR GUTTA PERCHA, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF TREATING GUMS, SUCH AS INDIA-
RUBBER OR GUTTA PERCHA, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES."-A
communication from abroad by Rudolph Franz Heinrich Havemann, of
New Brunswick, in the County of Middlesex and State of New Jersey,
United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th December 1859.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF TREATING GUMS, SUCH AS INDIA-
RUBBER OR GUTTA PERCHA, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES," to be
as follows:-
It is generally assumed that chlorine has no action on such gums as india-
guins
rubber or gutta percha, except a bleaching action; and, indeed, if such
are in a solid state, the effect of the chlorine on the same is so slow that it
takes weeks to produce a perceptible change on the surface of said gum.
Solid lumps of gutta percha or india-rubber may, however, be subjected to the
influence of chlorine by enclosing the same in an air-tight vessel where they

page_text: are exposed to a stream of chlorine, which is renewed whenever that portion
of the same which has been in contact with the gum is absorbed. The gum
begins to swell, and it turns into a white brittle mass, which is well washed in
water in order to clean it from the adherent chlorine; and after this it is dis-
solved in one of the well-known solvents of those gums, such as bisulphuret
of carbon, benzole, or chloroform, and from this solution the composition is
precipitated by evaporating in an open vessel, and the new product appears on
the bottom in a plate of more or less thickness, and after drying it becomes
perfectly white and hard like ivory.
In order to produce this change quicker, the gum is dissolved in one of the
well-known solvents, such as bisulphuret of carbon, benzole, or chloroform, and
this solution is brought in contact with the chlorine by passing a stream of
gaseous chlorine into the same, in order to bring the said chlorine into imme-
diate contact with the gum contained in the said solution. The solution, which
is of a dark color when first made, turns lighter as the chlorine begins to take
effect, and after a certain time it becomes yellow, when the combination of the
gum with the chlorine is perfected. The solvent is now removed by evapora-
tion at a moderate temperature, not sufficiently high to reach the boiling point
of the said solvent; or it may be done by treating the mixture with alcohol,
which combines with the solvent, and causes the gum combined with the
chlorine to precipitate. After removing the liquid by filtering or evaporation,
the composition of gum and chlorine is well washed with alcohol, and then it
is pressed and dried, when it forms the same white and hard mass which has
been mentioned above.
This composition of the above-mentioned gums is soluble in all the usual
solvents of the said gums, but water or acids have no influence on the same;
and on account of its white color and for the sake of its hardness it can be
used for manufacturing various articles.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said William Edward 3
Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF TREATING GUMS, SUCH AS INDIA-RUBBER
OR GUTTA PERCHA, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES," being a com-
munication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Patent Office on or before the Twenty-
fifth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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):—
is
It is generally assumed that chlorine has no further action on vegetable
gums, such as india-rubber or gutta percha, than as a bleaching agent; and,
indeed, if such gums are in a solid state, the effect of the chlorine on the same
is so slow that it takes weeks to produce a perceptible change on the surface
of the gum. Solid lumps of gutta, percha or india-rubber may, however, be
subjected to the influence of chlorine by enclosing the same in an airtight
vessel, where they are exposed to a stream of chlorine, which is renewed
whenever that portion of the same which has been in contact with the gum
absorbed. The gum begins to swell, and it turns into a white brittle mass, which
is well washed in water in order to clean it from the adherent chlorine, and after
this it is dissolved in one of the well-known solvents of those gums, such as
bisulphuret of carbon, benzole, chloroform, &c., and from this solution the
composition is precipitated be evaporating in an open vessel, and the new
product appears on the bottom in a plate of more or less thickness, and after
drying it becomes perfectly white and hard like ivory.
In order to produce this change quicker, the gum is dissolved in one of the
well-known solvents, such as bisulphuret of carbon, benzole, or chloroform,
and this solution is brought in contact with the chlorine by passing a stream

page_text: of gaseous chlorine into the same, in order to bring the chlorine into imme-
diate contact with the gum contained in the solution. The solution, which is
of a dark colour when first made, turns lighter as the chlorine begins to take
effect, and after a certain time it becomes yellow, when the combination of the
gum with the chlorine is perfected.. The solvent is now removed by evapora-
tion at a moderate temperature, not sufficiently high to reach the boiling point
of the solvent, or it may be done by treating the mixture with alcohol, which
combines with the solvent, and causes the gum combined with the chlorine to
precipitate. After removing the liquid by filtering or evaporation, the com-
position of gum and chlorine is well washed with alcohol, and then it is
pressed and dried, when it forms the same white and hard mass which has
been mentioned above.
This composition of the above-mentioned gums is soluble in all the usual
solvents of the said gums, but water or acids have no influence on the same,
and on account of its white colour and for the sake of its hardness it can be
used for manufacturing various articles.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of an improved mode of
treating gums, such as india-rubber or gutta percha, for the manufacture of
various articles, as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that, under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim, subjecting gums, such as
india-rubber or gutta percha, to the action of chlorine in the manner and for
the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)