AN IMPROVED CHEMICAL COMBINATION OF CERTAIN AGENTS FOR OBTAINING A NEW PLASTIC PRODUCT
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALCIDE
MARCELLIN DUTHOIT, of Paris, France, statuary, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alcide Marcellin Duthoit, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege authority, that I, the said Alcide Marcellin
Duthoit, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Alcide
Marcellin Duthoit, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercice, and
vend, within England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Mau, and in all
Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN
IMPROVED CHEMICAL COMBINATION OF CERTAIN AGENTS FOR OBTAINING A NEW
PLASTIC PRODUCT;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,
the said Alcide Marcellin Duthoit, should cause a particular description of the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alcide Marcellin Duthoit, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is
to say):-
My Invention consists in combining common oxide of zinc, purified oxide of
zinc, or colored oxide of zinc, amianthus, fusible spar, or (sulphate of barytes),
and other analogous substances, and mineral and vegetable colors, with
purified and bleached gutta percha, for the production of a plastic product of
a much cheaper price, and better fitted than gutta percha, or the compositions
hitherto made therewith, for manufacturing purposes, and which said plastic
product is applicable to the imitation of certain articles of ornament and
utility for which gutta percha has not hitherto been employed. I employ the
colors, having a zinc ground, carmine from cochineal and others, vermillion,
saturn red, indigo blue, ultramarine and other natural and artificial blues,
soot and other black colors, all green colors either composed or simple, and
chrome yellow of all the different shades. They are employed in a state of
impalpable powder.
I will now proceed to describe the three different compositions I produce,
and which I employ according to the quality and nature of the desired product.
I first obtain the gutta percha, which I employ for the three compositions in a
state of whiteness, or even transparence if desired, and perfectly pure; for that
purpose I dissolve, purify, and bleach it, by means either of purified and
rectified essence of coal oil, known in commerce by the names of naptha or
benzole (employed in a highly white or limpid condition), sulphuret of carbon,
or any other known and suitable solvents, giving preference, however, to
rectified and purified naptha or benzole, on account of its cheap price and the
facility of obtaining it.
First Composition.-I take one part of gutta percha, to which I add one
part in weight either of common oxide or purified oxide of zinc; a smaller
or greater quantity of zinc may be employed, according to the quality and
intended application of the mastic.
Second Composition.-I take one part of gutta percha, to which I add
either a smaller, equal, or greater quantity of fusible spar (sulphate of barytes),
according to the quantity, the use, the solidity, or the intended application of
the mastic.
Third Composition.-I take one part of gutta percha, and I add to it either
a smaller, equal, or greater quantity of amianthus, in state of fine powder or in
decoction; but before mixing the two matters together, I make a strong

page_text: decoction of amianthus, in the proportion of twenty parts of purified and
rectified naptha or benzole to every part of amianthus; I afterwards decant
and mix it with the gutta percha, as herein-before described. To give elasticity
to the mastic for certain applications, I dissolve one part of caoutchoux in one
to twenty parts of the said solution, and if this quantity is not sufficient to
effect the necessary degree of liquescence, I add a larger proportion of the
dissolving liquid. Great care must be taken in filtering for the above solution;
a heat of twenty-five to thirty degrees centigrade is necessary during several
days.
Mode of Operating.-On one part of gutta percha I pour from six to
twelve parts or more of rectified essence of coal oil, called naptha or benzole
in commerce, which I use preferably, although the sulphuret of carbon
and any other suitable solvent may also be employed. I move the vessel
containing the matters to be treated every time I introduce any liquid; and
when it is desirable to expedite the operation, I add some more purified
and rectified naptha or benzole until the gutta percha has completely dis-
solved. I facilitate the filtering operation by employing a heat of twenty-
five to thirty degrees of centigrade. Every kind of filter is applicable for the
filtering operation, which is continued as long as necessary.
After the filtering
operation is effected I put the liquid, which has become limpid and of the
consistence of syrup, into the still. I introduce either purified oxide of zinc
or common oxide of zinc, fusible spar, or amianthus, in quantities less, equal, or
greater in proportion to the gutta percha, according to the applications for
which the mastic is intended. I then add the color in a state of impalpable
powder, and agitate the whole mass. I well lute the still or retort, and distilt
either with a balneum mariæ, steam, over hot sand, or in the open air. I
allow all. the liquid to pour out into a refrigerator, and when collected it is
employed indefinitely, care being taken, however, to add to each evaporation
a quantity of liquid equal to that lost by evaporation, and which, besides, is
rendered necessary to prevent the liquid from becoming too volatile and
dangerous. If metal stills or retorts be employed for the distilling and
evaporating operation, they should be well tinned. I prefer, however, using
retorts of porcelain, polished sandstone, glass, or other similar substances.
With regard to the form of the retorts those that present the greatest surface
and the smallest depth are the most suitable, in consequence of their accele-
rating the operation. I am also able to operate in an evaporating chamber or
stove. I incorporate with my mastic all the different colors by introducing
them with the materials composing the mastic into the retort, and also by
mastication in hot water rendered alkaline, by which the mastic is softened,

page_text: and which also serves to facilitate the manipulations of pressing the matters
into the moulds and under the rolling cylinders, and also in the stamping
operation; all the alkalies may be employed, but I use preferably crystals of
soda, on account of their low price. To employ my colored mastic as a liquid
paint, I redissolve it in purified and rectified naptha or benzole, and reduce it
to the degree of liquescence requisite for its being applied with a brush. I
can, when requisite, employ the color in a state of impalpable powder to color
the mastic in the dry condition; for applying the color in the dry state, I
employ cotton wadding or thin skin made into the form of a stomp. That
mode of painting is employed for flowers for the plastic arts and imitations of
marble, &c. I make use of rectified sulphuret of carbon for dissolving,
purifying, and bleaching gutta percha without the aid of any other liquid, in
which case I pour upon one part of gutta percha from one to twenty parts of
sulphuret of carbon, or as much more or less as will suffice for the solution of
the material; and each time I increase the quantity of liquid I agitate the
liquor. I expose my vessels to a heat of fifteen to twenty degrees centigrade,
and the solution is effected in fifteen to twenty hours. After the solution of
the gutta percha I proceed in a similar manner as when I operate with essence
of coal oil, naptha or benzole, and I obtain the gutta percha of a white color.
I introduce the same matters and colors into the gutta percha and in the same
manner as here described. I would here observe that the gutta percha, after
being purified and bleached by the said processes, becomes homogenous and
malleable, which qualities enable me to amalgamate it with all the matters
which I have pointed out without depriving it of its lusture. The three
compositions of mastic prepared by the means herein-above described are
applied to the manufacture of the different articles herein-after enumerated,
for which I select preferably the composition which practice points out as the
most applicable to obtain the different qualities and kinds of articles required.
For manikins, called plastic manikins, all the different anatomic pieces which,
when made with my mastic, are susceptible of being taken to pieces and put
up again with great facility; the objects of art of every kind, dimension, and
colour; corals, &c.; for imitations of parchment of every size and color, of
white bone or ivory, and every kind of article produced therewith, such as
statuettes, white or every kind, and colored button, &c. For imitations of all
kinds of card board with ornaments of every color, imitations of wood, such as
furniture of every kind, frames of every kind and color, jaspered marble, fruit
cases, boxes, rich and common binding for books, buttons of every form, size,
and color. For all kinds of sculptured articles for external or internal
ornaments of buildings, such as bouquets for ceilings, arabesques, and plain

page_text: or ornamental mouldings, letters or emblems, ensigns and brackets, the bot-
toms of lamps, garlands of flowers for internal ornaments, for imitations of
stuffs for furniture, damask, wool, silk, horse-hair for making impervious
paper for hangings, either plain or ornamental, using for all the latter articles
cylinders prepared by the galvano-plastic system, that is to say, made hollow
or in relief, every kind of hangings for apartments, to which all the different
colors may be applied. For artificial flowers faithfully imitating nature, I
make the flowers either with a mould or other suitable means, and apply the
colour by stamping or painting them with a brush. For imitation of white
leather, and for leather of every other color for gloves, and for all the appli-
cations to which leather is adapted. I also obtain with my composition imita-
tions of paper, transparent and opaque, of every colour, as supple as muslin,
strong, light, and impervious leather, replacing advantageously natural leather
of every colour, and having the suppleness of leather. I wish it to be under-
stood that the above applications, for which my compositions are adapted, are
obtained by all suitable and known means. For preparing imitations of skins
and leathers, after cooling the matter under the cylinder or roller, I pass the
matter a second time in the cold state under another cylinder to draw it out
or distend it, and by that means give these articles all the suppleness which
they are susceptible of acquiring.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details or modus operandi herein laid down. Nor do I
claim the different agents taken separately, or the apparatus employed. But
what I do claim as my Invention, and intended to be protected by the said
Letters Patent is, the production of a new composition or plastic product
succeptible of receiving any required color or shade of color, and the applica-
tion of the same to manufacturing purposes, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alcide Marcellin Duthoit, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
ALCIDE MARCELLIN (L.S.) DUTHOIT.
Taken and acknowledged by Alcide
Marcellin Duthoit (party hereto), at
Paris, in the Republic of France,
the 2nd day of July, 1852, before me,

page_text: Armand Le Comte de Fontainemoreau, sworn before me this 8th day of July,
1852.
J. JEFFERSON.
Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontainemoreau, of No. 4, South Street, in
the County of Middlesex, Agent for Patents of Inventions, maketh oath and
saith that he is acquainted with the manner and character of the handwriting
of Thomas Pickford, Hor Britannic Majesty's Consul at Paris, in the Republic
of France. And this Deponent further saith, that the signature Thomas
Pickford, as subscribed or written in the margin of the Specification hereunto
annexed marked A, and dated the Second day of July instant, and purporting
to be executed by Alcide Marcellin Duthoit, of Paris, whereby it is stated that
the Specification was acknowledged by him, the said Alcide Marcellin Duthoit,
before the said Thomas Pickford, on the said Second day of July, at Paris
aforesaid, is of the proper handwriting of the said Thomas Pickford.
T