IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUTTA PERCHA TUBING
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, WILLIAM
BURGESS, of Newgate Street, Gutta Percha Merchant, 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 Twenty-first day of
June (One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two), in the sixteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Burgess, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William
Burgess, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William
Burgess, my exors, adiñors, 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, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUTTA PERCHA TUBING;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Burgess
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her 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
William Burgess, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of making gutta percha tubing with corrugations
therein, whereby such tubing is made flexible in its length, and capable of
being bent freely in varied directions, and yet retain the tubular form in all
parts whether bent or straight. And in order that my Invention may be most
fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the
means pursued by me.
I prefer that the corrugations should be of a helical form, but do not con-
fine myself thereto, and although I believe the best mode of making such tubes
is that which I will proceed to describe, other or varied modes may be resorted
to without departing from my Invention. I prefer that the tubes should be
composed wholly of gutta percha, but other materials may be combined there-
with, as has heretofore been the case, so long as such admixture does not pre-
judice the character of gutta percha. I take the gutta percha tube intended
to be corrugated, and place it on a metal mandril upon which is formed a worm
or screw of the form it is intended to give the corrugations, and which mandril
is of a size that will just pass into the tube to be corrugated, and such man-
dril having necks or axes at the ends, and I wrap a tape round the outside of
the tube from end to end, in order to keep it in form when heat is applied to
soften it, having previously applied soft soap to the exterior of the tube to.
prevent the tape adhering; I then enclose the tube by applying an external.
metal casing, made in two halves, so as readily to be placed over the tube on
the mandril, such case leaving a space between it and the tube all round, and
I allow steam to flow into such case till the tube of gutta percha has become
softened and will admit of being pressed into the corrugations or screw form
of the mandril within. I then remove the case, and I cause the tube to take
the corrugated form by winding a cord on the outer surface of the tube, pro-
gressively unwinding the tape before the cord is wound on, and I have found
that the best material for this purpose is a cord or strip of vulcanized india-1
rubber, which, by reason of its elasticity and softness, is peculiarly suitable for
pressing the warm tubing of gutta percha into the hollows of the mandril, thus
forming the corrugations, and when the tube is nearly cold I withdraw the
mandril by unscrewing it from the tube, and tbis I am enabled to do with
facility, in consequence of having applied soft soap to the surface of the man-
dril before inserting it within the tube.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-.
forming the same, I would have it understood that, although I have been
particular in describing the exact means pursued by me in carrying out my
Invention, I do not confine myself thereto, but what I claim is the manu-
facture of gutta percha tubes, made with corrugations, so as to render them
flexible.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Burgess, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
WM (L.S.) BURGESS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid William Burgess, came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.