AN IMPROVEMENT IN RE-WORKING VULCANISED INDIA-RUBBER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Anthony Lorimier, of Bedford Square, East Com-
mercial Road, in the County of Middlesex; for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN RE-WORKING VULCANISED INDIA-RUBBER."
Sealed the 14th April 1857, and dated the 20th October 1856..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Anthony Lorimier at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th October 1856.
I, ANTHONY LORINIER, of Bedford Square, East Commercial Road, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN RE-WORKING VULCANISED INDIA-RUBBER,"
follows:-
It is well known that what is called vulcanised india-rubber, after being
made up and used, becomes a waste material. Various modes have been had
recourse to for re-working such description of india-rubber, but it is believed
with little success.
Now, my improvement consists in preparing the pieces or waste of vul-
canised india-rubber by crushing the same between pressing rollers, then
subjecting it to a considerable degree of heat, and whilst so heated causing it
to be stirred, by which means the mass is progressively brought into a fluid
state. The mass is then allowed to cool, but before becoming cold a solvent

page_text: of india-rubber is added, by which an india-rubber cement is produced, which
may be used for spreading on fabrics and surfaces for the purposes of rendering
the same water and air-proof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Anthony Lorimier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTHONY
LORIMIER, of Bedford Square, East Commercial Road, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Anthony Lorimier, Her special licence that I, the said Anthony Lorimier, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Anthony
Lorimier, 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 IMPROVEMENT IN RE-WORKING
VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Anthony Lorimier, 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 Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said Anthony Lorimier, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:--
It is well known that what is called vulcanized india-rubber, after being
made up and used, becomes a waste material. Various modes have been had
recourse to for re-working such description of india-rubber, but it is believed
with little success.
Now, my improvement consists in preparing the pieces or waste of vul-

page_text: canized india-rubber by crushing the same between pressing rollers, theu
subjecting it to a considerable degree of heat, and whilst so heated causing it to
be stirred, by which means the mass is progressively brought into a fluid state.
The mass is then allowed to cool, but before becoming cold a solvent of india-
rubber is added, by which an india-rubber cement is produced, which may be
used for spreading on fabrics and surfaces for the purposes of rendering the
same water and air-proof.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The pieces or waste of vulcanized india-rubber are first passed through
between a pair of strong pressing rollers with smooth surfaces, by which the
pieces will be crushed and pressed into a thin sheet of a spongy character,
which, on being folded together into several layers, will, on being passed. again
through between the pressing rollers, be reduced into a granular condition.
I would remark, that I am aware that india-rubber (more particularly the
more common descriptions), has heretofore been passed between pressing and
crushing rollers to facilitate the cleansing the india-rubber from impurities;
but it is new and an important part of my Invention to subject vulcanized
india-rubber to prossing or crushing rollers, in order to break the same down
and to reduce it to sheets and into a granulated form. The granulated spongy
india-rubber thus obtained from vulcanized india-rubber may be moulded into
form or pressed into sheets by subjecting the same whilst held compress
(with or without a small quantity of solvent or the vapour of solvent), in metal
moulds, or between plates to heat, for which purpose boiling water, steam, or
other heat may be employed. After the moulds or plates and the india-rubber
therein have become thoroughly heated, the india-rubber is to be allowed to
cool in the moulds or between the plates, when the articles produced will
have become set and retain the character of vulcanized india-rubber. The
vulcanized india-rubber having been reduced into a granular state, as above
explained, may be subjected to a high degree of heat in a suitable vessel,
which I prefer to be of metal. The heating of the india-rubber is to be
continued till the india-rubber is rendered plastic or semi-liquid, when the fire
is to be drawn. The mass is to be kept stirred during the process of applying
heat, and for some time after the fire has been drawn, in order that all parts
may be similarly acted on by the heat, and I usually stir in a quantity of an
ordinary solvent, whilst the mass is still warm, in order to render the same
more suitable for being spread on to fabrics for waterproofing purposes.
Or, the more liquid preparation of the vulcanized india-rubber may be
obtained from the granulated spongy product above described, by subjecting it

page_text: to the action of heat and the vapour of a solvent, in which case so high a
temperature will not be required as when reducing the granulated vulcanized
india-rubber to a plastic or semi-fluid state by the action of heat alone, as
above explained. When' heat and the vapour of a solvent are used, a much
lower temperature will produce the desired result: For this purpose the
granulated spongy vulcanized india-rubber is placed in a suitable vessel,
whilst the solvent used is placed in an outer covered or close vessel which
surrounds the vessel in which the india-rubber is placed. The heat is applied
to the outer vessel, which heats the solvent therein, and also the inner vessel
and the vulcanized india-rubber therein. When the whole have become
heated, the solvent vapourizes; and the vapours pass into the inner vessel
and fill the same, by which the vulcanized india-rubber will become more
readily acted on by the heat, and it will take up such a quantity of the
solvent as will simply soften it or render the mass liquid to the extent desired,
and the same may be drawn off from the inner vessel by a tap at the bottom
thereof, which passes out of the outer vessel.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
re-working of vulcanized india-rubber, by subjecting the same to the combined
action of pressure between rollers and heat, as herein described:
In witness whereof, I, the said Anthony Lorimier, have hereunto "set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JNO. COOK.
ANTHONY LORIMIER. (L.S.)