Improvements in the Method of and Solvent Materials for Treating Surfaces of Celluloid.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in the Method of and Solvent Materials for Treating
Surfaces of Celluloid.
I, ADEMOR NAPOLEON PETIT, residing at No. 141 New Street, Newark, in the
County of Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Experimentist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to the treatment of surfaces of celluloid for the purpose of
engraving, cutting, plowing or otherwise marking or ornamenting the same for use in
the arts.
My invention relates particularly to the treatment of phonograph cylinders of
celluloid for the production of records by a material capable of rendering such surface
appreciably soft and plastic, but not sticky, so that the instruments employed for
recording or reproducing phonograph records can readily cut into the samė
for pro-
ducing the desired impression.
In carrying out my invention I add to a solvent of celluloid a proportion of a fixed
oil, fatty acid or similar material. These materials are especially adapted for use.
with celluloid generally and especially with celluloid that contains a proportion of a
metallic salt or pigment in the its structure. These materials in a liquid state are
coated upon the surface of the celluloid or the celluloid may be dipped into the
mixture. The celluloid is then to be exposed to the air for a period so that these
elements may combine with the celluloid to render the surface thereof appreciably
soft and plastic but not sticky, and sufficiently soft to permit the instruments
employed for engraving cutting, plowing, or otherwise marking or ornamenting the
celluloid to readily cut into the same for the purposes intended.
If the celluloid is a phonograph cylinder, the following or reproducing style stylus
employed will thus be enabled to readily cut into the surface in the usual manner in
making or reproducing records. Where--employ-a-solvent of celluloid-and-a-fixed
oil-or-fatty neid, I prefer to use about two parts of the solvent for celluloid to about
one part of the fixed oil-or fatty acid, or similar material.
Among the solvents for celluloid adapted for the purposes of my invention are amy!
acetate, alcohols, ethers and volatile oils, the preference being given to the amyl
acetate.
Among the fixed-oils-or fatty acids or similar materials adapted for use in my
invention are oleic acid, cotton-seed oil, corn oil and olive oil, the preference being
given to the oleic acid. I prefer-to-use--zine oxide, or-chloride, although other
equivalent soluble-metallic-salts-or-pigments-may-be-employed to equal--advantage.
The proportion of the ingredients used may be varied somewhat according to the
result to be obtained, because where the proportion of the solvent for celluloid i

page_text: increased, the celluloid surface, is more readily treated and softened but after the
cutting or engraving operation, the same dries quickly and becomes as hard or harder
than it was before treatment, and where a less proportion of the solvent for celluloid
is made use of, it and consequently a greater proportion of fatty acid the treatment is
slow but the surface reinains, after treatment, softer than in the original state.
The surface of the celluloid, after treatment with the hereinbefore named
substances, may be kept in a comparatively soft and plastic condition for quite a
time if the air is kept away from it.
It is well known that the application to celluloid surfaces of solvent solutions alone
will render the surface of the celluloid soft but gummy and sticky and unfit for the
purpose of cutting or engraving. The addition to the solvent of the materials here-
inbefore stated changes the character of the celluloid surface produced by the applica-
tion of the said materials taking away the sticky and gummy condition and simply
rendering the surface plastic, so that it can be cut clean and without clogging the
cutting instruments. .
Heretofore it has not been possible to use celluloid to advantage because of its
hardness and the difficulty of treating the surface so that it could be cut into,.-and-in
In the application of my invention it makes no difference whether the celluloid has a
dull surface or a highly polished surface, the materials acting equally as well on
either surface..
'The various colors given to celluloid are produced by pigments. According to my
invention, a colored celluloid may-be-treated or a plain approximately transparent
celluloid may be treated equally well at pleasure and-at-the-same-time-colored.
The-eelers Colored celluloids are desirable to distinguish classes of records.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
FirstA material for treating the surface of celluloid, consisting of a solvent of
celluloid and a fixed-oil fatty acid or similar material, substantially as set forth.
Second A material for treating the surface of celluloid, consisting of a solvent of
celluloid and a fatty acid fixed-oil or similar material in about the proportion of two
parts of the solvent of celluloid to one part of the fatty acid fixed-oil or similar
material, substantially as set forth.
Third A material--for-treating the surface of celluloid, consisting of a-solvent
of celluloid, a-fixed-oil or similar material-and-a-saturated-solution-of a--soluble
metallic-salt-in a-celluloid-solvent,-substantially-as-set-forth.
Third. Fourth: A material for treating celluloid surfaces, consisting of amyl
acetate and oleic acid, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. Fifth-A material for treating the surface of celluloid, consisting of amyl
acetate and oleic acid in about the proportion of two parts of amyl acetate to one part
of oleic acid, substantially as set forth.
Sixth A material for treating the surfaces of celluloid,--consisting of amyl
neetate;-oleie-neid-and-a-saturated solution of zine-oxide in butyrie-amyl-or similar
material, substantially-as-set forth.
Seventh A-material for treating the surfaces of celluloid, consisting of-a-solvent
of celluloid,-a-fixed-oil or similar material, and a caturated solution-of-a-soluble
metallic-sult-in-a-celluloid solvent in the proportion-of-about-50-parts-of-the-solvent
of celluloid, 15 parts of the fixed oil or other similar-material and 5-parts of the
saturated solution of the soluble metallic-salt in the celluloid-solvent, substantially
as-set-forth.
Fifth. Eighth The method of treating the surfaces of celluloid for rendering the
same appreciably soft and plastic, consisting in mixing together a solvent of celluloid
and a fixed-oil fatty acid.or similar material, applying the same to the surface of
celluloid and allowing the same to remain exposed to the air for a short period to
render such surface soft and plastic, substantially as set forth.
Ninth The method of treating-surfaces-of-celluloid-in which a metallic-salt or

page_text: pigment is absent-for-the-purpose of rendering such surface-appreciably soft and
plastic, consisting-in-mixing-n-material comprising a-solvent-of-celluloid, a fixed
oil or similar--materia! and a saturated solution--of a-soluble--metallic-salt--in a
eelluloid--solvent, applying said material in a liquid-state to the surface of the
eelluloid-and-allowing the same to-remain-an-appreciable period-of--time-in-the
presence-of-air-for the purpose of rendering the surface-soft-and-plastic, substantially
as set forth.
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.