Im- PROVED MEANS OF OPERATING UPON STICK OR GUM LAC FOR THE EXTRACTION OF COLOURING MATTER OR LAC DYE AND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SHELL LAC
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Frederick Henley, of Pimlico, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVED MEANS OF OPERATING UPON STICK OR GUM LAC FOR THE EXTRACTION
OF COLOURING MATTER OR LAC DYE AND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SHELL
LAC."
Sealed the 25th June 1869, and dated the 30th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Frederick
Henley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th December 1868.
I, THOMAS FREDERICK HENLEY, of Pimlico, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF OPERATING UPON STICK OR GUM LAC POR
THE EXTRACTION OF COLORING MATTER OR LAC DYE, AND FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF SHELL LAC," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in putting stick lac or gum or seed lac, either
broken up or otherwise, in bags of any required shape; in placing the
same between plates to which heat is applied by means of the circulation

page_text: therein of steam, or oils, or otherwise; or the plates may be heated in an
oven; and in placing the plates in a press, preferably a hydraulic press
in alternate layers. Under these circumstances the heated surfaces of
the plates liquefy by convection the resinous portion of the lac material
whilst the pressure on being applied causes the fluid resin to exude in a
filtered state through the texture of the said press bags, leaving the
coloring matter or lac dye as a residue within the bags to be afterwards
removed therefrom and ground into powder or otherwise treated for the
purposes of the dyer. The fluid resin or gum lac, when in the plastic
state may be moulded or laminated into shell lac or the forms required
in the arts.
The temperature at which I prefer to conduct the process is about
300° Fahrenheit. The process may be applied either to stick lac
containing the coloring matter or lac dye, or to that which may have
had its coloring matter washed out in the ordinary process of manu-
facture. The brilliancy of the dye receives no injury from the high
temperature in question.
The main feature of novelty in this Invention is the employment of
hydraulic presses, or screw, lever, or cam presses or similar machines for
exerting mechanical pressure in combination with heated metallic plates,
for the separation of the constituent elements of stick lac, especially lac
dye and gum lac in its various forms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Frederick Henley, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FREDERICK HENLEY, of Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Frederick Henley, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Frederick Henley, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Frederick

page_text: Henley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVED MEANS OF OPERATING UPON STICK OR GUM LAC FOR THE
EXTRACTION OF COLOURING MATTER OR LAC DYE, AND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF
SHELL LAC," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Frederick Henley, 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 Thomas Frederick Henley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in placing stick lac or gum lac or seed lac, either
broken up or otherwise, in bags or chambers of any required shape; in
placing the same between heated metallic surfaces to which heat may be
applied by means of the circulation of steam, or oils, or otherwise; or the
plates may be heated in an oven; in placing the same in a press
preferably a hydraulic press. Under these circumstances the heated
surfaces liquify by convection the resinous portion of the lac material,
whilst the pressure being applied causes the fluid resin to exude in a
filtered state through the texture provided, leaving the colouring matter
or lac dye as a residue to be afterwards removed and ground into
powder or otherwise treated for the purposes of the dyer. The fluid resin
or gum lac when in the plastic state may be moulded or laminated into
shell lac or any other of the forms required in the arts.
The temperature at which I prefer to conduct the process is about
300° Fahrenheit. The process may be applied either to stick lac
containing the colouring matter or lac dye, or to that which may have
had its colouring matter washed out in the ordinary process of manu-
facture. The brilliancy of the dye receives no injury from the tempera-
ture in question.

page_text: The main feature of novelty in this Invention is the employment of
.hydraulic presses, or screw, lever, or cam presses, or similar means for
exerting mechanical pressure in combination with heated metallic
surfaces for the separation of the constituent elements of stick lac,
especially lac dye and gum lac in its various forms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Frederick Henley, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
T. F. HENLEY. (L.S.)