IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPOUNDS OF NITRO CELLULOSE, APPLI- CABLE FOR MAKING BILLIARD BALLS, COMBS, BRUSH-BACKS, KNIFE HANDLES, AND FOR DENTAL PURPOSES, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER USES.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Parkes, of Tamworth Road, Gravelly Hill, near
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPOUNDS OF NITRO CELLULOSE, APPLI-
CABLE FOR MAKING BILLIARD BALLS, COMBS, BRUSH-BACKS, KNIFE HANDLES,
AND FOR DENTAL PURPOSES, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER USES.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Parkes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1879.
HENRY PARKES, of Tamworth Road, Gravelly Hill, near Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPOUNDS OF
NITRO-CELLULOSE, APPLICABLE FOR MAKING BILLIARD BALLS, COMBS, BRUSHBACKS,
KNIFE-HANDLES, AND FOR DENTAL PURPOSES, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER USES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of compounds
of nitro-cellulose, applicable for making billiard balls, combs, brush-backs, knife
handles, and for dental purposes, and a variety of other uses.
· I employ for the purpose of my Invention ordinary nitro cellulose, whether of
paper, cotton, woven or other suitable material, and whether the nitro-cellulose is
or is not bleached or dyed after its conversion into nitro-cellulose.
I soften the nitro-cellulose by means of special solvents. A very good solvent of
nitro-cellulose is made with tetra-chloride of carbon and camphor, alone or combined
with other solvents, gums, resins, oils, or other materials; and I also form another
solvent of nitro-cellulose by using bi-sulphide of carbon and camphor alone, heated,
under pressure. The nitro-cellulose is more or less dissolved or softened, and more
freely so by the application of heat, or of heat assisted by pressure applied in any
convenient way. To the dissolved, or partly dissolved, or softened nitro-celluluse
other substances may be added and worked up with it by grinding, rolling, or
otherwise blending the compound, so as to form a more or less solid or plastic sub-
stance that may be moulded into various forms, or rolled into sheets, or made into
tubes, cylinders, combs, brush backs, piano keys, and a great variety of other
articles, also for dental purposes, or it may be spread upon textile fabrics, felted
materials, paper, or leather.

page_text: I sometimes soften nitro-cellulose by means of a solution of camphor in liquid
sulphurous acid, or by a solvent obtained by passing sulphurous acid gas through
granulated camphor until the camphor is dissolved and combined with the sul-
phurous acid. Other solvents of nitro-cellulose may be employed with this solvent,
such as alcohol, wood naptha, purified, or ether.
Shell lac and nitro-cellulose forms a very good compound for many purposes,
with or without camphor, and oils, colours, pigments, or bronze powders.
I dissolve or soften nitro-cellulose in a solution made of benzoline and camphor
or other mineral oil or naptha that will not leave an unpleasant smell after the
celluloid compound is finished; the solvent or softening action may be assisted by
heat or heat and pressure.
I also employ together with nitro-cellulose a solvent obtained by combining
turpentine with camphor, and it is assisted by heat and pressure.
I also combine nitro-cellulose with paraffin oil and camphor with the aid of heat
and pressure for various purposes.
Nitro-cellulose is completely softened by simply sprinkling it with or dipping it
into alcohol, and submitting the preparation to heat or heat and pressure in moulds
or otherwise, and spirits of wine will dissolve nitro-cellulose when submitted to
heat under pressure.
In order to obtain various colours I prefer to dye the nitro-cellulose any required
colour before softening or dissolving it, or submitting it to heat or pressure.
The preparation may also be combined with pigments or other colouring matters,
or with oils, gums, or resins, &c.; it can be made into sheets or other forms, and
when finished is free from smell, and is hard and elastic to a high degree, and
more suitable than any other form of nitro-cellulose for a great variety of articles
and purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Parkes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th November
1879.
HENRY PARKES, of Tamworth Road, Gravelly Hill, near Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPOUNDS
OF NITRO CELLULOSE, APPLICABLE FOR MAKING BILLIARD BALLS, COMBS, BRUSH
BACKS, KNIFE HANDLES, AND FOR DENTAL PURPOSES, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER
USES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of compounds
of nitro-cellulose, applicable for making billiard balls, combs, brush backs, knife
handles, piano keys, blocks for engraving, printing, or stereotyping, for dental
purposes, and a variety of other uses.
I employ for the purpose of my Invention nitro-cellulose, such as is now largely
used in the manufacture of parkesine or celluloid, and which nitro-cellulose may be
made either from paper, cotton, woven or other suitable material. This nitro
cellulose I in some cases, especially when delicate colors are desired, cause to be
dyed, or bleached and dyed, before treatment with solvent. The bleaching and
dyeing operations are conducted as is usual in bleaching and dyeing cotton.
employ by preference dyes which are soluble in the solvent I intend to employ in
order to convert the nitro-cellulose into a mouldable plastic mass.
J
I soften or dissolve the nitro-cellulose by means of a solvent made with tetra-
chloride of carbon and camphor, by adding camphor to the tetra-chloride of carbon
in the proportion of 100 parts of camphor to 100 parts of tetra-chloride of carbon;
this new combination will dissolve nitro-cellulose, especially when aided by heat
and pressure. This new solvent may if desired be combined with other solvents of
nitro-cellulose, and with guns, resins, oils, or other materials. In this manner I
obtain a mass capable of being moulded, as is well understood.
And I also sometimes employ a solvent composed of bi-sulphide of carbon and
camphor. The bi-sulphide of carbon should be saturated with camphor, and to
convert the nitro-cellulose it is employed under heat and pressure, as is well
understood.
I also sometimes prepare a solvent of nitro-cellulose obtained by dissolving
camphor in liquid sulphurous acid, or by passing sulphurous acid gas through
granulated camphor until the camphor is dissolved by combination with the sul-
phurous acid, forming a brilliant fluid, which is a powerful solvent of nitro-cellulose.
The sulphurous acid is easily removed in the after manipulation of the nitro
cellulose compound, leaving it free from any unpleasant odour. With the new
solvent other solvents may be used, such as alcohol, spirits of wine, wood naptha
(purified), ether, benzoline, or gazoline.
And I also dissolve or soften uitro-cellulose in a solution of benzoline or gazoline
(the lower the boiling point the more suitable they are for this purpose), in which
camphor is dissolved to a saturation at a temperature of 212° Fahrenheit, and other
like mineral oils or napthas of the lightest specific gravity may be used that will
not leave any unpleasant smell when the celluloid compound is finished. The
solvent or softening action may be assisted by heat or heat and pressure, and other
solvents of nitro-cellulose may be used with the above. The softened nitro-cellulose
is reduced to a dough like state suitable for working by rolling, spreading, or
moulding or otherwise.
Another method I employ is to soften the nitro-cellulose by simply sprinkling it
with sufficient alcohol, whether absolute or otherwise, to effect the complete softening
of the nitro-cellulose, or by dipping it in alcohol for a short time. The mass of
nitro-cellulose treated as above I place in heated moulds or dies, and submit the
same to pressure in order to consolidate and cause a perfect combination of the
mass. If it is desirable to color the nitro-cellulose treated in the way above
.

page_text: described, I prefer to dye it before it is softened or dissolved, or partially dissolved
with such coloring matters as are soluble in the solvent of nitro cellulose employed.
By this means very pure shades of color are produced. When the alcohol process is
employed coloring matters may be added to the alcohol before using it to soften or
dissolve the nitro-cellulose.
The preparation may also be combined with pigments or other coloring matters,
or with oils, gums, or resins, &c., and it can be made into sheets or other forms.
When finished it is free from smell, and is hard and elastic to a high degree, and
more suitable than any other combination of nitro-cellulose for a great variety of
articles where camphor is objectionable.
I also in the preparation of these nitro-cellulose compounds, as described, employ
a solvent obtained by combining camphor with turpentine; by preference the
turpentine is saturated therewith at a temperature of 212° Fahrenheit. The
softening or dissolving of the nitro-cellulose is effected more readily when assisted
by heat and pressure.
I also in some cases employ in a similar manner a solvent composed of paraffin
oil and camphor; 100 parts of paraffin oil to 60 to 100 parts of camphor are suitable
proportions. I employ heat and pressure when converting nitro-cellulose by means
of this solvent.
I sometimes combine shellac with softened nitro-cellulose, with camphor, castor
oil, oxidized linseed oil, pigments, or coloring matters. The best proportion of
shellac to be used is from 5 to 10 per cent. of the undissolved nitro-cellulose
employed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my Invention for the
manufacture of plastic or mouldable compounds of nitro-cellulose,-
First. Dyeing the nitro-cellulose, and afterwards softening it and causing it to
cohere by means of a solvent.
Second. The employment, to soften the nitro-cellulose, of tetra chloride of carbon,
together with camphor.
Third. The employment, to soften the nitro-cellulose, of bi-sulphide of carbon,
together with camphor.
Fourth. The employment, to soften the nitro-cellulose, of sulphurous acid, together
with camphor.
Fifth. The employment, to soften the nitro-cellulose, of benzoline or gazoline,
together with camphor.
Sixth. The employment, to soften the nitro-cellulose, of turpentine, together with
camphor.
Seventh. The employment, to soften the nitro-cellulose, of paraffin oil, together
with camphor.
Eighth. The process of moulding nitro-cellulose by moistening it with alcohol,
and submitting it to pressure in heated moulds or dies.
Ninth. The combination of shellac and castor oil or camphor with softened nitro
cellulose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Parkes, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
HENRY PARKES. (L.S.)