IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE TUBES OR BARRELS OF MEDICAL SYRINGES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Nicholls and Walter James Nicholls both of
Kingsland Road in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE TUBES OR BARRELS OF
MEDICAL SYRINGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Nicholls and
Walter James Nicholls at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
9th December 1881.
THOMAS NICHOLLS and WALTER JAMES NICHOLLS both of Kingsland Road
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTUre of TUBES
OR BARRELS OF MEDICAL SYRINGES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of tubes or
barrels of medical syringes more especially of small syringes used for hypodermic
injections but the improvements are also applicable to other syringes. The tube
or barrel of such syringes has heretofore commonly been made of a length of glass
tube with metallic ends secured to it. One end carrying the nozzle of the
syringe the other a stuffing box through which the piston rod can be moved to
and fro.
From various causes the glass barrels frequently get broken and inconvenience
is thereby occasioned according to our Invention in place of making the barrels
of such syringes of glass we form them of tubes of the material known as
celluloid.
To effect this we take a thin sheet of the celluloid material. The sheet we cut
into strips each of such a width that when it is doubled around a cylindrical
mandril (of a diameter equal to the interior diameter of the tube to be formed)
its side edges may abut one against the other. Whilst the strip is thus doubled
around the mandril we apply solvent to the abutting edges and cement them
together. The tube of material so formed around the mandril is then put aside
to dry and allow the junction to harden. Afterwards the tube is placed onto a
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page_text: highly polished mandril and with it is passed through holes in a draw plate the
tube is thereby drawn down and made to fit closely to the mandril and so made
of a uniform diameter throughout its length which is very requisite when the tubes
are to be used for forming the barrels of syringes.
The mandril should be made of hard steel turned to forin with great accuracy
and highly polished so as to give a true and polished surface to the interior of the
tube formed upon it.
The tubes can in this way be made perfectly true and polished both inside and
outside and nearly as transparent as tubes of glass.
When the tube or barrel of a syringe used for hypodermic injections is made in
the above manner the amount of fluid drawn into the tube or barrel of the
syringe can be seen just as readily as when a tube or barrel of glass is used, and it
may have a graduated scale marked on its exterior just as the glass tubes or
barrels of such syringes are now commonly graduated.
The tubes or barrels of syringes formed of celluloid as above described are
indestructible being extremely tough and not liable to be broken like the glass
tubes or barrels heretofore used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Nicholls and Walter James Nicholls in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th June 1882.
THOMAS NICHOLLS and WALTER JAMES NICHOLLS both of Kingsland Road
in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TUBES
OR BARRELS OF MEDICAL SYRINGES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of tubes or
barrels of medical syringes more especially of small syringes used for hypodermic
injections but the improvements are also applicable to other syringes. The tube
or barrel of such syringes has heretofore commonly been made of a length of glass
tube with metallic ends secured to it. One end carrying the nozzle of the
syringe the other a stuffing box through which the piston rod can be moved to
and fro.
From various causes the glass barrels frequently get broken and inconvenience
is thereby occasioned according to our Invention in place of making the barrels
of such syringes of glass we form them of tubes of the material known as
celluloid.
To obtain tubes of this material of a uniform diameter throughout their length
and with a smooth polished surface both inside and outside wo take a roughly
formned tube of the material and place it on to a hard highly polished mandril we
then pass it together with the mandril through holes in a draw plate.
The tube is thereby drawn down and made to fit closely to the mandril and so
made of a uniform diameter throughout its length which is very requisite when
the tubes are to be used for forming the barrels of syringes. The mandril should
be made of hard steel turned to form with great accuracy and highly polished Bo
as to give a true and polished surface to the interior of the tube drawn down
over it.
The tube is subsequently still further polished on the exterior and when
removed from the mandril is cut to the lengths required. The metallic end pieces
of the syringe are then screwed to the two ends of the lengths of tube.
The celluloid material for making the tubes is prepared in the ordinary way
of preparing this material. Pure linen paper is digested in a mixture of sulphuric
and nitric acids and is afterwards thoroughly washed until all traces of acid are
removed from it.
The
This preparation is then treated with a mixture of naptha and ether and kneaded
until it is reduced to a paste. Camphor, oil and if desired coloring ingredients
are then incorporated with the paste by the aid of heat and pressure.
material thus formed is then either rolled out into thin sheets from which the
tubes may subsequently be formed, or is at once made into tubes by expressing
it by a powerful press through an annular nozzle. Such tubes or sheets are
afterwards seasoned for a length of time in drying rooms kept at a high
temperature.
If the roughly formed tubes are to be made from thin sheets of the material we
cut the sheets into strips each of such a width that when it is doubled around a
cylindrical mandril (of a diameter equal to the interior diameter of the tube to be
formed) its side edges may abut one against the other. Whilst the strip is thus
doubled around the mandril we cement together the abutting edges with a solution
of the material in a mixture of naptha and ether. The tube of material so formed
around the mandril is then put aside to dry and to allow the junction to
harden.

page_text: To draw down the roughly formed tubes produced in either of the above ways
the front end of the polished steel mandril is made of reduced diameter leaving a
shoulder at the front end of the main portion of the mandril.
The roughly formed tubes either made from a strip cut from a sheet of the
material as above described or made direct from the material when in a pasty
condition is put upon the mandril and its front end is bent or doubled inwards
and the turned in end is made to come in front of the shoulder on the mandril.
The reduced end of the mandril is then inserted into a hole in a draw plate or
die and is gripped by tongs and the mandril together with the tube upon it is by
the tongs drawn through the die. Generally it is sufficient to thus draw down
the tube through one die but it may be drawn down through two or more if
desired.
When the tube has been drawn down to the extent required its exterior is
polished by the aid of rapidly revolving polishing and burnishing wheels - the tube
being held by hand against the circumference of the wheels as they revolve.
Lime, rotten-stone rouge or such like substances may be applied to the revolving
cylinders.
In the above manner the tubes can be made perfectly true and polished both
-inside and outside and nearly as transparent as tubes of glass. When the tube or
barrel of a syringe used for hypodermic injections is made in the above-manner-the
amount of fluid drawn into the tube or barrel of the syringe can be seen just as
readily as when a tube or barrel of glass is used and it may have a graduated scale
marked upon its exterior just as the glass tubes or barrels of such syringes are
now commonly graduated. The tubes or barrels of syringes formed as above
described are indestructible being extremely tough and not liable to be broken like
the glass tubes or barrels heretofore used.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing
the same we would have it understood that we claim-The manufacture of the
'tubes or barrels of medical syringes from celluloid material substantially in the
manner herein before described.
In witness whereof we the said Thomas Nicholls and Walter James Nicholls
have hereunto set our hands and seals this Eighth day of June in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
THU. NICHOLLS.
WALTER JAMES NICHOLLS,
(L.S.)
(L.S.)