AN IMPROVE- MENT IN DISSOLVING AND PREPARING CAOUTCHOUC AND INDIA-RUBBER, TO BENDER IT APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MARTIN, of Charing Cross, in the Parish of St. Martin in the Fields, and City
of Westminster, Gentleman, send greeting.
of
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the sixth year
His reign, and in the year of Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-
six, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Martin, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Martin, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Martin, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN DISSOLVING AND PREPARING CAOUTCHOUC AND INDIA-RUBBER, TO BENDER
IT APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES," being a communication made to
me by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said James Martin, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court.
of Chancery withiu six calendar months next and immediately after the date,

page_text: of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Martin, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters marked thereon
(that is to say) -
11
The object which I propose is to make and produce an olefiant or etherial
essence, for the purpose of dissolving caoutchouc or indian-rubber by the said
olefiant or etherial essence, and which said solution of caoutchouc is much
more perfect and speedily returned to its natural and original state for all and
every purpose to which it is to be applied than has been hitherto produced by
any other menstruum. To make olefiant or etherial essence, I-put into tho
boiler A three or four hundred gallons of water, to be converted into steam;
this vapour or steam is conducted into the alembic B, into which I have pre-
viously put fifty gallons of water, mixed with fifteen or more pounds of the
concentrated sulphuric acid of commerce, commonly called oil of vitriol. When
the said acid is well combined by stirring, I put three hundred gallons of
rough or brown volatile oil or spirit, whether vegetable, mineral, or animal, so
that the acid is in the ratio of five per cent. to the volatile or rough oil or
spirit. I then let on the steam from the boiler A, which being conducted by
the retort pipe to near the bottom of the alembic B, speedily imparts by its
caloric the boiling temperature, and distils over the more volatile or etherial
parts of the rough oil or spirit, and which is condensed in the worm or serpent,
and received mixed with the condensed water in the receiver G. Now, it is not
my intention to confine myself to any given quantity of sulphuric acid, such as
five per cent.; but I claim the carbonizing property of sulphuric acid, used in
such proportions as may be necessary or required by the original quality of the
Tough oil or spirit,-or-as-may-be-demanded by the degree or specific lightness
of the olefiant or etherial essence which may be required for the different
qualities of the coutchouc or indian-rubber that may be employed, and which
will vary according to the application or the nature of the combination desired;
as, for example, when a very etherial and speedy solvent of the caoutchouc or
indian-rubber is required, I put ten per cent. of sulphuric acid, in which case,
however, I shall diminish the quantity of etherial essence, but shall materially
augment its volatility and diminish its specific gravity. When the running of
essence from the condenser is become so trifling as to be only one tenth of the
water condensed, I stop the entrance of steam and draw off the water and

page_text: decomposed oil or spirit, which latter I return into the rough or crude tar
still, which adds to the quantity and improves the quality of the pitch; or I
convert the said matter into a varnish by evaporation and the addition of a.
tenth part of black or common rosin. The boiler A is made of plate or.
wrought iron; the alembic B is of lead, as described in the Drawing annexed;
the neck or retort of the iron boiler is of sheet iron, strong enough to resist
the pressure of about one atmosphere and a half, or twenty-six pounds on the
square inch; the neck or retort of the leaden boiler is to be of lead, and the
worm, spiral, or serpent of block tin, soldered together, and varnished with
any good insoluble varnish. When the day's work is finished, I stop or close
up the lower end of the said serpent with a wooden plug, so as to hinder the
air from passing through the apparatus, which prevents the decomposition of
the iron, lead, or tin in the inside. The worm or serpent must be supported
upon a frame inclined at the angle of 45°, and be kept down by leaden or
iron weights. I apply the usual safety valve to the steam boiler, and also an
inward valve or a vacuum valve to prevent the collapsing of the leaden still
or alembic from the outward or external pressure of the atmosphere upon it,
and so as to allow the atmospheric air to enter the still or alembic, should
the steam be allowed to cease suddenly, or any other cause produce a vacuum
within the said still; such a valve is also applied to the iron boiler. It will be
a measure of prudence to surround the leaden still or alembic with a casing
of iron-hooped wood or other material, which would protect the lead from
inward pressure, and also from any external violence or accident. It would
also prevent the said still from losing caloric or heat by radiation. I construct
my steam boiler rather larger than is absolutely necessary, as when the steam
is abundant I can work off the olefiant or etherial essence several times each
day should I require it; but I do not intend or mean hereby, or by my
Drawing, to confine myself to the forms, capacity, or materials I have laid
down or described, but I claim as my Invention, every mode and variation
which can effect the said decomposition or carbonization of rough mineral,
vegetable, or animal oil or spirit by sulphuric acid, whereby to produce an
olcfiant or etherial essence, much more volatile and efficacious than can be
produced by any former or known means hitherto employed, and which said
olefiant or etherial essence is eminently valuable for the said purpose of
dissolving caoutchouc or indian-rubber, and permitting it to return to its natural
and original state in a more perfect manner than hitherto, and without leaving
behind it any trace of the aroma, odour, or smell of the menstruum used, and
which is so desirable in the manufacture of impermeable or waterproof
materials, whether for articles of dress or any other employment.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and the manner I have
pursued to carry the same into effect, I would wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention the olefiant or etherial essence so produced, as a men-
struum or solvent for caoutchouc or indian-rubber.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Martin, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.