PREPARING A MATERIAL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR IVORY, WHICH HE PROPOSES CALLING ARTIFICIAL IVORY.
Year: 1857

page_text: Mincing Lane, in the City of London, Middlesex, for the Invention of
"PREPARING A MATERIAL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR IVORY, WHICH HE PROPOSES
CALLING ARTIFICIAL IVORY.'"
Sealed the 30th April 1858, and dated the 9th December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Westendarp, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th December 1857.
I, CHARLES WESTENDARP, junior, Commercial Agent, of Mincing Lane, in
the City of London, Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "PREPARING A MATERIAL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR IVORY, WHICH I
PROPOSE CALLING ARTIFICIAL IVORY,'" to be as follows:-
By a combination of ivory, bone, wood, glass, cotton, wool, or similar small
particles, with gums of various kinds, such as gum dammar, gum copal, resin,
gum shellac, wax, or other glutinous or resinous materials, by pressure or heat,
or both, or with spirit or otherwise, forming a mixture of the whole or any of
them, by mollifying, dissolving, or compressing the said small particles, with
the said glutinous or resinous material or materials, thereby producing a sub-
stance of an ivory or wood-like appearance, which may be coloured, dyed, or
stained, during the process of manufacture or afterwards, and is intended
Price Sd.]

page_text: principally as a substitute for ivory. bone. horn. &c., in all their applications as
billiard balls, door and other knobs, pianoforte keys, rulers, paper knives, knife
and other handles. I do not wish to confine myself to the precise method
herein described, or to the imitation of ivory only, as by the same or similar
processes can produce a great variety of substitutes for carved wood.
enamelled china. precious stone works, and various descriptions of fancy.
ornamental, and decorative work.
by the said Charles Westendarp, in the Great Seal Patent. Oflice. on the
21st May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1. CHARLES
WESTENDARP, junior. Commercial Agent. of Mincing Lane. in the City of
London, Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS er most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent. bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven. in the twenty-first year of Her reign.
did. for Herself. Iler heirs and successors. give and grant unto me. the said
Charles Westendarp. junior. Her special licence, that I, the said Charles
Westendarp. junior. my executors. administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1. the said Charles Westendarp. junior, any executors. administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others. from time to time and
at all times thereafter 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
"PREPARING A MATERIAL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR IVORY, WHICH I PROPOSE CALLING
ARTIFICIAL IVORY,'" upon the condition (amongst others) that 1. the snid
Charles Westendarp. junior. my executors or administrators. by an instru-
ment 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 Charles Westendarp. junior, 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:-

page_text: My Invention consists in manufacturing a material or materials which shall
be made to imitate ivory, bone, horn, coral, or other similar substances.
natural or artificial, and which may be used in preference to ivory and other
such like substances, on account of cheapness and adaptability, as the same
materials may be moulded or turned to the various forms or patterns they
may be desired to take, and may be applied (amongst others) to the following i
purposes, viz. For billiard balls, door and other knobs, finger plates, pianoforte
keys, rulers. paper knives, knife and other handles, whip, stick, and other
mounts, and in imitation or as a substitute for carved wood, enamelled china,
precious stone works, and a variety of fancy, ornamental, and decorative work,
such as figures, pilasters. mosaic pavements, panels, and other similar pur-
poses, for which ivory, bone, coral, or such like articles are generally used.
and in order to explain my Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect.
I take any certain quantity of small particles of ivory, bone, wood, glass, cotton.
wool, or other similar articles, either in a coarse or fine powder, or in shavings.
according to the imitation which is intended, and combine them, or any of them.
or any one of them, or all of them, or as many of them as I may see fit, accord-
ing to the purpose required, with gums or other resinous materials, such as gum
ammar, gum copal, resin. gum shellac, gum sandrac. wax, or other glutinous
or resinous materials. also using which of the said gums I may see fit for the
purpose the material is required for. either the whole of the said gums.
or part, or any of them: these ingredients I combine by pressure or heat, or
both, or with spirit. oils. or any similar vehicle or solvent, forming a mixture
of the whole, or any of them. by mollifying, dissolving, or compressing
the said small particles, with the said glutinous or resinous materials, thereby
producing a substance of an ivory or wood-like appearance. which may be
coloured, dyed. or stained, during the process of manufacture or afterwards.
By the combination of the articles aforesaid, a paste will be obtained, which
may be immediately moulded, and become solidified in a short space of time
by means of heat or pressure, or both, or it may be so manufactured as to
remain in a pasty condition for a considerable time. in order to allow it to be
carried to any distance. or worked into any form, for instance. such as
decorating in buildings, for mouldings, scrolls. or similar ornamental work:
the hardening or drying materials being added at pleasure, according to the
requirements of the work which is being performed.
The application of the material called "artificial ivory." may be very various
besides those already named. as it is capable of being made to resemble

page_text: sculptured articles, by means of dies or chasing. or it may be turned, carved,
sawn, and polished, like ivory, bone, or other similar substances. In giving a
precise description of the manufacture of the artificial ivory. I consider it will
be sufficient to explain the method of making white billiard balls, as the
various articles admit of such trifling variations that every one skilled in any
handicraft can easily reproduce them. For example. I soak ivory dust, say five
ounces, and a white colour, say white lead or zinc white, three ounces, in a
solution of eight ounces of white shellac or copal in sixteen ounces of spirit of
wine. After the whole is well mixed, which is best done at a temperature a
little below or above the boiling point of water, the alcohol is partially or
wholly evaporated, and the stiff paste or dry powder pressed into a solid mass
in a pair of dies or mould, which have been previously heated to about
230 to 280 degrees Fahrenheit; after being so solidified they are worked
round and polished like the ordinary ivory balls. The same purpose is
effected by reducing eight ounces of white shellac, three ounces of white
colour prepared of bismuth, lead, or zinc, with five ounces of ivory dust, bone
dust, or any other suitable matter, into a fine powder, and by mixing this
powder in passing it between heated metal rollers repeatedly, at about 230 to
280 degrees Farenheit; by this process a soft homogenous mass is obtained,
which can easily be moulded into any desired shape, and forms when cold and
hard, a very ivory like material. Instead of using ivory dust, steamed
and finely powdered bones. porcelain, cotton, and various finely powdered
materials may be employed, and the colours may be varied according to the
tint or shade required; the ivory or other dust may be dyed similar to cotton
cloth. Gum dammar, copal, mastic, (and if great elasticity is required.
bleached india-rubber or gutta perchn.) answer the purpose very well, either
with or without shellac; bees'-wax, camphor, and turpentine, are good for
some of the purposes, and according to the ingredients used, it will be per-
ceived that the preparation must undergo various modifications, during the
process of manufacture.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect. I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to. as many variations may be made therefrom, without devi
ating from the principles or main features of my said Invention, but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in pari recited Letters Patent, is, the amalgamation
of the aforesaid or similar articles, thereby producing the material which I

page_text: In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Westendarp, junior, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, CHARLES WESTENDARP, JR. (L.S.)