A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR DISSOLVING OR REDUCING CRUDE OR MANU- FACTURED INDIAN-RUBBER
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Newton Mac Cartney, of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "A
NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR DISSOLVING OR REDUCING CRUDE OR MANU-
FACTURED INDIAN-RUBBER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Newton Mac
Cartney at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th April 1870.
I, WILLIAM NEWTON MAC CARTNEY, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR DISSOLVING OR REDUCING CRUDE OR
MANUFACTURED INDIAN-RUBBER," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a new or improved process to be used for the
solution or reduction of indian-rubber.
The indian-rubber to be dissolved or reduced may be in the crude
state, or it may be in the vulcanised or ebonised states or conditions, and

page_text: it is to be understood that for the purpose of utilizing waste vulcanised
or ebonised indian-rubber the process constituting the present Invention
is especially applicable. In dissolving indian-rubber in the non-manu-
factured state naptha, petroleum, or turpentine, and other solvents are
used, but these substances do not dissolve or reduce indian-rubber in
the vulcanised or ebonised state. In order then to dissolve or reduce
vulcanised or ebonised indian-rubber one or more other substances have
to be added to the ordinary solvents herein-before mentioned.
This Invention then consists in adding camphor, camphine, camphin,
oil of camphor, camphrone, or any of the camphenes or camphorates to
the ordinary solvents, and to further facilitate the solution or reduction
acetic acid may be added.
The substances constituting the solvent are admixed either by simple
solution or by passing the vapours of naptha, petroleum, turpentine, or
other ordinary solvent over camphor, or any of its allied substances
herein-before mentioned.
The solution of the indian-rubber is prepared by first steeping it in
naptha, petroleum, turpentine, or other ordinary solvent, after which it
is placed in a close still with the solution comprised under this Inven-
tion, heat is then applied until the indian-rubber is dissolved or reduced.
A portion of the solvent is subsequently recovered from the indian-
rubber by exhaustive distillation, leaving the indian-rubber in a fluid or
plastic state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Newton Mac Cartney in the Great Seal 2
Patent Office on the 24th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NEWTON MAC CARTNEY, of 73, Wilson Street, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Newton Mac Cartney, Her special

page_text: license that I, the said William Newton Mac Cartney, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Newton
Mac Cartney, my 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF DISSOLVING OR REDUCING CRUDE OR
MANUFACTURED INDIA-RUBBER," upon the condition, amongst others, that
I, the said William Newton Mac Cartney, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 William Newton Mac Cartney, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a new or improved process and solvent to be
used for the reduction or solution of india-rubber. The india-rubber to
be dissolved or reduced may be in the crude state, or it may be in the
vulcanised or ebonised states or conditions, and it is to be understood
that though the process serves for the reduction and solution of crude
india-rubber, yet for the purpose of utilizing waste vulcanized or ebonized
india-rubber the present Invention is specially applicable. The ordinary
solvents of crude india-rubber, such as naptha, benzole, petroleum,
turpentine, sulphide of carbon, sulphuric ether, &c., have no dissolving
or reducing power upon india-rubber which has been vulcanized or
ebonized. In order then to reduce or dissolve such manufactured india-
rubber (in one of the methods in which my Invention may be performed)
I immerse it in any of the ordinary solvents of crude india-rubber until
it has become softened and can be easily cut, torn, or ground into small
pieces. During this preliminary process heat may be applied, or if time
is no object the india-rubber may remain immersed in the cold solvent
until it is sufficiently softened. After being divided into small pieces it
is placed in a still with variable proportions of camphor to the india-
rubber, some india-rubber requiring more and some less of the camphor.

page_text: For vulcanized rubber having a large proportion of sulplur and other
substances admixed the following proportions will be found to answer
well, camphor, natural, quarter of a pound; benzole or petroleum spirit,
two gallons; vulcanized india-rubber, fourteen pounds. If the solution
is desired of a lesser density the proportion of benzole or other solvent of
india-rubber may be increased.
For vulcanized india-rubber, which has only a small per-centage of
sulphur and no adulterating ingredients, I find more camphor is
necessary to dissolve it. I find the following proportions act well.
natural camphor, two pounds; benzole, two gallons; pure vulcanized
india-rubber, fourteen pounds. If time is no object lesser quantities of
camphor may be used, but as heat does not improve the rubber I prefer
to add camphor to complete the process of reduction in as short a time
as possible. More of the ordinary solvents before mentioned may be
added according to the density of the solution to be made, and for the
facilitating of the process a little acetic acid may be used. Heat is then
applied and the contents of the still kept in agitation, when the india-
rubber will be dissolved, and the solvent passed over either in vacuo or
under the pressure of the atmosphere. The liquid solvent which is
distilled over from the rubber is suitable for dissolving other waste
rubber; and if it is thought desirable to exhaust all the camphor from
the india-rubber I add to the hot solution alcohol and stir it through the
mass. Upon cooling the alcohol is separated from the india-rubber and
is then drawn off, when the camphor may be separated from the alcohol
by being thrown down by the addition of water, or by distilling the
alcohol, cither in vacuo or otherwise, when the camphor is left in the
bottom of the pan or still.
Camphor or any of its products herein-after mentioned may be used
for the purposes of this Invention and in the processes described herein
or in any modifications and variations thereof without other
any
substances or solvents, but I prefer to use it as herein-before described,
though I claim as my Invention its use, either separately or in con-
junction with other substances, as the acting solvent of vulcanized or
ebonized india-rubber; also I prefer to add natural camphor to benzole
or to petroleum spirit by dissolving the camphor in the liquid spirit, but
the menstruum may be made by passing the vapour of the ordinary
solvents of crude india-rubber before mentioned over camphor or any of
its allied substances, such as artificial camphor, camphine, camphin, oil

page_text: of camphor, camphoric acid, camphrone, camphol, campholic acid, or any
of the camphorates, or camphoric ethers, or by mixing any of these
substances instead of camphor in the ordinary solvents. In some cases the
preliminary softening in the usual well-known solvents may be dispensed
with, and the application of heat may be deferred until distillation is
commenced.
The process of applying the menstruum to the india-rubber may be
varied as it may suit its quality and the purpose it is intended to serve,
but the one herein-before described is that which I prefer to use, and I
therefore claim as my Invention,——
First. The use of camphor or its allied substances herein-before named,
alone or in conjunction with the ordinary solvents of crude india-rubber,
or as the acting solvent in any other menstruum for the solution of
crude, vulcanized, or ebonized india-rubber.
Second. The process herein-before described for reducing manufactured
india-rubber.
Third. The process herein-before described for the recovery of the
camphor from the india-rubber by the addition of alcohol and by
distillation, as described.
And, fourth. The employment for the above-named purposes of any
or all of the herein-before described processes in combination, or of any
of them separately, so far as the same may be new for the utilization of
waste vulcanized india-rubber.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Newton Mac Cartney,
have hereunto set my hand, this Twenty-second day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.
0
WILLIAM NEWTON MAC CARTNEY. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS NIXON.