A New or Improved Method of Cleaning, Treating, or Preparing Kauri Gum for the Market.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 29th Nov., 1890
(AMONDOʊ).
A New or Improved Method of Cleaning, Treating, or Preparing
Kauri Gum for the Market.
I, JOSIAH. CLIFTON FIRTH, of Auckland, New Zealand, Miller, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the cleaning, treatment and preparation of kauri gum as
hereafter described, whereby I am enabled to effect a more economical preparation of
the said gum as a marketable commodity than hitherto as well as thereby saving a
great amount of labour, while at the same time I am able to produce a more highly
finished article and much more suitable than heretofore for use in the arts.
In preparing kauri gum for marketable purposes it is necessary that the outer
crust should be cleaned off and in order to effect this operation each piece of the
gum is now generally separately scraped by hand labour, knives or other edged
tools being usually used for this purpose and it will be obvious that this naturally is a
tedious and expensive process.
According to my invention I submit the pieces of kauri gum first to a mechanical
frictional abrading action and subsequently to a cleaning action, and the tools I have
found suitable for the purposes of my invention are firstly composed of (preferably
steel) wire or other suitable bristles, the wire being of any suitable section, and secondly
of cleaning discs or revolving buffs or so called bobs or other cleaning devices. These
steel or other suitable bristles are mounted in stocks on spindles (in the ordinary
manner) to which a quick rotary motion is imparted. The cleaning devices are also
mounted on spindles and receive corresponding rotary motion in any well known and
suitable manner.
Although I have found such apparatus suitable to effect my purpose yet I do not
limit myself to the bristles of steel or other suitable material being mounted on
cylindrical stocks as such bristles of steel or other suitable material mounted on the faces
of discs in the ordinary way might be employed and also the motion given may if
found preferable be reciprocative instead of circular and may be either vertical,
horizontal or oblique in direction.
The blocks of gum to be prepared and treated are first submitted to the action of
these revolving or reciprocating brushes whereby the outer rough surface is quickly
removed and subsequently the blocks are cleaned by the discs which may be covered
with felt or other suitable material.
The preparation and cleaning of the gum according to my invention causes the
particles abraded therefrom to be scattered, and as this is objectionable I provide
exhausters or fans for collecting the finer debris arising from such cleaning of the
gum, and this debris is passed through a machine known in flour mills as a purifier
whereby the worthless dust is removed and the rest of the fine gum particles is
rendered pure and more available in the arts.
The material prepared or treated as described is rendered a more readily
marketable commodity in a much quicker and cheaper manner than hitherto, while
the material itself is enhanced in value and is much more suitable for use in the arts

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
The herein described method of treating or preparing kauri gum for the market
consisting in subjecting the pieces of gum to the action of rotating or reciprocating
metal brushes and then to the action of suitable cleaning dises the outer coating
being removed by the abrasion of its surface and the surface is then cleaned
whereby a more convenient and expeditious preparation of the gum as a marketable
commodity is effected, time and labour economised, while the finished material is
enhanced in value and much more suitable for the arts, all'as set forth.
Dated this of
1000
J. C. FIRTH.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.