A NEW COMPOSITION OR NEW COMPOSITIONS OF MATERIALS WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD. LEATHER. BONE, METAL. AND OTHER HARD OR PLASTIC SUBSTANCES; AND THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francois Charles Lepage, Literary Man, of Paris,
Town in the French Empire, for the Invention of A NEW COMPOSITION
OR NEW COMPOSITIONS OF MATERIALS WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A SUBSTITUTE
FOR WOOD. LEATHER. BONE, METAL. AND OTHER HARD OR PLASTIC SUBSTANCES;
AND THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME."
Sealed the 14th March 1856, and dated the 5th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francois Charles Lepage
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th October 1855.
1, FRANCOIS CHARLES LEPAGE, Literary Man, of Paris, Town in the French
Empire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
COMPOSITION OR NEW COMPOSITIONS OF MATERIALS WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A
SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD, LEATHER, BONE, METAL, AND OTHER HARD OR PLASTIC
SUBSTANCES. AND THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME," to be as follows:-'
My new composition consists of a combination of sawdust and albu-
men. The sawdust may, if preferred, be mixed with vegetable, mineral,
or metallic powders, and the albumen with any other glutinous substance;
or, instead of mixing the sawdust with albumen, the sawdust may be
combined with any other glutinous substance, such as gelatine, size, &c.
The composition is manufactured as follows:-I first soak the sawdust
(mixed with other powders or not) in albumen slightly diluted and lique-
fied by water or otherwise. I then dry it well, and subject it to pressure

page_text: by any suitable means. I next place the substance in a mould of the
required shape in such quantity that after being forced in the mould it
may exactly fill it, neither more nor less. I apply a sufficient degree of
heat to the mould until the moulding is completed, and then suddenly
cool it by immersion in cold water or otherwise. Coloring or other sub-
stances may, if desired, be added to the sawdust and albumen,
by any suitable means. I next place the substance in a mould of the
required shape in such quantity that after being forced in the mould it
may exactly fill it, neither more nor less. I apply a sufficient degree of
heat to the mould until the moulding is completed, and then suddenly
cool it by immersion in cold water or otherwise. Coloring or other sub-
stances may, if desired, be added to the sawdust and albumen.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francois Charles Lepage in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCOIS
CHARLES LEPAGE, Literary Man, of Paris, Town in the French Empire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Francois Charles Lepage, Her special licence that I,
the said Francois Charles Lepage, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Francois Charles Lepage, my
executors, adminsitrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no other 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 COM-
POSITION OB NEW COMPOSITIONS OF MATERIALS WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A
SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD. LEATHER, BONE. METAL, AND OTHER HARD OR PLASTIC
SUBSTANCES, AND THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Francois Charles Lepage, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument 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 Francois Charles Lepage, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-

page_text: My new composition consists of a combination of sawdust and albumen.
The sawdust may, if preferred, be mixed with vegetable, mineral, or
metallic powders, and the albumen with any other glutinous substance;
or, instead of mixing the sawdust with albumen, the sawdust may be com-
bined with any other glutinous or gelatinous substance, such as gelatine
or size, or with albuminous salts. I prefer pure albumen extracted from
eggs, blood, &c. for the purposes of my Invention.
My method of manufacturing my improved composition is as follows:-
I first soak the sawdust (mixed with other powders or not) in puré albu-
men slightly diluted and liquefied by water or otherwise; I then dry it
well, and subject it to pressure in an hydraulic press, or by any suitable
means. I next place the substance in a mould of the required shape (pre-
ferring a mould made of steel), in such quantity that after forcing it into
the mould it may exactly fill it, neither more nor less. While the pressure
is being effected, I apply heat to the mould until the moulding is com-
pleted by a steam jacket, hot plates surrounding it with hot bars by direct
or radiated heat or otherwise. As soon as the moulding is completed, I
súddenly cool the mould by immersing it in cold water, by pouring water
over it, or in any other suitable manner.
Coloring or other substances may, if desired, be added to the sawdust
and albumen. Metal castings, or ornaments in relief in metal or other
material, may be applied on the composition before pressure, or the
articles may be ornamented by engraving the inner surface of the moulds
in which they are shaped.
The new composition may be applied to the manufacturer of a variety
of articles, for which wood, ivory, gutta percha, and other hard and plastic
substances are now employed; such, for example, as pipes, chessmen,
picture frames, boxes, cornices, furniture, combs, knife and other handles,
book covers, brooches, and other articles of jewellery.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is an elevation, and Figure 2 a hori-
zontal section, of a hydraulic press suited for the purposes of my Invention.
a is the bed or platen of the press, on which rests a vessel g, in which are
placed the moulds b, b', containing the composition; e is the piston of the
press; d, pipe which conveys water from a feed pump to the hydraulic
cylinder to raise the piston e, and press the moulds against the top plate
f of the press. The moulds are kept heated during the process in any
suitable manner, and are suddenly cooled by admitting cold water from
a reservoir A through the pipe B; h is a tap for drawing off the water from
the vessel g. The other Figures in the Drawings represent articles many-

page_text: factured with my.improved composition. Figure 3 is a knife handle;
Figures 4 and 5, bowl.of a pipe; Figure 6, a domino; Figure 7, a comb.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the new
composition or compositions herein-before named, together with the
method of manufacturing the same into combs, pipes, mouldings, and
other articles, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francois Charles Lepage, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
CIL. ARMENGAUD, Ing" Civil,
6. Rue Filles du Calvaire, à Paris.
F. CH. LEPAGE.
(L.S.)