THE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF A SUBSTITUTE FOR GUTTA PERCHA, CAOUTCHOUC, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Leonard Wray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th October
1858.
I, LEONARD WRAY, of No. 5, Devonshire Street, Portland Place, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"THE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF A SUBSTITUTE FOR GUTTA PERCHA,
CAOUTCHOUC, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
From a tree which is found growing on the Malayan Peninsula and on the
islands of the Malayan and Eastern Archipelago, the natives obtain a juice,
which according to their simple manner of naming things, is in many localities
called "susu poko," signifying in English "tree milk." This natural product
is an hydrocarbon, and although not hitherto known or used in the arts or manu-
factures of Europe, is in some respects similar to that well known under the
name of gutta percha, but in several essential properties it is not only very
different, but much superior to it, whilst the tree from which it is obtained is
not the same as that of the gutta percha, facts which will be more particularly
set forth, and conclusively demonstrated in my Final Specification. I may,
however, state in this place that gutta percha is almost entirely inodorous, and
when dry is inelastic, whereas, "susu poko" is highly and very agreeably
perfumed, and is likewise possessed of considerable elasticity when dry, which
adds great value to it for numerous important purposes. In fact, "susu poko"
is a substance in which the good qualities of both india-rubber and gutta

page_text: percha are happily blended, and which will render it most important to the
commerce and manufactures of Great Britain.
In the preparation of this crude natural product, I first free it from all
impurities, either of woody matters or otherwise, by certain simple and
well-known methods, in which condition it may be at once used for a variety
of purposes, some of which may require and be benefitted by compression.
I also harden and materially change the character of this cleansed product
by means of chloride of sulphur, or by other suitable chemical substances.
In order to dissolve this "susu poko" and render it fit for manufacturing
purposes in that form, I treat it with naptha, bisulphuret of carbon, oil of
sassafrass, and other suitable solvents, also heat.
I likewise employ various other methods and substances in the preparation
of this product, such as are used in the preparation of india-rubber & gutta
percha, all of which I will fully describe in my Complete Specification.
Having duly prepared this "susu poko," I apply it as a substitute for gutta
percha, caoutchouc, and other similar substances, and in some cases I mix it
with the said substances, either one or more of them. It may also be com-
bined with lac, shell-lac, with pulpy and with fibrous matters, with siliceous, and
indeed with a great number of other substances.
As an insulating material for submarine and other electric telegraph wires,
"susu poko" and its combinations will be found of the utmost value; and as
a substitute for vulcanized india-rubber and gutta percha, it is highly im-
portant. As a material for waterproofing fabrics, &c. its solutions possess
most valuable properties.
This prepared "susu poko" may therefore be advantageously applied as a
substitute for gutta percha, caoutchouc, and similar substances to the various
purposes to which they are or may be applied.