IMPROVED COMPOUNDS FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING METALS, METALLIC AND OTHER ARTICLES AND THINGS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Wilkinson, of No. 41, Great
Marylebone Street, Portland Place, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED COMPOUNDS FOR CLEANING
AND POLISHING METALS, METALLIC AND OTHER ARTICLES AND THINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Wilkinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
on the 16th December 1873.
I, ALEXANDER WILKINSON, of No. 41, Great Marylebone Street,
Portland Place, in the County of Middlesex, Engiucer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED COMPOUNDS FOR
CLEANING AND POLISHING METALS, METALLIC AND OTHER ARTICLES AND THINGS,"
to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to improved compounds for cleaning and
polishing metals and metallic articles, and consists, firstly, of slate in a
state of powder or fine dust having in combination therewith a small
quantity of ammonia, a small quantity of sulphuric acid, also whiting or
pipe clay.

page_text: The compound can be used in a dry or in wet state (preferably) by
admixture with water, it can be in powder to be sprinkled or dredged
upon the article to be cleaned or compressed into blocks, cakes, or
squares as required.
In treating the slate dust or powder I place, say, one hundredweight
into a tank containing sufficient ammonia as to make by agitation a
thick paste, I then remove this paste into another tank containing
sulphuric acid sufficient to bring the paste to the consistency of cream,
a quantity of whiting or pipe clay is then thrown in and the wholo
thoroughly mixed until the mass becomes nearly dry, in which state it
can be compressed into blocks, cakes, or squares, and packed for
transport or sale.
Instead of the sulphuric acid spirits of wine can be used.
The Invention consists, secondly, in amalgamating slate dust or
powder prepared as above described, i.c., with ammonia and sulphuric
acid, with india-rubber or its compounds or with gutta percha, whilo hot
or plastic, so that the body can be moulded or pressed into suitable
shapes for cleaning knives, and flat surfaces cither as knife boards,
rubbers, buffing sticks and the like. A little emery powder may
however be bo mixed in, particularly when knife sharpeners or rough
rubbers are to be made.
The rubber compound can be rolled into strips or sheets and be caused
to adhere by cement or otherwise to wood, to form when ribbed
convenient articles upon which the inner faces of the prongs of forks can
bo cleaned with facility.
The Invention consists, thirdly, in mixing the prepared slate powder
with gluc or other adhesive, and then spreading it upon paper or upon
a fabric to fit it as a substitute for emery paper or emery cloth; or the
paper or cloth can be first glued and then the propared slate powder can
bo dusted or sprinkled on while the adhesive is moist.
The Invention further consists in combining slate dust prepared
as above with fats, potash, or the like for forming soap squares, blocks,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Wilkinson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 16th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
WILKINSON, of No. 41, Great Marylebone Street, Portland Place, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Lotters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors.
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Wilkinson, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Wilkinson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Wilkinson,
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
"IMPROVED COMPOUNDS FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING METALS, METALLIC AND
OTHER ARTICLES AND THINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Alexander Wilkinson, my exccutors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Alexander Wilkinson, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improved compounds for cleaning and
polishing metals and metallic articles, and consists, firstly, of slate in a
state of powder or fine dust, having in combination therewith a small
quantity of ammonia, a small quantity of sulphuric acid, also whiting,
pipe clay, rouge, crocus, or the like.

page_text: The compound can be used in a dry or in a wet state (preferably) by
admixture with water; it can be in powder to be sprinkled or dredged
upon the article to be cleaned or compressed into blocks, cakes, or
squares as required.
In treating the slate dust or powder I place, say, one hundredweight
into a tank contaning sufficient ammonia to make by agitation a thick
paste, I then remove this paste into another tank containing sulphuric
acid sufficient to bring the paste to the consistency of cream, a quantity
of whiting, pipe clay, rouge, or other ingredient (coloured or not) is then
thrown in, and the whole thoroughly mixed until the mass becomes
nearly dry, in which state it can be compressed into blocks, cakes, or
squares, and packed for transport or sale.
Instead of the sulphuric acid spirits of wine can be used.
The Invention consists, secondly, in amalgamating slate dust or
powder prepared as above described, i.c., with ammonia and sulphuric
acid, with india-rubber or its compounds, or with gutta percha while hot
or plastic, so that the body can be moulded or pressed into suitable
shapes for cleaning knives and flat surfaces, cither as knife boards,
rubbers, buffing sticks, and the like. A little emery powder may
however be mixed in, particularly when knife sharpeners or rough
rubbers are to be made.
The rubber compound can be rolled into strips or sheets and be caused
to adhere by cement, or otherwise, to wood to form, when ribbed, con-
venient articles upon which the inner faces of the prongs of forks can bo
cleaned with facility.
The Invention consists, thirdly, in mixing the prepared slate powder
with gluc, oil, litharge, or other adhesive or semi-adhesive body, and
then spreading it upon paper or upon a fabric to fit it as a substitute for
emery paper or emery cloth; or the paper or cloth can be first glued
and then the prepared slate powder can be dusted or sprinkled on while
the adhesive is moist, or the admixture can be spread or painted upon
ships' bottoms and metal work in general.
The Invention further consists in combining slato dust prepared as
above with fats, potash, silica carbonates, or the like, for forming soap
squares, blocks or cakes, tooth paste, powder etc.

page_text: And having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
The use of slate dust (mineral slato reduced to fine powder) when
mixed or compounded with ingredients or substances to fit it for a
commercial compound for cleaning and polishing metals, metallic
articles, or things in the manner set forth.
Secondly. I claim the modified combinations of ingredients forming
compounds in which prepared slate dust forms the cleansing or polishing
element in such compounds, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Wilkinson, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of June, Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.