US1755786A - Method of and means for making tubes of celluloid and the like - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1930.

w. MENDEL 1,755,786

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING TUBES OF CELLULOID AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 14, 1928 atented pr. 2, i eas WILL MENDEL, 015 BEVERLY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T SANITE CORPORATION OF BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ianrnon or n mnans son a ING TUBES OF CELLULOID AND THE LIKE Application filed November 14, 1928. Serial No. 319379.

My invention relates to tube forming methods and means of the general class claimed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,661,451 granted to John N. l/Vhitehouse March 6, 1928; whereby a sheet of suitable material is rolled, while immersed in a solvent bath having the capacity to soften the surface of the material, so that successive convolutions thereof are rendered coherent and merge in a solid tube. Such material may be celluloid, cellulose-nitrate, cellulose acetate; other products of cellulose; or any suitable substance. Any suitable solvent may be em-. Y

ployed; for instance, acetone for said celluloid and nitrate, and ethyl acetate, or a mixture of alcohol and ether, for said cellulose acetate. Such solvents quickly lose their efficacy by absorption of the sheet material, and moisture from it and the atmosphere, and it is the purpose and efi'ect of my invention to maintain the eficacy of such baths by elimi nation of such solutes therefrom.

For instance, in the formation of tubes but four inches long, for fountain pens, by rolling sheets of celluloid .010 of an inch thick, four inches Wide, and twelve inches long, in a bath of acetone; altho each sheet is immersed but five seconds, so much of the sheet material is dissolved in the bath that the initial solvent capacity of the latter is progressively lessened so rapidly; that not more than twenty such tubes can be made before the solvent capacity of such bath becomes insufficient to render the successively wound convolutions of the celluloid coherent. Such ollution occurs even morerapidly if the ce luloid includes powdered metal, fish scales, or other pigments which are usually employed to fancifully figure or color the celluloid. Moreover, such an acetone bath is so hygrosco ie that it rapidly absorbs moisture not only rom the celluloid but-from the su ernatent atmosphere and the bath is rendere ineificient when it absorbs as much as oneand one-half per cent of water; such absorption being attained in a few hours when such atmosphere is only naturally humid.

As hereinafter described,' my invention includes methods of and means for forcibly circulating the solvent to and from the sheet material being formed into tubes, and to eliminate the deleterious material from the solvent by precipitating such deleterious material and distilling or decanting the solvent from such precipitate.

My invention includes the various novel features ofprocedure, construction, and arcomprise acetone or any othersuitable solvent 1 of tube material, is maintained at approximately the level 2 in the container 3 in position to submerge the sheet of material 4, which is temporarily supported by the frame plate 5, to be wound on the rotary mandrel 7 under ressure of the idle rollers 8; said mandrel 7 eing conveniently rotated by the chain wheel 10 which is connected by the chain 11 with the wheel 12 which may be turned by the crank 13 Said frame plate 5 is mounted upon the rock shaft 14 so that the winding mechanism may be lowered to the operative position shown or be raised to the idle position by the handle 15. The solvent liquid is preferably continu-' ously circulated in the container 3 during the windingoperation by means which moves it to and from the celluloid. Such circulating means conveniently includes the inlet conduit 17 and the outletconduit 18, the latter being controlled by the valve 19.

As shown in Fig. 1, said conduit 18 leads into the still 20 of sufficient capacity to maintain the desired quantity of the solvent '1 above the precipitate 22 which may be revmoved thru the discharge outlet 23. under control of the valve 24. Said still may be subjected to heat from any suitable source,

1 for instance, the burner 25, so as to volatilize the acetone 1 from the residue 22 in said still, which residue includes water, celluloid, and the pigments aforesaid. Of course, in order to thus eliminate water from said solvent, it

is necessary to efiect such distillation at a temperature below 212 F. The gaseous acetone passes from the still thru the conduit 27 to the worm 28 in which it is re -condensed to liquid form and from which it is received in the rotary pump 29 which discharges it back into the container 3 thru said inlet conduit 17. Said pump 29 is conveniently operated by the electric motor 30 which also operates the air pump 32 for cooling said worm 28. Said motor is conveniently energized thru the conductors 34 under control of the switch 35; whereby the circulation of the solvent liquid and cooling of the worm may be simultaneously controlled.

As a portion of the liquid contents of the circulatory system aforesaid must be continuously or intermittently wasted thru the drain 23; I find it convenient to include, in the apparatus, a container 37 for fresh solvent which may beadmitted to the inlet conduit 17 under control of the valve 38. However, whether the apparatus includes such container 37 or not; it is adapted to forcibly move the solvent bath 1 to and from the celluloid 4 which is being formed into a tube and to maintain said solvent efficient during of the deleterious material therefrom; butv because the freshly distilled acetone has' a greater solvent effect upon the celluloid, per unit of volume, than commercial acetone.

As it might be assumedthat the aforesaid greater efliciency of the'freshly distilled solvent is due to increase in its temperature incident to the distillation process; I note that repeated tests have shown that such increased activity is manifest even when the tempera ture of the freshly distilled acetone delivered into the container 3 thru the conduit 17 is lower than the temperature of the bath 1. However, if the acetone is allowed to remain stagnant after such distillation, it loses the aforesaid increased solvent eficiency which characterizes it when freshly distilled.

Altho I prefer to eliminate the deleterious matter from the solvent bath 1 by continuous circulation and distillation thereof as above described; such deleterious matter may be eliminated, continuously or intermittently, with'respect to the winding operation, by decantation. v For instance, in Fig. II, the conduits 17 and 18 are part of a closed circulatory system including the pump 40 and the de-.

canter 41. The water and celluloid, pigments and other deleterious matter 22' gravitate to the bottom of said decanter 41 from which they may be continuously or intermittently discharged thru the conduit 42 under control of the valve 43.

be discharged from said still 45 thru the conduit 52 under control of the valve53 and the bath be replenished with purifiedsolvent from the container 54, under control of the valve 55.

It may be observed that in each form of my invention above contemplated, the separation and purification of the acetone from the deleterious material is efl'ected by gravity; the heat of the distillation operation merely serving to facilitate such gravitative separation.

Therefore, I do not'desire to limit myself to the precise details of the method and means for forming tubing, as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming tubing, which comprises winding a sheet of material into a roll while immersed in a solvent initially having the capacity to dissolve said material, but which capacity is lessened by the solute from said material, including the step of eliminating the solute from the solvent material; whereby such capacity of the solvent is restored.

2. A method as in claim 1; wherein the solvent is separated from its solute by gravitation.

3. A method as in claim 1; wherein heat is employed to facilitate the separation of the solvent from its solute.

'4. A method as in claim 1; wherein, contemporaneously with the winding operation, the solvent is forcibly circulated to and from the sheet material.

.5. A method as in claim 1; wherein the solvent is forcibly circulated .to and from the sheet material and thru a separator device wherein the solvent is separated from its solute.

6. A method as in claim 1; wherein the solvent is separated from the solute, b the action of gravity and heat, during the orcible circulation of the solvent to and from the material for forming the tubing.

7. The method of forming tubingnvhich comprises winding a sheet of celluloid into a roll while immersed in a bath of a solvent material initially having the capacity to rapidly dissolve the surfaces of said celluloid exposed thereto, so that the successively wound convolutions thereof are rendered coherent and form a solid tube, but said capacit is progressivel lessened by the amount 02 solute in said ath; and removing said solute from said solvent durin the wmding operation; whereby said capacity of the solvent is maintained at the proper efliciency for continuous use. V 8. Apparatus for forming celluloid tubing, including means for winding a sheet of celluloid in a roll while immersed in a solvent bath and means for forcibly circulating the solventvin said bath during the winding operation.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8, including solvent circulating and purifying means, comprising a still, and a condenser in cooperative relation with said still.

10. Apparatus as in claim 8, including solvent circulating and purifying means, comprising a pump, a still, an a condenser in cooperative relation with. said still.

11. ,Apparatus as in claim 8, including solvent circulating and purifying means, comprising a still, and a condenser m cooperative relation with said still; and means for heat- 1 ing the still above the temperature of the cooperative relation with said still; means surrounding atmosphere.

12. Apparatus as in claim 8, including solvent circulating and purifying means, comprising a pump, a still, and a'condenser in cooperative relation with said still and means for heating the still above the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.

13. Apparatus as in claim 8, including solvent circulating and purifying means, comprising a still, and a condenser in cooperative relation with said still; and means for cooling said condenser.

14. Apparatus as in claim 8, including solvent circulating and purifying means, comprising a pump,a still, and a condenser in for cooling said condenser; and means for o crating said pump and cooling means, inc uding a motor.

15. Apparatus as in claim 8, including solvent circulating and purifying means, comprising a pump, a still, and a condenser in cooperative relation with said still; means for cooling said condenser; and means for o crating said pump and cooling means, inc uding an electric motor; and switch means whereby the means for circulating thesol vent and cooling the condenser may be simultaneously controlled.

16. A method asv in claim 1' wherein the solvent is distilled from the solute at a tem perature below 212 F.; whereby water is eliminated from the solvent.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto si ed my name ,at Burlington, New Jersey, tlns thirty-first da of October, 1928.

- lV'ILLIAM MENDEL.

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