US1903530A - Method of and means for making articles from celluloid and the like - Google Patents

Description

April 11, 1933. w. MENDEL 1,903,530

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING ARTICLES FROM CELLULOID AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 14, 1928 l/YVf/YfO/P- #74 L MM M10215;

Patented Apr. 11, 1933 UNITED STATES wmnlm MENDEL, or BEVERLY, NEW JERSEY.

mn'rnon or AND MEANS non MAKING An'rIcrns naom cELLnLoInANn THE LIKE Application filed November14, 1928. Serial No. 319,280.

My invention relates to means for temporarily softening products of cellulose, such as celluloid, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and similar materials, to permit them to'be shaped to form articles of manufacture; and particularly articles'formed from primarily plane sheets. Y

It is the ordinary practice to soften such materials by immersion in water heated above the boiling point. However, the means for effecting such softening by that method are cumbersome to manipulate and result in del-' eterious distortion of the materials. Therefore, it is the present practice to soften celluloid by immersing it in an aqueous solution of acetone. However, altho the means for effecting such treatment are simpler and more easily operated; such treatment not only causes deleterious distortion of the celluloid, but renders the surface of the latter extremely sticky, so that the celluloid is difficult to manipulate and is marred by contact with any other substance while in such softened sticky condition.

Therefore, it is the object and effect of my invention to provide means for softening such materials without deleterious distortion thereof and without rendering them sticky.

I have discovered that acetone, which almost instantly dissolves celluloid immersed therein, may have such effect thereof limited and controlled by dilution of the acetone with any substance of the class known chemically as solvents, provided that such diluent has no deleterious effect upon the celluloid. For instance, such diluents may be any highly volatile hydrocarbon, but preferably' carbon tetrachloride. Altho gasoline and naphtha may be used in lieu of carbon tetrachloride, the latter is preferable because it is not inflammable, like the hydrocarbons aforesaid. I

For instance, in forming fountain pen tubes from primarily plane sheet celluloid, by the process disclosed in Letters Patent of the Ilnited States No. 1,661,451 granted March 6, 1928 to John N. -Whit'ehouse'for Improvement in-method of and apparatus for making celluloid tubes; sheets of celuloid 1, .010 of an inch thick and M1112" in extent, such as indicated in Fig. I herein,

are initially softened at their forward ends 2, to the extent indicated by the dotted line 3- in Fig. I, by'successively laying each sheet, 1 to that extent, upon'a steam table, or other" body, maintained at a temperatureof about 225 F., untilthe celluloid is raised to'approximately that temperature. The sheet then stamped where thus softened to form so a semi-cylindrical edge portion 5,as indicated in Fig. II, to fit the cylindrical mandrel 6 to which it maybe cemented prelimi-' nary to rotating said mandrel and wrapping the sheet 1 in an evolute coil thereon, with its convolutions in contact. Such softening operation causes the sheet 1 to buckle at the region of the dotted line 3fbecause of the expansion of the portion 2 thereof byheat, and such distortion of the sheet 1 interferes with the formation of the tube 7 which is more or less corrugated at its inner surface 8, as indicated in Fig. III. 5 In accordance with my process, the sheet 1 may have its end portion 2 dipped into'a. solution of ,fiveiper cent. acetone in ninety-five per cent.'carbontetrachloride up to theline 3, with the effect of softening the: web l to ed', to facilitate the softening operation;

That is to say, altho" celluloid of .025 inch thickness may be adequately softened'in the solution aforesaid containing but five per cent. acetone; it is economical tof'use the stronger solution, because the latter effects the desired degreelof softening in less time.

It is characteristicofthe softening solu- T tions aforesaid that altho the celluloid- -is adequately softened thereby thruout its thickness, the surfacesof the celluloid which have been subjected to the action of such solution are not sticky, but feel dry to the touch.

Altho my invention is exemplified as aforesaid by the use ofthe softening solution upon plane sheets of celluloid, which are only partly dipped therein; of course, such sheets or other articles may be dipped in such a solution to any desired extent 7 and. for any desired length of time, according to the degreeof softening thereof required; or any celluloid article may be otherwise subjected to the softening act-ion of such a composition of acetone and hydrocarbon; for instance, by brushing or spraying such composition thereon. Moreover, the vapor from such a compositionof acetone and carbon tetrachloride has a softether, for' cellulose acetate. The latter is,

preferable to celluloid, in that it is noninfiammable and said solvents thereof may be dilutedwith carbon tetrachloride, or any other'fluid which has no deleterious effect upon the material to be softened.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to theprecisedetails of construction, arrangement, or method of procedure herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be 'madetherein without departing from theessential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims. ..'I..'c1aim: 1 1. The method of softening celluloid, which consistsiin subjecting it tothe action of a composition including acetone which has the capacity to penetrate and soften the celluloid, and an anhydrous diluent of the acetone which is miscible therewith but has no such effect upon the celluloid; containing suchuaction until the celluloid is softened, and terminating suchactionbefore the celluloid isdissolved in said composition. I 2.- A, method as in claim 1; wherein the diluent is .a carbon compound.

'3. A methodas in claim l; wherein the diluent is a highly volatile liquid carbon compound.v I V -14. A-method as in claim 1; wherein the diluent is a noninflammable carbon, compound. f

5-. A method as in claim ,1; wherein the diIueZnt-iscarbOn tetrachloride.

6.. The method of softening without dissolving a product of cellulose, which consists in subjecting it to the action of a fluid including a solvent of said product having the capacity to penetrate and soften said product, and an anhydrous diluent of said solvent which has no such effect upon said product, continuing such action until the product of cellulose is softened, and terminating such softened to'such an extent that it may bereadily wrapped upona cylindrical mandrel of the approximate diameter of the interior of the tube beingformed; Wrapping the softened end of the web upon such a mandrel and evolutely winding the other portions of said web in convolutions on said mandrel which are in contact with each other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Burlington, New J ersey,

this thirty-first day of October, 1928.

WILLIAM CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,993,530. April 11, 1933.

WILLIAM MENDEL.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 52, claim 2, for "containing" read "continuing"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of May, A. I). 1933.

M. J. Moore (Sea!) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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