UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY T. ANTHONY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO E. AND H. T.

ANTHONY & 00., OESAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PREPARING SOLUBLE COTTON FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLODlON.

Speci?cation forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,865, dated October 21, 1873; application ?led '
October 7, 1873.

To all whom it may concern: . combines with the remaining traces of acid
Be it known that I, HENRY T. ANTHONY, and neutralizes the same, and the cotton is
of the city and State of New York, have in not in any way inj ured by the volatilized alkali;
vented an Improvement in the Manufacture on the contrary, the soluble cotton will remain
of Soluble Cotton for Oollodion, of which the unchanged for a long period of time, and the
following is a correct description: collodion made therefrom possesses increased
Soluble cotton has heretofore been made by sensitiveness for photographic uses.
soaking the same in the usual mixture of nitric I prefer and use ammonia, but do not limit
and sulphuric acids, and then washing out the myself to the character of Volatile alkali em
traces of acid as far as possible. plpyedhand the alkali may be Volatilized at
In practice, great difficulty arises in remov the atmospheric temperature, or by any de
ing the free acid, and consequently the cotton sired degree of heat.
changes and becomesinjured by lapse of time. I claim as my invention
Alkaline solutions have been tried for remov The method of preparing soluble cotton by
ing the traces of acid, but difficulty arises in subjecting the same to Volatilized alkali after
determining the extent of alkaline treatment the ordinary acid treatment and washing, sub
required, and if too much alkali is used the stantially as set forth.
cotton is injured. " Signed by me this 3d day of October, A. D.
I employ the ordinary mode of preparing 1873. '
- the cotton by the acid-mixture, and then wash HENRY T. ANTHONY.
the cottonand dry it, or nearly so, and I then Witnesses: '
subject the cotton to the action of the volatil .Gno. T. PrNcKNEY,
ized alkali, which penetrates the mass, and CHAs. H. SMITH.