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Thomas Hancock

Thomas Hancock, an English manufacturer from the 19th century, is depicted in formal attire with a bow tie and a neatly groomed beard, symbolizing his significant contributions to the British rubber industry.

English manufacturer (1786-1865) often called the founder of the British rubber industry. He invented the masticator, a machine that softened rubber for processing, and built a successful London factory before encountering vulcanization. In 1842 he reverse-engineered samples of Goodyear's cured rubber, filed a British patent for the process in 1843, and beat Goodyear's own British application by eight weeks.

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