Treatment of Wood, with a view to Preserving and Coloring the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan.,
1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Treatment of Wood, with a view to Preserving and Coloring
the same.
I, RUSSEL AITKEN, of 116 Piccadilly, in the County of London, Member of
the Institution of Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
It is well known that although the lighter paraffin oils protect timber, yet they
are liable to be worked out by rain and climatic influences, so that when
"creosoting" is adopted the lighter oils and acids after a time disappear, leaving
only the heavier oils in the wood, which oils are sufficient to protect the wood from
decay.
This invention consists in taking the heavier oils or waxes of the distillation
of mineral oils or animal or vegetable oils or waxes, such as may be solid at
ordinary temperatures and heating and mixing them under pressure with naphtha
or other solvent in such proportion as may be found most advantageous, and this
solution of heavy oils or waxes may be used very much in the same way as
creosote is now applied, but thereafter the naphtha may be recovered from the
wood, leaving the latter impregnated with the heavy mineral animal or vegetable
oils or waxes, which will effectually protect it, in addition to which the timber will
be clean to work and handle.
I may also for some purposes use a solution of the lighter mineral oils, vegetable
oils and waxes, such as are soluble in naphtha or other solvent, forcing the same
into the wood for protection. I may also dissolve in the solutions such colors as
are soluble therein, by which means I am enabled to color the wood.
Dated thio 7th day of Webruary 1895
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Treatment of Wood, with a view to Preserving and Coloring
.
the same.
L
I, RUSSEL AITKEN, of 116 Piccadilly, in the County of London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
It is well known that although the lighter paraffin oils protect timber, yet they
are liable to be worked out by rain and climatic influences, so that when
"creosoting" is adopted the lighter oils and acids after a time disappear, leaving
only the heavier oils in the wood, which oils are sufficient to protect the wood from
decay.

page_text: This invention consists in taking the heavier oils or waxes of the distillation of
mineral oils or animal or vegetable oils or waxes, such as may be solid at ordinary
temperatures and heating and mixing them under pressure with naphtha or other
solvent in such proportion as may be found most advantageous, and this solution of
heavy oils or waxes may be used very much in the same way as creosote is now
applied, but thereafter the naphtha may be recovered from the wood, leaving the
latter impregnated with the heavy mineral animal or vegetable oils or waxes,
which will effectually protect it, in addition to which the timber will be clean to
work and handle.
I may also for some purposes use a solution of the lighter mineral oils, vegetable
oils and waxes, such as are soluble in naphtha or other solvent, forcing the same
into the wood for protection. I may also dissolve in the solutions such colors as
are soluble therein, by which means I am enabled to color the wood.
In carrying this invention into effect I by preference use the heavy oils or the
waxes which result from the distillation of mineral oils and which are solid at
ordinary temperatures but which can by the application of heat and pressure
in a close chamber be dissolved and held in solution in naphtha or other solvent
spirit.
"
The apparatus required is similar to the apparatus which is used for "creosoting
wood. When the heavier oils are used the chambers must be closed and always
under pressure until the process is complete.
There are two chambers which are heated by steam pipes or otherwise. In one
is placed the timber to be treated, in the other the heavier mineral oil say one part
and say five parts of naphtha or other solvent spirit.
Heat is applied to both chambers, in one it makes the heavy oils soluble, in the
other it drives the moisture out of the wood. When the heavy oils have been
thoroughly dissolved and mixed with the solvent spirit the solution is forced into
the cylinder containing the wood to be treated and pressure being applied the
solution enters the wood.
When the wood has been thoroughly impregnated the surplus solution is run
back into the first mentioned chamber the communicating pipe is closed and the
chamber containing the wood is put in communication with a condensing apparatus
so as to recover the naphtha thus leaving the heavy oil in the wood to protect it
from decay.
By this means a small amount of heavy oil will thoroughly protect wood from
decay whilst the wood will be clean to work and handle and remain light and
elastic as only one fifth the weight of heavy oil will require to be used compared
with creosote and be as effective in preserving the wood.
In working with the lighter oils heat is not necessary to liquefy them before
being dissolved in the solvent spirit and it is known that a very little light mineral
oil will protect wood from decay when it is not exposed to the weather. When
I use the phrase lighter mineral oils I mean those oils that have a safe flashing
point.
When I desire to color the wood I use such dyes as are soluble in the solvent
spirit used to dissolve the oils with which the wood is being treated.
In all cases exhaust and pressure as in the creosoting process may be used to get
the solution of oil and solvent spirit into the timber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The process of treating wood to preserve it substantially as herein described.
2. The process of treating wood to preserve and color it substantially as herein
described.
3. The process of treating wood by saturating it with a solution of oil and
afterwards evaporating off the solvent, substantially as herein described and for
the purpose stated.

page_text: 4. The process of treating wood by saturating it with a solution of colored oil
and afterwards evaporating off the solvent substantially as herein described.
Dated November 7th 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.