An Improved Composition for Use in Imitation of or in Substitution for Wood.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Composition for Use in Imitation of or in Substitution
for Wood.'
..
We FRANÇOIS LOUIS SCHAUERMANN of No. 24 Montpelier Road Twickenham
in the County of Middlesex Sculptor and JACK SHERIDAN COWPER of
No. 190 Gloucester Terrace Hyde Park in the said County Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the manufacture hereinafter described which is a
composition closely resembling wood both in texture and general appearance and
is especially suited for use in the production by moulding of ornamental articles
and work in imitation of those produced by carving and otherwise shaping or
working wood by means of tools aud is also capable of being wrought in the same
manner as wood.
The said composition is a plastic mass capable of
principal constituents present in which are wood
siccative.
hardening the essential or
dissolved in acid and a
The said composition may be prepared by taking a quantity of comminuted or
disintegrated wood such as wood in the form of sawdust or granules or small chips
or shreds or shavings and dissolving the same in such a quantity of nitric acid or
other suitable acid as will be sufficient to produce a plastic mass sulphate of copper
or zinc or other suitable siccative being added in sufficient quantity to cause the
mass to harden as required.
Where the wood to be used is in the form of sawdust it is advantageous to add it
to the acid by placing the sawdust in a fine sieve and shaking the sieve over a vessel
containing the acid..
The composition manufactured solely from the matters herein before stated
(ie. wood and acid and a siccative) is suitable for use in the production of moulded
work by pressing the said composition into suitable moulds the moulded composition
being then allowed to harden. The addition of other matters is however in some
cases desirable as hereinafter stated.
Any kind of wood is suitable for use in the preparation of the composition
hereinbefore described which composition where wood of one kind only is used in
its preparation resembles or presents the general appearance of wood of the kind so
used. Where the composition is required to exhibit veins and markings and
certain other peculiarities or characteristics of the wood used or where the
composition is required to resemble a wood different from that used in its
production either in respect of colour weight density porosity solidity strength
cohesion or odour or where it is desirable to mask or conceal any characteristics of
the matters used in the preparation of the said composition the required effect is
produced by the addition of suitable matters to the composition during the
preparation thereof or before moulding it or by application of suitable matters
thereto during or subsequently to the moulding thereof.
The following are illustrations of some matters suitable for use in producing
effects such as those hereinbefore referred to.
Porosity of the composition may be produced by means of magnesium chloride
or like matter or curd of milk either alone or in conjunction with magnesia.
Density or solidity of the composition may be produced by means of lime or

page_text: cement such as Portland cement polytechnic cement or like matters or cements or
mixtures of such matters.
Pitch is suitable for producing a dark colour of the composition generally or for
darkening parts thereof...
Plaster of Paris may be advantageously added to compositions produced from
light coloured woods.
Sugar is suitable for concealing odour of the composition.
Resin may be added to the composition when heated to produce imitations of the
veins of woods.
. Cohesion and strength of the composition may be increased by adding fish glue
or other glue there to while warm.
Linseed oil or other drying oil may be used for brightening the natural colours
of the woods used in the preparation of the composition.
For increasing weight of and darkening the composition iron in a sufficiently
divided state is suitable for very dark woods such as ebony and rosewood. Other
heavy metals in a sufficiently divided state are also suitable for increasing weight
of the composition.
Any two or more of the matters comprehended in the foregoing illustrations are
suitable for joint, use and for use in conjunction with other matters where desirable
and other matters alone may be added to the composition either before moulding it
or while it is being moulded or after moulding it according to the effect required to
be produced.
Dated this Twentieth day of March 1896.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
An Improved Composition for Use in Imitation of or in Substitution
for Wood.
We FRANÇOIS LOUIS SCHAUERMANN of No. 24 Montpelier Road Twickenham
in the County of Middlesex Sculptor and JACK SHERIDAN COWPER of
No. 190 Gloucester Terrace Hyde Park in the said County Gentleman 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:-
This invention consists in the manufacture hereinafter described which is a
composition closely resembling wood both in texture and general appearance and
is especially suited for use in the production by moulding of ornamental, articles
and work in imitation of those produced by carving and otherwise shaping or
working wood by means of cutting tools and is also capable of being wrought in
the same manner as wood.
The essential constituents of the said composition or the materials indispensable
in the manufacture thereof are comminuted or disintegrated wood such as wood in
the form of sawdust or granules or small chips or shreds or fine shavings and a
siccative such as sulphate of copper or sulphate of zinc and nitric acid.
these materials alone the said composition may be successfully produced but the
addition of a drying oil is advantageous and the addition of rosin is also
advantageous.
With
A suitable method of preparing the said composition from the materials herein-
before named is as follows:-The disintegrated wood and the siccative and the,
rosin in the form of powder are first mixed together in a metal pan or other vessel

page_text: of any convenient material the acid is then added and afterwards the oil is added.
The whole is then stirred occasionally during visible action of the acid on the
other ingredients of the mixture which soon assumes a pasty consistence somewhat
similar to that of mortar and retains that consistence until the said action is
declining or has nearly ceased when the said mixture presents the appearance of a
moist powdery matter such as moist loamy earth. The product obtained as
described is suitable for use while the visible action of the acid is in progress but
it is in a more convenient state for use when the said action has ceased as the said
product may then be freely handled. Provided the said product be protected
from free access of air it will remain for months in a moist state and as long as it is
in that state it is fit for use. If by long keeping the product prepared with nitric
acid becomes too dry to cohere under moderate pressure it may be restored to a fit
state for use by sprinkling it with turpentine and stirring it.
The following proportions of the materials hereinbefore named have been found
suitable but the result is not appreciably affected by considerable variation of the
said proportions.
Sawdust -
- 1 pint
Sulphate of zinc or sulphate of copper or
a mixture of both in any proportions pint
Powdered rosin -
Nitric acid
Linseed oil
- 2 ounces
pint
2 fluid ounces
Imitations of wood carving having every appearance of wood wrought by
ordinary hand tools may be made from the product herein before described by
taking a cast in plaster from a hand carving and preparing a mould therefrom in
metal or other suitable material and brushing it with powdered French chalk and
then placing therein a portion of the said product and compressing it into a
compact mass in the mould by means of a screw press or otherwise. The object of
using the French chalk is only to prevent adherence of the composition to the
mould. After the impression of the mould has been thus obtained the moulded
composition may be at once removed from the mould and will become dry and hard
after a few days' exposure to the air. Or the drying may be much expedited by
artificial heat. When dry the appearance of the moulded article is improved by
brushing over it linseed oil or other drying oil or a mixture of such oil with a
siccative such as sulphate of zinc the effect produced by this treatment being
similar to that produced by similarly treating natural wood. For this purpose a
mixture consisting of one teaspoonful of powdered sulphate of zinc or other
siccative and three or four fluid ounces of linseed oil is suitable.
Imitations of wood carving thus produced may be undercut and otherwise
wrought by the same means and in the same manner as natural wood.
Where sawdust and nitric acid have been used in the preparation of the product
hereinbefore described and the said product is used when in the powdery state the
natural appearance of wood in the moulded composition is increased by distributing
the said product over the surface of the mould from a sieve. After the said
surface has been thus covered the remainder of the mould may be filled with the
said product in any convenient way. Where shavings are used in the preparation
of the product herein before described it may be advantageously applied to the
filling up of the mould after the surface has been thus covered with the product
prepared from sawdust.
Any kind of wood is suitable for use in the preparation of the product or
composition herein before described which product or composition where wood of one
kind only is used in its preparation resembles or presents the general appearance of
wood of the kind so used.
Where the composition when moulded is required to exhibit veios and markings
and certain other peculiarities or characteristics of the wood used or where the
composition is required to resemble a wood different from that used in its

page_text: production either in respect of colour weight density porosity solidity strength
cohesion or odour or where it is desirable to mask or conceal any characteristics of
the matters used in the preparation of the said composition the required effect is
produced by addition of suitable matters to the other ingredients during the
preparation of the composition or before moulding it or by application of suitable
matters thereto during or subsequently to the moulding thereof.
The following are examples of matters suitable for the production of effects
such as those hereinbefore referred to and of the methods of using such
matters.
Porosity of the composition may be produced by magnesium chloride or like
matter or curd of milk either alone or in conjunction with magnesia. These
matters should be mixed with the other ingredients of the composition before
adding the acid.
Density or solidity of the composition may be produced by mixing lime or
cement such as Portland cement or polytechnic cement with the other ingredients
before, adding the acid.
Powdered pitch is suitable for mixing with the other ingredients prior to
adding the acid for the purpose of producing a dark colour of the composition
generally.
In the manufacture of compositions produced from light coloured woods it is
advantageous to mix plaster of Paris with the other ingredients before adding
the acid.
Odour of the acid used in making the composition may be concealed by mixing
sugar with the other ingredients before adding the acid.
For increasing weight of and darkening the composition iron in a sufficiently
divided state is suitable for very dark woods such as ebony and rosewood. Other
heavy metals in a sufficiently divided state are also suitable for increasing weight
of the composition. These should be mixed with the other ingredients before
adding the acid.
Cohesion and strength of the composition may be increased by adding a warm
solution of fish glue or other glue thereto before putting it in the mould.
The appearance of veins in the composition in imitation of the veins of wood may
be produced by brushing melted rosin over parts of the composition when in the
mould and prior to pressing it.
The appearance of dark veins in a composition intended to imitate rosewood may
be produced by brushing melted pitch over parts of the composition when in the
mould and prior to pressing it.
Any two or more of the matters comprehended in the foregoing illustrations are
suitable for joint use and for use in conjunction with other matters where desirable
and other matters alone may be added to the composition either before moulding it
or while it is being moulded or after moulding it the selection of the said matters
and the quantities or proportions being governed by the effects required to be
produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim as the said invention of "An improved composition for use in imitation of or
in substitution for wood" is :-
A composition for the said purpose produced by the action of nitric acid on
a mixture consisting essentially of comminuted or disintegrated wood and a
siccative.
Dated this Thirteenth day of October 1896.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.