IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPREGNATING AND PRESERVING WOOD AND TIMBER FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1841

page_text: UZIELLI'S SPECIFICATION.
-
TO ALL TO WHOM' THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J. MATTHEW
UZIELLI; of King William Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting:
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty, Queen Victória, by. Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain; bearing date; at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant' unto me, the said
Matthew Uzielli, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Matthew Użielli, my executors, administrators, and assigns;
and such others as I, the said Matthew Uzielli, my executors,' administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and "the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPREGNATING AND PRESERVING WOOD
AND TIMBER FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES," being a communication: from 'a'
foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,'
obliging me, the said Matthew Uzielli, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within 'six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
moro fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Matthew Uzielli, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention (which has been communicated to me from France) may
be considered under two heads; consisting, firstly, of an improved mode of
impregnating wood and timber in general, with certain chemical materials;
and, secondly, the novel use of certain materials for impregnating wood for the
purpose of effecting certain peculiar objects.
The first head of the Invention consists in extracting the sap and other
juices from green wood and then introducing into the vasculatory tubes thereof
certain matters, either minoral, vegetable, or animal, in order to preserve the
wood, and render it more flexible and elastic; also for increasing its hardness
and diminishing its combustibility. The same also prevents the wood from
contracting and warping when put into use, and facilitates its drying; and,
lastly, imparts to the wood varied and permanent colours and fragrant odours.
In order to produce this result, the log of wood or timber is placed in a trough
in an upright position, and a flexible receptacle, as a bag of waterproof cloth,
open at both ends, is adapted to the upper end thereof. In order to prevent
any leakage, a groove is cut round the upper end of the log of wood within
.three inches of the top, and the cloth bag affixed tightly thereto by means of
a strap, band, chain, or even an ordinary cord, which by being passed
round the groove effectually closes it, and prevents any of the liquid from
escaping; then any of the herein-after mentioned chemical materials which
may be chosen by the operator to produce any of the objects mentioned above,
is poured into the bag to the depth of a few inches above the top of the-log
and at the same time that the liquor penetrates the wood at the upper end,
the sap runs out in a proportionate degree at the lower end, and the operation
will be completed when the liquid which escapes or runs out from the lower
end of the log is nearly identical in quality with that which is poured into the
bag or reservoir above. The displacement of the sap is effected without any
further pressure than that given by the weight of the liquid kept a few inches
deep in the bag above; it is therefore necessary that the bag should be con-
stantly supplied with liquor. By this process about forty per cent. of the sap.
may be collected in a state of purity; the other portion, running off, amalga-
mated in different degrees with the material introduced.
Under the second head of this Invention, the mineral, animal, or vegetable
substances required to effect the above-mentioned objects, are the following:
Firstly, for preserving and hardening the wood, the rough pyrolignite of

page_text: iron should be used in solution (marking from three to six degrees). If the
wood only requires preserving, the chloride. of sodium, of from five to ten
degrees, should be employed.
Secondly, for increasing the flexibility and elasticity of the wood, and pre-
venting it from warping, and also as a preservative against combustibility,
chlorides of calcium or magnesium should be used in solution, marking from
five to twelve degrees. The mother waters of salt marshes will also effect
tliese results, the cost of which is very trifling.
Thirdly, the dessication or drying of the wood is hastened by the employ-
Iment of sulphate of soda in solution, marking from three to six degrees.
Fourthly, different colours are obtained by the employment of mineral or
vegetable colouring matters, or by means of some animal substances. Among
minerals, blue is obtained by the successive introduction of pyrolignite of iron
and prussiate of potash; yellow, by the acetate of lead and the chromate of
potash; green; by the successive formation in the interior of the wood of blue
and yellow. Other colours are obtained by the employment of sulphate of
copper and the prussiate of potash, the sulphate of iron and the chromate of
potash, the deutochloride of mercury and the iodide of potassium some
colours are also produced from vegetable substances, but they have not the
solidity and permanency of the mineral colours; they are produced by the
infusion or decoction of known colouring matters, such as logwood, French
berries, turmeric, and other dyeing substances. Among animal matters, the
ammoniacal solutions of carmine, and some other substances may be
employed.
Fifthly, in order to impart a fragrant smell to different woods, alcoholic
solutions of essential oils and other oderiferous substances may be employed.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be
understood that I claim,-
Firstly, the improved method above described of impregnating wood or
timber with chemical materials, for the purpose of preserving, improving, and
beautifying its quality.
And, secondly, the application of the peculiar materials above mentioned for
the purposes above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Uzielli, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one
M. (L.s.) UZIELLI.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Second day of June,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Matthew Uzielli came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of June, in the year above written.