Improvements in Cigar Boxes, and the Application of a Certain Composition to the Lining, Coating, or Painting of Boxes or other Receptacles used for the Transport or Storage of Cigars.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec.. 1889-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Cigar Boxes, and the Application of a Certain
Composition to the Lining, Coating, or Painting of Boxes or
other Receptacles used for the Transport or Storage of Cigars.
I, PATRICK MOLYNEUX, of 189 Devons Road, Bow Common, London, E., Wharf
Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to Improvements in cigar boxes: and the application of
a certain Composition to the lining coating or painting of boxes or other receptacles
used for the transport or storage of cigars.
In the transport and storage of cigars it is necessary that they should be
packed in an airtight manner, that is, in boxes so lined that the cigars are effectually
excluded from the effects of damp, or from any vapours or fumes or air containing
odoriferous particles, as such would have the effect of altering or destroying the
aroma of the said cigars, or otherwise deleteriously affecting their marketable
value.
The object of my invention is to prevent the deterioration of cigars during transport
or storage. In exercising my said invention I paint line or coat the boxes or
other receptacles used for the transport or storage of cigars with a composition
made as follows.
Black oxide of iron (black scale or hammer scale) is ground to fine powder;
and very fine powder of Portland cement is prepared by sifting. The two are then
thoroughly mixed in the proportion of one-third by weight of black scale to two-
thirds of Portland cement. To every three and one-fifth parts of the mixture one
part of litharge is added.
To one part of methylated spirits of wine half a part by weight of shellac of
the very best quality is added, and allowed to dissolve in the cold.
A quantity of glycerine of good quality (five per cent. of the volume of the above
solution) is taken and to it is added one-twentieth of its weight of Gum Arabic in fine
powder and allowed to dissolve in the
The glycerine solution of Gum Arabic is now added to the solution of shellac, and
the two are shaken together.
Next, to say three parts by weight of the dry powder, composed as above,
sufficient of the mixture of liquids just prepared is added to make it of the
consistency of paint; and the whole is ground together in a paint mill until
thoroughly mixed. The amount of liquid required to be added will depend upon the
dryness of the powder. This constitutes the paint or coating, which is now ready
for use, and is applied to the surface required to be coated exactly like ordinary
paint.
If the paint or coating is not required to be pliable after application, five per cent. of
powdered glass is added to the above powder before mixing with the liquid.
It will be readily understood that without departing from my invention know
equivalents may be substituted for some of the ingredients of my composition,
and also that the proportions named may be varied to a considerable extent.
Suitable arrangements are employed for closing up and hermetically sealing the
cigar boxes by means of my composition when the lid is attached or the box or
receptacle otherwise closed.
I sometimes find it convenient to provide for the prevention of the cigars absorbing
moisture from the air which is necessarily enclosed with the cigars. This I may
effect by enclosing with the cigars a drying reagent so placed or arranged as to
prevent any contact taking place between the said reagent and the cigars. Or I
inay line the box or receptacle with a fabric or with bibulous paper or the like

page_text: (placed within the coating of composition) impregnated with a drying reagent
and in this case another layer of unimpregnated fabric or other material may be
placed between the impregnated material and the cigars. Or after closing the
box or receptacle I may leave openings for exhausting the air and replacing the
same with air artificially dried: the said openings being afterwards hermetically
closed
For the Applicant,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, Strand, London, W.C.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cigar Boxes, and the Application of a Certain
Composition to the Lining, Coating,. or Painting of Boxes or
other Receptacles used for the Transport or Storage of Cigars.
I, PATRICK MOLYNEUX, of 189 Devons Road, Bow Common, London, E., Wharf
Superintendent, 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 :-
My invention relates to Improvements in cigar boxes: and the application of a
certain Composition to the lining coating or painting of boxes or other receptacles
used for the transport or storage of cigars.
In the transport and storage of cigars it is necessary that they should be packed
in an airtight manner, that is, in boxes so lined that the cigars are effectually
preserved from the effects of damp, or from any vapours or funes or air containing
odoriferous particles. as such would have the effect of altering or destroying
the aroma of the said cigars, or otherwise depreciating their marketable valve.
The object of my invention is to prevent the deterioration of cigars during transport
or storage.
In applying my said invention I paint line or coat the boxes or other receptacles
used for the transport or storage of cigars with a composition made in the manner
hereinafter described.
Black oxide of iron (black scale or hammer scale) is ground to a fine powder:
and very fine powder of Portland cement is prepared by sifting. The two
substances, both in a finely powdered state as described above, are thoroughly mixed
in the proportion of one-third by weight of black scale to two-thirds by weight of
Portland cement. To every three and one-fifth parts of the mixture one part of
litharge is added.
To one part of methylated spirits of wine half a part by weight of shellac of the very
best quality is added, and allowed to dissolve in the cold.
A quantity of glycerine of good quality (five per cent. of the volume of the above
solution) is taken and to it is added one-twentieth of its weight of Gum Arabic in
fine powder and allowed to dissolve in the cold.
The glycerine solution of Gum Arabic is now added to the solution of shellac, and
the two are shaken together.
Next, to, say, three parts by weight of the dry powder, composed as above, sufficient,
of the mixture of liquids just prepared is added to make it of the consistency of
paint; and the whole is ground together in a paint mill until thoroughly mixed. The
amount of liquid required to be added will depend upon the dryness of the powder.
This constitutes the paint or coating, which is is now ready for use, and is applied to
the surface required to be coated exactly like ordinary paint.
If the paint or coating is not required to be pliable after application, five
per cent. of powdered glass is added to the above powder before mixing with the
liquid.

page_text: It will be readily understood that, without departing from by invention, known
equivalents may be substituted for some of the ingredients of my composition, and also
that the proportions named may be varied to a considerable extent.
Having prepared my composition for use as a paint or coating as hereinbefore
mentioned, I apply it to the cigar boxes or receptacles just as
I would an
ordinary paint or varnish. For example, let us assume that the cigar box is an
ordinary square chest with a separate lid to be screwed down after the box is
filled with cigars. I place the box, without its lid, bottom downwards, and thoroughly
paint it on the inside and especially thickly along the seams, with my before-
mentioned composition. I then paint the inside of the lid, and leave the whole
exposed to the air till thoroughly dry. Thereafter I insert the cigars, whether
loose, or in bundles, or in separate packets or boxes, and screw the lid down
tight, after which I paint over the seam formed by the junction of the lid with
the sides of the box with my composition.
In addition to painting the inside of the boxes as just mentioned I sometimes, as a
precaution in case the coating may not have become perfectly dry, in which case the
cigars might be injured, place a lining of paper inside the box in such a manner
as to separate the cigars from contact with the coating of composition. I place
this lining of paper in position as follows. The box standing bottom downwards,
line it with sheets of paper, preferably sheets of bibulous paper of such size as
to overlap each other by an inch or more at the seams of the box, and to project
upwards above the sides of the box to a distance sufficient when folded down over
the surface of the cigars to cover the whole of the said surface. When I employ a
lining of paper I prefer, instead of closing the box in the manner before mentioned, to
do so in the manner following. I first fold the paper projecting above the sides down
over the cigars so that the parts bent down from each side overlap. On the top of
this I generally place another sheet of paper slightly smaller than the lid but of the
same shape. I then take the lid and carefully paint its inner surface with my
composition and especially thickly close to the edges and whilst this composition is
still wet. I press the lid downwards so that it shall adhere all round its edges to the
upper edges of the sides of the box by means of the composition. I then, after
wiping away any composition which may have been squeezed out at the edges,
screw down or otherwise fasten the lid in of
Isometimes find-it convenient to provide meast well known ways.
preventing the cigars absorbing
moisture from the air with which they are necessarily enclosed.
One way of effecting this is by enclosing a drying reagent with the cigars so placed
or arranged as to prevent any contact taking place between the said reagent and the
cigars. Crystallised sodic hydrate is a suitable drying reagent for the purpose and I
prefer to employ it in crystals not smaller than ordinary beans. It is convenient to
sew up a few crystals along with some blotting paper crumpled up into loose
pellets of about the same size as the crystals in a small bag of flannel or soft felt. The
crystals will absorb the moisture of the air through the flannel and the pellets of
blotting paper will take up any moisture that may condense on the crystals, so that
though moisture may be retained in the bag the air outside will be kept dry.
Another way of obtaining the same result is to place inside the lining of composition
a lining of cloth, felt bibulous paper or the like impregnated with a drying reagent.
A convenient way of impregnating the cloth felt or bibulous paper is to rub powdered
sodic hydrate into it just before it is required for use. To prevent contact of the
cigars with the reagent two or more layers or linings of unimpregnated bibulous paper
are placed between the cigars and the impregnated lining. Sometimes I find it useful,
if there is any chance of a chemical action taking place between the reagent used for
the impregnated lining and the composition, to interpose, between the said impregnated
lining and the lining of composition, a separate lining of bibulous paper. To close
the boxes I first fold down the impregnated lining and the other linings of bibulous
paper exactly in the same manner as I have herein before mentioned with reference
to the case in which only paper separated the cigars from the layer of composition.
I may also prevent the cigars from absorbing moisture from the air with which

page_text: they are enclosed in the following manner, this being the manner which I prefer.
Having painted the inside of the box with my composition in the manner herein before
described, instead of lining the whole of the inside of the box with bibulous paper as
before mentioned I wrap each bundle or package of cigars in a separate sheet of
bibulous paper and then put on the lid in the manner hereinbefore described. In
this case however the lid is furnished with two small circular holes. By means of
these holes after the lid has been secured I exhaust the air from the box and replace it
in a well known manner by air which has been artificially dried in any convenient
known way.
I then quickly close the holes by driving small pegs of wood luted
with my composition into them, thereafter cutting them flush with the upper
surface of the lid and afterwards painting them over with a thick layer of my
composition so as to seal up the box in an airtight manner. It is obvious that, instead
of having holes in the lid as just mentioned, the boxes, after the lid has been
fastened down, may be perforated at any convenient part or parts for the purpose
of exhausting the air from the box and replacing it with air artifically dried.
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 improvement in cigar boxes consisting of a box, chest, or other receptacle
lined substantially as hereinbefore specified.
2. The application of the composition herein before described in conjunction with, a
layer of cloth, felt, bibulous paper or the like impregnated with a drying reagent to
the, lining of boxes or other receptacles used for the transport or storage of cigars.
Dated this 6th day of December 1889.
PATRICK MOLYNEUX.