AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WOOD WITH CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newtou, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING
WOOD WITH CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS."-A communication from abroad by
Ernest Bazin and Jules Hémery, both of Rue St. Sebastien, Paris, in
the Empire of France.
Sealed the 8th August 1865, and dated the 2nd March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 18.5.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for" AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING
WOOD WITH CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to cause chemical solutions to enter into the
pores of wood without subjecting it to great pressure, as is now the case when
it is desired to impregnate timber for the purpose of preserving the same.
To this end the chemical solution, say, sulphate of copper prepared of the
proper strength,is placed in a wooden, copper, or leaden vessel or tank, and is
heated to from 60° to 70° cert., by steam pipes, or otherwise. The timber is
immersed for about twelve hours in this solution, which is kept heated all the
time. In order to cause the solution to enter the pores of the wood alternate
currents of electricity are made to pass through the wood from a magneto-
electric machine driven by any suitable motive power. To this end a copper
[P 81

page_text: wire connected with one pole of the magneto electric machine is also con-
nected to one end of each of the pieces of wood, and a similar wire from the
opposite pole of the magneto-electric machine is connected in the same way to
the other ends of the pieces of wood, so that the latter forms part of the electric
circuit, and as when heated the wood becomes a conductor of electricity, the
electric current will carry in with it the chemical solution. When the wood
has thus been operated upon for about 12 hours the solution may be allowed
to cool, and the wood removed from the tank. Instead of attaching con-
ducting wires to the logs of wood, they might be operated upon by simply
throwing them into an electrified bath.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Williara Edward-Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousandeight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Herspecial licence that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed,should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WOOD WITH CHEMICAL
SOLUTIONS," being a communication to me from abroad by Ernest Bazin and
Jules Hémery, of Paris, in the Empire of France,upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in the application of electricity for the purpose of
facilitating the impregnation of wood with chemical solutions, in order to
preserve the same from decay, by which means great economy of time and
also in the cost of the operation are effected.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents in elevation an arrange-
ment of apparatus for carrying this Invention into effect.
It consists of a copper cylinder A, which is set in masonry in a recess made
for the purpose, as shewn in the Drawing, and is maintained in position by
means of bridle pieces B and bolts. By this means the operations of charging
and discharging the vessel or cylinder A with the wood will be greatly
facilitated.
The apparatus further consists of three wooden vessels, C, D, E, two of
which are on a level with the surface of the ground, and the third is
below, so that its upper part shall be on a level with the surface of
the ground. These vessels are intended for the reception of the chemical
solution (sulphate of copper, for instance,) with which the wood is to be
impregnated. The cylinder A is supplied with steam by means of a steam
pipe F leading from a steam generator, the vat C being supplied with a
sufficient quantity of steam to heat the bath contained therein by means of a
branch pipe G; H is a pipe for emptying the contents of the vat C into the
cylinder A, a pipe I performing the same office for the vat D. Another
pipe K leads from the upper part of the cylinder A to the vat E; J is a cock
for discharging auy refuse liquor from the cylinder A, or even emptying it if
required; L is a cock for blowing off the steam. Wires M, N, from a
magneto-electric battery are brought into communication with the liquid
contained in the cylinder A, passing for that purpose through two non-
conducting stuffing boxes in the sides of the cylinder A. One of these wires
passes through the upper and the other through the lower extremity of the
cylinder A, for the purpose of conducting the alternate currents which are to
electrify the solution in the vessel A.
!
The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-The wood to be impregnated
(railway sleepers, for example,) being put into the vessel or cylinder A, which
will contain a dozen or more such sleepers, steam is admitted into the cylinder
through the pipe /, a small quantity of steam being at the same time allowed

page_text: to escape through the cock L, in order that the steam in the cylinder may be
fresh, and a sufficient degree of heat attained. This operation, which lasts
half an hour, has for its object to expand the pores of the wood and drive out
as far as possible the sap from the wood, as such soluble matters would to
some extent neutralize the electric currents. This preparatory operation
having been completed, the cock L is to be closed, and the cock J opened, in
order to drive off the sap contained in the cylinder. The bath contained in
the vat C having been heated by a jet of steam from the steam pipe G, is
admitted into the cylinder through the pipe H,the cock L being always open.
. The cock of the pipe H is then closed, and that of the pipe F being open, the
steam therefrom will heat the bath. The joint of the cylinder is so constituted
that a small portion of the steam admitted into the cylinder can escape, which
serves to keep up the required degree of heat. This operation of heating the
bath in a receiver open to the atmosphere lasts about from two hours and a
half to three hours, according to the kind of wood that is being operated
upon. During the whole of this operation the magneto-electric machine is in
operation,and distributes its alternate currents through the chemical solution
in which the wood is immersed.
The following method of cooling, and towhich much importance is attached
is adopted: The cock of the pipe I is open, and also that of the pipe K, the
one for the admission of steam being closed, the steam contained in the
cylinder escapes through the cock L. The cold liquor contained in the vat D
will then from difference in levels take the place of the hot bath in the
cylinder, which will run through the pipe K into the empty vat E. This
cooling operation lasts about an hour.
This method of impregnation is effected, first, by the previous expansionof
the wood and expulsion of the sap; secondly, by means of heat; thirdly, by
the electric currents; fourthly, and lastly, by the cooling process. These four
different elements united have been found on operating as above described to
produce speedy and excellent results.
When operating upon hard wood, such as beech, it is thought advisable as
an additional precaution to proceed as follows:-Fig. 2 represents a double
cylinder, say, the one above described, furnished with an outer casing or steam
jacket. Inside the cylinder are placed the pieces of wood, which are submitted
to the action of a jet of steam for the purpose of expanding the pores of the
wood; the sap is then driven off, and steam is admitted into the space B¹, the
cock P being left a little open, for the purpose of allowing fresh steam to
enter, and which is introduced into the outer casing through the branch pipe O.
This operation has for its object to restore to the wood the steam introduced

page_text: into its pores, and this drying up of the wood will render it much more fit for
the absorption of the prepared liquid. This drying of the wood after having
previously driven out the sap and expanded the pores by means of steam
forms one of the novel features of this Invention, after which the operation is
continued precisely as above described.
As a modification the solution may be caused to enter the pores of the wood
by passing alternate currents of electricity through the wood from a magneto-
electric machine driven by any suitable motive power. To this end a copper
wire connected with one pole of the magneto-electric machine is also con-
nected to one end of each of the pieces of wood in the cylinder, and a similar
wire from the opposite pole of the magneto-electric machine is connected in
the same way to the other ends of the pieces of wood, so that the latter forms
part of the electric circuit, and as when heated the wood becomes a conductor
of electricity, the electric current will carry in with it the chemical solution.
When the wood has thus been operated upon for about twelve hours the
solution may be allowed to cool, and the wood removed from the tank.
I would observe in conclusion, that in some cases the employment of
electricity may be dispensed with, according to the nature of the wood to
be operated upon, and other circumstances, which must be determined by
experience.
Having now described this Invention of "An Improved Process and
Apparatus for Impregnating Wood with Chemical Solutions," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, as communicated to
me from abroad, I desire it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent. I claim the process above described for impregnating
wood, and also the apparatus above shewn and described for carrying the
same into effect, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)