AN IMPROVEMENT IN SEASONING' TIMBER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter William Barlow, of Great George Street,
Westminster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SEASONING'
TIMBER."
Sealed the 25th July 1856, and dated the 18th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter William Barlow:
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th April 1856.
I, PETER WILLIAM BARLOW, of Great George Street, Westminster, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SEASONING TIMBER,'
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in seasoning timber, and
consists of causing air to pass through the timber in such manner as to drive
out the sap, and when the timber has been impregnated with liquids of a
preservative character, the air is used to drive out such fluids. The air used
may be in the natural or heated state. The arrangement of apparatus for
causing air to pass through the timber may be varied; it is, however, preferred*
to employ compressed air, and to introduce it at one end of a piece of timber
and to drive out the fluid at the other end by the passage of the air through
the pores; or the air may be introduced into a cut or cavity intermediate of"
the length of the piece of timber, and the fluid be driven out at each end; or

page_text: exhausting apparatus may be applied at one end of the timber, and the other
end be left open to the atmosphere, so that the air will flow through the
timber to the vacuum. In either. case the air passing in a direction from end
to end of the timber, will force out the sap or other liquids, and dry or season
the timber on the interior..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter William Barlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
WILLIAM BARLOW, of Great George Street, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and. successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Peter William Barlow, Her special licence that I, the said Peter
William Barlow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Peter William Barlow, 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, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN SEASONING TIMBER," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Peter William Barlow, my executors or administrators, 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..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter William Barlow, 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 thercof, that is to say..:-
This Invention, has for its object an improvement in seasoning timber, and
consists of causing air to pass through the timber in such manner as to drive.
out the sap, and when the timber has been impregnated with liquids of a
preservative character, the air is used to drive out such fluids. The air used

page_text: may be in the natural or heated state. The arrangement of apparatus for
causing air to pass through the timber may be varied; it is, however, preferred
to employ compressed air, and to introduce it at one end of a piece of timber,
and to drive out the fluid at the other end by the passage of the air through
the pores; or the air may be introduced into a cut or cavity intermediate of
the length of the piece of timber, and the fluid be driven out at each end; or
exhausting apparatus may be applied at one end of the timber, and the other
end be left open to the atmosphere, so that the air will flow through the
timber to the vacuum. In either case the air passing in a direction from end
to end of the timber will force out the sap or other liquids, and dry or season
the timber on the interior.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same, and I would state that I
prefer to use compressed air for the purpose, which may either be at the
natural temperature or heated, but I consider it better to commence with the
nir at the ordinary temperature, in order to express out the sap or fluid before
forcing in heated or dried air, but the whole process may be performed with
air in the unheated state. I prefer to fix, by screws or otherwise, at the end
of a stick of timber a plate of metal, and either by a ring of vulcanized india-
rubber, or by other suitable material, I pack the edges so that the air forced in
between the plate and the end of the stick or piece of timber may not pass in
that direction, but be compelled to find its way through the timber; or in place
of using compressed air, the space between the plate and the end of the
timber may be exhausted by an air-pump, or otherwise, when the pressure of
the external air will cause air to pass through the timber towards the vacuum;
or in place of thus using a plate at the end of the timber, any length of the
piece or stick of timber may be enclosed in a strong vessel, one end thereof
being open to the outer atmosphere, the parts where the timber passes through
the vessel being packed or closed air-tight, when, on air being forced into such
vessel, or on such vessel being rendered vacuous, the air will force its way
through the timber, and the same will drive out the sap and liquid, and the
timber will become quickly seasoned; or in place of the means above described,
a saw cut may be made midway in the length of the timber, and be packed at
outer parts, and then by forcing air into the space caused by the cut.
I would remark, that this process may be also used when preservative
liquids have been introduced into timber; and I would also remark, that I
make no claim to the apparatus or means of preparing the timber for receiving
the air, similar means having before been resorted to for impregnating timber
with preservative fluids.

page_text: My Invention consists of causing streams of air to pass through timber or
ood, in order thereby more quickly to season such timber.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter William Barlow, have hereunto set'
iny hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
PETER WILLIAM BARLOW. (L.S.)
Vitness,
Witness to the signature of
Peter William Barlow,
WILLIAM HOWDEN,
26, Great George Street,
Westminster.