IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF VARIOUS SUBSTANCES SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME NON-INFLAMMARLE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Versmann and Alphons Oppenheim, of
Bury Court, St. Mary Axe, in the City of London, Analytical Chemists,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF VARIOUS
SUBSTANCES SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME NON-INFLAMMARLE
Sealed the 6th March 1860, and dated the 12th September 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Versmann
and Alphons Oppenheim at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 12th September 1859.
We, FREDERICK VERSMANN and ALPHONS OPPENHEIM, of Bury Court, St.
Mary Axe, in the City of London, Analytical Chemists, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention-for." IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF VARIOUS
SUBSTANCES SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME NON-INFLAMMABLE," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to preparing various articles so as to render
.them non-inflammable, by applying to or incorporating with them the oxides
. of tin and their bydrates, also the tungstates of soda, or of potash, or of
ammonia.
When the object is to obtain the hydrated oxides, or the oxides of tin, we
.proceed, by preference, by first obtaining a solution of the protochloride, or the

page_text: bichloride of tin, into which the articles to be preserved are immersed for a
time, and then removed to an alkaline solution, say, of ammonia, soda, or
potash, or the carbonates of the same, or the stannates of soda, or of potash,
by which the oxides of tin or their bydrates will be precipitated and fixed to
the articles.
Or we immerse the articles in a solution of the stannates of soda or potash,
and precipitate the hydrated oxide of tin thereon by a suitable salt or acid.
When using the tungstates of soda, or of potash or of ammonia, we obtain
solutions of those tungstates, combined sometimes with a small proportion of
phosphoric acid, or of a salt of the same, and we immerse the articles to be
preserved for a time in such solution.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,. filed
by the said Frederick Versmann and Alphons Oppenheim, in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th March 1860..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we; FREDERICK
VERSMANN and ALPHONS OPPENHEIM, of Bury Court, St. Mary Axe, in the
City of London, Analytical Chemists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Frederick Versmann and Alphons Oppenheim, Her special licence that
we, the said Frederick Versmann and Alphons Oppenheim, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Frederick Versmann
and Alphons Oppenheim, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF VARIOUS SUBSTANCES SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME NON-INFLAMMABLE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Frederick Versmann and
Alphons Oppenheim, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: 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 we, the said Frederick Versmann and Alphons
Oppenheim, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate to preparing various articles so as to render them
non-inflammable, by applying to or incorporating with them the oxides of tin
and their hydrates, also the tungstates of soda, or of potash, or of ammonia.
When the object is to obtain the hydrated oxides or the oxides of tin, we
proceed, by preference, by first obtaining a solution of the protochloride or
the bichloride of tin, into which the articles to be preserved are immersed
for a time, and then removed to an alkaline solution, say, of ammonia, soda,
or potash, or the carbonates of the same, or the stannates of soda or of potash,
by which the oxides of tin or their hydrates will be precipitated and fixed to
the articles.
Or we immerse the articles in a solution of the stannates of soda or potash,
and precipitate the hydrated oxide of tin thereon by a suitable salt or acid. "
When using the tungstates of soda, or of potash, or of ammonia, we obtain
solutions of those tungstates, combined sometimes with a small proportion of
phosphoric acid, or of a salt of the same, and we immerse the articles to be
preserved for a time in such solution.
But that the nature of our improvements may be fully understood, so
as to be readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the same
more
in detail.
Our improvements may be divided into two parts, the first referring to the
rendering of substances permanently non-inflammable, so that the matters
incorporated with them do not wash out, the second referring to the rendering
of substances non-inflammable by a process which wants renewing each time
O after the prepared substance has been washed, having, however, the advantage
over other processes of a similar nature of allowing fabrics thus prepared to
be ironed without receiving thereby any injury.
The first process, viz., that by which we render substances permanently
non-inflammable may be carried out, either by soaking the substances in a
5 strong solution of protochloride or of perchloride (bichloride) of tin, and
afterwards precipitating the oxides of tin or their hydrates, by treating the
substances with an alkaline solution, say, of ammonia, soda, or potash, or the
carbonates of the same, or the stannates of soda or of potash, or by soaking

page_text: the substance first in an alkaline solution, and afterwards in a solution of
protochloride or of perchloride of tin.
If fabrics such as canvas are to be prepared with oxide of tin, we prefer to
proceed in the following manner:-The fabric is first soaked for two days in
à solution of protochloride of tin, containing two parts of crystallized salt in
one part of water, and afterwards left for one day in a concentrated solution of
stannate of soda. It is then dried, and afterwards washed to remove the
excess of precipitate.
The second process, or that by which we render substances non-inflammable,
but which will in most cases require renewing, is obtained by the use of
tungstate of soda, or of potash, or of ammonia, and consists in obtaining
solutions of either of these salts of sufficient strength, and then soaking the
substances therein till fully saturated, when they are to be removed and dried.
If the solution of tungstate has to be kept for some time, we find it
advantageous to add to it a small proportion of phosphoric acid, or of a
soluble phosphate, in order to prevent the formation of an insoluble salt:
We give preference to the neutral tungstate of soda, and in preparing a
solution which has to be kept for some time, we have found the following
proportions to answer well :-We take two pounds and a half of this salt, and
add to it six ounces of phosphate of soda and a gallon of water.
To prepare fabrics with tungstate of soda, we soak them in a solution of
this salt, containing two and a half pounds to a gallon of water, after they
have undergone other finishing processes, and they are then dried and ironed;
or we apply the tungstate of soda, in combination with the starching process,
and this we do, by preference, in the following manner :-We mix three parts
of neutral tungstate of soda, with two parts of starch, and by preference with
a small quantity of French chalk, in the proportion of about one ounce of
French chalk to one pound of tungstate of soda. This mixture we stir with
some cold water, and then add a sufficient quantity of boiling water to produce
a solution of proper strength. We starch fabrics with this mixture, as when
using ordinary starch, and afterwards dry them and iron them, as may be
desired. Blue coloring matter, such as ordinarily used, may be added to the
mixture, or employed separately as in the ordinary way.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the means
we have found to answer in practice in carrying the same into effect, we would
have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the proportions referred to,
as these may be varied, and are only given as illustrations to guide in operation;
but what we claim as our Invention is, the application of the oxides of

page_text: tin and of their hydrates, and of the tungstates of soda or potash, or of
ammonia, for the purpose of rendering various substances non-inflammable.
In witness whereof, we, the said Frederick Versmann and Alphons
Oppenheim, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day
of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
(L.S.)
FRED. VERSMANN.
ALPHONS OPPENHEIM. (L.S.)
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.