A New Material for Use in the Construction of Receptacles, Pipes, and other Articles for Use in the Petroleum Trade.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 30th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
A New Material for Use in the Construction of Receptacles, Pipes,
and other Articles for Use in the Petroleum Trade.
I, HENRY Thame 3 Winders Road Battersea Surrey Electrical Engineer do heroby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows —
Hitherto it has not been found possible to use for any length of time any material
for storing or holding Petroleum as the Petroleum is found to sweat or get thro'
the materials used thereby causing considerable loss & leakage.
•
•
My invention relates to the manufacture of Storage Vats, boxes or barrals tubes or
pipes funnels &o. & consists in making the above from bibulous paper said paper being
treated with a solution of Shellac or other suitable material dissolved in Alcohol or or
dissolving medium, in making boxes or barrels we construct them out of several sheets
each sheet forming a seperate box or barrel of itself these several boxes being then
put together so that the joint in one is overlapped by the next one, the whole being
submitted to pressure so as to consolidate them into a homogenous mass.
In making tubes pipes or funnels, I roll the paper treated as above while in a
moist state round a mandrel, this tube being afterwards drawn thro' a die to
consolidate the whole or I may first make the vats, tubes, funnels barrels &c. from
paper pulp, using for this purpose, a suitable mould & drawing the pulp into the shape
by means of a vacuum & aftor drying the paper barrel, tube vats &c. treat it with the
solution herein before mentioned, or I may make a mixture of paper pulp & Shellac
solution, & mould this mixture by the above mentioned process.

page_text: A New Material for Use in the Construction of Receptacles, Pipes,
and other Articles for Use in the Petroleum Trade.
I HENRY THAME," of 3 Winders Road, Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Electrical
Engineer 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 :-
It has long been a desideratum to provide, for the reception and storing of petrolcum,
vessels of such a character as would neither leak nor sweat, petroleum being of so
penetrating a character as to find its way through all the materials hitherto available
for the manufacture of storage vessels.
Now as the result of many experiments, I have discovered a mode or modes of
preparing a material which is impervious to petroleum, and which can be used either
for lining wooden or metal vessels, or for manufacture alone into petroloum vessels, or
funnels, or pipes, for use in the petroleum trade.
My improved material consists of a soft or pulpy substance composed of fibre and
shellac intimately mixed together. The manner of preparing this material may vary
according to the special uses to which it is to be applied. Thus, for example, I take
bibulous paper, and treat it with shellac dissolved in alcohol or other suitable medium,
in the proportions hereinafter described, and while soft, l. employ it in the manufacture
of receptacles, pipes, or other articles. Supposing a round, square, or polygonal
vessel is to be formed, I provide a core or former" of the shape and dimensions
corresponding to those of the body of the vessel to be manufactured, and dust it over
with chalk to prevent the adhesion of the material thereto. I then apply the saturated
bibulous paper to the “former " in layers, taking care that the laps of the layers shall
break joint so as to avoid the possibility of a breakage occurring at the joints.
66
Having thus formed the walls of the vessel, I construct a bottom of the same
material, bending up the edges around the lower edge of the walls, and securing the
joint, if necessary, by liquid shellac. If the vessel is to be covered or receive a
contracted neck, like an ordinary oil can, I shape the neck upon a former after the
manner of constructing the body, and secure it in place in the way described for fixing
on the bottom. The application of the neck or covering will be after the core has been
removed from the body of the vessel, and when the walls are sufficiently hard to
prevent them getting out of shape during the completion of the manufacture.
When applying the invention to the lining of barrels, I first make the lining
on an expanding and contracting core corresponding in shape to the interior
of the barrel, by laying around the same coils of the bibulous paper. On removing
the core, I apply end pieces to the lining, securing the joints by liquid shellac,
and when necessary, I fit the lining with short pipes where the bung holo and the
tap hole occur. The barrel is then built up around the lining after the usual manner
of constructing a cask.
The number of the layers or coatings to form the walls and bottom of the petroleum
vessel, or the lining of such vessel, will vary according to circumstances.
When it is

page_text: Jn
intended to strengthen the vessel externally, and to use the saturated bibulous paper
as a mere lining, as in the example of the barrel just mentioned, two, or at the most
three layers, will suffice. But when the vessel is to receive no external strengthening
supports, a greater thickness of material must be employed, such thickness being
regulated by the size of the vessel and the weight which it is intended to carry.
proparing this bibulous paper, prefer to use it in long lengths or rolls, and just
sufficiently thick to enable it to be safely handled. The paper, in this form, 1 lead
through a bath of the shellac solution, and then under and over guide rolls, to expose it
to the air, and to permit of the rapid evaporation of the volatile solvent. It is while
the paper
in a soft or unset state, that I employ it in the manufacture of vessels, or
of the linings for vessels, and I thus secure a firm adhesion of the layers, while a
homogeneous compound, impervious to petroleum oil, is obtained.
In making tubes or pipes, I lay the paper, treated as above, while in a moist state,
round a mandril powdered with chalk, and afterwards draw it through a die to con-
solidate the whole. A convenient way of constructing tubes and pipes is to coil a strip
of the bibulous paper helically around a mandril, and to reverso the direction of the
coils at every succeeding layer.
In the manufacture of funnels, I provide a "former," and having powdered it with
chalk, lay the saturated paper around it, either as strips or es picces cut to form a cone,
concentrating the material while still in a comparatively soft state, by the application
of pressure, when thought desirable.
This
Instead of using bibulous paper, and saturating it with dissolved chellac, I may
employ paper pulp in a dry state, or what is known as wood-meal (fine-sawdust), and
knead the same with the shellac solution so as to produce a kind of dough.
material I may convert into vessels by moulding, or I may employ it to close the joints
of wooden tanks or other vessels used in the storage of petroleumi. This will be
particularly applicable when the tanks have been coated internally with shellac
varnish, which, although effectual to protect the face of the wood exposed to the
petroleum, does not provide for the making of tight joints.
The pulp or dough prepared as above described admits of being moulded into pipes
after the manner of plastic clay, and it forms an impervious cement suitable for the
junction of petroleum pipes cither with each other or with the receptacles for the oil,
In place of filling the angles of tanks with this material, the angle joints may be
equally well secured by the application thereto of bibulous paper prepared as above
mentioned.
The solution 1 have found to work best in practice, both for the saturation of the
bibulous paper and the conversion of the dry pulp into a plastic compound, is composed
of gallon of methylated spirit to 4 lbs. of shellac.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1st. The new material or compound consisting of finely reduced fibre intimately
combined with shellac as above described.
2nd. The employment of the new material or compound, whether in sheets, or in
the form of dough, in the manufacture of vessels, pipes, and other receptacles for
petroleum oils.
NEWTON & SUN,
Agents for the Applicant.