An Improved Composition for use as a Non-conductor of Heat, also applicable as a Sound-deadener, and for other uses to which similar products are put.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan.,
1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Composition for use as a Non-conductor of Heat, also
applicable as a Sound-deadener, and for other uses to which
similar products are put.
I, HENRY WARD JOHNS, of the Dakota Apartment House, 72nd Street and
8th Avenue, in the City and State of New York, in the United States of America,
Manufacturer and Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to a new and useful compound sheet, or mass peculiarly
adapted for use as a non-conductor of heat or cold and as a filling for safes,
refrigerators, &c. and also as a sound-deadening lining for partitions, floors, walls,
and for other uses to which similar products are put, and it consists in a compound
or mixture somewhat resembling that described in my U.S.A. Letters Patent
No. 385,120 dated June 26th 1888.
In that Patent 1 recite a discovery made, so far as I am aware by myself, of
the peculiar "adbesive attraction" which exists between the tentacle like lashes, or
barbs of common sponge and the fine silk-like fibres of fibrous asbestos. And in
that invention I avail myself of that peculiar quality in the manufacture of the
products recited in said Patent.
I have found however that for certain purposes very useful products can be
made which in some respects are as desirable as those made from fibrous asbestos
and sponge, to wit, by the employment of sponge either comminuted or not in
conjunction with other fibrous minerals or mineral products which either do not
have the peculiar "adhesive attraction" before referred to or which have it in so
small a degree that the resulting products would not be characterised thereby and
thus hardly within the scope of the Patent.
I have discovered that by the use of various substances I can produce a composition
which secures the following advantages
-
Great porosity, considerable bulk relative to weight, adhesive elasticity, and fire-
proof qualities at much less cost than by the employment of fibrous asbestos alone
with much less labour in the manufacture of the products.
My composition is composed of a mixture of wood, pulp, infusorial earth,
magnesia, straw, sponge, and asbestos in certain proportions as best to suit the
particular use to which it is to be put.
I may form the composition by depositing the sponge and other bodies in
successive layers thus forming a wadding-like mass, or by mechanically mixing
them together.
The resulting mass may be compressed if necessary in order to give it sufficient
tenacity to allow of its being handled when being placed in walls, floors, partitions,
and such like places.
The sponge and other bodies may be comminuted or disintegrated before mixture.
I may render the product fire-proof by treatment with silicate of soda, or the
like substance. Also the sponge or straw may be soaked with an antiseptic before
mixture with the other bodies in order to render it vermin-proof. It may also
be rendered water proof by treatment with oil or its equivalent thus repelling
mixture and avoiding dampness.
Dated this 25th day of November 1890.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Composition for use as a Non-conductor of Heat, also
applicable as a Sound-deadener, and for other uses to which
similar products are put.
I, HENRY WARD JOHNS of the Dakota Apartment House, 72nd Street and
8th Avenue, New York City, New York, United States of America, Manufacturer
and Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 a new and useful non-conducting covering for heated
surfaces specially intended for pipes, boilers &c. and it consists in making the covering
of wood pulp mixed when in the pulp form or when in finely divided condition with
plaster of paris, chalk, diatomaceous or infusorial earth, magnesia, ground asbestos the
various clays or like foreign bodies. The wood pulp or the wood pulp and other
materials, as above stated are also mixed with sawdust, comminuted or chopped straw,
hay, cork, sponge or with hair, asbestos fibre or other fibrous or porous material
which will reduce the weight and add to the strength, porosity or the air containing
character of the product. The said foreign bodies may be used separately in con-
junction with the wood pulp &c. or two or more of them may be combined. The said
materials are mixed into a homogeneous mass and pulped or rendered plastic by the
addition of water or other suitable liquid whereby it may be easily manipulated. I
apply the coverings to the heated surfaces either in the form of a plastic, or plaster-
like mass by the use of the trowel or other suitable implement, or I form it into
sheets or plates of such thickness as may be required, ordinarily from about one-
quarter of an inch to an inch and a half and during the forming operation I prefer to
give it such configuration as will conform to the shape of the surface to be protected,
that is to say, it may be made into tubes adapted to fit over the pipes being then split
longitudinally if desired, so as to be readily applied, or it may be left in tubular form
to be slipped over the ends of the pipes, or it may be formed into curved or other
shaped plates to conform to the surface to be protected. I prefer to fire-proof the
combustible ingredients before making the forms, plates or sheets, by suitable treatment
with a fire-proofing compound or material. When applied in the plastic form 1
preferably but not necessarily apply to the heated surface a layer or coating of fire-
proof material, preferably asbestos, although equivalent material may be used, and
when my improved covering is made up into forms, plates or sheets as before stated,
I prefer to line the side thereof which comes in contact with the heated surface with
a fire-proof coating or layer of asbestos or like material. The fire-proof lining
should preferably but not necessarily be attached to the covering so that it may be
handled, transported and used without separating from the covering.
My covering is a totally different product from paper, straw-board and the like
products, which I am aware have heretofore been made from pulp mixed with earth
or various clays as fillers; such prior products would be entirely unsuited to the
purposes of my invention. They are, as I believe, always compressed and ordinarily
calendered during the process of manufacture, the express intent in their manufacture
being to give them great density and to remove as far as possible all porosity or soft-
ness in their structure, whereas under my invention 1 desire to preserve as much as
possible the cellular structure of the product; I therefore make a very soft, porous
and compressible product for the express purpose of retaining in its structure as many
air spaces as possible. My product would be absolutely useless for the purpose for which
paper and straw-board filled with the earths &c. are useful, and such hard, dense non-
porous products would be useless for my purpose. I am also aware that heretofore
some of the foreign bodies which I refer to above have been made into coverings for
heated surfaces, there having been fibrous material used in the mass to bind it
together. Such prior coverings are not such as 1 make under my present invention;
in them the fibrous material is used in relatively small proportions for the purpose of

page_text: binding the plaster like mass which was itself relied upon for non-conduction, whereas
in my covering I rely for non-conduction mainly upon the light, porous character of
my fibrous product due to its peculiar structure as it contains innumerable small air
cells, and I use the clays, chalk, magnesia, ground asbestos, and other bodies named
in relatively small proportions as a non-inflammable coating for the fibres which
compose the major part of my covering, thus rendering the product additionally fire-
proof, and also as a cementing material.
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 :-
First: A non-conducting compound composed essentially of a major part of wood
pulp mixed with infusorial earth, magnesia or like material, substantially as set forth.
Second A non-conducting covering composed essentially of a major part of wood
pulp mixed with infusorial earth, magnesia or other like material, and with straw,
sponge or like porous or fibrous material, substantially as set forth.
Third: A non-conducting covering composed essentially of a major part of wood
pulp mixed with infusorial earth, magnesia or like material, and with straw, sponge
or like porous or fibrous material and with a layer of fire-proofing material between
the covering and the surface to be protected, substantially as set forth.
Fourth A non-conducting covering composed essentially of a major part of wood
pulp mixed with infusorial earth, magnesia, or like material made into forms or
plates which conform substantially to the surface to be protected, substantially as set
forth.
Fifth A non-conducting covering composed essentially of a major part of wood
pulp mixed with infusorial earth, magnesia or like material, the combustible ingredients
being rendered incombustible, substantially as set forth.
Sixth A non-conducting covering composed essentially of a major part of wood
pulp mixed with infusorial earth, magnesia, or like material, and with straw, sponge,
or like porous or fibrous material, the combustible ingredients being rendered incom-
bustible, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of October 1890.
HENRY WARD JOHNS.