Improvements in Apparatus for Impregnating Long Pieces of Wood.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Impregnating Long Pieces of Wood.
I, GEORG FRIEDRICH LEBIODA, of 26, Rue Denfert, Rochereau, Boulogne sur
Seine, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer, 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:-
-
This invention relates to an apparatus for impregnating long pieces of wood.
The following are used as impregnating liquids, namely:
1. Cold or warm water, either pure or mixed with suitable additions in order
to expel the natural sap from the wood and to ripen the wood.
2. Colouring substances of suitable composition for artificially colouring the
wood.
3. Antiseptic or the like substances, which render the fermenting substances
in the wood non-deleterious and thus prevent putrefaction, and which protect
the wood against the attacks of worms and insects.
4. Fire resisting substances for protecting the wood from destruction by fire.
5. Other suitable liquid or gaseous substances which are suitable for treating
tree trunks or long pieces of wood.
The improved apparatus is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section,
igure 2 an end view.
Figure a vertical section on the line A B of Figure 1, and
Figure 4 a vertical section on the line CD of Figure 1.
The apparatus consists of a vessel or cylinder a which rests in a horizontal
position on a suitable frame. This cylinder a is provided at each end with a flange
for receiving a cover g. In the interior of the cylinder there is arranged a steam
worm b, which allows of the liquid. in the interior of the vessel being heated.
Three slide bars or rails for the rollers d of a wagon frame e which carries the
wood, are also provided in the centre of the cylinder a.
The two covers or ends g are connected with the cylinder
and
may be firmly connected with the annular flanges of the
hinged bolts, whilst india-rubber rings or washer rings of metal or other
suitable material further secure an air tight joint.
by means of hinges h,
cylinder by means of.
Each cover g is, in the present example of construction, provided with four.
cylindrical excrescences 7. These excrescences are extended into the form of
tubes m in which there are arranged spindles provided at one end with a screw
thread. The spindles t, which are provided with hand wheels are fitted tightly
towards the outer end through stuffing boxes », whilst the end provided with the
screw thread engages in a lining block, so that by rotating the hand wheel v
in one direction or the other, suitable movement of the spindles takes place.
The spindles t have a collar or head to engage in the end of hollow cylinders o
which exactly fit in the cylindrical excrescences 1. The walls of the cylinders o are
provided with openings and the ends with openings f for the inlet and outlet
of the liquid. The cylinders o are provided with a flange or projecting edge,
which is arranged on the one hand to receive plates p, and on the other hand to
70.77

page_text: engage in washer grooves y formed in the covers g. The plates 2, which are
preferably formed of steel, are in the present form of construction each provided
with six perforations which in turn are surrounded by annular sharp edged
bosses r.
The sharp edges or cutters r have for their object to penetrate the ends
of the wood to be treated and to thus render possible both a secure holding fast
of the wood, and a thorough joint at the admission and discharge places.
Instead of the four cylinders shown, each having six perforations 9, other
proportions may of course according to requirements be selected. Also with an
equal number of cylinders, by using other plates p, a great variety may be
obtained.
The wood to be treated is preferably placed in frame-work wagons in the manner
shown in Figure 4, the compartments of which correspond exactly with the
arrangement and number of the openings q..
The vessel a is provided on its periphery with a tap for the admission of the
impregnating liquid, and a tap for the discharge of the same, a safety valve 2,
a tap for attaching a high pressure pump, a manometer 4, a tap 5 for admitting
steam to the worm b, and a tap 6 for discharging same. A thermometer 7 for
indicating the temperature of the liquid contained in the vessel is also provided,
and finally also each cylindrical excrescence is provided with a discharge tap 8
through which the liquid passing through the openings f can escape.
The operation and mode of working of the apparatus hereinbefore described is
as follows:
0
The spindles t on the right side are first rotated by means of the hand wheels
so far backwards that an air tight joint between the flange and the annular
groovey is formed. One of the covers or ends y is then opened whilst the other
remains air-tightly screwed on the apparatus. The framework wagon loaded with
wood is then run in. The apparatus is then closed by means of the hinged bolts i,
and on this side the hollow cylinders o are pushed so far forward that the cutters r
engage in the wood. The taps 8 on the right side are then opened, and all the
other taps closed except the inlet tap . As may be seen from Figure 1, the
openingss of the cylinders o on the right side are closed, whilst the openings s
of the cylinders on the left hand side are open, and are in communi-
cation with the interior of the cylinder a. If the liquid be then allowed to enter
through the tap and the tap 3 be opened after the tap has been closed, the liquid
under the action of the pressure can only penetrate the wood from the left hand
side in the longitudinal direction of the fibres. As the liquid which is under high
pressure finds no other exit except through the wood, it will penetrate the wood
very soon to its entire length and enter the cylinders o on the right hand side,
from which it escapes through the openings f and the taps S. The liquid is
preferably pumped from the tap 8 again by means of a pressure pump into the
cylinder. After the liquid has penetrated the wood from left to right it may also
be caused to flow from right to left. For this object the taps 8 on the right hand
side are closed, and those on the left hand side opened. By operating the
hand wheels, the left hand side cylinders o are drawn back, and the right hand
side cylinders pushed forward, until a thoroughly tight joint between the flanges e
and the annular grooves y on the left hand side of the apparatus is effected. In
this manner the direction of the impregnating liquid may be changed without
diminishing for a moment the degree of high pressure in the apparatus.
This change of direction is very advantageous and in some cases for instance
when colours are used, even absolutely necessary, because otherwise one end of a
trunk would easily be more strongly coloured than the other. The change of direc-
tion is however preferable even in impregnating, because the respective operations
proceed very rapidly, and with such a change of direction impregnation is con-
siderably more regular.
When the impregnation has been completed, the high pressure pump is shut
off, taps 8 are closed, and the tap 1 opened with the object of entirely emptying
the cylinder. The cover is then opened by the hinge bolts and the framework

page_text: wagon with the finished treated wood is drawn out of the apparatus. The opera-
tion hereinbefore described is then repeated.
The method of impregnating herein before described allows of a perfect or com-
plete and extremely rapid treatment of the hardest and freshest woods of thick
diameter. The impregnation takes place with a constant flow through the wood,
and the liquid is forced to take its course through the wood in the direction of the
fibres consequently the necessary quantity of impregnating substance can be
deposited on the wood. The great advantage which this improved apparatus
affords over all apparatuses hitherto known are as follows:-
1. The wood is not merely impregnated on the surface, but to its heart or to the
core of the wood.
2. The treatment of whole trunks of thick diameter and of any length is ren-
dered possible.
3. The impregnating of the wood may take place whether it be fresh or dried.
4. The impregnating is effected with extraordinary speed.
In a very few hours, freshly felled hard tree-trunks, such for instance as stone
oaks, may be converted into a wood entirely freed from natural sap, and ready
for being worked immediately. In an hour, whole tree trunks may receive an
excellent and complete colouring. In 15 minutes railway sleepers of fir or beech
and in 25 minutes those of oak wood may be impregnated. In equally short
periods of time whole stems or smaller pieces of wood may be impregnated
with fire-resisting substances and thus rendered proof against the attack of the
strongest fire.
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
1. An apparatus for impregnating tree trunks or lengthy pieces of wood,
comprising a vessel or cylinder (a) having two ends or covers (9) provided with a
number of cylindrical excrescences (e) in which there are adjustably arranged
hollow cylinders (o) having inserted plates (?) provided with a number of perfora-
tions (7) surrounded by annular sharp edged bosses or cutters (r) with the object
of enabling tree trunks or long pieces of wood to be held fast between the per-
forated plates (2) and of facilitating the penetration of the impregnating fluid
in the direction of the fibres substantially as herein before described.
2. In apparatus such as described for impregnating wood, providing the adjus-
table hollow cylinders (0) with openings such as sand f, and with projecting
flanges adapted to engage corresponding annular grooves (y) provided in the
ends (9) of the main cylinder, whereby the hollow cylinders (o) may be closed
tightly against the said ends (g) to shut the openings & whilst the openings f com-
municate with taps (8) substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole forming
the improved apparatus for impregnating wood, substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 1
1
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool. Agents for the Applicant.