IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ASPHALTUM AND OTHER BITUMINOUS OR RESINOUS MATERIALS TO BE USED FOR PAVING AND SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Vaughan, of 67, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF ASPHALTUM AND OTHER BITUMINOUS OR RESINOUS
MATERIALS TO BE USED FOR PAVING AND SIMILAR PURPOSES." A commu-
nication from abroad by Ernest Farrington, of Paris, in the Republic of
France
Sealed the 23rd December 1879, and dated the 26th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Vaughan
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1879.
GEORGE EDWARD VAUGHAN, of 67, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ASPHALTUM AND OTHER
BITUMINOUS OR RESINOUS MATERIALS TO BE USED FOR PAVING AND SIMILAR
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Ernest Farrington, of Paris, in the
Republic of France.
The object of this Invention is to provide a means of restoring to the solid or
compact form without the aid of heat, the pulverised asphaltums, and other
bituminous or resinous materials used for paving and other similar purposes.
To this end I effect the partial or superficial solution of the said pulverised
materials by impregnating them with bi-sulphide of carbon or with certain liquid
and volatile hydrocarbons, such as various descriptions of naphtha, benzine or
benzole, and other light spirits, essences, or oils exercising a solvent action on
bituminous or resinous substances, and capable of rapid evaporation on exposure
to the air.
The materials to be treated, being reduced to powder by any of the known
processes, are placed in a metallic or other suitable vessel and incorporated with
from one to three per cent. by weight of the solvent, the mass being stirred
by any appropriate means until uniform impregnation is effected. The product
is then stored away in air tight vessels till required for use, when, being spread
over the surface to be covered, it is compressed by stamping or rolling in the usual
way, the process of solidification being completed by the spontaneous evaporation
of the volatile solvent employed in its preparation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Edward Vaughan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
December 1879. (
86
ד
GEORGE EDWARD VAUGHAN, of 67, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ASPHALTUM AND OTHER
BITUMINOUS OR RESINOUS MATERIALS TO BE USED FOR PAVING AND SIMILAR
PURPOSES." (A communication from abroad by Ernest Farrington, of Paris, in the
Republic of France.)
The object of this Invention is to provide a means of restoring to the solid or
compact form without the aid of heat, the pulverised asphaltums, and other
bituminous or resinous materials used for paving and other similar purposes.
To this end I effect the partial or superficial solution of the said pulverised_
materials by impregnating them with bi-sulphide of carbon or with certain liquid
and volatile hydrocarbons, such as various descriptions of naphtha, benzine, or
benzole, and other light spirits, essences, or oils excercising a solvent action on
bituminous or resinous substances, and capable of 'rapid evaporation on exposure
to the air.
The materials to be treated, being reduced to powder by any of the known
processes are placed in a metallic or other suitable vessel, and incorporated with
from one to three per cent. by weight of the solvent, the mass being stirred by any
appropriate means until uniform impregnation is effected. The product is then
stored away in air-tight vessels till required for use, when, being spread over the
surface to be covered it is compressed by stamping or rolling in the usual way,
the process of solidification being completed by the spontaneous evaporation of
the volatile solvent employed in the preparation. The rapidity of evaporation may
be modified and controlled at will by the admixture in variable proportions of
solvents possessing different degrees of volatility, such, for instance, as of sulphuret
of carbon and light coal oil. One advantage presented by such admixtures over a
single solvent of given density is that the asphaltic surface being partially solidified
by the rapid evaporation of the more volatile of the two solvents, the remaining
fluid évaporates more gradually from the body of the mass, which thus retains its
plastic qualities for a longer time. Several of the compressible asphaltums, such,
for instance, as those of Scyssel, Pyrimont, and the Val de Travers, contain a
calcareous basis in a state of extreme division, which has been found to interfere
with the uniform diffusion of the solvent in small quantities when applied directly
as above. With such asphaltums the portions of the mass which first come in
contact with the solvent tend to form pasty clots, which, retaining the fluid to a
certain extent, add greatly to the difficulty of complete impregnation. With such
products it becomes necessary to provide an auxiliary medium, which, while dividing
the fluid acts as a vehicle for its distribution through the mass under treatment.
For this purpose many substances may be employed, sucb, for instance, as ground
limestone, fine sand, or other inert pulverulent material capable of absorbing the
fluid without becoming pasty, and of conveying it through the asphaltum without
exercising any injurious action thereon.
The following process has been found to give satifactory results in practice:-
A given quantity of ground calcareous stone of a porous description, such as is
generally used by Paris builders, is impregnated by aid of heat with bitumen of
good quality forming a species of artificial asphaltum.
To, say, fifteen or twenty pounds of this bituminized powder are added from one
to two pounds of sulphuret of carbon, petroleum spirit, or other solvent, singly or in
mixture as above, and the whole being well mixed is incorporated with, say, one
hundred pounds weight of the asphaltum to be treated, which by this means becomes
uniformly impregnated throughout with the required proportion of volatile fluid.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said improvements, and the manner in
which the same are or may be carried into effect, I declare that what I claim and
desire to protect by Letters Patent is the treatment of pulverised asphaltums and
other bituminous or resinous materials used for paving or similar purposes by a
partial or superficial solution of the said materials effected by means of an
appropriate volatile solvent, in manner and for the purpose substantially as hercin-
before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Vaughan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
GEO. E. VAUGHAN. (18.)