IMPROVEMENTS IN THE Manu- FACTURE OF SLABS OR BLOCKS FROM WOOD OR PAPER PULP, OR FROM SHEETS MADE FROM SUCH PULP, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Abraham Brode, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE Manu-
FACTURE OF SLABS OR BLOCKS FROM WOOD OR PAPER PULP, OR FROM
SHEETS MADE FROM SUCH PULP, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 15th June 1880, and dated the 17th December 1879.
'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Abraham Brode at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th December 1879.
LOUIS ABRAHAM BRODE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SLABS OR BLOCKS FROM WOOD OR
PAPER PULP, OR FROM SHEETS MADE FROM SUCH PULP, THE SAME BEING APPLI-
CABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
The said Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of slabs or blocks
or other articles from wood or paper pulp, such as rag or straw pulp, or from sheets
made from such pulp. According to the said Invention, in making flat slabs or
blocks or similar articles the pulp is formed into sheets, so that two, three, or more
sheets will give the thickness of slab or block required, or sheets already formed,
such as straw boards, may be taken. The said sheets are then coated with a
solution of gum, tragacanth or tragacanthin, formed by dissolving it in water to
about the thickness of treacle. When this has thoroughly soaked in the sheets
are coated with a paste formed of rye or wheaten flour, pitch powder, litharge,
alum, and gelatine prepared by boiling together about thirteen parts of the flour
with two parts each of the alum and gelatine and one part of the litharge. When
the paste has been boiled and has become cold about two parts of fine powdered
pitch are mixed therewith.
The sheets coated as above described are placed together to form the block or
slab or other article, which being placed between zinc or other sheets or plates are
pressed in a suitable press which will give a great pressure, such as a hydraulic
press, for about 12 hours, when they are removed from the press and zinc plates
and are placed in a drying chamber and submitted for about 12 hours to a tempe-
rature of about 100° Fahrenheit. They are then removed from the drying chamber
71

page_text: and submitted to great pressure between heated plates until the said "plates
become cold. The slabs or blocks or other articles can then be covered with veneer,
which may be affixed by the gum before mentioned and paste before described, or
in the ordinary way; or they may be enamelled, which may be effected by or the
foundations for which is given by saturating them with tar varnish and submitting
them to a high temperature, which will cause the varnish to penetrate the slab,
block, or other article. The pulp may be formed at once of the thickness of the
slab or block or article required instead of in separate sheets placed together, but
the latter method is preferable.
In making moulded articles the pulp, from which the greater amount of water is 1
expelled, is mixed together with the gum before mentioned and the paste before
described, and the article is moulded and then pressed to expel as much moisture
as possible, and then heated and dried under pressure if such can be conveniently
effected, applied essentially as described with regard to slabs; they may then be
enamelled as before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent bled by
the said Louis Abraham Brode in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
June 1880.
LOUIS ABRAHAM BRODE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SLABS OR BLOCKS FROM WOOD OR
PAPER PULP, OR FROM SHEETS MADE FROM SUCH PULP, THE SAME BEING APPLI-
CABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
My said Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of slabs or blocks
or other articles from the pulp of wood or paper pulp, such as rag or straw pulp, or
from sheets made from such pulp, and is particularly applicable to the manufacture
of table tops, such as those of sewing machines and other similar flat articles, but
is also applicable to the manufacture of other articles which can be formed or
moulded as hereinafter described and then submitted to pressure.
In carrying my said Invention into effect in making flat slabs or blocks, such as
table tops or the like, the pulp is formed into sheets or layers (and deprived of the
greater part of the water the pulp contains), so that two, three, or more such sheets
or layers will give the required thickness of slabs or blocks or similar articles, or
sheets already formed, such, for example, as "straw boards," may be employed in
place of the said sheets or layers of pulp for the purposes of my Invention. The
said sheets or layers are then coated with a solution of gum, tragacanth or traga-
canthin, formed by dissolving it in water to about the thickness of treacle. When
this solution has thoroughly soaked into the material of the said sheets or layers
the said sheets or layers are coated with a paste formed as follows:-A mixture of
rye or wheaten flour, pitch powder, litharge, alum, and gelatine is prepared by
boiling together about thirteen parts (by measure) of the flour with two parts by
measure each of the alum and gelatine and one part by measure of the litharge.
When this mixture has been boiled and thoroughly incorporated by stirring during
boiling it is allowed to become cold, when about two parts by measure of fine
powdered pitch are mixed and thoroughly incorporated therewith. The sheets or
layers coated as above described are placed together, such a number of such sheets
or layers being employed as is requisite to form the required thickness of slabs or
blocks or similar articles, which are then placed between zinc or other sheets or
plates to separate the said slabs or blocks or similar articles the one from the other,
and the whole is placed in a press and therein subjected to pressure, any press
(such as a hydraulic press) which will give a great pressure being suitable for the
purpose. The said slabs or blocks or similar articles are allowed to remain sub-
jected to this pressure for about twelve hours, when they are removed from the
press and the zinc or other plates are removed therefrom, and the said slubs, blocks,
or similar articles are placed in a drying chamber or other drying place and
submitted therein for about twelve hours to a temperature of about one hundred
degrees Fahrenheit. The said slabs or blocks or similar articles are or may be then
covered with veneer, which may be affixed by a solution of gum, tragacanth or
tragacanthin, and the paste before described, or in the ordinary way; or they may
be enamelled, which may be effected as follows:-The slabs, blocks, or other articles
when they are removed from the drying chamber are submitted to great pressure
in the manner hereinbefore described, but between heated metal plates, and remain
subjected to this pressure until the said plates become cold. The degree to which
these plates are heated may be any degree, such as will not burn or char or
otherwise injure the material of the slabs or blocks or similar articles. The
foundation for the enamelling is given by saturating them with tar varnish and
submitting them to a high temperature, which will cause the tar varnish to
penetrate the slabs, blocks, or like articles.

page_text: The pulp may be formed at once of the thickness of the slab or block or similar
article required instead of in separate sheets placed together, in which case the
solution of gum, tragacanth or tragacanthin, and the hereinbefore described paste
are mixed and thoroughly incorporated with the pulp (which is deprived of any
excessive amount of water by pressure or otherwise) in the proportions by measure
of about one part of gum solution and one part of the paste to three parts of the
pulp, and the slabs, blocks, or similar articles thus formed are treated by pressure
and heat as hereinbefore described. In carrying this part of my Invention into
effect a mould is employed, in which the pulp is placed and pressed to expel the
surplus water, and after the gum and paste have been mixed with the pulp in the 1
said mould pressure is again applied, by which moisture is expelled and the
materials forced into a compact mass. The mould or part thereof may have per-
forations therein for the escape of the moisture. I prefer however to form the
slabs, blocks, or like articles as herein first described.
In making the slabs or blocks or like articles a layer or layers of wood may be 1
embedded in or between the sheets or layers of pulp or sheets of paper material,
so that by the relative proportions of the wood and pulp or paper material any
required weight of slab, block, or like article may be obtained.
In making moulded articles, such as basins, the pulp of wood or paper material
(from which the greater amount of water is expelled) is mixed with the gum and 2
paste and moulded in a mould of a shape corresponding to that of the article being
made, and otherwise treated essentially as before described with regard to the
making of slabs or blocks or like articles at once of the requisite thickness; the
articles thus formed may then be enamelled, as before described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said 2
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the is or may
be used, or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The improvements in the manufacture of slabs or blocks from the pulp of wood 3
or paper pulp, or from sheets made from such pulp, and in the manufacture of such
other articles (as can be moulded and submitted to pressure) from the said materials
by treating the said materials with a solution of gum, tragacanth or tragacanthin,
and a paste (composed as herein before described), and subjecting them to heat and
pressure, essentially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Abraham Brode, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
3
L. A. BRODE. (L.B.)