IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES LESS PERVIOUS. TO AIR AND LIQUIDS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stenhouse, of 11, Upper Brunswick Terrace,
Barnsbury Road, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, for the Inven-
tion of Tme by Dayan Y SHOANG DENG
Sealed the 24th June 1862, and dated the 8th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stenhouse at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
January 1862.
I, JOHN STENHOUSE, of 11, Upper Brunswick Terrace, Barnsbury Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES LESS PERVIOUS.
TO AIR AND LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in rendering substances less
pervious to air and liquids. I take paraffine, either alone, or mixtures of
paraffine with bee's-wax, or any of the vegetable waxes, or mixtures of
paraffine with stearine, stearic acid, or any of the solid fatty principles or mix-
tures of paraffine with lac or paraffine, or its mixtures dissolved in any of
its usual solvents. When solid paraffine or any of its admixtures are
employed, they are heated in suitable vessels, till they are not only melted,
but their temperatures are raised considerably above their melting points,

page_text: care, being taken not to decompose any of the substances, and render them
empyreumatic; in the case of paraffine, a temperature between 130° Fah
renheit and 250° Fahrenheit, is found to answer very well. When the
paraffine or any of its admixtures are in a state of solution, it is not
necessary to apply heat. Amongst the substances which may be rendered
less pervious to air and liquids, are the following:-Various kinds of wood,
either in planks or manufactured into articles, such for instance as vats,
cisterns, the staves of barrels, tubs, and similar vessels for containing liquids,
cork, and articles manufactured from cork. Where corks or bungs treated
as above, are to be employed for stopping barrels or bottles, which contain
fermentible liquors, and where, from the evolution of carbonic acid, they
are likely to be subjected to considerable internal pressure, such corks
should have their sides pressed into a quantity of finely divided powdered
emery, flint, glass, or other silicious substance, by which a very small quantity
of such powdered material is imbedded in the cork, and sufficient to enable
such cork to adhere to the bottle or cask, as firmly as if no paraffine had been
employed. Paper, such as writing and printing paper, tissue paper, packing
paper, pasteboard, papier maché, and paper which has been written on with a
pen in the usual way, or paper suitable for lithographic or printer's ink, parch-
ment, paper or parchment which have been written on or which may be
written on with lithographic ink, cartridge paper and cartridges, cotton, linen,
woollen, or silk cloths, and threads or cords manufactured from them, and
ropes, leather, eggs and preserved meats. The treatment of the substances or
materials by this Invention may be effected in various ways, such treatment
varying with the nature of such substances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Stenhouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
STENHOUSE, late of 11, Upper Brunswick Terrace, Barnsbury Road, in the 3
County of Middlesex, Chemist, now of 17, Rodney Street, Pentonville, in
the said County, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of 3

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Stenhouse, Her special licence that I, the said John Sten-
house, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Stenhouse, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 'during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RENDERING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES LESS PERVIOUS TO AIR AND LIQUIDS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Stenhouse,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Stenhouse, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the use of the substance called paraffine, either
in a solid state or dissolved in any of the usual solvents, such as highly rectified
coal tar, or petroleum, naphtha, or bisulphuret of carbon, for the purpose of
rendering various substances less pervious to air and liquids. The substances
to which I propose to apply the paraffine are leather and thread cords, ropes,
and textile fabrics, composed of cotton, linen, wool, or silk; and my method of
applying the paraffine to such substances, consists in coating or impregnating
them therewith.
One way in which I treat leather and textile fabrics, is as follows:-I take
a plate of iron or other metal, the upper surface of which is quite clean, and
this I heat to a temperature of from 130° to 250° Fahrenheit, or even higher
if desirable, either by placing it over a suitable furnace, or by means of low or
high pressure steam, or a metallic or other bath. On this plate I stretch out
the cloth or leather which I wish to coat or impregnate, and hold it tight and
flat by means of a' frame or some other suitable arrangement. When it has
become sufficiently warm to soften or melt the paraffine easily, I then rub over it
on the wrong side of the cloth, a flat rectangular block of solid paraffine with the
hand or otherwise, so as to coat its surface as evenly as possible. The cloth is

page_text: then strongly compressed by means of a hot flat iron or hot rollers, or other suitable
arrangement, in order to distribute the paraffine more equally among the fibres.
When the coating or impregnation of the fabric is completed, it is taken off
and allowed to cool. Sometimes, instead of a flat block of paraffine, I employ
a roller of that material made by pouring melted paraffine around a wooden
core or axis placed in a suitable mould. The cloth which has been previously
warmed, is then drawn in a contrary direction to the roller, with which it is
kept in very close contect by suitable pressure. The thorough incorporation
of the paraffine with the cloth is completed by calendering between hot
metallic rollers, as in the previous case. Sometimes also I draw the warmed
cloth over a bar of any suitable form of paraffine, instead of over a cylinder of
that substance, and then proceed to calender it. Paraffine can likewise be
applied to cloth and leather, by rubbing it on strongly when cold, and then
passing a hot iron over its surface, but the methods previously described I have
found more rapid. At other times I take solid paraffine, which I heat in suitable
vessels, until it is not only melted but its temperature is raised considerably
above its melting point. A temperature of from 130° to 250° Fahrenheit
is found to answer very well. A plate of iron or other metal is heated to a
temperature considerably above the melting point of paraffine, and on this
plate a sheet of stout paper or other absorbent material, such as linen, cotton,
or woollen cloth is placed, and evenly coated over with the melted paraffine, by
means of a brush or other suitable instrument. The fabric or leather which
it is wished to impregnate is then spread out on the paraffine surface above
mentioned, usually with the wrong side of the cloth downwards, and if thought
desirable, a second paraffined surface is laid upon it, so as to bring the
paraffine in contact with both of its sides, and the whole strongly com-
pressed by means of a hot flat iron, or by passing it between hot metallic
rollers. When the impregnation is completed, the material is taken out
and allowed to cool. When fabrics of considerable length have to be
treated with paraffine the process can be made continuous by passing them
over one or more hot wooden or metallic rollers coated with paraffine from
working in a bath of that substance. The excess of paraffine is removed
by means of what is called a "guage spreader," having a guage or knife
fixed above it, and furnished with screws, so as to regulate the amount of
paraffine applied to the roller. The amount of paraffine can also be regu-
lated by means of a brush or similar apparatus, also acting on a roller,
the thorough incorporation of the paraffine and fabric being subsequently
completed with hot rollers, by means of which any excess of paraffine

page_text: can also be removed. The quantities of paraffine which are applied to
fabrics, and the temperature to which I expose them, vary exceedingly,
according to their naturè, that is to say, according to the thickness of the
fabric and the delicacy of the colours, as any practical man will readily
understand.
Any of the above enumerated articles can likewise be treated with solu-
tions of paraffine. Any of the usual solvents of paraffine can be employed
for this purpose. Those which I prefer are the most volatile portion of
highly rectified coal tar, or petroleum, naptha, or bisulphuret of carbon,
either singly or mixed. When these solutions have been made in the
usual way by gently heating them, they are applied to the articles which
it is wished to impregnate by means of a brush or any other suitable
instrument. It is advisable to dry the substances thoroughly before applying
the solution, and in cold weather to warm them, so that they may not
chill the paraffine solution. In the case of textile fabrics, threads, and
leather, after the greater portion of the solvent has been removed by ex-
posure to heat, it is usually advisable to subject the articles to the action
of hot flat irons or rollers, or other suitable instruments. When textile
fabrics, threads, or leather, have been coated, or more or less impregnated
with paraffine in any of the ways above described, they are not only ren-
dered less pervious to air and liquids, but become both stiffer and stronger.
Paraffine is therefore an excellent finish for certain kinds of textile fabrics.
In the case of woollen cloths, dyed with red, or any other bright colour,
the shade is occasionally slightly deepened, sometimes improved, but very
seldom deteriorated. Cords and ropes may be impregnated with paraffine
by passing them through a paraffine bath, or in any of the ways above
described, most suitable to their nature. Mixtures of paraffine with wax,
stearine, stearic acid, or any of the other solid fat acids, can also be em-
ployed for the same purposes, and applied in the same manner as already
mentioned, but I prefer employing paraffine alone.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or car-
ried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that I do not restrict
myself to the particular processes previously mentioned, (which are described
only for the purpose of shewing how this Invention may be carried into
effect,) and variations may possibly be contrived by which the object in
view may be likewise effected, but what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent is, the employment and application of
paraffine, either solid, or in a state of solution, or mixed with wax, stearine,
stearic acid, or any of the other solid fat acids, to leather and thread, cords,
ropes, and textile fabrics, composed of cotton, linen, wool, or silk for the
purpose of rendering the same less pervious to air or liquids, as herein-before
mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stenhouse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
JOHN STENHOUSE. (L.S.)