NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF THE CELLULOSE OR PITHY MATTER SURROUNDING THE FIBRES OF THE Cocoa NUT
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "NOVEL APPLICATIONS
OF THE CELLULOSE OR PITHY MATTER SURROUNDING THE FIBRES OF THE
Cocoa NUT." A communication from abroad by Dominique Eutrope Marcel
Pallu de la Barrière, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 19th August 1879, and dated the 12th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th June 1879.
MATTER
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF THE CELLULOSE OR PITHY
SURROUNDING THE FIBRES OF THE COCOA NUT." [A communication from abroad
by Dominique Eutrope Marcel Pallu de la Barrière, of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to novel industrial applications of the pith or brown
powder which envelopes the fibres of the filamentous portion of the cocoa-nut
husk.
Amongst the many applications of which this product is eminently susceptible,
I will instance the following more especially:
:-
I employ this product for filling the water tight compartments and cells of ships
of war and commerce, for protecting the same against collisions, and the blows of
projectiles and other engines of destruction, such as rams and torpedoes.
I also employ this product on board ship and elsewhere as a non conducting
covering or packing for preventing the radiation or the transmission of heat.
The mode of employment or application may be varied in many ways without
affecting the nature of the Invention; thus it may be filled into sacks placed in the
spaces intended to prevent the transmission of heat, or it may be simply packed
loose into these spaces, which may for example be the double walls, skins, or
partitions of ice chambers, steam boilers, on land or on board ship.
With this powder agglomerated I form sheets, plates, blocks, or corks of
imitation cork, and by mixing it with paper pulp and other pulps I form cork
cardboard, cork felt, &c. I also produce with this product veritable felts capable of
being worked like ordinary felts. I also apply this product to the manufacture of
door cloths of the linoleum class, in which the powdered cork generally used in the

page_text: manufacture of these floor cloths is replaced by the product of which I have
specified a few applications.
As regards the nature of the material, this substance resembles cellulose. It
possesses the qualities hereafter specifed, which render it suitable not only for
completing the defence of ships in warfare, but as a protection against collisions.
It possesses the following properties,-
1st. Lightness. 1000 kilogrammes of the pith of the cocoa nut when slightly
compressed occupy a space of 7 cubic metres; or in other words its density under
slight pressure =0.163. It is therefore half as light again as cork, which has been
largely used in English and Russian ships of war.
2nd. Elasticity. At this density 0163 the product possesses extraordinary
elasticity, and supposing it to be used to fill the water tight cells of ships' hulls, its
elements would in the case of a blow by a ram (an oblique blow only being
considered) be driven right and left without any damage to the interior of the hull.
Cork which is hard and resisting is devoid of this advantage.
3rd. Impermeability to water. A thickness of 50 centimetres of this material
under pressure of a column of 3 metres of sea water is only traversed by a slight
infiltration after a lapse of 3½ hours, and therefore when contained in sacks or
otherwise is admirably adapted to prevent the influx of water in case of collision.
4th. Cost. It is about one third the cost of cork. Besides these essential
qualities, this particular kind of cellulose is rendered imputrescible by the tannin
and antiseptic substance with which its elements are encrusted, and it is not
attacked by insects. Its employment on board ship or in manufactures as above
specified will not therefore involve the liability of introducing a nest of insects or
the germs of decay.
To fill water tight compartments and cells of all kinds, the pith would be filled
into sacks of close texture manufactured of the filamentous part of the cocoa-nut
husk, which is a light, and
These sacks would be coated with coal tar, or waterproofed by any known
process, and connected together by ropes of the same material. The protecting
mattress so made will present the appearance of sand bags used in military
defences, but it will be understood that other arrangements may be adopted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF THE CELLULOSE OR PITHY MATTER
SURROUNDING THE FIBRES OF THE COCOA NUT." A communication from abroad
by Dominique Eutrope Marcel Pallu de la Barrière, of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to novel industrial applications of the pith or brown
powder which envelopes the fibres of the filamentous portion of the cocoa nut husk.
Amongst the many applications of which this product is eminently susceptible,
I will instance the following more especially. This product may be employed for
filling the water tight compartments and cells of ships of war and commerce, for
protecting the same against collisions and the blows of projectiles and other engines
of destruction, such as rams and torpedoes. This product may also be employed on
board ship and elsewhere as a non conducting covering or packing for preventing
the radiation or the transmission of heat. The mode of employment or application
may be varied in many ways without affecting the nature of the Invention; thus
it may be filled into sacks placed in the spaces intended to prevent the trans-
mission of heat, or it may be simply packed loose into these spaces, which may for
example be the double walls, skins, or partitions of ice chambers, or steam boilers,
on board ship or on land. On account of its non-conducting properties the product
may be advantageously employed to form a covering or envelope for wines in cask
or bottle, and when manufactured into matresses in ice houses and in dead houses,
as a non-conducting and isolating material. This power may be agglomerated
and formed into sheets, plates, blocks, or corks of imitation cork; and mixed with
paper pulp and other pulps, makes cork-cardboard, cork-felt, &c. With this
product veritable felts may be produced capable of being worked like ordinary
felts. This product may also be applied to the manufacture of floor cloths of the
linoleum class, in which the powdered cork generally used in the manufacture of
these floor cloths is replaced by the product of which a few applications have been
above specified. It also forms an excellent litter for horses and cattle, the fibrous
portion also serving for the same purpose. These matters not being liable to rot
can be washed and used over again, the liquid and solid matters obtained being
utilized as manure. It may also be used as a stuffing for mattresses and pillows,
life saving mattresses, and padded linings for stables, the cases of said mattresses
or cushions being formed of the textile portion or cocoa nut fibre. It also forms an
excellent and cheap filtering medium when enclosed between two thicknesses of
wire gauze or other fabric.
As regards the nature of the material, this substance resembles cellulose. It
possesses the qualities hereafter specified, which render it suitable not only for
completing the defence of ships in warfare, but as a protection against collisions.
It possesses the following properties:-1st. Lightness. 1000 kilogrammes of the
said pith of the cocoa nut fibre when slightly compressed occupy a space of 7 cubic
metres; or in other words, its density under slight pressure = 0143. It is there-
fore half as light again as cork, which has been largely used in English and Russian
ships of war. 2nd. Elasticity. At this density 0·143, the product possesses extra-
ordiary elasticity, and supposing it to be used to fill the water tight cells of ships'
hulls, its elements would in the case of a blow by a ram (an oblique blow only
being considered) be driven right and left, without any damage to the interior of
the hull. Cork which is hard and resisting is devoid of this advantage. 3rd. Im-
permeability to water. A thickness of 50 centimetres of this material under
pressure of a column of 3 metres of sea water is only traversed by a slight
infiltration after a lapse of 3 hours, and therefore when contained in sacks or
otherwise is admirably adapted to prevent the influx of water in case of collision.

page_text: 4th. Cost. It is about 1, the cost of cork. Besides these essential qualities,
this particular kind of cellulose is rendered imputrescible by the tannin and
antiseptic substance with which its elements are encrusted, and it is not attacked
by insects. Its employment on board ship or in manufactures as above specified,
will not therefore involve the liability of introducing a nest of insects or the germs
of decay.
To fill water tight compartments and cells of all kinds the pith would be placed
in sacks of close texture manufactured of cocoa nut fibre, which is light and not
liable to decay. These sacks would be coated with coal tar or waterproofed by any
known process, and connected together by ropes of cocoa nut fibre. The protecting
mattress so made will present the appearance of sand bags used in military defences,
but it will be understood that other arrangements may be adopted.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The application of the cellulose or pith enveloping cocoa nut fibre for filling
watertight cells or compartments of war and other vessels to protect them against
collisions, and from the impact of projectiles and other engines of destruction, as
specified.
2nd. The application of the said product, whether agglomerated or not, as a non
conducting covering or packing for preventing the radiation or transmission of heat,
as specified.
3rd. The application of the said product agglomerated and made into sheets,
plates, blocks, &c., of artificial cork, and generally for all purposes to which cork
may be applied, as specified.
4th. The application of the said product mixed with paper pulp and feltable
matters for the manufacture of artificial cork cardboard, artificial-cork felt, &c., as
well as true felt, as specified.
5th. The application of the said product to the manufacture of floor cloths of the
linoleum class, as specified.
6th. The application of the said product as a stuffing or filling for mattresses and
pillows, and as a litter and padding for stables, as specified.
7th. The application of the said product as a filtering medium, as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clarke, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Tr
TADT