AN IMPROVED COMPOUND AND APPARATUS FOR RENDERING WOOD UNINFLAMMABLE.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Oliver Macomber, of Arundel Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the In-
vention of "AN IMPROVED COMPOUND AND APPARATUS FOR RENDERING
WOOD UNINFLAMMABLE.'
"
Sealed the 16th January 1874, and dated the 18th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Oliver Macomber
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th July 1873.
I, DAVID OLIVER MACOMBER, of Arundel Street, Strand, in the
3 County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COMPOUND AND APPARATUS
RENDERING WOOD UNINFLAMMABLE," to be as follows:-
FOR
The said Invention relates to a novel treatment of wood for the
purpose of rendering the same uninflammable, which treatment also
tends to preserve the wood from decay and prevent its destruction by
worms or insects, and the said Invention consists in the use of a new

page_text: composition for the purpose, and in the novel means employed in its
application. The sap is expelled from the pores of the wood and is
replaced by my material in the form of a fluid which renders the wood
practically imperishable.
The fluid which I employ for the purpose is composed of protoxide of
iron, sulphate of potash, sulphuric acid, sulphate of aluminium,
hydrochlorate of soda, and photosulphuret of iron, with sufficient water
to give the fluidity required for the application. In this composition or
fluid the hydrochlorate of soda may be omitted without essential injury
to its non-inflammable properties, but it gives activity to the fluid and
is therefore an advantage in its use.
The aforesaid ingredients are thoroughly mixed in a suitable machine
or by any other means, and water sufficient to give the required fluidity
is then added; the water being simply the vehicle for the application of
the composition no more should be added than necessary for this
purpose. The proportions in which the several ingredients are
introduced into the composition or fluid depends entirely upon the
nature of the wood to which the fluid is applied, the hydrochlorate of soda
being used chiefly to give activity to the fluid and the water is simply to
facilitate the operation. The diversity in the hardness of different species
of wood renders it impossible to give formulas for all cases, but the
most advantageous proportions for any particular species or quality of
wood will be readily ascertained by those practising the art. This fluid
composition is forced into the pores of the green logs or timber, and by
this means the sap is expelled, leaving a deposit of the composition in all
the sap pores or tubes. The application may be made by various means,
but I have adopted hydraulic pressure as the most convenient and
economical.
I propose in carrying my Invention into practise to erect a reservoir
about forty feet above the ground, and from this reservoir a pipe
descends to the log or timber which has been cut the desired length, for
instance, the length of two deals. This log I saw nearly through
transversely at or near its centre, leaving however a strong ligature on
the under side. The centre of the log is then raised and sustained by
any suitable means, and thereby a wedged shape aperture is formed
between the sawed portions of the log. Into this aperture I introduce

page_text: portion and near the bark of the log, and the aperture is then closed
upon the cord or wire by removing the prop forming a small enclosed
space or receptacle for the fluid. I then bore a hole on the top of the
log one side of the cut at an angle of about forty-five degrees which
terminates in the sawed portion of the log. Within the enclosed space
or receptacle the end of the pipe communicating with the elevated
reservoir which contains the liquid is then inserted in this hole, and
properly secured by having the end tapering or otherwise, as may be
found most convenient, and the liquid is admitted to the pipe from the
reservoir and by its own pressure is forced into the space between the
sawed portion of the log, and thence through the sap tubes or pores in
both directions from the centre, displacing the sap and depositing my
composition. The sap is soon forced out of the ends of the log and the
pores or sap tubes are filled with fire resisting material.
is expelled and the liquid employed runs out of the pores which may be
easily ascertained by the taste or by the use of some coloring matter in
the liquid, the liquid in the reservoir is prevented from passing into the
pipe which is disconnected from the log and the process is now complete.
The timber is then cut into deals or other stuff in the usual manner, and
being permeated by this fire resisting liquid will not even when
thoroughly seasoned blaze however much heat may be applied, and the
same is also preserved from natural decay or the attack of destructive
insects or worms.
When the sap
The means of application given are convenient and efficient, but they
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention,
according to circumstances. When it is desired to cut the timber into
long deals for ship building or other purposes, the advantages of the
Invention may be secured by forming an enclosed space or receptacle at
the end of the log by means of a suitable cap, and the use of hydraulic
steam or other power to force the liquid into the pores.
A rotary steam pump may be used for forcing the liquid into one
end and as an exhaust at the opposite end of the log. By such means
the pores are quickly filled and the process is speedily completed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said David Oliver Macomber in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
OLIVER MACOMBER, of Arundel Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said David Oliver Macomber, Her special
licence that I, the said David Oliver Macomber, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Oliver
Macomber, my executors, administrators, and 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 "AN
IMPROVED COMPOUND AND APPARATUS FOR RENDERING WOOD UNINFLAMMABLE,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said David Oliver
Macomber, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Oliver Macomber, do bereby
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 following statement :-
-
The said Invention relates to a novel treatment of wood for the
purpose of rendering the same uninflammable, which treatment also
tends to preserve the wood from decay and prevents its destruction by

page_text: worms or insects, and the said Invention consists in the use of a new
composition for the purpose and in the novel means employed in its
application. The sap is expelled from the pores of the wood and is
replaced by my material in the form of a fluid, which renders the wood
practically imperishable.
The fluid which I employ for the purpose is composed of protoxide of
iron, sulphate of potash, sulphuric acid, sulphate of aluminium, hydro-
chlorate of soda, and protosulphuret of iron with sufficient water to give
the fluidity required for the application. In this composition or fluid
the hydrochlorate of soda may be omitted without essential injury to its
non-inflammable properties, but it gives activity to the fluid and is
therefore an advantage in its use.
The aforesaid ingredients are thoroughly mixed in a suitable machine
or by any other means, and wåter sufficient to give the required fluidity is
then added. The water being simply the vehicle for the application of
the composition no more should be added than necessary for this
purpose. The proportions in which the several ingredients are
introduced into the composition or fluid depends entirely upon the
nature of the wood to which the fluid is applied, the hydrochlorate of
soda being used chiefly to give activity to the fluid and the water simply
to facilitate the operation. The diversity in the hardness of different
species of wood renders it impossible to give formulas for all cases, but
the most advantageous proportions for any particular species or quality
of wood will be readily ascertained by those practising the art. This
fluid composition is forced into the pores of the green logs or timber, and
by this means the sap is expelled, leaving a deposit of the composition
in all the sap pores or tubes. The application may be made by various
means, but I have adopted hydraulic pressure as the most convenient
and economical.
I propose in carrying my Invention into practice to erect a reservoir
about forty feet above the ground, and from this reservoir a pipe
descends to the log or timber which has been cut the desired length, for
instance, the length of two deals. This log I saw nearly through
transversely at or near its centre leaving however a strong ligature on the
under side. The centre of the log is then raised and sustained by any
suitable means, and thereby a wedge shaped aperture is formed between

page_text: the sawed portions of the log. Into this aperture I introduce a cord or
wire prepared for the purpose and place it around the sawed portion and
near the bark of the log, and the aperture is then closed upon the cord
or wire by removing the prop, forming a small enclosed space or receptacle
for the fluid. I then bore a hole in the top of the log one side of the
cut at an angle of about forty-five degrees, which terminates in the
sawed portion of the log within the enclosed space or receptacle. The
end of the pipe communicating with the elevated reservoir which
contains the liquid is then inserted in this hole and properly secured by
having the end tapering or otherwise, as-may be found most convenient,
and the liquid is admitted to the pipe from the reservoir, and by its own
pressure is forced into the space between the sawed portion of the log,
and thence through the sap tubes or pores in both directions from the
centre, displacing the sap and depositing my composition. The sap is
soon forced out of the ends of the log and the pores or sap tubes are
filled with fire-resisting material. When the sap is expelled and the
liquid employed runs out of the pores, which may be easily ascertained
by the appearance or by the use of some colouring matter in the liquid,
the liquid in the reservoir is prevented from passing into the pipe which
is disconnected from the log and the process is now complete. The
timber is then cut into deals or other stuff in the usual manner, and
being permeated by this fire resisting liquid will not even when
thoroughly seasoned blaze, however much heat may be applied, and the
same is also preserved from natural decay or the attacks of destructive
insects or worms.
The means for application above given are convenient and efficient,
but they may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention, according to circumstances. When it is desired to cut the
timber into long deals for ship building or other purposes the advantages
of the Invention may be secured by forming an enclosed space or
receptacle at the end of the log by means of a suitable cap, and the use
of hydraulic steam or other power to force the liquid into the pores.
A rotary steam pump may be used for forcing the liquid into one end
and as an exhaust at the opposite end of the log. By such means the
pores are quickly filled and the process is speedily completed.
Having thus described my improvements and an advantageous mode

page_text: of carrying the same into effect, I claim the Invention substantially as
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Oliver Macomber, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
DAVID OLIVER MACOMBER. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.