Metallized Plates or Fabric of Asbestos or other Fibrous Materials for Roofing and other Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Metallized Plates or Fabric of Asbestos or other Fibrous Materials
for Roofing and other Purposes.
I, RUDOLF GRAF WESTPHALEN, of I Nibelangengasse 13, Vienna, Austria,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The plates or fabric made of asbestos or of other fibrous material have the
inconvenience that, on account of their porosity, they eagerly absorb water or other
liquids, and that, especially when composed of short fibres, any mechanical
interference causes the disintegration of the fibres and consequently the rapid
deterioration of the plates or fabric.
In order to manufacture plates or fabric of asbestos or of other fibrous material,
designed for wall linings or roof coverings, free of the said defects, their surface is
according to this invention coated with a metallic deposit obtained electrolytically,
whereby their solidity and resistance are increased. The plates manufactured by
this process can of course be provided with an outer coat of paint or with any other
ornamental decorations.
For the purpose of insuring a complete and speedy galvanization of the plates or
roofing fabric of asbestos or of other fibrous material, it is advantageous to render
their surface electrically conductive by coating it with graphite or other suitable
material, this conducting layer being thereupon rendered inore cohesive by polishing,
pressing, burnishing, etc. The plates are thereafter placed in the galvanic bath,
and the metal (copper or aluminium for instance) is deposited on them.
In case the asbestos or fibrous material contains a cementing medium (such as
glue, starch, chloride of zinc, etc.) which cannot resist the action of free acids, there
must be made use, as a galvanic bath, of a metallic solution which does not contain
acids in a free state. Nevertheless as neutral copper solutions always give a brittle
and badly adhering metal deposit, it is advisable, when copper deposits are required,
to use solutions of sulphate of copper in which the free sulphuric acid is replaced
by acid metallic salts (acid sulphates of soda, zinc or iron).
If the asbestos or fibrous plates, after having been metallized by the above
described process, are intended for wall linings or roof coverings, it is preferable to
render them water and weather proof previous to their undergoing the aforesaid
treatment. For that purpose, they are made of the following intimate mixture
worked up in a vat by means of a stirring apparatus; 50 parts by weight of fibrous
asbestos (or other fibrous material,) 10 parts by weight of pounded asbestos felt
waste, 10 parts by weight of oxyde of zinc, and 300 to 500 parts by weight of
water; the mixture being constantly stirred, addition is made to it, first of 7 parts
by weight of dissolved chloride of zinc (50° to 60° Beaumé,) then, successively, of
10 parts by weight of a soapy solution (1 part by weight of best quality soap
10 of water,) 21 parts by weight of dissolved alum (3 parts by weight of alum
to 21 of water, 0-3 part by weight of soda dissolved in 2 of water, and 0.8 part by
weight of sugar of lead dissolved in 2 of water.
to
The addition of dissolved chloride of zinc determines the formation of an insoluble
compound, on account of the combination of the said solution, as it concentrates
itself, with the oxide of zinc already existing, while the following additions of soap,
alum, soda, and sugar of lead, serve for filling in the pores of this insoluble compound
and for making it thus water-proof, the presence of the soda having further the
effect of facilitating the chemical reactions that take place afterwards.
The mixture having become perfectly homogeneous on account of the constant
stirring to which it is submitted, is drawn up from the vat and placed in suitable

page_text: moulds, whereby water and weather proof plates are manufactured, which are
afterwards metallized in the hereinbefore described manner.
Dated this 25th day of May 1891.
RUDOLF GRAF WESTPHALEN.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Metallized Plates or Fabric of Asbestos or other Fibrous Materials
for Roofing and other Purposes.
I, RUDOLF GRAF WESTPHALEN, of 1. Nibelungengasse, 13, Vienna, in the
Empire of Austria, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The plates or fabric made of asbestos or of other fibrous material have the
inconvenience that, on account of their porosity, they eagerly absorb water or other
liquids, and that, especially when composed of short fibres, any mechanical
interference causes the disintegration of the fibres and consequently the rapid
deterioration of the plates or fabric.
In order to manufacture plates or fabric of asbestos, or of other fibrous material,
designed for wall-linings or roof-coverings, free of the said defects, their surface
is, according to this invention, coated with a metallic deposit obtained electro-
lytically, whereby their solidity and resistance are increased. The plates
manufactured by this process can of course be provided with an outer coat of
paint or with any other ornamental decorations.
For the purpose of insuring a complete and speedy galvanization of the plates
or roofing fabric of asbestos or of other fibrous material, it is advantageous to
render their surface electrically conductive by coating it with graphite or other
suitable material this conducting. layer being thereupon rendered more cohesive
by polishing, pressing, burnishing &c. The plates are thereafter placed in the
galvanic bath, and the metal (copper or aluminium for instance) is deposited
on them.
In case the asbestos or fibrous material contains a cementing medium (such as
glue, starch, chloride of zinc, &c.) which cannot resist the action of free acids,
there must be used as a galvanic bath, a metallic solution which does not
contain acids in a free state. Nevertheless as neutral copper solutions always
give a brittle and badly adhering metal deposit, it is advisable when copper
deposits are required, to use solutions of sulphate of copper in which the free
sulphuric acid is replaced by acid metallic salts (acid sulphates of soda, zinc or
iron).
If the asbestos or fibrous plates, after having been metallized by the above
described process, are intended for wall-linings or roof-coverings, it is preferable
to render them water and weather proof previous to their undergoing the afore-
said treatment. For that purpose, they are made of the following intimate mixture,
worked up in a vat by means of a stirring apparatus: 50 parts by weight of
fibrous asbestos (or other fibrous material) 10 parts by weight of pounded
asbestos-felt waste, 10 parts by weight of oxide of zinc, and 300 to 500 parts by
weight of water: the mixture being constantly stirred, addition is made to it first of
7 parts by weight of dissolved chloride of zinc (50° to 60° Beaumé) then, successively,
of 10 parts by weight of a soapy solution (1 part by weight of best quality soap
to 10 of water) 21 parts by weight of dissolved alum, (3 parts by weight of alum
to 21 of water) 03 part by weight of soda dissolved in 2 of water, and 0.8 part
by weight of sugar of lead dissolved in two of water.
The addition of dissolved chloride of zinc, determines the formation of an

page_text: insoluble compound, on account, of the combination of the said solution, as it
concentrates itself, with the oxide of zinc already existing, while the following
additions of soap, alum, soda and sugar of lead serve for filling in the pores of
this insoluble compound, and for making it thus water-proof, the presence of the
soda having further the effect of facilitating the chemical reactions that take place
afterwards.
The mixture, having become perfectly homogeneous on account of the constant
stirring to which it is submitted, is drawn up from the vat and placed in suitable
moulds, whereby water and weather-proof plates are manufactured, which are
afterwards metallized in the hereinbefore described manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner' the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Plates or fabric of asbestos or of other fibrous material electrolytically coated
with a metallic deposit, and intended for water and weather-proof wall linings, roof
coverings &c. substantially as described.
2. For manufacturing metallized asbestos or fibrous plates, as specified in
Claim 1, the coating of their surface with a conducting layer of graphite or of
other suitable material, rendered more cohesive by polishing or burnishing, sub-
stantially as described and for the purpose stated.
3. For manufacturing metallized asbestos or otherwise fibrous plates or roofing-
fabric with copper deposit, as indicated in Claim 1, copper baths in which instead
of free acids, acid metallic salts are made use of, so as to obtain a metallic deposit
which does not have any injurious action on the cementing medium of the fibrous
material, substantially as described.
Dated December 3rd 1891.
RUDOLF GRAF WESTPHALEN.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.