IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC MATTERSS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Constant Joseph Poliesse, jun', and Charles
Auguste Joseph Lengelée, of IIam, in the Empire of France, and of
No. 32, Essex Street, Strand, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC MATTERS."
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC MATTERS.
Sealed the 8th January 1856, and dated the 13th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Constant Joseph
Poliesse and Charles Auguste Joseph Lengelée at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 13th July 1855.
We, LOUIS CONSTANT JOSEPH POLIESSE, jun', and CHARLES AUGUSTE JOSEPII
LENGELEE, of Ham, in the Empire of France, and of 32, Essex Street, Strand,
London, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC MATTERS" to be as follows, viz. :-
This Invention relates to encaustic matters, viz., different preparations of
wax and essence of turpentine, which are now used for thinly and uniformly
coating surfaces, for the purpose of rendering them shining and inaccessible
to humidity. These encaustic matters as at present prepared, and also the
varnishes that are sometimes used in preference to them, labour under.
the defect of getting soft, or of cracking by the effect of heat. The present

page_text: improvements are intended to obviate these defects, and consist in substituting
stearine for wax, by combining it with essence of turpentine, and colouring it
with a tone similar to that of the surface to be coated. This improved
encaustic matter may be manufactured in various ways; the stearine may, for
instance, be melted and thoroughly mixed with the turpentine by means of a
hot water bath, or it may first be melted and then the turpentine added,
taking care to stir and mix the required colour with it, such as brown or
red for wood, black for leather, &c.. We also form an improved encaustic
preparation for unvarnished furniture, and to be applied .chiefly to flooring.
This improved preparation is made by mixing at a certain degree of heat one
part of stearine with about one fourth part of unbleached wax, and about six
per cent. salt of tårtar, adding a little water and good white soap, and a little
sienna for producing the tone of colour required. The improved encaustic
substances may be employed--by-rubbing-with-a rag, and do not require
brushing when applied to flooring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Constant Joseph Poliesse and Charles Auguste Joseph
Lengelée in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, LOUIS
CONSTANT JOSEPI POLIESSE, jun', and CHARLES AUGUSTE JOSEPH LENGELÉE, of
Ham, in the Empire of France, and of No. 32, Essex Str., Strand, London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the
year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Louis Constant Joseph Poliesse & Charles Auguste .Joseph Lengelée, Her
special, licence that we, the said Louis Constant Joseph Poliesse & Charles
Auguste Joseph Lengelée, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Louis Constant Joseph Poliesse & Charles Auguste
Joseph Lengelée, our 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,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,. an: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC MATTERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Louis Constant Joseph Poliesse & Charles Auguste Joseph
Lengulée, by an instrument in writing under our hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 we, the said Louis Constant Joseph Policsse &
Charles Auguste Joseph Lengelée, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention; .and in what manner. the same is.to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to a new way of preparing encaustic matters,
different from those used at present; for thiuly and uniformly coating floors and
other surfaces, for the purpose of rendering then shining and inaccessible to
humidity. The encaustic matters as commonly used consisting of different
preparations of wax and essence of turpentine, and also the varnishes that are
sometimes employed in preference to them; labour under the great disadvantage
of getting soft, or cracking by, the effect of heat. The present improvements
are intended to obviate these defects, and consist in substituting stearine for
wax, by combining it with essence of turpentine, and coloring it with a tone
similar to that of the surface to be coated. ...
"
This improved encaustic matter may be laid on varnished leather, on black
kid. or other. skin gloves, worn-out.harness, which may be made shining, and
quite new-looking again. This matter may be prepared or manufactured in
various ways; first, by putting together into a vessel the stearino and the
essence of turpentine, and having the former melted by.means of a hot water
bath, in the mean time. stirring, so as to obtain a thorough mixture, and then
adding the colour whilst the matters are in. a liquid state. This colour
must of course, be suited to that of the objects to be coated, viz., it ought
to be black when purposed for.shoes, horse.trappings, and red or yellow or
any appropriate colour when it is to be applied to articles of. furniture.
Second, the parts of, stearine may also be melted separately, and then the
parts of the essence added to it; after, stirring, to get. the whole properly
mixed, the colour. is thrown in. We deem it preferable to previously
reduce the stearine into thin impalpable powder by any suitable means.
We preferably use. for this purpose a plane, and by this means we get a
very thin powder; in this state stearine will be thoroughly dissolved by

page_text: being thrown into the essence, and then it will admit any suitable colouring.
It sometimes happens that a kind of crystallization will be produced in the
matter as it gets old, which will rather hinder the beautiful results that are
obtained when the matter is new manufactured. This cristallizing is quicker
when the two first means above mentioned are employed for manufacturing
the mixture. To obviate this defect, we have experienced that it sufficed to
pour the compound into a cocler or refrigerating apparatus, stirring till the
matter is completely cooled, and renewing the same two or three times; by
this all crystallization is prevented, and each composing element thoroughly
mixed.
A due proportion of the substances used for our Invention may also be
productive of the best results. In manufacturing our encaustic matter, we use
about five pounds (avoirdupoids) eleven ounces (2,580 grammes) of stearine
reduced into powder; eight pounds two ounces, about, (3,700 grammes) of
essence of turpentine; and four ounces 13 dr. (150 grammes) of light black,
the whole mixed and embodied, as has been said in the last place. These
different parts being thus mixed, it suffices to spread some of this new encaustic
matter on a piece of any soft rag, and rub with it the varnished thing, taking
care to lay but a thin coating at once, spreading and rubbing it well. By
this process we obtain the same brightness as when the varnish was entirely
new. This improved encaustic matter may serve for any articles made of
varnished leather, such as shoes and other coverings for the feet, belts, hoods,
and generally all sorts of harness or horse trappings. It also serves to do up
skin black gloves like new, and also carriages, marble, all varnished things,
whatever may be their nature and composing elements.
We also prepare an encaustic matter to be chiefly applied to flooring and
unvarnished furniture. This preparation is made by mixing at a certain
degree of heat one part of stearine with about one fourth part of unbleached
wax and about six hundredths of salt of tartar, adding a little water, good
white soap, and a little sienna for producing the tone of colour required.
These improved encaustic matters may be employed by rubbing with any rag,
and require no brushing when applied to flooring or similar purposes. It is
well understood that we reserve employing any other substances, and even
other essences, oils, &, in composing or mixing our improved encaustic
matter, in order to render then more pleasant either to view or to smell.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which it is or may be carried into effect, we wish it to be distinctly understood
that what we claim as novel, and being secured to us by the herein-before in

page_text: parts recited Letters Patent, is, our encaustic matters, chiefly composed of
stearine, essence of turpentine, wax, salt of tartar, with the addition of any
colour; and also the improvements we have contrived in manufacturing them,
said improvements being intended to render the various elements that con-
stitute our Invention unseparable, so as to resist all variations of temperature.
In witness whereof, we, the said Louis Constant Joseph Poliesse and
Charles Auguste Joseph Lengelée, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.