Waterproof and Fireproof Material for Roofing and other Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Waterproof and Fireproof Material for Roofing and other Purposes.
I CHARLES MELBOURNE WHITE of the firm of White and Woodington of 27 South-
ampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the
nature of said invention a communication to me from aboard by Alois Blank,
Physician, of the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, one of the United States of
America, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof that is to say :-
The object of this invention is to produce a flexible waterproof and practically fire-
proof material for roofing, siding and analogous purposes; the material being
composed of asbestos with an intimately united coating or coatings of metal.
In making this new material asbestos paper or board, of any desired thickness is
employed.
The asbestos material is first treated with a mixture of powdered plumbago, or
other non-volatile carbonaceous matter, either in powdered form or suspended in a
volatile liquid. The asbestos may be treated upon one or both sides.
as a
Where the volatile vehicle has been used it is subsequently evaporated by heat,
leaving the plumbago or other non-volatile carbonaceous material, intimately
associated with the fibres of the asbestos. In carrying out this part of the process
finely powdered plumbago is mixed with sufficient coal tar varnish to make a thin
liquid which will permeate the pores of the asbestos, the coal tar varnish acting
vehicle to carry forward the fine particles of the plumbago. The saturated asbestos
is then subjected to heat until all the volatile matter has been thrown off. A thin
coating of copper is next deposited by electrolysis upon the asbestos, the copper
taking hold of the grains of plumbago, which rest in the interstices of the asbestos,
and so becoming closely united with the latter. The material may then be immersed
in a bath of melted metal, preferably tin, lead or zinc, or an alloy of any two or more
of them. The molten metal being deposited on the copper, and thus a sheet of the
same is attached to the copper coating. The material in either of the described forms
is very flexible, and is practically a non-conductor of heat, and fireproof.
The preferred manners of preparing the article have been herein described, but I
do not confine myself strictly thereto.
It will be understood that the asbestos material is not subject to injury by the heat
from immersion in molten metal while such heat would destroy the integrity of any
vegetable or animal fibre.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The metalized asbestos material composed of a body of asbestos having its
interstices or surface recesses supplied with carbonaceous material and a coat of
copper adhering to the carbonaceous material, substantially as set forth.
2. The metalized asbestos material composed of a body of asbestos, having its
interstices supplied with carbonaceous material, a coat of copper adhering to the
carbonaceous material, and entering the interstices of the asbestos, and an outer
sheet or layer of metal adhering to the copper, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 23rd day of August 1889.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.