AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SEASONING TIMBER AND OTHER WOOD
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
STEPHEN LANGTON, of Langton juxta Partney, in the County of Lincoln,
Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS II is present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of August, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Stephen Langton, His especial licence that I, the said Stephen Langton,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Stephen
Langton, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and within all His
said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF SEASONING TIMBER AND OTHER WOOD;" in which said Letters Patent
Is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said John Stephen Langton, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
icference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said John
Stephen Langton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention
consists in seasoning timber and other wood by placing such timber and other
wood in air-tight vessels, and then by means of an air-pump exhausting partially
the air from such air-tight vessels, and during this process applying heat to the
said vessels by means of a steam or vapour bath, or by a water bath heated by
steam, and thereby expelling the moisture from such timber and other wood in
the form of vapour or steam, and afterwards carrying off such steam or vapour
and condensing it in an air-tight refrigeratory, so as to prevent its being again
imbibed by the timber or wood. And in further compliance with the said
proviso, I, the said John Stephen Langton, do hereby describe the manner
in which my said Invention may be performed by the following description
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon .-
Drawing marked Fig 1 is an elevation of one of the vessels intended to
contain the timber or wood, being such as I use for straight timber or wood;
they are made of cast-iron, cast in one or more lengths, in which latter case
the different lengths are to be jointed together air and water tight by means
of flanches These containing vessels are to be sound and strong, capable
of resisting an equable external pressure of at least fifteen pounds upon
every superficial square inch, and if a water bath is used they must be par-
ticularly strong at the lower end, where if such containing vessels are
thirty feet long they should be capable of resisting an equable external
pressure of at least thirty pounds upon every superficial square inch; at
the upper ends they should in like manner be capable of so resisting at
least a pressure of fifteen pounds upon every superficial square inch, and
for intermediato depths intermediate degrees of strength are requued, but
it will be better in practice to make them stronger. These air-tight vessels
are to be placed perpendicularly in a steam or vapour bath, or in a water
bath; in the latter case the water should only reach within about two
inches of the shoulder, marker A in Figure 1, such shoulder being for the
purpose of supporting a stone floor above such bath, and this floor will also
serve to secure the upper ends of such containing vessels firmly in their places,
and also being Jointed with paint or cement will form a cover for such bath,
and assist in retaining the heat of such bath. These containing vessels may be
of any diameter according to convenience, and of different lengths or shapes
according to the lengths or shapes of the timber or wood which they are
intended to contain. The bottom ends of these containing vessels must be
secured in the bottom of such bath by cement and masonry, or by an iron or

page_text: wooden frame. The neck of the containing vessel marked B projects about
three inches above the stone floor above mentioned, so as to admit of the
branch exhausting pipe marked C being joined to the neck above such stone
floor, as appears in the Drawing, Fig. 1. The air-tight stop-cock in such pipe
marked D is for the purpose of opening and closing the communication between
such containing vessel and the refrigeratory and air pump, as herein-after
described. The lid marked E is to fit down air-tight, and to be furnished with
an admission screw marked F, such screw serving to let air into such containing
vessel when required. The gauge plate upon the lid marked G, having an
orifice in its centre perforated through such lid, is for the purpose of receiving
upon it such a guage as is in public use for steam engines, or a syphon guage
about six inches long; such lid is to be also fui uished with two convenient
handles for the purpose of removing it, or adjusting it upon the necks of such
air-tight containing vessels.
Drawing Fig. 2 is a plan of the upper end of the containing vessels,
berein-before described.
Drawing Fig. 3 is a horizontal plan of the upper part of such an air-tight
refrigeratory as I use for condensing the steam or vapour in its passage from
the containing vessels towards the air pump, such containing vessels conimu-
nicating with the refrigeratory and air pump by means of branch pipes, which
ultimately unite in a main pipe conducting to the refrigeratory, as in Figure 3
is shown by the letters (b, b). (a, a,) in the same Figure are the sides of such
refiigeratory, and the pipe marked (b, b,) is the main exhausting pipe before
mentioned, through which the air and steam or vapour are carried from the
vessels containing timber and other wood into the refigeratory. The pipes
marked c, c, c, c, are upper closs horizontal pipes communicating with the mam
ppe (6, b), and also communicating with other perpendicular pipes marked
d, d, d,d, such pipes standing under pipes c, c, c, c, are marked with dotted
cucles. These perpendicular pipes again communicate with horizontal pipes
at the lower part of the refrigeratory, similarly disposed to the pipes marked
(c, c, c, c,) Figure 3, which last-mentioned pipes again communicate with the
main pipe (e, e,) which communicates through pipef with the air pump, and
at its lowest end with an air-tight vessel placed for the purpose of collecting
the condensed steam or vapour, called the collecting vessel in Figure 4, from
which collecting vessel such condensed stean or vapour is drawn out by a
pump communicating with the bottom of such collecting vessel, and placed
lower than the bottom of such collecting vessel A bent glass tube marked g,
communicating at each end with the side of such collecting vessel (as shewn
in Figure 4), serves to indicate when such vessel is becoming full.

page_text: Figure 4 is an elevation of the pipes d, d, d, d, before mentioned, through the
interstices of which I direct either a natural or artificial current of air, such
current passing out at the opposite side. This Drawing shews the perpendicular
condensing pipes marked (d, d, d, d, &c.), every such pipe having a funnel-
shaped collar round it near the upper end for the purpose of receiving a
small stream of cold water from a cistern or reservoir above them, either
by means of numerous small pipes, or by one or more bent horizontal
pipes, having an orifice over each funnel. These funnels are to be attached
to the pipes from their upper edge, a narrow space being required all
round between their lower extremities and the pipes, for the purpose of
suffering the cold water received in such funnels to trickle down the outsido
of every such condensing pipe; the pipes of this refrigeratory are to be mado
of tin or copper, or copper tinned; and the lower pipes, which are called
horizontal by way of distinction, as above mentioned, are nevertheless to have
a trifling descent, so as to enable the condensed steam or vapour to run down
into the collecting vessel at the bottom. The exhausting pipes, both the main
and branch pipes, may be made of iron or lead, or other suitable metal. The
dimensions, and proportions, and shapes of the containing vessels and refii-
geratory may be varied, as circumstances may render it expedient. Now,
whereas steam or vapour baths have been commonly used, and whereas steam
has been commonly applied to the purpose of heating water, and the rules for
proportioning the pipes and boilers used for those purposes to the size of the
bath or body of water so to be heated (regard being had to its greater or less
exposure to a cooling medium), have been heretofore ascertained and actel
upon, I abstain from given any directions on that subject, further than a
caution that when all or many of the containing vessels are in use at the same
time (particularly being filled with green wood), the steam, or vapour, or
water of such bath will have a tendency to cool very rapidly, from so much
caloric being absorbed from such bath in the conversion of the moisture in
such timber or wood into steam or vapour; the temperature of such bath to
be ascertained by means of one or more thermometers having long stems, the
tops of such stems projecting above the stone floor, above mentioned.
Having described, as above, the various parts of my said Invention, I will
now proceed to explain how the same are to be applied to the purpose
of seasoning timber and other wood:-The timber or wood intended to be
seasoned is to be deposited in the containing vessels, as before mentioned; the
lids of such vessels are then to be closed down are-tight, and all communi-
cations between the external air and the interior of every vessel so filled with
timber or other wood effectually closed up; the communications between the

page_text: interior of every vessel so filled and the refrigeratory and air pump before
mentioned are to bo then opened, and the air pump is to be kept going
by a steam engine or any other mechanical power, as may be most con-
venient, the temperature of the steam, or vapour, or water in the bath, above
mentioned, must be then increased according to the greater or less degree
of rarifaction produced by the air pump employed; and in case the air pump
should produce a rarifaction answering to three inches pressure, as shewn by
the mercurial gauge in common use, the temperature of the steam, or vapour,
or water, above mentioned, should be kept at about one hundred and thirty
degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer; if the rarefaction answers to two inches
pressure on the mercurial guage, the temperature of the steam, or vapour, or
water, above mentioned, should be kept at about one hundred and twenty
degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, and if the rarefaction answers to only
one inch pressure by the mercurial guage, the temperature of such steam, or
vapour, or water should be kept at about one hundred and twelve degrees;
and in each of the above cases the temperature of the steam, or vapour, or
water in such bath should not vary more than five degrees above or five
degrees below the temperatures above mentioned; and for intermediate pressures
of the mercurial gauge I use proportional intermediate degrees of temperature;
the temperature of the steam or vapour or water of such bath may be increased
when great expedition is desirable, or in case the rarefaction be less than that
answering to three inches pressure, as shewn by the mercurial guage, but it
must in no case exceed two hundred degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, as
the air within the vessels becomes rarefied by the nction of the air pump, the
moisture of the wood contained in them will be gradually converted into steam
or vapour, which steam or vapour, and together with the air disengaged from
the interior of such timber or wood, will be drawn out of the vessels along the
exhausting branch pipes communicating through the main pipe with the 1efri-
geratory, before mentioned; and by the condensation of such steam or vapour
as it passes through the refrigeratory, it is separated from the air and caught
by the collecting vessel, and the air thus deprived thereof is finally exhausted
by means of the air pump. All the exhausting pipes between the containing
vessels and the refrigeratory ought to have a continual trifling descent, so that
the steam or vapour condensed in them may at all times run down into the
pipes of the refrigeratory; when the timber or wood contained in any cylinder is
supposed to be seasoned, I make the trial herein-after mentioned for the purpose
of ascertaining whether such timber or wood is seasoned; but as the time for
making such trial varies according to the scantlings of the wood, and according
to such wood being more or less damp, and also not only for the different

page_text: kinds of wood, but even for different qualities of the same kind, I cannot
mention any time for making such trial, otherwise than by stating that for
small scantling such trial need not be made in less than twelve hours after the
wood has been deposited, as above mentioned; and for large scantling such
trial should not be deferred longer than a week after the wood has been
deposited, as aforesaid; such trial is made by cutting off the communication
between such vessel containing timber or wood supposed to be seasoned and
the refrigeratory and air pump, by turning the stop-cock in the branch pipe of
such vessel, and if in the course of half an hour the mercurial
guage attached
to such vessel, is observed not to indicate greater pressure than it did when
the communication was first cut off, as aforesaid (the temperature of the
bath remaining the same during the interval), the timber or wood contained
in such vessel is completely seasoned.
Now, whereas in order the better to illustrate my said Invention, and my
mode of carrying the same into effect, I have herein-before described various
means for carrying different parts of my said Invention into effect; but
whereas I claim exclusive right and privilege only to the following apparatus
or combination of apparatus constituting my said method of seasoning timber
and other wood, that is to say, I claim exclusive light and privilege to the
combination of the air-tight containing vessels with their fitments, as herein-
before described, heated water bath, air-tight refrigeratory, air-tight collecting
vessel with its fitments, above mentioned, main and branch exhausting pipes,
and air pump, as applied in manner herein-before deseribed, for the purpose of
seasoning timber and other wood; and such my said Invention being, to the
best of my knowledge and belief, new and never before used within that part
of His said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England, His said Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, nor
in any of His said Majesty's Colonies or Plantations abroad, I do hereby
declare this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe
this my said Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without reserve
or disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent contained, wherefore I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive light
and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stephen Langton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.
JOIN STEPHEN (Ls.) LANGTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of February, in
the year of our Lord 1826, the aforesaid John Stephen Langton came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.