IMPROVEMENTS IN PRE- SERVING TIMBER FROM DECAY
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WEBSTER
FLOCKTON, of the Spa Road, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Turpen-
tine and Tar Distiller, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Third day of August, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Webster Flockton, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Webster Flockton, my exors, adiñors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Webster Flockton, my exors, adiñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter 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, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRE-
SERVING TIMBER FROM DECAY;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, that I, the said Webster Flockton, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Webster Flockton, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: My Invention consists in impregnating timber of various descriptions with
a metallic solution, whereby such timber will be preserved, and I produce the
necessary solution in the following manner, which I consider the best and
cheapest means of carrying my Invention into effect, though I do not confine
myself to the precise means hereafter described, as variations may be made,
my object being to impregnate timber for any purpose it may be found
applicable with a "metallic solution," as above stated, and is more fully
described hereafter.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and carried into effect,
I will describe the method I pursue of combining materials together, and
applying them to the purposes aforesaid. I take a quantity of tar, either Stock-
holm, Archangel, or American), which I submit to the process of distillation,
and the apparatus or still which I use for this purpose is similar to what is
called a pitch still, which is made of copper, and is well known, and forms no
part of my Invention, nor does the process of distillation for separating the
essential oil from the tar, which is effected in the manner following:-The
still which I use will contain about four hundred gallons, but I do not put into
it more than three-fourths of that quantity of tar of either of the kinds before
mentioned. The first product will be the acid of the tar, bringing with it a light
colored essential oil, which separates immediately and floats upon the surface of
the acid in the receiver, which I prefer of wood (a cask with one head, and
furnished with a cock for withdrawing the acid from below, being applicable
to the purpose). After some time the acid will cease, and the essential oil
will come over in a very considerable stream, which I collect from the receiver
to the extent of about forty-eight gallons in the whole, including that which
came over in the first instance with the acid. The fire is then to be withdrawn,
and the contents of the still, which by the extraction of the essential oil has
become pitch, allowed to remain in the still until the following morning to
cool, when it may be let off by means of a pipe, fitted with a brass or iron plug,
into a large receiver of cast iron or other suitable material, and finally put into
casks for sale.
I will now proceed to describe the combining of the essential oil with the
other materials for the making of my "metallic solution." To effect this, I
place two or more large casks upright, removing the upper head of each, and
throw into them well-rusted iron hoops or tin cuttings. I then pump into them
one hundred gallons or more, according to the size of the casks, of the essential
oil of tar before described, completely covering the metal. This oil I cause
to be pumped repeatedly every day from one cask to the other, for about six
weeks, by which time the oil will have become very black and much increased

page_text: in gravity, whilst the iron hoops or tin cuttings will appear quite bright and
free from oxyde. They are then to be taken out and piled up in an open space
of ground, and set fire to for the purpose of burning off the oil, and afterwards
laid by for re-oxidation, which may be much facilitated by pouring over them
a weak solution of common salt and water. When they have again been
rusted they will be fit for use.
I will now proceed to describe the method I pursue of saturating timber
with the metallic oxide. For saturating wooden piles already driven into the
sea, forming jetties or piers, I cause an inch auger to be passed down the
centre of the piles to the bottom end, if possible, or as far down as can con-
veniently be done, and the metallic solution poured down the hole until filled.
This is to be repeated as often as may be thought necessary, but generally in
a day or two it will be found oozing through the pores of the wood, depositing
an incrustation of iron, which in combination with the essential oil of the tar
resists alike the action of the water and the attacks of the worm. A wooden
plug or trenail is to be driven fast into the hole, which may be removed
by the augur at any time for the purpose of giving the piles a fresh supply.
This method is likewise applicable to the wooden sleepers of railways, and,
in short, to all timber subject to damp or moisture, or the attacks of
worm or other vermin. For out-door buildings liable to dry rot it is to be
used cold, in the usual way of tar or varnish, with a brush, for being per-
fectly liquid it penetrates most rapidly, drying completely in eight or ten
hours, when a second dose may be given; applied to the framing and joists
of houses, they will be effectually preserved from decay, or where dry rot has
in any shape made its appearance, so as to be within reach of applying the
solution, perfect soundness will be restored to the infected timbers, with a
total extermination of fungus.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I lay no claim
to any of the materials separately; and it will be evident that the means of
carrying the same into effect may be varied to suit the particular object to
which the Invention is to be applied; but I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the impregnating timber of various descriptions with metallic solu-
tion (such as I have described), whereby such timber will be preserved.
In witness whereof, I, the said Webster Flockton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
WEBSTER (L.S.) FLOCKTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of February, in
the year of our Lord 1837, the aforesaid Webster Flockton 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 Third day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-seven.