Covering of Surfaces.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug.. 1886.
Complete Left, 31st. May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th July. 188
Covering of Surfaces.
I DON PASTOR PEREZ DE LA SALA of Madrid in the Kingdom of Spain but at
present residing at 36 Navarine Road Hackney in the County of Middlesex
Ex-Colonel in the Spanish American Army do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to treat thin layers sheets or leaves of wood so that
they are rendered so flexible or supple that they can be readily applied and securely
fixed not only to flat and rounded surfaces but also to surfaces having the sharpest
angles and this with much less expenditure of time and labour in the application than
in veneering in the ordinary manner and with great economy of the wood and with a
better appearance of the product as the whole of a rounded or moulded or angular
surface can be covered with one continuous sheet or layer of wood which is not
possible in veenering with ordinary wood. I also dispense with the necessity for
roughening the back of the layers sheets or leaves and the face of the material to
which they are applied and save much time trouble and expense in the production of
wood covered surfaces. The covered surfaces may also be stamped or impressed with
designs so as to give very ornamental effects the flexibility or suppleness of the
wood allowing of this being done very efficiently.
According to my Invention I take the wood with which the surface is to be covered
and I cut it by any suitable means into thin layers sheets or leaves of a thinness of
about 100 or 120 layers sheets or leaves to the inch of thickness. These layers
sheets or leaves are naturally brittle and are subject to split or crack very readily and
1 Duinn
'

page_text: therefore are in their untreated or natural condition totally unsuited to the purposes
of my Invention. To overcome this brittleness I change or modify the oxidized
hydro carbons principally constituting the lignine making use for this purpose of an
aqueous solution of caustic potash which should be of good quality and pure and
approximately so. It may be prepared from carbonate of Potash dissolved in pure or
distilled water in the proportion of one pound of the carbonate of Potash to every
gallon of water. This solution is put into a clear iron pan constantly stirring it and
heating it till it boils. I then gradually add hydrate of calcium to the extent of 3
parts of hydrate of calcium for every 4 parts of the carbonate of potash and I then
boil and stir the solution for eight to ten minutes. When the solution is cold and
clear by reason of the precipitation of the carbonate of calcium which is formed, the
supernatent aqueous solution of caustic potash or hydrate of potassa produced is ready
for use and should be drawn off by means of a syphon so as to leave all sediment and
then be kept in well stoppered earthenware or dark coloured glass carboys. As a
general rule I prefer that the aqueous solution of caustic potash shall be of such a
strength as to have a specific gravity of 1.06 but this may vary to some extent in
accordance with the kind of wood to be treated the harder the wood the stronger being
the solution.
I place the thin layers sheets or leaves of wood cut as aforesaid in a suitable
tank or vessel made of wood slate earthenware or other non metallic material and I
cover them with the aqueous solution of caustic potash. A temperature of about
60° to 70° Fahrenheit is most favourable for the operation and it should be conducted
in the absence of white light. I allow the sheets of wood to remain in the solution
for a time in accordance with their degree of hardness and ranging from say ten or
fifteen minutes to several hours. For example the woods of the sycamore and the
horsechestnut will generally require only from ten to fifteen minutes submersion
whilst satinwood boxwood ebony and like hard woods will require some hours. The
proper degree of treatment in the solution may be ascertained to have been reached
by taking a test piece of similar wood sheet which has been immersed in the solution
with the sheets being treated and after drying it applying a match to it. If then
the wood does not burn in a flaine but as it were melts in a continuous ashy froth as
distinguished from burning and carbonization the treatment has been carried to the
proper extent. The sheets are then removed from the solution and passed between
India rubber rollers or otherwise treated to remove superfluous moisture and are then
allowed to dry gradually in a well ventilated room. They should be suspended from
wooden rods or by cords of vegetable material. In applying the wood thus prepared
to the covering of surfaces pieces of the required size are cut from the layers sheets
or leaves and one side is lightly moistened with water which can conveniently be
applied by means of a sponge and glue or other cement is applied to the other side.
Usually it will be found that the surface of the upper cut is smoother than that of the
under cut and it is this latter which should have the cement or glue applied to it.
The best cement to employ is glue of the best quality light in colour and made into a
solution of an even and smooth character of about the thickness in which ordinary
solutions of gum are sold. The pieces of the wood sheets thus prepared are placed
in proper position upon and with their glued surface presented to the surface to which
they are to be applied and they are gently pressed and stroked preferably by means of
a wooden or bone blade or presser. The stroking should be done from the central
part in the direction of the grain of the wood so as not to open out the fibre. By this
means all superfluous glue is pressed out and the wood is firmly attached to the surface.
Where knots or eyes occur a weight may be placed on the wood until it dries to
prevent blistering at those parts. The wood sheets can be turned over sharp angles.
Numberless purposes will suggest themselves to which the wood treated and made
flexible and supple as described can be applied to which ordinary veneers cannot be
applied such for example as elaborate mouldings and moreover economy in time and
labour are obtained with but little waste of material. The aqueous solution of Potash
can be used repeatedly provided it be kept at the proper strength by adding caustic

page_text: potash from time to time and boiling occasionally with slaked but caustic lime to
remove carbonic acid absorbed and revive causticity. Generally the treatment of the
wood sheets by the solution described will darken the line of the wood which in some
cases is desirable as it gives an appearance of age but if this darkening be not desired
I can counteract it by lightly sponging the wood with a weak solution of hydrochloric
acid but this should of course not be done until after the wood has been applied to the
surface and has dried.
A further advantage in my Invention consists in the fact that the glue or cement
enters through the pores of the wood and to some extent exudes from the outer side
so as in some cases to render subsequent sizing unnecessary where the surface is to be
varnished or polished.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
Agent for the above named
Don Pastor Perez de la Sala.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment and Application of Wood to the
Covering of Surfaces.
I DON PASTOR PEREZ DE LA SALA of Madrid in the Kingdom of Spain, but at
present residing at 36 Navarino Road Hackney in the County of Middlesex Ex-
Colonel in the Spanish American Army 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 :-
This Invention has for its object to treat thin layers sheets or leaves of wood so that
they are rendered so flexible or supple that they can be readily applied and securely
fixed not only to flat and rounded surfaces but also to surfaces having the sharpest
angles and this with much less expenditure of time and labour in the application than
in veneering in the ordinary manner and with great economy of the wood and with a
better appearance of the product as the whole of a rounded or moulded or angular
surface can be covered with one continuous_sheet or layer of wood which is not
possible in veneering with ordinary wood. I also dispense with the necessity for
roughening the back of the layers sheets or leaves and the face of the material to
which they are applied and save much time trouble and expense in the production of
wood' covered surfaces. The covered surfaces may also be stamped or impressed with
designs so as to give very ornamental effects the flexibility or suppleness of the wood
allowing of this being done very efficiently.
According to my Invention I take the wood with which the surface is to be covered
and I cut it by any suitable means into thin layers sheets or leaves of a thinness of
say about 100 to 120 layers sheets or leaves to the inch of thickness. These layers
sheets or leaves are naturally brittle and are subject to split or crack very readily and
therefore are in their untreated or natural condition totally unsuited to the purposes
of my Invention. To overcome this brittleness I treat the wood chemically as herein-
after described so as to change or modify the oxidized hydro-carbons principally
constituting the lignine making use for this purpose of an aqueous solution of caustic
potash which should be good quality and pure or approximately so.
prepared from carbonate of potash dissolved in pure or distilled water in the proportion
It may be
of one pound of the carbonate of potash to every gallon of water. This solution is put
into clean iron pans constantly stirring it and heating it until boils. I then gradually
add hydrate of calcium to the extent of 3 parts of hydrate of calcium for every 4 parts
of the carbonate of potash and I then boil and stir the solution generally for eight to
ten minutes. When the solution is cold and clear by reason of the precipitation of
the carbonate of calcium which is formed the supernatent aqueous solution of caustic
potash or hydrate of potassa produced is ready for use and should be drawn off

page_text: syphon so as to leave all sediment (which may be effected by means of a' syphon) and
then be kept in well stopped receptacles such as Earthenware or dark colored glass
carboys. As a general rule I prefer that the aqueous solution of caustic potash shall
be of such a strength as to have a specific gravity of 1.06 but this may vary to some
extent in accordance with the kind of wood to be treated the harder the wood the
stronger being the solution.
I place the thin layers sheets or leaves of wood cut as aforesaid in a suitable tank
or vessel made of wood slate earthenware or other non metallic material and I cover
them with the aqueous solution of caustic potash. A temperature of about 60° to 70°
Fahrenheit is most favorable for the operation and it should be conducted in the
absence of white light. I allow the sheets of wood to remain in the solution for a time
in accordance with their degree of hardness and ranging from say ten or fifteen
minutes to several hours. For example the woods of the Sycamore and the horse
chesnut will generally require only from ten to fifteen minutes submersion whilst
satin wood, box wood, ebony and like hard woods will require some, hours. The proper
degree of treatment in the solution may be ascertained to have been reached by taking
a test piece of similar wood sheet which has been immersed in the solution with the
sheets being treated and after drying it applying a match to it. If then the wood
does not burn in a flame but as it were melts in a continuous ashy froth as dis-
tinguished from burning and carbonization the treatment has been carried to the
proper extent. The sheets are then removed from the solution and passed between
India rubber rollers or otherwise treated to remove superfluous moisture and are then
allowed to dry gradually in a well ventilated room. For this purpose they may with
advantage be suspended from wooden rods or by cords of vegetable material. In
applying the wood thus prepared to the covering of surfaces pieces of the required
size are cut from the layers sheets or leaves and one side is lightly moistened with
water which can conveniently be applied by means of a sponge and then glue or other
cement is applied to the other side. Usually it will be found that the surface of the
upper cut is smoother than that of the under cut and it is this latter which should have
the cement or glue applied to it. The best cement to employ is glue of the best
quality light in colour and made into a solution of an even and smooth character of
about the thickness in which ordinary solutions of gum are sold. The pieces of the
wood sheets thus prepared are placed in proper position upon and with their glued
surface presented to the surface to which they are to be applied and they are gently
pressed and stroked preferably by means of a wooden or bone blade or presser. The
stroking should be done from the central part in the direction of the grain of the
wood so as not to open out the fibre. By this means all superfluous glue is pressed
out and the wood is firmly attached to the surface. Where knots or eyes occur a
weight may be placed on the wood until it dries to prevent blistering at those parts.
The wood sheets can be turned over sharp angles. Numberless purposes will suggest
themselves to which the wood treated and made flexible and supple as described can
be applied to which ordinary veneers cannot be applied such for example as the
covering of elaborate mouldings. And moreover economy in time and labour are
obtained with but little waste of material. The aqueous solution of the potash can be
used repeatedly provided it be kept at the proper strength by adding caustic potash
from time to time and boiling occasionally with slacked but caustic lime to remove
the carbonic acid absorbed and revive causticity.
Generally the treatment of the wood sheets by the solution described will darken
the hue of the wood which in some cases is desirable as it gives an appearance
of age but if this darkening be not desired I can counteract it by lightly sponging
the wood with a weak solution of hydrochloric acid but this should of course not be
done until after the wood has been applied to the surface and has dried.
A further advantage in my Invention consists in the fact that the glue or cement
enters through the pores of the wood and to some extent exudes from the outer side
so as in some cases to render subsequent sizing unnecessary where the surface is to be
varnished or polished.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
First The manufacture of flexible or supple wood layers sheets or leaves fitted
to cover surfaces in the manner and by the means or treatment herein before
described.
Second-The manufacture of wood covered surfaces or articles by first producing
thin sheets layers or leaves of flexible or supple wood in the manner and by the means
of treatment herein before described and then applying them to the surfaces or articles
also as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 27th day of May 1887.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent.