An Improved Process for the Electro-plating or Metallization. of Wood.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Electro-plating or Metallization.
of Wood.
..
I, HENRI ALEXANDRE VICTOR WIRTH, of 29 Rue des Ecuries d'Artois, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Chemist, do hereby déclare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved process for the electro-plating or metalliza-
tion of wood, permitting the same, by the penetration of a suitable material into
the pores thereof, to be covered, by deposition on its surface, with a thick and very
adhesive coat of metal, such as copper, brass, gold, silver, nickel, etc.
To ensure the complete adhesion of these metals, which are deposited upon the
wood by the electro-chemical method, it is essential that the wood should be
subjected to a preliminary treatment as follows:-
After the wood has been cleaned, I plunge it into a bath of boiling white wax,
this wax penetrates into the cells and pores of the wood, which it fills, and forces
out the air and moisture therein, and on cooling forms with it a compact body
unaffected by water and moisture. During this operation, that is to say, while the
cells of the wood are being emptied of the air and moisture which they contain,
numbers of bubbles are formed on the surface of the wax, and the formation of
these bubbles does not cease until the replacement of the air and moisture by wax
is quite completed.
.
-
When the air and the moisture are no longer given off, the wood does not
present hollow parts or places, since all its pores are. filled by the wax, which
solidifies' as it cools.
This application of wax, which is one of the characteristic features of my
improved process, replaces the process of baking in a bath.of linseed oil or of a
liquid fatty body which I have hitherto employed; this baking in oil necessitating
the subjection of the wood to a complete desiccation in a stove; this operation,
however, by opening the pores, has the disadvantage of warping or distorting the
wood, which my new process entirely obviates.
Moreover, as I have said above, wood treated with wax becomes compact and
the wax which fills the pores at the same time stops up the joints in the object and
causes them to disappear.
It must be understood that I reserve the right to employ in place of the white
wax, all other waxes or equivalent bodies which are solid at the ordinary temperature,
such as paraffin, etc.
When the wood has been treated as above mentioned, a layer of black-lead or
plumbago (or other conducting material capable of being easily mixed with the
coating of wax with which the wood is impregnated) is applied by means of a
brush. After having washed the wood, thus prepared, with alcohol, I plunge it
into an electrolytic bath saturated with sulphate of copper or other metallic salt in
solution wherein it is subjected to a slight agitation so that the wood is covered
with a thick and perfectly uniform and adhesive coat of metallic copper or other
desired metal.
The agitating motion may either be imparted to the bath or to the object under
treatment as desired.

page_text: The coating of copper produced as above mentioned, can be treated by the usual
processes for the imitation of oxidised brass or can serve as a base or preparation
for the operations of gilding, silvering, nickelling, etc.
The decoration of the wood can be varied in an infinite number of ways by my
method, for example, by coating with an insulating varnish, certain parts to
be kept back during the operation of the galvanic deposition of the metal.
I can, for example, in this manner produce objects in gold and silver or copper
and silver, etc. in a word, any desired combinations of metals.
The objects so metallized can, moreover, he polished or burnished or dulled or
treated by other ornamenting processes, such as engraving, painting, etc.
Dated the 9th day of March 1896.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Process for the Electro-plating or Metallization
of Wood.
1, HENRI ALEXANDRE VICTOR WIRTH, of 29 Rue des Ecuries d'Artois, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Chemist, 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:-.
My invention relates to an improved process for the electro-plating or metalliza-
tion of wood, permitting the same, by the penetration of a suitable material into
the pores thereof, to be covered, by deposition on its surface, with a thick and very
adhesive coat of metal, such as copper, brass, gold, silver, nickel, etc.
To ensure the complete adhesion of these metals, which are deposited upon the
wood by the electro-chemical process, it is essential that the wood should be subjected
to a preliminary treatment as follows:-
After the wood has been cleaned, I plunge it into a bath of boiling white wax,
this wax penetrates into the cells and pores of the wood, which it fills, and forces
out the air and moisture therein, and ou cooling forms with it a compact body
unaffected by water and moisture. During this operation, that is to say, while the
cells of the wood are being emptied of the air and moisture which they contain,
numbers of bubbles are formed on the surface of the wax, and the formation
of these bubbles does not cease until the replacement of the air and moisture by
wax is quite completed.
When the air and the moisture are no longer given off, the wood does not
present hollow parts or places, since all its pores are filled by the wax which
solidifies as it cools.
This application of wax, which is one of the characteristic features of my improved
process, replaces the process of baking in a bath of linseed oil or of a liquid fatty
body which I have hitherto employed; this baking in oil necessitating the subjection
of the wood to a complete desiccation in a stove; this operation, however, by
opening the pores, has the disadvantage of warping or distorting the wood, which
my new process entirely obviates.
Moreover, as I have said above, wood treated with wax becomes compact and
the wax which fills the pores at the same time stops up the joints in the object and
causes them to disappear.
It must be understood that I reserve the right to employ in place of the white
wax, all other waxes or equivalent bodies which are solid at the ordinary temperature,
such as paraffin, etc.

page_text: When the wood has been treated as above mentioned, a layer of black lead or
plumbago (or other conducting material capable of being easily mixed with the
coating of wax with which the wood is impregnated) is applied by means of a
brush. After having washed the wood thus prepared, with alcohol, I plunge
it into an electrolytic bath saturated with sulphate of copper or other metallic salt
in solution, wherein it is subjected to a slight agitation so that the wood is covered
with a thick and perfectly uniform and adhesive coat of metallic copper or other
desired metal.
The agitating motion may either be imparted to the bath or to the object under
treatment as desired.
The coating of copper produced as above described, can be treated by the usual
processes for the imitation of oxidised brass or can serve as a base or preparation
for the operations of gilding, silvering, nickelling, etc.
The decoration of the wood can be varied in an infinite number of ways by my
method, for example, by coating with an insulating varnish, certain parts to be
kept back during the operation of the galvanic deposition of the metal."
I can, for example, in this manner produce objects in gold and silver or copper
and silver, etc. in a word, any desired combinations of metals.
The objects so metallized can, moreover, be polished or burnished or dulled or
treated by other ornamenting processes, such as engraving, painting etc..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved process for the metallization or electro-plating of wood,
consisting in :-
(a.) Immersing the same in a bath of boiling wax, which penetrates the wood
and fills the pores thereof on cooling; and
(b.) Submitting the wood thus prepared and furnished with a conducting
surface to the action of a galvanic bath; all substantially as hereinbefore
described and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 5th day of Donomihon 1906
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.