IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOOD FROM DECAY AND ALSO FROM DESTRUCTION BY INSECTS."
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert William Sievier,
"
Sculptor," of Upper
Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, in the United Kingdom of Great
Britain, but now residing in Bruxelles, in the Kingdon of Belgium, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOOD FROM DECAY AND
ALSO FROM DESTRUCTION BY INSECTS."
Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, in the United Kingdom of Great
Britain, but now residing in Bruxelles, in the Kingdon of Belgium, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOOD FROM DECAY AND
ALSO FROM DESTRUCTION BY INSECTS."
Sealed the 30th January 1857, and dated the 30th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert William Sievier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th July 1856.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM SIEVIER, "Sculptor," of Upper Holloway, in the
County of Middlesex, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain; but now
residing in Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOOD FROM
DECAY AND ALSO PROM DESTRUCTION BY INSECTS," to be' as follows':
The Invention' consists in subjecting wood, when saturated or impregnated
with certain materials herein-after described, to pressure between rollers or
otherwise, so as to compress the substance thereof and close up the intersticial
spaces by bringing the woody matter into closer contact; the result being that
the wood is rendered perfectly impervious to the decaying influence of air or

page_text: water and the attacks of insects, while at the same time it is rendered more
dense and more durable, and it is also capable of use in place of the harder
and more scarce and costly woods, being, by this process, capable of receiving
the highest polish and of resemblance to them in their general properties. I
first prepare the wood for pressure by causing the pores to become filled with
resin, tar, pitch, bituminous matter, or any of the gums dissolved in oil, or
any of the usual solvents; or I use mixtures of these, as may be found
desirable, to give the necessary colour and properties to the wood as required.
I sometimes employ solutions of gelatine in combination with certain solutions
of metallic salts, so arranging the process that their mutual decomposition
may take place in the pores of the wood, and solid mátter be therein pre-
cipitated; or I may employ any of the well-known chemical salts or compounds,
which will, upon contact or mixture, throw down or deposit solid matter. I
also use chemical compounds, such as chloride of mercury, sulphate of copper
or blue vitriol, sulphate or chloride of zinc, arsenious acid, nitrate or acetate
of lead, antimony, or any other suitable salt or poisonous drug, to prepare the
wood prior to its treatment with any of the substances mentioned, when it is
required to preserve such wood from the action of insects. I may use these
salts in combination with the other materials whenever I desire to do so.
I will proceed to explain the methods I find convenient for impregnating the
wood with these materials:-I first heat the wood in any convenient manner
in order to expel all moisture and air, and then plunge it into a bath of pitch,
resin, bitumen, or any of the solutions named, or pitch, bitumen, resin, &c.
dissolved in any suitable solvent; and I also promote the process of im-
pregnation by means of proper exhausting apparatus, communicating with the
timber, by means of which the pores of the timber may become exhausted of
air, and the materials be driven therein by reason of the pressure of the
atmosphere. Any of the usual modes of exhausting the pores of wood may
be employed in this part of the process. The operation of saturating or
impregnating being complete, I remove the timber from the bath or vessel and
place it in some convenient situation for draining it and removing all super-
fluous fluid. I then subject the wood, so saturated, to the pressure of powerful
rollers, the surfaces of which may be made to correspond to any suitable shape
or design which it may be desired to give to the timber; or I use any other
suitable method, by means of which I can effect the above purpose. I thus
cause the fibre and cells of the wood to become powerfully compressed and
squeezed closely together in a more compact and reduced mass, which com-
pactness is increased and rendered durable by reason of the contained resinous,

page_text: bituminous, or gummy, or other matter. The pores of the wood being filled
and condensed, the timber is thus rendered impervious to water or air, and the
attacks of insects, and is suitable for ships, piers, breakwaters, bridges, viaducts,
railway sleepers, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert William Sievier in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILLIAM SIEVIBR, 'Sculptor,' of Upper Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,
in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, but now residing in Bruxelles, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert William Sievier, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
William Sievier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Robert William Sievier, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOOD PROM DECAY AND ALSO FROM
DESTRUCTION BY INSECTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Robert William Sievier, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert William Sievier, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 consists in subjecting timber or wood, when saturated or

page_text: impregnated with materials or solutions used for preserving such wood or
timber, to pressure between rollers, or otherwise, so as to compress the sub-
stance thereof and close up the intersticial spaces, by bringing the woody
matter into closer contact; the result being that the wood is rendered perfectly
impervious to the decaying influence of air or water, and the attacks of insects,
while at the same time it is rendered more dense and more durable; and it is
also capable of being used in place of the harder and more scarce and costly
woods, being, by this process, capable of receiving the highest polish and of
resemblance to them in their general properties. I first prepare the wood for
pressure by causing the pores to become filled with rosin, tar, pitch, bituminous
matters, or any other materials or compounds used for preserving wood, and,
if necessary, with coloring matter. I sometimes employ solutions of gelatine,
in combination with certain solutions of metallic-salts, so-arranging the process.
that their mutual decomposition may take place in the pores of the wood, and
solid matter be therein deposited and precipitated; or, I may employ any of
the well-known chemical salts or compounds, which will, upon contact or
mixture, throw down or deposit solid matter. I also use chemical compounds,
such as chloride of mercury, sulphate of copper, sulphate or chloride of zinc,
arsenious acid, nitrate or acetate of lead, antimony, or any other suitable salt
or poisonous drug, to prepare the wood, prior to its treatment with any of the
substances mentioned (by preference), when it is required to preserve such
woods from the action of insects; or I use these salts or materials, in. com-
bination with the others named, whenever I desire to do so. If the wood
or timber is intended for situations where the "toredo navalis," or any other
destructive insects abound, it must be first impregnated with some of the
above, or other poisonous substances; and (by preference) when the wood
is dry, it is to be impregnated with the bituminous substances, and then sub-
jected to pressure.
I will proceed, to explain the methods I find convenient for impregnating
the wood with these materials. I first heat the wood in any convenient manner,
in order to expel all moisture and air, and then plunge it into a bath of pitch,
rosin, bitumen, or, any of the solutions named; or, pitch, bitumen, rosin, &c.
dissolved in any suitable solvent; and I also promote the process of im-
pregnation by means of proper exhausting apparatus communicating with the
timber, by means of which the pores of the timber may become exhausted of
air, and the materials, be driven therein by reason of the pressure of the
atmosphere; but any of the well-known methods of saturating or impregnating
timber with substances, for its preservation, may be adopted.

page_text: The operation of saturating or impregnating being complete, I remove the
timber from the bath or vessel, and place it in some convenient situation for
draining it and removing all superfluous fluid. I then subject the wood, so
saturated, to the pressure of powerful rollers, the surfaces of which may
be made to correspond to any suitable shape or design, which it may be
desired to give to the timber; or, I use any other suitable means of effecting
the necessary pressure, and sustaining the same for the necessary period.
I thus cause the fibres and cells of the wood to become powerfully com-
pressed, and squeezed closely together in a more compact and reduced mass,
which compactness is increased and rendered durable by reason of the resinous,
bituminous, or other matter contained therein; and the pores of the wood
being filled and condensed, the timber is thus rendered impervious to water
or air, and the attacks of insects. The wood should be passed slowly between
rollers, which will shape the wood and squeeze the fibres closer together;
it should be. gradually pressed into the shape required, in the same manner
as the rolling of iron; for instance, a piece of American pine wood will
easily press into half its, former bulk, but if the pressure is given at first
with too great a force, the fibre of the wood is to a certain extent destroyed,
and its strength injured. I pass it several times between the rollers, slowly;
each time increasing the pressure, this gives the fibres of the wood time to
arrange themselves without being injured by fracture. The wood should be
sawn a little into the form intended to be rolled; for instance, suppose I wish
to make that part of a sash-window-frame which holds the glass, the sectional
form of the wood should be a sort of lozenge, so that the rollers may more
easily press it into the shape intended. The same must be done with the
wood intended for girders or any large pieces of timber. Should the timber
require bending, the machines in use might be so modified as to bend and
compress at one operation. When planks are required of compressed wood,
the timber may be sawn into planks before or after compression, but it is
preferable to compress the wood after being sawn into planks. The same with
regard to veneers, which aro produced by this Invention of great utility and
value. Wood, when colored or stained, and impregnated as described, pos-
sesses, after compression and subsequent finish, a very compact and beautiful
appearance, which renders it extremely serviceable in ornamental or cabinet
work, and for tesselated wood floorings.
I am aware that wood has been impregnated with the bodies or materials
herein named, in order to render it more durable and capable of resisting
decay, and the attacks of insects; the process has been applied to railway

page_text: sleepers and to other purposes, and the wood or timber, after being treated
according to my Invention, is still better applicable to railway sleepers, to
timber for the construction of bridges, viaducts, breakwaters, ships, and other
objects, where strength and durability are desiderata.
I claim the pressing or squeezing timber or wood by rollers, or by any other
suitable means, such timber or wood being previously saturated, according to
the well-known methods, with materials for the purpose of preserving the
same, by which compression I effect its greater durability, rendering it less
subject to decay, and to destruction from the attacks of insects, besides
increasing its value generally in so far as regards its application to various
useful purposes, as herein described.
-In-witness whereof, I,_the_said Robert William Sievier, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
R. W. SIEVIER.
(L.S.)