The Manufacture of a Light Elastic Fire Resisting Material Applicable as a Substitute for Cork.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 10th Aug.,
1888
The Manufacture of a Light Elastic Fire Resisting Material
Applicable as a Substitute for Cork.
I, ENRICO LANGEN, of Hanover, Prussia, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows
This Invention has for its object to produce an elastic, uninflammable, substance of
low specific gravity suitable for use as a substitute for natural cork in many of its
applications.
The Invention consists in a process of producing such a specifically light elastic
and uninflammable substance from the pith of the stalks of the maize and other similar
plants.
The pith in a granulated condition is intimately mixed with any suitable agglutinating
material, such for instance as potato paste, together with a little oil, such as linseed oil,
or tar, to ensure the elasticity of the product, and a fire-proofing material, such as
water-glass or tungstate of soda or infusorial earth, light clay, or other equivalent
material, capable of imparting fire-resisting qualities to the product.
The mass having been intimately mixed in a heated state, is placed in moulds, and
dried at a temperature of from 100° to 110° C and it may be sold in the form of
moulded blocks, or be ground to powder, or otherwise prepared according to its
intended use.
Dated this 19th day of June 1888.
E. LANGEN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture of a Light Elastic Fire-resisting Material
Applicable as a Substitute for Cork.
I, ENRICO LANGEN, of Hanover, Prussia, Engineer, 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 produce from the pith of the stalks of maize
and other similar plants, an elastic, uninflammable substance of low specific gravity
suitable for use as a substitute for natural cork in many of its applications.
The pith in a granular form, is intimately mixed with any suitable agglutinating
material together with a little oil such as linseed oil or tar and a fire-proofing material
such as water-glass or tungstate of soda, or infusorial earth, light clay, or other
equivalent material capable of imparting fire-resisting qualities to the product.
The mass resulting from the intimate mixture as hot as possible of say three kilos
of pith of a granular size of say three millimetres with hot paste prepared from three
kilos potato-flour and twenty-seven kilos water with the addition of the linseed oil or
tar, is placed in moulds and dried at a temperature of from 100° to 110° C.
The addition of the linseed oil or the tar or similar material is necessary in order to
ensure that the mass shall retain its elasticity after drying, whilst the addition of a
substance such as soluble glass or a mineral such as infusorial earth, light clay, etc.
protects against fire.
After being dried, the mass is suited to replace natural cork to a very considerable
extent. It is far preferable to cork or cork-like substances hitherto made, on account
of its very low specific gravity, non-conductivity of heat, and extreme cheapness as
the material from which this new cork-like mass is produced could heretofore only be
used for fuel.
The above mentioned proportions have proved to be the best in practice, but they
may be varied without departing from the invention.
The above mentioned paste may be wholly or partially replaced by any other suitable
adhesive material.
The prepared mass may be introduced into commerce in the form of moulded
blocks or pieces or be ground to powder, or otherwise prepared according to its
intended use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described process of manufacturing a specifically light, fire-resisting,
substance, suitable for use as a substitute for cork by intimately mixing powdered pith

page_text: of maize stalks and like plants and an adhesive material, such as potato-paste with
the addition of oil such as linseed oil, or tar, and a fire-proofing substance such as
soluble glass, tungstate of soda, etc., or a fire-proof mineral such as infusorial earth,
light clay, etc., and drying this mixture by the direct application of heat, as
described.
E. LANGEN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.