An Improved Firewood or Fuel and Process of Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Firewood or Fuel and Process of Manufacturing the
same.
I, JOSEPH GRIDLEY, Joiner, 124, Acre Road, Kingston-on-Thames, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to produce at a small cost a cheap and efficient
fire-wood or fuel which shall ignite readily at any point and throughout its entire
body, maintain a vigorous flame, and ensure thorough combustion. It shall be
especially suitable for lighting less combustible materials and serve also to des-
seminate disinfectants, aromatic or other constituents and further to produce a
fire-wood which may be most economically handled, transported stored and used.
In carrying this my invention into practice I take wood of any reasonable size,
or shape, and which may be either split or sawn, made into an article or other-
wise and proceed to bake in an oven preferably of a vertical type; the height
being greater than the base erected over, or near to a furnace providing a good
circulating air of a temperature of say 400° Fah., which entering the oven at the
bottom finally escapes again at the top having on its way passed through the
wood, the vertical" build of the oven greatly facilitating the drying process
being practically automatic; the time the wood is allowed to remain is governed
only by the nature of the wood under treatment and which may vary considerably,
the objects being, to thoroughly disperse all artificial contents, and also to raise
the temperature of the wood under treatment to at least the same, or higher than
the temperature of a solution here-after described.
"
The wood being thus made very dry, and all the pores thoroughly opened, it
is at once plunged by mechanical or other means into a hot solution of rosin and
parafin in proportions of say 7 to 1 respectively; carbolic acid, napthelene,
aromatic oils, or any other equally effective materials either singly or collectively,
as disinfectants or otherwise may be added in proportions of say 10-15 to 1,
20 to 1, respectively, and of the oils, according to the strength of the one chosen,
sufficient to give forth a pleasant odour while burning.
The wood on leaving the hot solution is again subjected to a high temperature
to the more thoroughly impregnate the wood and to recover any of the unnecessary
solution which may still adhere.
The wood after treatment should be efficient for any length of time, and may
be stored away in very large quantities, and more-over is very hard and clean
resisting all influences of the weather, exceptional advantages being also offered
to all handling large quantities of the wood as it is especially suitable when ware-
housing of being stored away simply solid and ton upon ton."
For commercial purposes the wood is cut, or riven into suitable sizes, being
governed in no way by any particular shape or size, I prefer Sweedish red wood
laths, and when, and if cross cut to do this obliquely by holding them at an acute
angle to the severing agent, and thus procuring fine, or wedge like ends.
The wood may be built up into an article of any suitable design, a simple way

page_text: being to connect a few laths together spread out to form a star, or into continuous
webs which may be made by passing the wood over a circular saw, or a cutter, to
obtain shallow grooves, in these grooves raffia grass, string, wire, or any other
suitable agent is driven, the laths being thus held together and a continuous webb
formed, capable of being rolled up and used from as desired.
In the process of treatment I can in addition introduce disinfectants, or ethereal
oils, the benificial and agreeable properties are thus made readily accessible to
every community, and more-over may be used in all kinds of stoves, ranges, grates
or furnaces needing no attention after being ignited and provides a most valuable
agent to desseminate aromatic, disinfectant, fumigating or other constituents; for
instance, a small quantity of the oil of cloves will produce a most agreeable odour
when burning, in like manner, the addition, or substitution, of carbolic acid, or
napthelene and the like will provide a valuable disinfectant, or for fumigating
purposes.
Wood thus treated for the purpose of testing drains has been found very effec-
tive, or when used in conjunction with less agreeable matters acting as a powerful,
agent to cover otherwise offensive smells.
The wood may be printed upon, or branded for advertising purposes.
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:
1. The process of manufacturing a combustible material; by exposing to very
hot air and forcing in and through-out an inflammable solution.
2. The process of manufacturing a combustible material, namely pieces of wood,
which after treatment readily ignite by a common match.
3. The process of manufacturing a combustible material capable of receiving
aromatic, disinfectant, or medicinal agents as and for the purposes described.
4. The process of manufacturing a combustible material namely the treated
wood, and by suitable agents made into continuous webs substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
5. The method of cutting the wood obliquely thus creating angles of less than
ninety degrees.
Dated this 13th day of July 1899.