IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES LESS PERVIOUS TO AIR AND LIQUIDS, AND ALSO LESS LIABLE TO DECAY."
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stenhouse, of 17, Rodney Street, Pentonville,
in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RENDERING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES LESS PERVIOUS TO AIR AND LIQUIDS, AND
ALSO LESS LIABLE TO DECAY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stenhouse at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 81st
.August 1864.
I, JOHN STENHOUSE, of 17, Rodney Street, Pentonville, in the County of
Middlesex, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES LESS PERVIOUS TO AIR AND
LIQUIDS, AND ALSO LESS LIABLE TO DECAY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in rendering substances less
purpose I
pervious to air and liquids, and also less liable-to decay. For this
take paraffine, either alone, or mixtures. of paraffine with beeswax or any of
the vegetable waxes, or mixtures of paraffine with stearine, stearic acid, or

page_text: .
any of the solid fatty principles, to these I add linseed oil, nut oil, poppy oil,
or hempseed oil, or any of the other drying oils, and occasionally solutions of
caoutchouc or gutta percha in these oils. I usually render these drying oils
more siccative by means of heat or any other of the known processes. I
combine the paraffine and its mixtures with the drying oils. The quantity of
drying oil which I add to the paraffine and its mixtures may vary from 5 to 30
per cent., according to circumstances, but I do not confine myself to these
proportions. In certain cases, where I wish to protect substances from the
attacks of mildew and vermin, I introduce into the paraffine or paraffine mix-
tures a small quantity of carbolic or phenylic acid or creosote. I apply the
paraffine and its mixtures combined with drying oils, either in the solid state
and then melt them in, or liquify them by heat, or dissolve them in any of
their usual solvents, such as coal tar, naptha, petroleum naptha, benzole,
bisulphide of carbon. The substances which I render less pervious to air and
liquids, and also less liable to decay, are the following, viz., leather, paper, all
textile fabrics of cotton, linen, hemp, jute, wool, and silk, and likewise all
yarn, threads, twine, cords, or ropes made from these materials, likewise yarns,
cords, and cordage made from Manilla hemp, also all felted fabrics. Some-
times I steep certain of the preceding substances in aqueous or alkaline
solutions of carbolic acid, or creosote, or solutions of chloride or sulphate of
zinc, or mixtures of these solutions, and having dried them, apply the paraf-
fine or its admixtures in the way above described. Sometimes, also, I steep
certain of the preceding substances in aqueous or alkaline solutions of carbolic
acid or creosote and simply dry them, without applying the paraffine. I
sometimes, also, neutralize the alkaline solutions with an acid and then dry.
When it is desirable to diminish the inflammability of any of the above-named
substances treated as above described, I steep them in solutions of alum,
borax, sal ammoniac, sulphate of ammonia, or basic silicate of soda or potassa,
commonly called water-glass, and when dried I apply the paraffine or its
admixtures combined with drying oils to the before-mentioned substances; or
the paraffine and the above-mentioned admixtures may be applied in the first
place, and the above-mentioned solutions for diminishing inflammability may
be afterwards applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Stenhouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,. I, JOHN
STENHOUSE, of 17, Rodney Street, Pentonville, in the County of Middlesex,
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Stenhouse, Her special licence that I, the said John Stenhouse,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Stenhouse, 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
yend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING
CERTAIN SUBSTANCES LESS PERVIOUS TO AIR AND LIQUIDS, AND ALSO LESS LIABLE TO
DECAY, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, 'the said John Stenhouse,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 John Stenhouse, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention,, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say ;-
.
This Invention has for its object improvements in rendering sub-
stances less pervious to air and liquids, and also less liable to decay. The
way in which I proceed to carry out my Invention is as follows:-I take
paraffine, or mixtures of paraffine with beeswax or with any of the vege-
table waxes, or mixtures of paraffine with stearine, stearic acid, tallow,
or any other of the solid fatty principles as described in the Specification
filed by me on the 8th of July 1862, and to the paraffine, or to the

page_text: mixtures, I add from 5 to 80 per cent., usually 20 per cent. of linseed oil,
nut oil, poppy oil, hempseed oil, or any other of the drying oils, either with or
without solutions of caoutchouc or gutta percha, in a drying oil, usually
rendered more seccative by heat or any other of the known processes. The
paraffine and its admixtures with waxy or fatty substances may be incor-
porated with the drying oils by melting them together and pouring the mixture
into suitable moulds, in which they are left to solidify, so as to form blocks or
pieces of any convenient size. These mixtures of paraffine are applied to
textile fabrics composed of cotton, linen, hemp, jute, wool, or silk, likewise to
felted fabrics, by rubbing or bringing the mixture in contact with the above-
mentioned fabrics, either cold or gently warmed, and which may be effected
as follows: I take a plate of iron or other metal and keep it heated to such
a temperature as will melt the paraffine mixture easily, and on this I place
the fabric which I wish to coat, and keep it stretched by means of a frame or
other suitable arrangement. I then rub over the cloth a block or piece of
the paraffine mixture, by hand or otherwise, until it is sufficiently impregnated,
and in such a manner as to coat the surface as evenly as possible. After this
treatment it is compressed by hot rollers, or hot flat-irons, or other suitable
arrangements, in order to distribute the paraffine mixture more equally among
the fibres. Instead of a flat block of paraffine mixture a roller of that material,
made by pouring the melted substances around a woodon core or axis in a
suitable mould, may be employed. The cloth, which has been previously
warmed, is then drawn in a contrary direction to that in which the roller is
turned, and with which it is kept in very close contact by suitable pressure.
The thorough incorporation of the paraffine mixture with the cloth is com-
pleted by calandering between hot metallic rollers, as in the previous case.
The warmed cloth may be drawn over a fixed bar, of any suitable form, of
paraffine mixture, instead of over a rotating cylinder of that substance, and
calandered as before. The paraffine mixtures are applied to one side of the
fabric only or to both, according to the amount of impregnation which it is
wished to communicate. The paraffine mixture may also be heated in suit-
able vessels and employed at a temperature varying from about 150° to 212°
Fahrenheit, and then applied by brushes or by any other suitable arrangement
to the cloth, and the operation completed by pressure with hot flat-irons, or
by passing it between hot rollers, so as thoroughly to incorporate the paraffine
mixture with the fabric. Instead of applying the mixture of paraffine and
drying oil as above described, the paraffine may be applied to the cloth in a
manner similar to that described in the Specification of my former Patent,

page_text: dated 8th January.1862, and numbered 55, and afterwards. coated over with
the drying oil. :
. : :
If any of. the above-mentioned fabrics are to be rendered more impervious
than could be effected by a single. treatment with any of the mixtures, herein
described, I proceed as follows:-After the fabric has been treated by the...
employment of any of the mixtures, or by any of the methods described in,
this Specification, I allow it to remain exposed to the air in order to enable
the mixture thoroughly to set; this usually requires: from six to ten days..
When this is effected a coating of drying oil containing a small quantity of;
paraffine, about five per cent., may be applied, or drying oil alone. When,
this has also become thoroughly set I apply successive coatings of drying oil
in the same manner until a sufficient thickness has been obtained, I usually
find it convenient, especially if the fabric has an open texture, to close the
pores which the paraffine may bave left open by rubbing into them small;
quantities of lampblack, ochres, zinc white, pipe-clay, or similar powders.
made into a thin paste with drying oil. These I apply immediately to the,
paraffined surface, the coats of oil being subsequently laid on. In this way a
variety of colors are also incidentally produced. The process just described is:
particularly applicable for the manufacture of such articles as capes, tarpaulins,
tilts, &c.
When it is desirable; to diminish the inflammability of any of the above-
mentioned fabrics "treated as 'above described, I steep them in solutions of
alum, borax, sal ammoniać, or sulphate of ammonia, and when dried I apply
the paraffine or its admixtures, combined with drying oils, to the before-.
mentioned substances, or the paraffine and the above-mentioned admixtures:
may be applied in the first place, and the above-mentioned solutions for
diminishing inflammability may be afterwards applied. I'likewise apply, the
mixtures of paraffine and drying oil to leather in the following ways:—
⋅
When the leather is in sheets or skins I'gently heat it to a temperature
just. sufficient to melt the paraffine mixture easily, this should not exceed
145-Fahrenheit, and then rub over it, usually on the flesh side only, a block
or piece of solid paraffine mixture until the desired amount of impregnation is
effected. The heat is, continued until the whole of the paraffine mixture has
been absorbed by the leather. Sometimes I melt the paraffine mixture, and
then apply it with a brush or any other suitable instrument to one side of the
leather, which it is generally advantageous 'previously to warm to a moderate
extent only, so as not to injure its structure; the heating should, then.
continued until the paraffine mixture is all absorbed. When' thought desi
able, the paraffine mixture is applied to both sides of the leather: Sheets

page_text: .
leather can likewise be impregnated with the paraffine mixture by immersing
them in a bath of melted substance at a temperature not exceeding 145°
Fabrenheit. Leather 'may also be impregnated with the before-mentioned
paraffine mixtures dissolved in light coal tar, naptha, petroleum oil, or bisul-
phide of carbon. When these solutions have been made in the usual way,
by gently heating them, the leather is steeped in them, or they are applied to
the leather by means of a brush or other suitable instrument. When the
solvent has evaporated the leather will be found uniformly impregnated with
the paraffine mixture, and the incorporation of the paraffine mixture may be
rendered still more intimate by the application of a gentle heat. It is ad-
visable thoroughly to dry the leather before applying the solution, and in cold
weather to warm it, so that it may not chill the paraffine solution. When
leather is impregnated with any of the paraffine mixtures in any of the ways
above described it is not only rendered less pervious to air and liquids, but
also stronger and more durable. I employ the processes above described not
only to impregnate leather in the sheet, but likewise all articles manufactured
from leather, such as boots, shoes, harness, &c. Though mixtures of paraffine
containing from 20 to 30 per cent. of drying oil are found to answer perfectly,
yet not unfrequently I find it-advisable, especially in the treatment of thin
leather, to increase the proportion of drying oil in the paraffine mixture con-
siderably, in some instances to even as much as 80 per cent. When very
large quantities of oil are employed the paraffine mixture has a pasty con-
sistence, so that it cannot conveniently be employed in blocks, it is therefore
advantageous generally to use it in the melted state or in solution. I likewise
impregnate any of the textile or felted fabrics previously mentioned, as well
as all yarns, threads, twines, cords, or ropes, made of cotton, linen, hemp,
jute, silk, wool, and Manilla hemp, with solutions of the paraffine mixtures,
which I vary in strength according to the amount of impregnation required,
not only by the above-mentioned articles, but also by various kinds of leather.
These yarns, threads, twines, cords, or ropes may also be impregnated to any
desired extent with the paraffine mixture by passing them through a melted
bath of that material, or in any of the ways above described most suitable to
their nature. Leather in a moulded or consolidated state, as for pump buckets,
elmets, and other articles, may be impregnated when in a moist state with
e aforesaid mixtures of paraffine and drying oils applied in a melted state by
ssure. Moulded leather articles, such as pump buckets, may also be
iregnated in a dry state with the paraffine mixture by the processes pre-
vsly described.
aving now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what.manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
as any part of the Invention intended to be secured by the said Letters
Patent the use of paraffine with or without wax, stearine, stearic acid, or any
of the said fatty bodies when such paraffine or its mixtures are uncombined
with drying oils; but I hereby declare the Invention whereof the exclusive
use is intended to be secured by the said Letters Patent to consist in treating
fabrics and substances with paraffine and drying, oils, and likewise with
paraffine and its admixtures, with waxy and fatty bodies also combined with
drying oils, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stenhouse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.