Improvements in the Process of Treating Cork and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1892-4ccepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
Improvements in the Process of Treating Cork and Apparatus
therefor.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents,
of 18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by
John Thomas Smith, of 159 & 160 South Street New York, N.Y., United States.
of America, Manufacturer, and in what manner the samo is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the treatment of cork for industrial or other uses and
consists in an improvement in the processes of treating the same as is hereinafter
described in this Specification and specified in the claims thereof, reference being
had to the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a mold in which the cork may be treated according
to the improved process and which is of suitable shape and construction for forming
a ring of cork.
Fig. 2 is a similar vertical section showing the mold having its upper and lower
sections held together by the clamps of the mold.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a corner piece of a board made of cork.
The material I use in the process is cork, which I take in pieces of any size,
including the refuse of cork as it is procured from manufacturers and dealers in the
article.
In treating cork according to the presont invention, I provide a hollow mold
which I fill with pieces of cork. The mold is made in sections, the divisions of
which are preferably made on horizontal lines for greater ease in handling (in
carrying out the process). The divisions of the mold are held together by suitable
clamps and when the mold is properly filled with cork, the whole is subjected to
beat and pressure by any suitable or convenient means. A convenient mode of
applying heat theroto is to place the mold after it is filled into an oven or furnace,
and pressure can be applied to it by means of a press or by weights, or heated
rollers or plates or any convenient means or appliance.
The degree of heat employed must be sufficient in connection with the pressure
to cement and solidify the pieces of cork with each other, and the exposure of the
cork to heat is continued until some of the resinous matter inherent in the cork is
driven out therefrom. The application of heat causes the melting of the resinous
matter in the cork, and ultimately its vaporization, the resinous matter being thereby
brought out upon the surfaces of the pieces of cork and between the same and into
the interspaces and crevices between the several pieces, the resinous vapors becoming
diffused throughout the body of the combined pieces of cork so as to fill the inter-
spaces and interstices therein. When the vapors condense, they form a cement
which unites the pieces of cork and holds them together protecting and preserving
the mass in a high degree from becoming disintegrated or separated when exposed
to or immersed in water.
:
In addition to the treatment with heat, I apply pressure to the cork so as to bring
the several pieces of cork into close contact and to make their sides and surfaces.
adhere closely to each other. The pressure is applied before or while the cork is
being subjected to heat, but I do not restrict myself in that respect.
In order to further explain the invention I illustrate it by the drawing in connec-
tion with an apparatus or mold suitable for making a life preserver of the form of
D
017

page_text: aring-buoy. In this drawing is shown a mold of ring form made in two sections or
divisions A A', the division being made on a horizontal line. The outside of the
mold AA is surrounded by a casing B of cylindrical form, and in its interior is
placed a ring C also of cylindrical form. The casing B is provided on opposite
sides with vertical slots DD which receive clamps E E whose ends are inserted in
the slots in such a manner as to embrace the sections A A' of the mold and hold
them near to each other but not so near as to make a perfectly tight joint between
the edges of the mold-sections, there being left a little space between their edges
to allow of the escape of the excess of resinous vapors from the mold during the
operations of heating and pressing of the cork. In charging. the mold, the section A
with its concave side up, is first placed within the casing B and the ring C is next
placed within the section A. The cork G is then placed in section A of the mold,
in sufficient quantity to about fill the annular space between the casing B and the
ring C. Section A of the mold is next placed in the casing B with its concave
side down. The sections of the mold are then pressed towards each other and
brought nearly together, as shown in Fig. 2, a little space F being left between
their edges unclosed to allow the escape of vapor from the mold. This pressure is
made in the presence of heat to which the cork and the apparatus are subjected in.
an oven or furnace, and when the sections of the mold are brought together
sufficiently near to allow of the application of the clamps E, E, the ends of the
clamps are inserted in the slots D D in such a manner as to embrace the sections of
the mold on opposite sides. The heat and pressure are continued until the picces
of cork are brought to the condition of a solid mass, which result is ascertained by
inspection and examination of the cork under treatment.
In order to produce the proper pressure upon the mold and the cork contained
therein, the casing B is filled up with blocks or some other suitable material high
enough to be acted upon by the press and to transmit the pressure to the mold and
the cork, or I may provide a ring or block in the annular space between the casing B
and the ring C to receive and transmit the pressure desired.
In Fig. 3, the ring of cork produced in the mold is shown as it appears when the
upper section A' of the mold is removed.
The process above described results in the production of a body of cork composed
of pieces cemented to each other by the joint action of heat and pressure in con-
nection with the vaporization of the resinous matter of the cork.
The process is applicable to the formation of any article from cork to which
pressure and heat can be applied in suitable molds, it being evident that the cork
will receive its shape from the molds-by reason, of the heat and pressure.
By this process the mass of cork acquires great solidity and great capacity for
resisting moisture..
The casing B and ring C here shown are open at both ends.
In preparing the apparatus for heating and pressing the cork, sufficient cork is
supplied to the molds and apparatus to enable the proper pressure to be applied
thereto and a further supply of cork can be added, when desired, during the
operation so as to keep the molds full.
In cases where it is desired to facilitate the operation of pressing the cork and
causing it to readily conform to the shape desired to be given to it by the molds, 1
moisten the cork slightly, using for that purpose steam or water as may be preferred.
I do this also in cases where the cork is very dry and hard so as to make the same
impressible or pliable under the pressure it is subjected to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven- é
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I'
claim is':-
1. The process of treating cork which consists in vaporizing the resinous matter
contained therein, by heating the cork in a mold or other suitable vessel under
pressure substantially as described.
A

page_text: 2. The process of treating cork which consists in moistening the cork, confining
it in a mold, or suitable vessel, and subjecting it to heat and pressure, substantially
as described.
Dated this 11th day of October 1899
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.