Incombustible Paint.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1888
Specification Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
Incombustible Paint.
I FRANK DE CONINOK of 102 Elliot Street, San Francisco, California, in the
United States of America, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to manufacture with asbestos pulverized to an
impalpable powder, an incombustible paint, which, applied with a brush over cloths,
the backs of theatrical decorations now in use, carpets, wall-paper, woods, furniture,
and like materials, make them absolutely and permanently uninflammable.
To carry my invention into effect, I clean, pulverize and sift the asbestos to an
impalpable powder, then I mix by weight two parts and a quarter of the powder to
one part of oxydo of zinc; next I mix also by weight, a solution composed of
1st-thirty parts of a solution of chloride of zinc at 56° Beaume, 2ndly,-Fifty
parts of a solution of borate of ammonia at 3° Beaume, 3rdly, twenty parts of a warm
solution of gelatine, containing twenty five per cent. of ordinary dry glue. 1 then
take forty parts of the former mixture and sixty parts of the latter solution, and mix
the same together, until it is liquid enough to be applied as a paint with a brush.-I
mix also the former forty powdered parts with sixty parts of any paint compounded
of linseed-oil, terebenthine and Japan and similarly apply it. But where oil-paint is
desired I prefer to apply first my incombustible paint, second and over it, the oil-
paint, because by so doing, protection against fire is much more perfect.
It will be obvious that I do not confine myself to the products and proportions
above named for use in combination with the asbestos as they may be substituted or
varied by equivalents. Also the proportion of asbestos itself may be increased or
lessened according to the amount of protection required; but the above proportions
are suited to the object, which is to spread over materials an adequate and adherent
incombustible coat of asbestos equal to sixty five grams to the yard square, a quantity
which makes cloths absolutely and permanently uninflammable. It is also manifest that
I may apply successive coats of paint, and proportion them to the thickness and high
degree of inflammability required in the materials to be protected. For instance,
woods of the thickness commonly used for scenery purposes, coated twice, may be

page_text: held over, upon, and against the flame of a lighted gas-burner, for an unlimited time,
without blazing; more paint is therefore unnecessary but it is as easy to coat them a
dozen times as one or two; the expenses only being increased.
Among the striking properties of my paint I point out its absolute incombustibility,
preserved indefinitely and its perfect adherence to cloths, theatrical sceneries,
carpets, wall-paper, woods, furniture, and like materials.
Moreover it does not
crack, blister, nor peel off in scale or dust, by the alternate action of warmth or
humidity; it does not injure any property of wood, nor damage fibres of cloths, or
colors applied over it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The manufacture and use of incombustible paint composed of asbestos, pulverized
to an impalpable powder mixed with a compound of oxyde of zinc, chloride of zinc,
borate of ammonia and gelatine or their equivalents or any oil-paint and the application
of the same when spread with a brush over cloths, theatrical sceneries, carpets, wall-
papers, woods, furniture, and like materials, for the purpose of rendering the same
absolutely and permanently uninflammable, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated 12th March 1888
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.