Improved Process for Preserving Green Plants, Blossoms, and Flowers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process for Preserving Green Plants, Blossoms, and Flowers.
I THERESE REINHERZ of Munich in the Empire of Germany, Gentlewoman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
The plants, blooms flowers, leaves etc. must be drained from water in the
first instance.
This draining is done according to the kind of plants either by their insertion in
alcohol or by pressing them between filtering paper.
The insertion in alcohol is of various duration depending upon the quantity of
moisture of the respective plants. Pure ethyle alcohol can be used which however
must be substituted sometimes by mixtures of various homologues and derivatives
of several kinds of alcohol, the drainage being hastened when performed within a
space free from oxygen. The atmospheric air is driven away by a dry gas possessing
preserving qualities such as carbonic acid, hydrogen etc. etc. Gases which have a
bleaching effect such as chlorine peroxyde of hydrogen etc., etc., are not to be used.
For carrying out the process, firmly closing cupboards are suitable each having
an inlet and an outlet pipe in order to admit continually dry gas and eject
moist gas.
After the plants have been thus prepared they are placed in preserving liquids
according to the kind of plants. It is advantageous with many plants to treat
them with only one liquid which contains all the ingredients necessary for
preserving and at the same time those which are intended as substitutes in the
plant for the water removed therefrom and to make it smooth and flexible.
This liquid consists according to requirements of a mixture of alcohol ether etc.
(homologues and derivatives of the several kinds of alcohol) with the chlorides of
alkaline earths besides which, grease and oils (which in some instances are to be
substituted by carburets of hydrogen) then with ether alcohol soluble resins and at
last with glycerine. All these substances are to be dissolved in such proportion
that by presence of too large a quantity of any one substance, another one is not
excluded; for the solid substances are all to be united in the solution. For instance
by too much ether be present, chloride of calcium is excluded and with too little
ether the resins will not be dissolved.
.
The time of influence varies according to the kind of the plants it varies from
30 minutes to 24 hours.
After removal from the preserving liquid the plants are to be suspended within
a drying chamber for obtaining an equal drying until the drying in of the solution
has taken place.
When delicate colours are to be obtained it is advisable as set forth above to
remove the air in said chamber by means of dry gases of a preserving nature.
Delicate plants should be treated successively with 2 to 3 liquids which contain
the above named substances separately dissolved.
First of all one liquid is to be used which contains besides the ethyle alcohol or
alcohol mixture only glycerine and the chlorides of alkaline earths (with plants of
certain colours these are to be substituted by sulphuric acid). The duration of the
influence varies from 10 minutes to 2 hours. The plants to be dried in the manner
stated above after having been withdrawn from this solution and placed in a
solution which consists of 3 of methyline ether and of alcohol (ethyle or methyline,
amyle-alcohol &c.) and as substances to be dissolved fats or oils (sometimes
carburets of hydrogen). Also a moderate addition of glycerine is to be recom-
mended. The quantity of the substances to be dissolved depends upon the more or
less delicate or coarse nature and condition of the plants. The duration of the

page_text: influence varies between 10 minutes and 6 hours, the same is different for each kind
of plant.
The treatment of the plants with this and the following solution should take place
in closed vessels if possible in order to prevent an evaporation of the ethers.
The drying is done in ordinary atmosphere being as dry as possible.
A series of plants especially green plants should be subjected to a third treatment
with a liquid consisting of ethers alcohols and resins.
The duration of the influence of this last liquid is much shorter and as a rule, a
few minutes will be sufficient.
This last treatment gives the plants a thin coating which preserves it from the
influence of decomposing substances and weakens the decomposing action of the
direct sunlight considerably.
Dated this 5th day of July 1890.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process for Preserving Green Plants, Blossoms, and Flowers.
I, THERESE REINHERZ, of Munich, in the Empire of Germany, Gentlewoman
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 relates to an improved process for preserving green plants,
blossoms and flowers.
The process is as follows
The plants (blossoms, leaves etc.) are first deprived of water. This is effected
according to the kind of plant to be treated, either by immersion in alcohols,
homologues, or derivatives of the same, or by pressing between filtering paper.
The first method is employed especially for flowers, and in general for delicate
parts of plants; the second method is mainly employed in the case of coarse green
leaves of foliage.
The immersion in alcohol, or a homologue or derivative thereof, is of varying
duration dependent on the amount of sap contained in the plants. As a rule,
common or ordinary ethyl-alcohol is employed which may however in some cases
be replaced by various homologues and derivatives of the alcohol series, or be mixed
with the same, when it is desired to preserve particularly delicate colours.
For preserving red colours there are especially employed ethers and esters;
for preserving yellow colours alcohols of high boiling points are especially employed,
whilst acetone preserves the colours in almost all cases. The differences between
various vegetable colouring matters is such that a strict general rule cannot be
given. As homologues and derivatives of the alcohol series there may be specially
mentioned -methyl-alcohol, propyl-alcohol, butyl-alcohol, isobutyl-alcohol, amyl-
alcohol, also the ethers, esters, aldehydes and ketones of these alcohols, such as
ethyl-formiate and ethyl-acetate, ethyl-ether, aldehyde, acetone, and chloroform.
The removal of water from the plant is hastened by the addition to the liquid
used for this purpose, of a hygroscopic substance, either in solution or undissolved,
in which latter case it may rest upon the bottom of the vessel in which the plants
are treated; such substance may be for example, chloride of calcium, chloride of
magnesium, potash, or dehydrated copper sulphate.
Coarse green leaves of foliage, and in fact all parts of plants which are firm in
structure may also be immersed in aqueous solution of an hygroscopic salt, such as
chloride of calcium, chloride of magnesium, potash, or acetate of potash, or by
immersion in glycerine, whereupon after one or more days their water will have
been replaced by these solutions, so that the leaves will not afterwards fade on
drying.

page_text: When the removal of water has been effected by drying between filtering paper,
or by alcohol, or derivatives or homologues of the same, there may be subsequently
employed in the case of the above mentioned coarse parts of plants, one or other
of the above mentioned aqueous solutions of hygroscopic salts, as a preserving
liquid, in which the said parts of plants remain for one or more days after the
removal of water therefrom.
But in the case of flowers, and also parts of plants having a very delicate
structure another method must be employed. In this case either a single solution
or bath may be employed which removes water, and also preserves the flowers
or parts of plants treated, or a number of liquids may be employed in succession.
When a single solution or bath is to suffice, it must contain,
1st. A sufficient amount of ethyl-alcohol, methyl-alcohol, aldebyde, acetone,
ethyl-formiate, or other bodies of the alcohol series capable of mixing with water
in every proportion, in order to be capable of mixing with the sap of the parts of
plants. For this purpose the alcohol or other body may forn from one-fifth to
one-half of the volume of the whole solution or bath.
2nd. It must contain in solution a substance or substances which will impart to
the parts of plants the requisite preserving substance in place of the water
removed. As such substances there may be mentioned fats, various kinds of wax,
liquid and solid paraffins, fatty acids, and resins.
3rd. If the substances mentioned under 2 are not readily soluble in those mentioned
under 1, an
addition of a substance must be made, which will facilitate this
solution. In this relation there may be mentioned for instance isobutyl-alcohol,
amyl-alcohol, ether, ethyl-acetate, chloroform, and other homologues and derivatives
of the series of the simple alcohols which do not readily mix with water, also
turpentine-oil and other terpenes; readily volatile paraffins and olefines such as
rhigolen, ligroin, benzine, petroleum-ether and analogous hydrocarbons; also
benzol, xylol, toluol and their homologues and substitution products; and also
sulphide of carbon. A further result obtained by the addition of these bodies is
that the parts of plants, when the solution or bath contains ethyl-alcohol in
appreciable amount, do not undergo any considerable change of form on drying.
4. In order to increase the softness and suppleness of the finished preparations,
small quantities of the above mentioned hygroscopic salts or glycerine may be
added to the solution or bath; these quantities are very small, mostly under
one per cent.
5. Colouring matters may also be added, in order to supply the natural colours
in cases in which the solution does not contain the same.
6. Ethereal oils may also be added to impart perfume to the finished pre-
parations.
The choice of the several substances depends mainly on the degrees of solubility
of the substances referred to under 2, which are intended to impart substance to
the parts of the plants.
In the case of fats, which are preferably used, either acetone or ethyl-formiate
is employed as a solvent, but when alcohol is used for this purpose, ether,
turpentine oil, chloroform, petroleum-ether, or benzole must be added.
It is not possible in the present Specification to describe a solution or bath
suitable for treating every kind of plant blossom or flower.
It may however be stated that a mixture of isobutyl-alcohol, or amyl-alcohol
with ethyl-alcohol and castor oil are specially advantageous, but it will be necessary
to ascertain by experiment or trial for each separate kind of flower, how much
ethyl-alcohol will be required in order to obviate a shrinking of the flowers due
to the removal of water, and how much castor oil will impart the requisite fullness
to the flower without giving it a greasy appearance. As a rule, a mixture of
equal parts of ethyl-alcohol, isobutyl-alcohol and castor oil will satisfy these
requirements.
The duration of the action of the above mentioned single solution or bath will
vary between 30 minutes and 24 hours, but in order to proceed safely and obtain

page_text: satisfactory results it is preferable to continue the action for the latter period
of time, because only very thin parts of plants become sufficiently saturated after
half an hour or even some hours. Saturation will take place quicker when the
removal of water is hastened by the addition of a hygroscopic body insoluble in the
preserving liquid, such for instance as potash in the case of solutions of paraffins,
and of chloride of calcium, chloride of magnesium, or dehydrated copper sulphate,
in the case of solutions of fats.
The plants after removal from the preserving solution or bath are to be hung up
in a dry chamber so as to allow of the moisture running off uniformly, or the said
plants may be spread out upon filtering paper, until completely dry.
If by drying in atmospheric air, the colours would undergo any change, it
is preferable to employ instead of ordinary air, another gas such as carbonic acid,
hydrogen, or sulphurous acid to obviate discolouration or browning.
In carrying out this operation it is advantageous to employ an air tight cupboard
or receptacle provided with supply and discharge pipes, to allow of a continuous
supply of fresh dry gas and a continuous discharge of used moist gas.
When the parts of plants, especially the flowers, on being immersed in a single
solution or bath of the kind set forth, shrink on being dried, then several liquids or
baths containing separately the substances hereinbefore mentioned under 1 to 6,
must be employed in succession.
In this case there is first employed an essentially dehydrating liquid, consisting
essentially of those substances mentioned under 1 which readily mix with the watery
of the plants; this liquid may also contain additions of acids, particularly
sulphurous acid, to prevent browning.
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When the parts of plants have remained in this liquid for 24 hours on an average,
they are placed in a second liquid or bath for imparting substance or body to them,
this liquid or bath containing the substances mentioned under 2 to 6, mixed
together; or these substances may be contained in separate baths to be used
in succession. As a rule only one kind of fat or liquid or solid paraffin will
be needed under 2. In some cases however the appearance of the parts of
plants is more natural after drying, when mixtures for instance of fat and wax
have been employed. The solvent, or it may be the mixture of the solvents,
depends on the solubility of the fats, or the kinds of wax, or paraffins employed.
Care must morcover be taken that the second liquid shall mix well with the first,
as otherwise shrinking may easily take place. For parts of plants which have been
deprived of water in a first liquid or bath consisting essentially of ethyl-alcohol, it
is advantageous to employ as the second liquid a mixture of one-fourth part
by volume of ethyl-alcohol, one half part of isobutyl-alcohol and one fourth
part of castor oil, or it may be three fourths of isobutyl-alcohol and one fourth
of castor oil.
When other fats, paraffins, or kinds of wax dissolved in ether, petroleum-
hydrocarbons, benzole, or carbon bi-sulphide, are to be employed, the removal
of water from the parts of the plants must be very complete, as otherwise shrinking
may easily happen.
The drying is effected in this case also either in the open dry air or it may be in
the hereinbefore mentioned gases.
In order to further increase the resistance of the parts of the plants after drying,
to the moisture of the atmosphere, especially to rain, they may be finally immersed
for a few seconds or minutes into a solution of resins, such as shellac, or sandarac,
in a readily volatile solvent such as ether, alcohol, petroleum-ether, or mixtures of
the same, so that the said parts of plants when taken out are furnished with a thin
quickly drying coating of resin. The same object may also be effected by the
application of such a solution of resin by means of a thin brush.
Stalks or stems and other coarse parts of flowers may, after drying, be rendered
flexible by lightly brushing them over with glycerine or a solution of a hygroscopic
salt, or they may be dipped into solutions of these substances, which it is to
be understood must be effected before coating with a thin layer of resin.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. For preserving green plants, blossoms and flowers, treating the plants,
blossoms or flowers substantially in the manner and with the substances herein-
before described, whether the treatment be effected in a single bath containing the
several hygroscopic and preserving substances mentioned, or in a succession of
different baths each containing one or more of such substances as set forth.
2. Preserving the coarse green leaves and other parts of plants that are firm in
structure, by immersing them in an aqueous solution of a hygroscopic salt such
as chloride of calcium, or chloride of magnesium, or potash, or acetate of potash, or
by immersion in glycerine as herein set forth.
D
100
T. REINHERZ.
By L. W., per F. B.