AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF WOOD, STONE, OR OTHER MATERIAL
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine Lake
"
& Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF WOOD, STONE,
OR OTHER MATERIAL A communication to him from abroad by Antonio
Buzolich, of North Carlton, Decorator, and Thomas King Smith, of Prahran,
Manufacturing Chemist, both in the Colony of Victoria Australia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th September 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR THE PRESER-
VATION OF WOOD, STONE, OR OTHER MATERIAL [A communication to him from
abroad by Antonio Buzolich, of North Carlton, Decorator, and Thomas King Smith,
of Prahran, Manufacturing Chemist, both in the Colony of Victoria Australia.]
This invention relates to a composition designed to be used as a paint, either
with or without the ordinary pigments and which has many valuable properties.
It is not only easy of application, pleasant to the eye, and touch, and susceptible of
receiving and retaining any tint or color given to it, but it also produces a
surface which is almost, if not absolutely, impervious to atmospheric influences, to
the action of sea as well as fresh water, to the ravages of insects and parasites of
every description, whether animal or vegetable, and is an excellent insulating
material, in addition to which it can be produced at a reasonably cheap rate.
The process of manufacturing the said composition is first, to heat the oil which
forms the basis of the composition. Second, to destroy all animal life in it by
poisonous acid. Third, to refine it by chemical admixture and mechanical filtration.
Fourth, to supply a material which will neutralize the action of the alkali and
acids used in the manufacture. Fifth, to strengthen its body and prevent its
coagulation. Sixth, to poison it sufficiently to make it destructive of all insect and
vegetable life when used. Seventh, to increase its adhesiveness.
In practice I proceed as follows, that is to say, I first provide a common iron
boiler of the size suited to the extent of the operations to be carried on, and in

page_text: order to simplify the description I will suppose that only one gallon of oil is to be
heated, as the proportions of the various ingredients will ever remain the same
whatever may be the quantity used. This one gallon of ordinary seed or nut oil
I place in the iron boiler and heat it with a steam coil until it reaches a temperature
about fifteen degrees below boiling point, when I add one and a quarter ounces of
hydrochloric acid and stir it well together until it reaches about five degrees below
boiling point, I then refine it by adding three quarters of an ounce of phosphoric
acid and immediately afterwards I conduct it to a filter which I prefer to construct
in the following manner, but which may be constructed in any manner so long as
it acts effectively. I take a wooden cask or vat and divide it into an upper and
lower compartment, by fixing, across the centre of the cask or vat, an open
perforated tray or grating on which I first lay one piece (cut to size) of coarse
filtering cloth, either flannel or flax bagging, then a complete layer each of about one
inch in thickness of-in the following order-animal charcoal, fresh slaked lime,
coarse fresh water sand, wood shavings, pulverized wood charcoal, sawdust, and
asbestos, evenly laid, levelled and well compressed. On this top of this filter bed
I lay a mat made of horse hair of medium coarse texture or mesh (to act as a sieve)
on to which the hot oil is poured, and allowed to trickle through the filter bed to the
lower half of the cask or vat, where it remains until it is cold. The filtering
operatoon is then only partially completed, but before wholly completing it I add
a quarter of an ounce of chrysophanic acid or an ounce and a half of common
sulphuric acid or whatever will be sufficient to neutralize the acids and alkalies used
in the manufacture, and I then re-subject the partially prepared composition in a
cold state to the action of the filtering apparatus before described, with this
difference, that I remove the horse hair mat on the top and substitute for it one of
a closer mesh or texture.
After this second filtration I put one gallon of the oil thus refined into the same;
or a similar, boiler to that already described and heat it to about twenty-five
degrees below boiling point when I add small portions of the following mixture
at intervals of a few seconds viz-two ounces of shellac dissolved and mixed with
one ounce of common resin or powdered rock benzoin so as to form a paste. After
adding this mixture, and when the composition is within fifteen degrees below
boiling point, I add a solution of fourteen ounces each of ordinary powdered white
and blue vitriol, and seven ounces of chromate of potash, and when it reaches to
within seven to eight degrees below boiling point I add first three ounces of
crushed beeswax, and afterwards sixteen ounces of crushed garlic. Immediately
after the garlic is added I cut off the steam from the coil and open a tap to allow
the contents of the boiler to discbarge into a receptacle below, where it remains to
cool. When cold I pass it through a common sieve and it is ready for use.
This improved composition thus produced may be used either with or without a
pigment as the circumstances of the case may require, thus, if it is required to
remain as a coating like paint, say for instance on ships' bottoms, it must have a
pigment, but if it is required to permeate a material so as to harden or dry it, and
destroy insect life therein, as for instance when applied to piles or damp walls, it
should be used without a pigment.
When the composition is simply required for hardening and preserving, or as
a water-proofing material, I omit those ingredients which are specially used for
their poisonous properties.
Having thus stated the various ingredients of which this composition is made,
together with their proportions, and the time and manner of using them which
have been found to produce the best results, I desire to state that these proportions
may be varied as well as the degrees of heat at which the various ingredients are
to be applied, but under no circumstances must the liquor be allowed to boil,
overflow char, or burn during the process of manufacture.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th March 1883.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & C° Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR THE PRESER-
VATION OF WOOD, STONE, OR OTHER MATERIAL A communication to me from
abroad by Antonio Buzolich, of North Carlton, Decorator, and Thomas King Smith
of Prahran, Manufacturing Chemist, both in the Colony of Victoria Australia.
This invention relates to a composition designed to be used as a paint, either
with or without the ordinary pigments, and which has many valuable properties.
It is not only easy of application, pleasant to the eye, and touch, and susceptible of
receiving and retaining any tint or color given to it, but it also produces a surface
which is almost, if not absolutely, impervious to atmospheric influences, to the action
of sea as well as fresh water, to the ravages of insects and parasites of every
description, whether animal or vegetable, and is an excellent insulating material, in
addition to which it can be produced at a reasonably cheap rate.
The process of manufacturing the said composition is first, to heat the oil which
forms the basis of the composition; second, to destroy all animal life in it by
poisonous acid; third, to refine it by chemical admixture and mechanical filtration ;
fourth to supply a material which will neutralize the action of the alkali and acid
used in the manufacture; fifth to strengthen its body and prevent its coagulation;
sixth to poison it sufficiently to make it destructive of all insect and vegetable life
when used; seventh to increase its adhesiveness.
In practice I proceed as follows, that is to say, I first provide a common iron
boiler of the size suited to the extent of the operations to be carried on, and in
order to simplify the description I will suppose that only one gallon of oil is to be
heated, as the proportions of the various ingredients will remain the same whatever
may be the quantity used. This gallon of ordinary seed or nut oil I place in the
iron boiler; and heat it with a steam coil until it reaches a temperature about
fifteen degrees below boiling point, when I add one and a quarter ounces of
hydrochloric acid and stir them well together until they reach a temperature of
about five degrees below boiling point, I then refine the mixture by adding three
quarters of an ounce of phosphoric acid, and immediately afterwards I conduct it to
a filter, which I prefer to construct in the following manner (but which may be
constructed in any manner so long as it acts effectively), that is to say :-I take a
wooden cask or vat and divide it into two compartments, by fixing across the
centre of the cask or vat, an open perforated tray or grating, on which I first lay
one piece (cut to size) of coarse filtering cloth, either flannel or flax bagging, then
a complete layer (each of about one inch in thickness and in the following order)
of animal charcoal, fresh slacked lime, coarse fresh water sand, wood shavings,
pulverized wood charcoal, sawdust, and asbestos, evenly laid, levelled and well
compressed. On the top of this filter bed I place a horse-hair mat of medium
coarse texture or mesh (to act as a sieve) on to which the hot oil is poured, it then .
percolates the filter bed to the lower half of the cask or vat, where it remains until
it is cold. The filtering operation is now partially accomplished, but before
completing it I add a quarter of an ounce of chrysophanic acid, or an ounce and a
half of common sulphuric acid, or sufficient to neutralize the acids and alkalies used
in the manufacture; I then again subject the partially prepared composition in a
cold state to the action of the filtering apparatus before described, with this
difference, that I remove the horse hair mat on the top and substitute for it one of a
closer mesh or texture.

page_text: After this second filtration I put one gallon of the oil thus refined into the same
or a similar boiler to that already mentioned, and heat it to about twenty five
degrees below boiling point, when I add small portions of the following mixture,
at intervals of a few seconds, namely two ounces of shellac dissolved and mixed
with one ounce of commom resin or powdered rock benzoin so as to form a paste.
After adding this mixture and when the composition is within fifteen degrees of.
boiling point I add a solution of fourteen ounces each of ordinary powdered white
and blue vitriol, and seven ounces of chromate of potash and when the composition
reaches to within seven to eight degrees of boiling point I add, first three ounces of
crushed beeswax, and afterwards sixteen ounces of crushed garlic. Immediately
after the garlic is added I cut off the steam from the coil and open a tap to allow
the contents of the boiler to discharge into a receptacle below, where it remains
to cool. When cold I pass it through a common sieve and it is ready for use.
This improved composition may be used either with or without a pigment as the
circumstances of the case may require, thus, if it is required to remain as a coating
like paint, say for instance on ships' bottoms, it must have a pigment, but, if it is
required to permeate a material so as to harden or dry it, and destroy insect life
therein, as for instance when applied to piles or damp walls, it should be used
without a pigment.
When this composition is simply required for hardening and preserving, or as a
water-proofing material I omit those ingredients which are specially used for their
poisonous properties.
Although the various ingredients of which this composition is made together
with their proportions, and the time and manner of treating them, have been found
to produce the best results, it is obvious that these proportions may be varied, as
well as the degrees of heat at which the various ingredients are to be added but
under no circumstances must the liquor be allowed to boil, overflow, char, or burn,
during the process of manufacture.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim.
The herein described composition, substantially as, and for the purposes, setforth
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Sixteenth day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
WM ROBT LAKE (L.S.)