IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WOOD FROM MOISTURE
Year: 1885

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WOOD
FROM MOISTURE" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the protection of wooden objects against penetration by
moisture (which frequently causes the deformation or warping of the same when
subsequently drying and which sometimes forms the carrier of contagious gerins)
by means of a coating of waterproof material.
The said coating consists either of celluloid, or of ebonite. When the latter
material is made use of the wooden objects are first coated with plates of about of
an inch in thickness, these plates being obtained by rolling a mixture of india-
rubber and sulphur, and subsequently treating them with super-heated steam in a
known manner.
The described coating is of special advantage in the manufacture of table-knives,
forks, lancets and similar tools and instruments, as the rivets in the handle are
covered by the said coating, and moisture is thus prevented from entering around
the rivets; moreover, the shoulders between the blades and the tangs of knives,
which have heretofore been forged in swage-blocks, may be replaced by discs
having holes enabling them to be passed upon the tangs of knives or the like.
When the described coating is used, the shoulder or disc serves as a mere abutment
for the water-proof coating, which forms a tight joint around the end of the
handle.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Protection of Wood from
Moisture.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 the protection of small wooden articles from moisture
especially the wooden handles of knives and surgical instruments.
The said invention has for its objects not only to make said articles more durable
by preventing alterations in their form but also in the case of surgical instruments
or the like to prevent contagious germs from entering and multiplying within the
pores of the wood.
The said invention consists in moulding about the well dried wooden articles a
continuous covering of plastic india-rubber and sulphur, in such a manner as to
leave no fissure through which liquids or vapours could find access to the wooden
core. The articles are finally introduced into a vulcanizing vessel, where the said
covering is hardened by treating the same with super-heated steam.
In order to make my invention fully understood, I will describe the mode of
carrying the same into practice in some particular cases, reference being had to the
accompanying drawing in which
Figures 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of knives having their wooden handles
covered with hardened india-rubber.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are analogous views of wooden balls provided with a coating
according to this invention.
To permit the wooden handle a fastened to the tang b by means of rivets c, c to
be covered on all sides with the india-rubber d, said handle does not extend
upward as far as to abut upon the bolster e or the ferrule g, a space h being left
between the top end of the wooden handle a and the bolster e or ferrule g, which
space is filled up with the plastic india-rubber compound. As the hardened
rubber binds as well upon steel as upon wood, there will be a tight joint round the
top portion of the tang b.
Handles of the described kind are of little weight, they are as durable 88, but
much cheaper than, india-rubber handles, they can be cleaned after use with boiling
water or with acids, and they are in no way liable to absorb liquids.
In the case of wooden balls, such for instance as those used for playing croquet,
being coated with hardened india-rubber, the turned and well-dried balls mare
provided with thin coverings n of the plastic india-rubber compound, and are then
inserted in metal moulds, which are heated in order to harden the said compound.
If it is desired to make balls heavier than wooden balls as for instance balls
designed for bowling, a lead envelope p may be cast upon the wooden balls as
shewn in Figure 4 before coating them with the india-rubber compound, or the
balls may be provided with symmetrically disposed holes q Figure 5 which are filled
with lead.

page_text: These wooden balls coated with hardened india-rubber or ebonite stand the wear
better than balls made of lignum vitæ (guaiacum wood) or even than balls made
entirely of ebonite.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:-
In wooden handles for knives, surgical instruments or the like, a core a, rivetted
to the tang b and not extending up to the bolster e or ferrule g the said core being
coated with hard india-rubber, substantially as shown and described, and for the
purpose specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.