IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND HARDENING DYED WOODS, AND ALSO IN PREPARING WOOD TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CYLINDERS ALSO IN PREPARING WOOD TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CYLINDERS OF CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND HARDENING DYED WOODS, AND
ALSO IN PREPARING WOOD TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CYLINDERS
ALSO IN PREPARING WOOD TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CYLINDERS
OF CARDING ENGINES."-A communication from abroad by Barton Howard
Jenks, of Bridesburgh, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th July 1866.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND HARDENING DYED WOODS,
AND ALSO IN PREPARING WOOD TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CYLINDERS
OF CARDING ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The first part of the Invention relates to a method or process for orna-
menting various kinds of light colored woods, and imitating the more valuable
varieties of woods for the purpose of producing a new article of commerce
which will be valuable in the manufacture of furniture, and for other purposes

page_text: where ornamental woods are required. The Invention consists in imparting
permanent colours to woods by first expelling the air from the spiracles or
pores and then injecting into these void spaces any suitable coloring matter
which will thus permeate every pore, and strike through the body of the wood,
by which means timber "in the rough" can be dyed or colored to imitate
many of the most beautiful and valuable varieties of woods, and afterward
wrought in the various forms required.
The second part of the Invention consists in imparting to woods which
have been previously dyed throughout their substance greater solidity and
durability by impregnating them with animal, vegetable, or mineral oils or
substances which may be found to answer the desired purpose, so that the
woods thus treated shall imitate the more valuable woods in weight as well
as in color.
The third part of the Invention consists in impregnating wood with a
substance which shall render it nearly or quite impervious to the action of
moisture, and which will to a great degree prevent wood from expanding or
contracting under exposure to extremes of heat and cold. This operation
will render wood more useful and desirable in the manufacture of the
cylinders of carding engines.
The apparatus used for carrying out the Invention consists of a strong
cylindrical vessel of any capacity required, having an opening leading into it
for the introduction of wood. This vessel is provided with a removable head,
which can be secured tightly in place when désired by means of a yoke and
screw or otherwise. The wood having been put into this cylinder, and its
end closed air-tight, the air is exhausted from the cylinder by means of an air
pump, until the air and juices or fluids, if any, have been expelled from the
spiracles of the wood; a solution of coloring matter in a very fluid state is
then admitted, and will quickly permeate the substance of the wood, and fill
the spaces made vacant by the exhausting process. The wood is then
removed from the vessel and dried, or it may be readily dried in vacuo if
desired. By thus treating wood in a vacuum the coloring matter will saturate
it thoroughly and uniformly, so that the wood may be afterward carved or
turned in various forms without destroying or impairing the color.
For the purpose of solidifying dyed woods, and rendering them much harder,
the wood is thoroughly dried after it has been saturated with liquid dye stuff,
and it is then confined within the cylinder again. When a vacuum is
produced within the cylinder, caoutchouc, paraffine, or some oleaginous fluid
which will quickly rush into and fill the pores of the wood is admitted. If
desirable, argillaceous substances or silicates may be used either in con-
▾

page_text: junction with the above mentioned substances or alone. This second process
not only increases the bardness of the wood, but it also increases its specific
gravity, and renders it more durable and useful for many purposes.
The third part of the Invention relates particularly to the treatment of
wood to be used in the construction of the cylinders of carding engines where
it is not necessary to previously color the wood.
It has been discovered that wood as a base for the teeth of the card
clothing to rest upon is superior to metal covered with paper or cloth, as
wood possesses properties of softness and elasticity which prevent the card
teeth from breaking when heavy carding is done. The wood is taken in the
rough ready to be worked up into cylinders and is exposed in a vacuum
chamber for the purpose of expelling all the moisture or juices and also the
air from its spiracles. While the wood is in the vacuum either caoutchouc,
paraffine, or some oleaginous fluid is admitted into the vacuum chamber, and
will be quickly absorbed by the wood. When wood has been thus treated
the card cylinders and rollers made of it will not shrink or swell to any
injurious extent, and the card teeth applied to one cylinder will always
maintain the same relative position with respect to the card teeth of another
cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord Oue
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for

page_text: "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND HARDENING DYED WOODS, AND ALSO IN PREPARING
WOOD TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CYLINDERS OF CARDING ENGINES,"
being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors. or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
The first part of this Invention for dyeing and hardening dyed woods relates
to a method or process for ornamenting various kinds of light colored woods, and
imitating the more valuable varieties of woods, for the purpose of producing
a new article of commerce which will be valuable in the manufacture of
furniture and for other purposes where ornamental woods are required.
The Invention consists in imparting permanent colors to woods by first
expelling the air from the spiracles or pores, and then injecting into these
void spaces any suitable coloring matter, which will thus permeate every pore
and strike through the body of the wood,. by which means timber "in the
rough" can be dyed or colored to imitate many of the most beautiful and
valuable varieties of woods, and afterwards be wrought in the various forms
required.
The second part of the Invention consists in imparting to woods, which
have been previously dyed throughout their substance, greater solidity and
durability by impregnating them with animal, vegetable, or mineral oils, or
substances which may be found to answer the desired purpose, so that the
woods thus treated shall imitate the more valuable woods in weight as well as
in color.
The third part of the Invention consists in impregnating wood with a
substance which shall render it nearly or quite impervious to the action of
moisture, and which will to a great degree prevent wood from expanding
or contracting under exposure to extremes of heat and cold. This operation
will render wood more useful and desirable for the manufacture of the cylinders
of carding engines.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents, partly in section, an

page_text: apparatus which may be used in conducting the improved process of treating
woods.
The apparatus consists of a very strong vessel A of any capacity required,
having an opening leading into it for the introduction of wood. This vessel A
may be of the cylindrical form shewn in the Drawing with a removable head
A¹, which can be secured tightly in place when desired by means of a yoke
and screw, or otherwise. The wood having been put into this cylinder A and
its end A¹ closed air-tight, the air is exhausted as far as practicable from the
cylinder by means of an air pump B or any other suitable apparatus. The
exhaust is continued until the air and juices, or fluids, if any, have been
expelled from the spiracles of the wood. The wood may then remain for any
desired length of time within the vessel A in vacuo for the purpose of drying
and thoroughly seasoning it, and also for more thoroughly opening all the
spiracles or pores. A solution of coloring matter in a very fluid state is then
admitted into the vessel A, and will quickly permeate the substance of the wood
therein, and fill the spaces made vacant by the exhausting process; the wood
is then removed from the vessel A and dried, or it may be readily dried in
vacuo if desired. In conducting this process of dyeing woods I do not confine
myself to the use of any particular coloring matter, but desire to avail myself
of any and all of the well-known dyes and aniline colors, which may be found
best adapted to the purpose, and which will give the greatest permanency of
color. If desirable more than one color may be used upon the same piece
of wood so as to dye it throughout its substance in a variegated manner.
By thus treating wood in a vacuum, the coloring matter will saturate it
thoroughly and uniformly, so that the wood may be afterward carved or
turned in various forms without destroying or impairing the color. It will be
observed that wood which has not been thoroughly seasoned is first deprived
of its fluids or gummy juices, and then the coloring solution is caused to fill
their places. Thus the chief varieties of light woods may be beautifully colored
or dyed and made to serve many useful purposes as a substitute for the more
expensive and scarce varieties of woods.
For the purpose of solidifying dyed woods, and rendering them much
harder, the wood is thoroughly dried after it has been saturated with liquid
dye stuff, and it is then confined within the cylinder A again. When a
5 vacuum is produced within the cylinder A, a solution of caoutchouc, paraffine,
or some oleaginous fluid which will quickly rush into and fill the pores of
the wood is admitted. If desirable argillaceous substances or silicates
may be used either in conjunction with the above-mentioned substances
or alone. This second process not only increases the hardness of the wood,

page_text: but it also increases its specific gravity and renders it more durable and useful
for many purposes.
The fourth part of the Invention relates particularly to the treatment of
wood to be used in the construction of the cylinders of carding engines where
it is not necessary to previously color the wood. The usual mode of pre-
paring wood for the cylinders of carding engines is to thoroughly dry and,
season it by long exposure to natural or artificial heat. This wood rapidly
absorbs moisture of varying temperatures, and thus causes the cylinders made
of it to swell and shrink and to make imperfect carding. With a view to
prevent this iron cylinders have been used, but the objection to them is that
the condensation of moisture upon their surfaces by changes of temperature
in factories rusts the card clothing notwithstanding paper and other substances
have been interposed between the cylinder and such clothing. The great
weight of iron cylinders consumes power and causes a rapid wearing of their
journals besides the difficulty of applying the card clothing to them renders
such cylinders even more objectionable than those made of seasoned wood.
It has been discovered that wood as a base for the teeth of the card clothing
to rest upon is superior to metal covered with paper or cloth, as wood possesses
properties of softness and elasticity which prevent the card teeth from
breaking when heavy carding is done. To obviate these objections, and to
practically employ wood in the construction of the card cylinders, the wood is
taken in the rough ready to be worked up into cylinders, and is exposed in
a vacuum chamber A for the purpose of expelliug all the moisture or juices
therefrom, and also the air from its spiracles, thus to a considerable extent
seasoning it. While the piece or pieces of wood are in the vacuum caoutchouc,
paraffine, or some oleaginous fluid is admitted into the vacuum chamber A,
and will be quickly obsorbed by the wood. It is preferable to use paraffine
on account of its cheapness, but other substances than those above-mentioned
which will have the effect of hardening and rendering wood waterproof may be
used. When wood has been thus treated the card cylinders and rollers made
of it will not shrink or swell to any injurious extent, and the card teeth applied
to one cylinder will always maintain the same relative position with respect
to the card teeth of another cylinder. 1
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated to me as
aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I claim, the method berein described of treating various kinds of woods
in vacuo for the purpose of coloring or dyeing them throughout their
substance, and also for rendering them harder, heavier, and more durable.
Second, I claim treating or preparing wood to be used in the construction

page_text: of the cylinders of carding engines in the manner herein set forth, so as to
render it impervious to moisture, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)