IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOOD, LEATHER, IRON, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Kemp, of the Parish of Saint Marylebone, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRESERVING WOOD, LEATHER, IRON, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.
Sealed the 6th November 1860, and dated the 9th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Kemp at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th May
1860.
I, HENRY KEMP, of the Parish of Saint Marylebone, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOOD, LEATHER, IRON, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the application of peat tar, and peat oil, or a
combination of peat tar, and peat oil, and wood tar, (meaning thereby one of
the products of the destructive distillation of wood in close vessels) mixed
with sulphuric acid, methylated spirits, vegetable naptha, arsenic, sulphate of
iron, rosin, carburet of iron and oil, or any one or more of these articles to the
preservation of wood, leather, iron, and other substances from decay or
corrosion, and also for protecting from the ravages of barnacles, and all kinds
of animal or vegetable life; and I carry my said improvements into effect as
follows, that is to say, when operating upon wood or other porous material
I place it in a convenient vessel, from which the atmospheric air may be
withdrawn by any ordinary means, aud having produced as perfect an exhaus-
tion as practicable, I admit the preserving materials in a heated state, after
which I submit them to a pressure equal to one or more atmospheres by any
ordinary means. After remaining under this pressure a sufficient time, which

page_text: the
process
time varies according to the nature of the material operated upon,
is complete and the articles are withdrawn and allowed to dry.
When timber is submitted to this operation I by preference cause it to be
previously punctured with numerous small holes in order that the preserving
materials may more readily penetrate into the interior of the substance.
When the before-mentioned materials, or any of them, are used for the
preservation of iron, I apply one or more coats of them in a heated state to
the surfaces to be operated upon, the first coat, where more than one is used,
-being allowed to set or dry before a second is applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. filed
by the said Henry Kemp in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
KEMP, of the Parish of St. Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
ame, the said Henry Kemp, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Kemp,
any executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Kemp, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESERVING WOOD, LEATHER, IRON, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others, that I, the said Henry Kemp, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Henry Kemp, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention consists in the application of certain materials (herein-after
mentioned) in combination to wood, iron, leather, and other substances, with
a view to their preservation from the attack of barnacles and all kinds
of vegetable or animal life, or from corrosion or natural decay.
And, firstly, as regards the preservation of wood generally, as timber for
building houses or ships, hydraulic works, bridges, piers, railway sleepers_
piles, and various other purposes, I take equal proportions of the substance or
liquid known as peat tar, (which is one of the products resulting from the
destructive distillation of pent) and wood tar, (which is one of the products
resulting from the destructive distillation of wood in the manufacture of
charcoal). To the peat tar, and wood tar, I add, in proportions varying:
according to the description of wood to be prepared and other circumstances,.
peat oil, and methylated spirit, I also use in some cases combined with the
before cited articles, sulphate of iron, and arsenic is lastly added, sufficient to
poison the mass so as to render my composition destructive to animal and
vegetable life. When these substances are all united they are intimately
blended, being rubbed together by the method employed by color grinders in-
the preparation of pigments for paint. Before mixing the peat tar with the
other materials it is boiled with sulphate of barytes for an hour or so, and
while in this heated state, the wood tar is added to it, and when the mixture
has somewhat cooled the other ingredients are introduced, when the whole is.
submitted to the grinding process as before stated. When the compound is.
to be injected into wood it is to be heated to something like 150 degrees.
"Fahrenheit." For the purpose of injecting, I place the wood in a convenient.
vessel from which the atmospheric air may be withdrawn by any ordinary
means, and having produced as perfect an exhaustion as practicable, I admit
the preserving materials in a heated state, after which I submit them to a
pressure equal to one or more atmospheres by the usual means. When
boards and plank intended for sheathing the bottoms of ships are to bo
prepared by the foregoing method, I cause the wood to be previously punctured
with numerous small holes or indentations, in order that the compound may
more readily permeate the substance of the wood and especially as when it is
so applied it need not be so much attenuated by oil and spirit, as for wood:
intended for general purposes, the object being to inject the compound in as
thick a state as possible into boards intended as sheathing for the bottoms of
ships, that barnacles, and weeds, and other marine rubbish may be more
effectually prevented from adhering thereto.

page_text: Secondly, for the protection of the bottoms of iron ships, I use peat tar,
and wood tar, in the same proportions as before described, and previously to
combining them boil the peat tar. with sulphate of barytes as in the former
case, and while in a heated. state methylated spirit, peat oil (or linseed oil
or both) in sufficient quantity to cause the compound to work smoothly,
arsenic in the proportion of four ounces to a gallon of the combined tars,
rosin three ounces, carburet of iron four ounces to the gallon or thereabout
are added to the tars, when the whole is ground or rubbed together as before.
When the compound is applied to the ship it is to be heated to something less
than the boiling temperature, and laid on with an ordinary brush, and the surface
of the ship's sides may be heated also by the usual grating of fire, if desired.
When the botton of the ship is in a rusty or corroded state it is proper that as
much as possible of such rust should previously be removed, I sometimes prefer
to lay on a coat of red lead paint before applying my compound; but when
this is done it is necessary to be careful to allow sufficient time for such paint
to become perfectly dry, I consider two coats of the compound usually sufficient
but more may be added if desirable.
Thirdly, for all iron surfaces submerged in sea and other waters, as well as
for iron laid underground, particularly such articles as gas, water and sewage
pipes, I use the same compound, whereby corrosion of their surfaces is effect-
ually prevented.
Fourthly, for covering wood exposed to the weather, such as fencing,
bridges, gates, wooden houses, and the like, I use one proportion of peat tar
with two proportions of wood tar, with these I mix linseed oil, methylated
spirit, rosin, and sulphate of iron, these are all rubbed together as before
described and applied with a brush as a paint, but always in a heated
state.
Fifthly, when I use my Invention for the preservation of leather, that is,
generally speaking, sole leather for boots and shoes, and hide leather for other
purposes, I employ one proportion of peat tar with two proportions of wood
tar, and add sulphate of iron and rosin, and methylated spirit to cause the
materials the more readily to permeate the pores of the leather, I sometimes
use sulphuric acid in a very small proportion in the preparation of leather;
but as peat. tar bas it generally in combination from the manufactory it
is seldom necessary to add more of it, I sometimes brush on the compound,
and sometimes I employ a slight pressure for injecting it, using it in a heated
state.
Having now.described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
by which I carry it into effect, I would have it distinctly understood that 1 do

page_text: not confine myself to the precise details herein given as variations may be made
therefrom to suit the circumstances of particular cases without departing from
the principle of my Invention as herein-before set forth, nor do I claim
the exclusive use of any of the articles or substances mentioned in this
my Specification taken separately, and not in combination, or used for tho
purposes set forth in the title of my Letters Patent; but I claim (as of my
Invention,) the exclusive use,―
Firstly, of the combination of peat tar and wood tar with additions of peat
oil, methylated spirit, sulphate of iron and arsenic, as herein set forth and
described, for the preservation of wood.
Secondly, I claim the exclusive use of the combination of peat tar, wood
tar, methylated spirit, peat oil or linseed oil, (or both combined), arsenic, rosin,
and carburet of iron, as herein-before set forth and described, for the preser-
vation of the bottoms of iron shipping.
Thirdly, I claim the exclusive use of the combination of substances
named in my second claim for the preservation of the surfaces of iron,
either submerged in sea or other water, or of the surfaces of iron laid
underground.
Fourthly, I claim the exclusive use of the combination of peat tar, wood
tar, linseed oil, methylated spirit, rosin, and sulphate of iron, herein described
and set forth for the preservation of wood exposed to the weather.
Fifthly, I claim the exclusive use of the combination of peat tar, wood tar,
sulphate of iron, rosin, and methylated spirit, as hercin-before set forth and
described, for the preservation of leather.
And, lastly, I claim the exclusive use of the various compositions of peat
tar, wood tar, and other materials combined as herein-before described for the
preservation of substances, not herein particularly specified, but for the preser-
vation of which they may be found applicable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Kemp, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
W. E. GEDGE, Patent Agent,
11, Wellington St., Strand.
HY. KEMP. (L.B.)