IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PRESERVING TIMBER FROM DECAY
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Prince, of the Office for Patents, No 4,
Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PRESERVING TIMBER FROM
DECAY." A communication from abroad by George Palmer Ball, resident
at New York, United States of America.
-
Sealed the 11th January 1867, and dated the 18th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Punce at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
July 1866.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, of the Office for Patents, No. 4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PRESERVING TIMBER
FROM DECAY," a communication to me from abroad by George Palmer Ball,
resident at New York, United States of America, to be as follows.―
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the means of preserving
timber fiom decomposition or decay, and consists, firstly, in the immersion of
the timber in crude petroleum until complete saturation is effected. In order
to accomplish this, I propose to place the timber in a suitable vessel or
receptacle, and to exhaust the air therefrom, by the ordinary means of pre-
serving wood by saturation; after which the crude petroleum is conveyed into
the vessel, and thereby caused to penetrate into every pore or interstice of
the woody fibre, the effect being to thoroughly preserve the wood from decay.

page_text: I also propose to mix any cheap mineral paint or piginent with crude
petroleum to be used as a coating for the bottom of ships before the appli-
cation of the sheathing, and also to all timber for buildings or other purposes;
the composition not only renders the timber indestructible, but repels the
attacks of insects.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th January 1866
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PRINCE, of the Office for Patents, No 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross. in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, foi Ierself, Пe hens and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander Prince, Her-special licence that I, the said Alexander Prince, my
executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from tune to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excrciso, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
PRESERVING TIMBER FROM DECAY," a communication to me from abroad by
George Palmer Ball, resident at New York, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Prince, my exc-
cutors 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 per-
formed, 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 Alexander Prince, 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.-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the means of preserving

page_text: timber from decomposition or decay, and consists, firstly, in the immersion of
the timber in crude petroleum until complete saturation is effected. In order
to accomplish this I place the timber in a suitable vessel or receptacle, and
then exhaust the air therefiom by means of an air pump or other suitable
means, and when a vacuum is obtained I convey the crude petroleum into
the vessel or receptacle, and thereby cause the petroleum to penetrate by
atmospheric pressure into every pore or interstice of the woody fibre, the
effect being to thoroughly preserve the wood from decay.
The Invention is also applicable to the preservation of shups and vessels
from decay on dry rot. For this purpose some cheap mineial paint or pigment
should be mixed with crude petroleum, and the mixture may then be applied
as a coating to the bottoms of wooden ships or vessels before the application
of the metallic sheathing
Timber for buildings may be similarly treated, and wood for use in the con-
struction of piers, bridges, or embankments may be rendered very durable by
the treatment described, the attacks of insects being thereby entirely obviated.
Ilaving now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect, I would remark that I do not
limit myself to the precise means of applying ciude petroleum as a preset-
vative to wood or timber, as described, as other means may be found equally
useful; but what I claim and desue to be secured to me by the herein in pait
ecited Letters Patent is, the application of crude petroleum either alone or
mixed with mineral paint or pigments for the purpose of preserving wood or
tumber of any kind from decomposition or decay, and from the attacks of
insects, substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Pince, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Loid
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ALEXR. PRINCE. (LS)