Composition Material, forming Boards, Slabs, Linings, and the like, in Substitution for Wood or other Material.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1892
A. Composition Material, forming Boards, Slabs, Linings, and the
like, in Substitution for Wood or other Material.
We, CHARLES FLAVIUS BAKER, Mechanic, JOHN HERBERT RANDALL,
Lawyer, and GEORGE SKAATS MAYHEW, Decorator, all of No. 540 Temple
Court, in the City of Minneapolis, County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, United
States of America, 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 has for its object to provide a composition material capable
of general use in the arts, for many purposes, as a substitute for wood and
other material; and which shall be of less first cost, be more conveniently and
cheaply conformed to the desired use and be of equal or greater efficiency in
service.
To these ends, a central layer or body of wooden strips or slats placed edge to
edge is faced on both sides, or embraced, by sheets or pieces of paper-board, and
the slats are secured together and to the paper by an adhesive compound or cement.
Either the cement, or the paper, or both, may have fire-proof properties, water-
proof properties, or both. Wire cloth may be placed under the paper on one or
both sides of the wooden body, to add strength and prevent rats or other animals
gnawing through the composite material. The parts are united and the cement is
set under heavy pressure.
.
The compo-board thus formed is rigid, light, strong, and durable; and may be
readily conformed, in the manufacture to various shapes, flat, curved or angular.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like letters
refer to like parts.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piece of the compo-board, portions being
broken away, to show the construction.
T
Figure 2 is a section transverse to the slats of a piece of the compo-board.
Figure 3 is a perspective shewing wire texture added to the other parts.
Figure 4 is a section of a wall and ceiling cove; and
Figure 5 is a detail of the cove.
The general and simplest form of the composition material is shown in Figs. I
and 2. Therein A A' represent respectively, the lower and upper sheets of paper
board; B the layer or body of wooden strips or slats; and C the cement or adhesive
compound.
In the process of manufacture the lower sheet A is covered with a layer or a
thick coat of the adhesive compound or cement C; and while the cement is still
soft and before it sets or hardens, the wooden strips or slats are laid close together
upon the same. This body or layer of wood is then covered or coated with a layer
of the same cement, care being taken to force the adhesive compound into all the
joints between the slats and into all the cracks, openings or recesses within the
slats themselves, so as to thoroughly fill the same. The top sheet is then applied
over the wooden body and the top layer of cement; and the whole composite board
or slab thus formed is then subjected to a heavy and equal pressure adapted to
force the parts firmly together. The cement is made up originally of adhesive
material which has been previously dissolved and then mixed with an earthy or
mineral substance to the proper consistence, and is of such character that, when the
solvent is absorbed and evaporated, it assumes a hard and stony character without
elasticity or flexibility.
The application of the heavy pressure forces the cement or adhesive compound
into every crack joint or recess between or in the slats and paper, and also into the

page_text: body of the soft wood and paper board; and the greater proportion of the solvent
employed in the cement is forced into and absorbed by the wood and paper, thus
hastening the setting or hardening of the cement whereby the parts become at once
united so that the manufacture of the material is speedy and convenient. The
firm compo-board so formed being thoroughly dried is then ready for use.
The character of the cement and the care which is exercised, to insure the
thorough and complete filling of all cracks, openings, depressions or recesses, between
and in the several parts of the compo-board, and the application of very heavy pressure
after the assembling of the same to solidify the whole, result in the production of a
piece of composition material, constituting, in reality, a strong, inflexible and
durable compo-board, the component parts of which are thereafter practically
inseparable.
a
This compo-board thus formed has a density about equal to that of wood, a
strength greater than many kinds of wood and does not warp, shrink, bulge cr
split.
For ordinary purposes, the cement used is an adhesive compound composed simply
of a solvent, glue and whiting and plaster of Paris or clay. If it is desired to make
the compo-board fire-proof or water-proof, a cement possessing fire or water proof
properties, may be substituted. For instance, to make a water-proof board, the
cement may be composed of clay, pitch and dextrine, while to produce a fire-proof
board, a cement made up of clay or of whiting or plaster of Paris with dextrine
and creosote may be used. The same result may be attained by fire-proofing or
water-proofing, or both fire-proofing and water-proofing the paper or wood or both.
For example, the paper-board may be made fire-proof by saturating the same with
the oil of creosote or any of the silicates; and the same paper may be made water-
proof, by thoroughly soaking it in oil, the paper in each case being thoroughly
dried before use in the manufacture of the compo-board.
It should be noted that all the cements, above described, have in common the
earthy or mineral ingredient which gives to the same, when dry, the hard inflexible
stony character, the same being in fact stronger than either the paper or the wood.
For this reason, scraps or small pieces of wood and paper may be used, in the
manufacture of the compo-board, which would otherwise go to waste or be simply
used for fuel. For example, wood suitable for the purpose may be obtained from
timber slabs, at the saw mills and from similar material of small cost. If rough, the
cement will level the surface.
The compo-board may be made of any size, thickness or weight, so long as the
standard rigidity and inflexibility is maintained.
In case greater strength is desired, or it is desired to make the article proof
against rats or other animals wire cloth as shewn at D, in Fig. 3 may be added,
under one or both of the paper facings.
The wood and paper being comparatively soft and the cement, though hard and
stony, being in thin layers and therefore readily broken by a stroke, the compo-
board may be easily and cheaply worked with ordinary tools.
:
Another great advantage of this compo-board, is that it may, in the process of
manufacture, be formed in a mould and be made to take any desired shape
whether flat, curved or angular. This fact, together with the further fact before
noted, that the boards may be made up of any desired size, readily adapts the same
both for the interiors and exteriors of buildings. It is a good substitute for lath
and plaster in houses and for external sheathing of frame buildings; and is of less
cost.
It also readily admits of the application thereto of ordinary wall-paper or any
other ornamental or decorative finish, the paper-board constituting an excellent
surface for this purpose.
In Fig. 4 is illustrated two uses of the compo-board; the flat sheets being used
for the wall and ceiling, as shewn at E and F, and a curved sheet of a special
construction being used for the cove as shewn at H.
This cove is of great value in itself and is one of the special uses, for which the

page_text: material was designed. It is manufactured in the same way as the flat sheets, with
the exception that it is made on a curved mould. The edge slats or strips of wood
in the cove, are made wedge shape in cross section, as shewn at h. The other slats
are rectangular in cross section. When laid together on the curved mould, the
wedge shaped joints between the slats are filled with the cement. Hence, the
cement fillings form the keys of the arch and when set bind the parts together into
an integral mass. The face sheet of paper board is extended beyond the wooden
body to form spring flanges or edge portions ¹, which when formed project at a
tangent to the curve. Hence when the cove is being placed in the angle, these
spring flanges will hug the wall and the ceiling, while springing outward into the
true curve, thereby assisting to make a tight joint.
Before applying the cove, the flanges are shaven down on the back to a thin
edge at their outer margin. Hence, when the cove is placed in position, in virtue of
the wedge shaped outer slats and the wedge shaped spring flanges, a close fine joint
is formed with the ceiling and the wall, practically continuous therewith, without
shewing any line of demarcation between the cove and the ceiling or wall.
The cove is secured to the wall and ceiling by an adhesive cement applied to the
flanges and by tacks or nails which will bury themselves in the paper board.
When papered over or otherwise decorated, the joints and the nail-holes are not
perceptible and a continuous curved surface is afforded, uniting the wall and ceiling
of the room.
As the coves may be made and kept in stock in sizes to fit different rooms, much
time and labor is saved in applying the same. They may be readily jointed and
worked in sections, if necessary.
Such a cove is light and strong and not liable to injury in transport. It does not
crack and shrink; and hence it holds ornament without breaking or wrinkling it.
In the compo-board herein described, the cement with an earthy or mineral
ingredient setting hard and becoming an integral part of the structure, is of great
importance. As it fills all irregularities and faults in the surface and is stronger
than either the wood or the paper, rough, faulty and waste lumber may be used for
the slats, thus affording great economy.
In addition to the uses already mentioned this compo-board is capable of many
other uses such as for electric conduits and subways, rail-cars, especially their roofs,
ceilings and interior linings, floors for houses, water-tanks &c., refrigerators, black-
boards, billiard-tables, boxes, desk tops, counters, cupboards and cabinet work
generally; and as a non-conducting covering for pipes to retain heat or exclude
cold, as for boilers and steam pipes and the like.
For most uses, it is either necessary or desirable to have the face surface of the
compo-board perfectly true and even. To obtain this result, however rough or
rregular may be the surface of the slats, the pressure to unite the parts is applied
o the compo-board when placed on a true bed-plate and with a thick body of rubber
r other elastic material between the back of the compo-board and the platen of the
Thus the face is made true; and, in virtue of the elasticity of the rubber,
he irregularities, if any, appear only on the back of the board, where they do no
ress.
arm.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
on and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
laim is :-
1. A composition material, forming boards, slabs linings and the like, consisting
fa body of wooden strips or slats placed side by side covered on both sides with
aper board; the slats being cemented to each other and to the paper by adhesive
aterial, and the whole being subjected to great pressure so as to form a rigid
omposite board, substantially as described.
2. In the manufacture of composite boards such as are above referred to, the water-
oofing fire-proofing or both by the use of wood or paper board previously water

page_text: proofed or fire proofed, or by the use of water proof or fire proof cement, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In combination with the wood slats, paper board and cement constituting
composition boards such as are above referred to, a layer of wire texture
applied on either side or on both sides of the wood slats, substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth.
4. The manufacture of coves or other like curves of the composition material
above referred to, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicants.