TREATMENT OF CERTAIN FIBROUS MATERIALS AND CONVERTING THEM INTO ARTICLES OF UTILITY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Charles Théodore Blake, of Brixton, in the
"
County of Surrey, and William Boggett, of Chelsea, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, for the Invention of THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN FIBROUS
MATERIALS AND CONVERTING THEM INTO ARTICLES OF UTILITY."
Sealed the 19th December 1879, and dated tho 26th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Charles Théodore
Blake and William Boggett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 26th Juno 1879.
"THE
EDWARD CHARLES THÉODORE BLAKE, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, and
WILLIAM BOGGETT, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman.
TREATMENT OF CERTAIN FIBROUS MATERIALS AND CONVERTING THEM INTO
ARTICLES OF UTILITY."
Large importations from abroad frequently take place of sheets resembling
pasteboard composed of thin lamina of wood, which are employed for making
advertising tablets and other purposes, in the preparation of which a considerable
amount of waste arises in cutting them to the sizes required. Hitherto, the said
waste has not been put to any use, and has therefore been thrown away or
burned.
Now the object of this our Invention is to utilize the aforesaid waste material,
or the material itself by reducing it to the state of pulp by the ordinary process,
and adding one pound of flour (advantageously rye flour) to five pounds weight of
the raw fibrous material, more or less, or any other adhesive substance may be
used; this composition is then well mixed and passed once or oftener through a
kneading machine, in order that the whole may be thoroughly mixed and combined
into a homogeneous mass. When thus prepared the pulpy mass is in a fit state
for the inanufacture of blocks (to be used in place of lead or other bed) on which
Also for making
paper is cut for envelopes, or on which other materials are cut.
bosses to be used in spinning, and for making various other articles.
In carrying out our Invention we put the fibrous material into strong iron or
other moulds provided with powerful metal plungers made exactly to fit the

page_text: moulds, care being taken to fill the moulds with the proper quantity of pulp
required to obtain the desired size (after being pressed) of the blocks, bosses, or
other articles. The moulds are then placed under slow continuous pressure
(gradually increasing up to one or two tons) for several hours until the water is
wholly removed, when being in a nearly solid state they are put under a slow
bydraulic pressure up to 100 tons, more or less, on the square inch, and left under
Buch pressure for several hours, more or less. The articles so treated are then
removed from the moulds and dried by artificial means.
They are finished by means of a lathe, grinding stone, or otherwise, and if
required to be made water-proof are treated with boiled linseed oil or other water-
proof materials.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said-Edward Charles Théodore Blake and William Boggett in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 24th December-1879.
THE
EDWARD CHARLES THÉODORE BLAKE, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, and
WILLIAM BOGGETT, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman.
TREATMENT OF CERTAIN FIBROUS MATERIALS AND CONVERTING THEM INTO
ARTICLES OF UTILITY."
Large importations from abroad frequently take place of sheets resembing paste-
board, composed of thin lamina of wood, which are employed for making advertising
tablets and other purposes, in the preparation of which a considerable amount of
waste arises in cutting them to the sizes required. Hitherto, the said wasto has
not been put to any use, and has therefore been thrown away or burned.
Now the object of this our Invention is to utilize the aforesaid waste material, or
the material itself by reducing it to the state of pulp by the ordinary process, and
adding one pound of flour (advantageously rye flour) to five pounds weight of the
raw fibrous material, more or less, or any other adhesive substance may be used:
This composition is then well mixed and passed once or oftener through a kneading
machine, in order that the whole may be thoroughly mixed and combined into a
homogeneous mass. When. thus prepared the pulpy mass is in a fit state for the
manufacture of blocks (to be used in place of lead or other bed), on which paper is
cut for envelopes, or on which other materials are cut. Also for making bosses to
be used in spinning, and for making various other articles.
In carrying out our Invention we put the fibrous materials into strong iron or
other moulds provided with powerful metal plungers made exactly to fit the
moulds, care being taken to fill the moulds with the proper quantity of pulp
required to obtain the desired size (after being pressed) of the blocks, bosses, or
other articles. The moulds are then placed under slow continuous pressure
(gradually increasing up to one ton, more or less, per square inch) for several hours
until the water is wholly removed, when being in a nearly solid state they are put
under a slow hydraulic pressure up to 100 tons, more or less, on the square inch, aud

page_text: left under such pressure for several hours, more or less. The articles so treated aro
then removed from the moulds and dried by artificial means.
They are finished by means of a lathe, grinding stone, or otherwise, and if
required to be made waterproof are treated with boiled linseed oil or other water-
proof materials.
In carrying out our Invention we mix fibrous wood pulp with adhesive matters,
forming together a combination of materials which under great pressure assumes
the appearance of and possesses many of the properties of wood, in which state it is
of great utility for making various articles of commercial value.
We obtain the raw material from waste cuttings of laminated sheets composed of
wood-pulp (or we use wood pulp imported from abroad), and convert it into a pulpy
mass with water in the usual manner. After discharging the water from the pulp
by pressure to five pounds or thereabouts of this substance, we mix about one
pound, more or less, of rye flour or flour of other cereals in the form of paste, or
solutions of rice, gelatine, gums, dextrine, or gluten. This mixture we use for
general purposes, but in order to obtain greater hardness and strength we employ
dry pulp (reduced to powder by grinding) combined with one of the following
or analogous ingredients, vis., linseed or other oils, coal tar, liquified stearic acid,
wax, tallow, or shellac, and solution of india rubber where elasticity is required in
proportions suitable to the intended purposes (in some cases by the aid of heat),
articles made with the latter ingredients become waterproof throughout. To make
articles of the first named composition waterproof on the surface, we use diluted
white of eggs, hot oils, or fat; colouring matters or varnish may be used when
required.
In carrying out our Invention we put the compositions into strong iron or other
moulds, provided with strong metal plungers made to exactly fit the moulds, care
being taken to fill the moulds with just sufficient pulp to obtain the desired
size, the moulds are then placed under slow continuous pressure, gradually
increasing to one ton, more or less, on the squaro inch for several hours until the
fluids are nearly expelled, and when almost solid, for some purposes they are put
under slow hydraulic pressure up to 100 tons, more or less, on the square inch, but
in general one to two tons are sufficient, the pressure must however be regulated to
suit the size and purpose of the article being manufactured. When sufficiently
compressed the articles are slowly dried by artificial means. A pair of metal
moulds with corresponding recesses in each to form special articles, such as
umbrella and other sticks, is employed, in which case the moulds are firmly held
together by clamps, and filled by successive small portions of the pulp being driven
in with a rammer by repeated blows. In cases where they are taper, they can be
made in solid moulds with recesses. Two moulds are often required in making such
articles, as balusters, chair and other legs, also gun and pistol stocks by hydraulic or
other pressure, one mould above the other, nearly all the fluid matters being
expressed from the pulp prior to its being placed in the moulds, the quantity
required to fill them being carefully apportioned. Rods or tubes are made by
forcing thick or condensed pulp through dies such as are used in making drain
tiles. Inlaid work is produced by placing in a flat bottomed mould, a sheet of
metal perforated like fret work, then pressing pulp into the perforations, and when
dry filling the vacant spaces in it with pulp of a different colour. Boards made
from the pulp can be securely fastened to metal or other surfaces by means of
dovetailed or under-cut recesses in the articles to be joined, and placing pulp
between them, which under pressure will fill the recesses, and hold the materials
firmly together.
Waterproof boards made from the pulp can be utilized for the protection of ships'
bottoms from corrosion or marine insects, by mixing arsenic or other materials with
the pulp.
By means of very great pressure on blocks of pulp which has been mixed with
rice solution, we obtain an extremely hard and close grained substance adapted for
the use of wood engravere.

page_text: Cylindrical embossing rollers (commonly composed of paper) we make by means
of annular moulds, by pressing pulp into them to form short annular cylinders
about six inches long; these cylinders have dovetailed recesses cut in their ends
to receive pulp for holding them together when placed on shafts of the length of
the required rollers.
The boards made of the pulp can be usefully applied to many purposes by cutting
them into shapes for knife handles and other objects.
Bosses for wet flax spinning wo make by cutting them out of blocks made of
the waterproof pulp before described, and turned in a lathe to the proper size,
leaving a central space for the axis; or we make them in moulds with a central
projection to form the hole or passage for the axis.
The following are some of the articles made by pressing prepared wood pulp into
moulds with plungers in the manner first described, care being taken to perforate
the moulds and plungers for the escape of air and fluids.
Blocks to be used in place of lead whereon to cut envelopes, leather, and other
materials, chocks for lathes, wheels or parts of wheels for railway carriages or other
purposes, helmets for soldiers, police, firemen, and others, trays, pails, bowls, flower
pots, large letters, and printing blocks, such as are usually made of wood for
printing embossed articles, such as picture, carriage window, and other frames,
carved work, brackets, butter pats, and parts of household furniture, including
articles of curved or intricate shape.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the best manner of
carrying the same into practice with which we are acquainted, we make no claim
to the exclusive right of manufacturing articles (which may have been in use before
the date of this Patent) consisting partly of wood pulp, but not identical in
materials and proportions with those herein before described, but what we claim
is,—
The combination of wood pulp with adhesive matters in the manner and in the
proportions above described, and converting them into articles of utility for various
useful purposes, substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Charles Théodore Blake and William
Boggett, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy
nine
(L.S.)
EP. C. T. BLAKE.
WILLIAM BOGGETT. (L.S.)