AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING AND INDURATING TIMBER, WOOD, AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTERS, AND FOR RENDERING THE SAME UNINFLAMMABLE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cobley, of Meerholz, Electorate of Hesse,
Germany, Metallurgist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
PRESERVING AND INDURATING TIMBER, WOOD, AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTERS,
AND FOR RENDERING THE SAME UNINFLAMMABLE."
Sealed the 11th January 1862, and dated the 15th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Cobley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
July 1861.
I, THOMAS COBLEY, of Meerholz, Electorate of Hesse, Germany, Metal-
lurgist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR PRESERVING AND INDURATING TIMBER, WOOD, AND OTHER VEGETABLE
MATTERS, AND FOR RENDERING THE SAME UNINFLAMMABLE," to be as follows:-
The timber, wood, or vegetable matter to be preserved, indurated, or ren-
dered uninflammable has to be first impregnated with a solution of potash,
baryta, strontia, lime, and magnesia or their salts, or the salts of any base,
metallic or otherwise, capable of forming an insoluble compound with hydro-
fluo-silicic or silicic acids, the impregnation to be effected by known or any
other available means. After the impregnation with any of the above solu-
tions has been effected, it is acted upon by the hydro-fluo-silicic or silicic
acids, also by known or available means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Cobley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
COBLEY, of Meerholz, Electorate of Hesse, Germany, Metallurgist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Cobley, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Cobley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Cobley, 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 " AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
PRESERVING AND INDURATING TIMBER, WOOD, AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTERS, AND
FOR RENDERING THE SAME UNINFLAMMABLE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Cobley, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Cobley, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
A strong solution of potash, baryta, lime, strontia, or any of their salts, or
of the salts of any metallic or other base capable of forming an insoluble com-
pound with hydro-fluo-silicic acid, is forced into the timber, wood, or other
vegetable matter to be acted upon by hydraulic or other means, and this process
is repeated until the wood or other vegetable substance is sufficiently charged
or impregnated with the solution to enable it to withstand the influence of
flame. After the impregnation has been thoroughly effected with any of the
given solutions, hydro-fluo-silicic acid is forced into the wood or other vege-

page_text: table substance by analogous means with a view to render the solutions
insoluble.
Sometimes before operating in this manner, I endeavour to deprive the
timber, wood, or other vegetable matter of its resinous properties by the action
of superheated steam or naptha, methylated spirit, and silica, or any known
available means.
Having now. described the nature of my Invention I wish it to be under-
stood that what I claim as new and desire secured by the before in part
recited Letters Patent is,―
1st, the impregnation of timber or other vegetable matter with fluo-silicic
acid after it has been impregnated with solutions of potash, baryta, lime, or
strontia, or any of their salts, or with the salts of any metallic or other base
capable of rendering such substance non-inflammable, substantially as here-
within described and set forth.
2nd, the plan of rendering timber and other vegetable matters uninflam-
mable by freeing the same wholly or partially from the resinous matters
contained in it previous to the introduction of the solutions aforesaid, sub-
stantially as herewithin described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Cobley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
TH. COBLEY. (L.S.)