THE MANUFACTURE OF AN IMPROVED INFLAMMABLE COMPOSITION, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR LIGHTING FIRES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE PREPARATION OF WOOD, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "THE MANUFACTURE OF AN IMPROVED INFLAMMABLE COMPOSITION,
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR LIGHTING FIRES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR THE PREPARATION OF WOOD, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS
FOR THE SAME PURPOSE." A communication from abroad by Charles David
Bradley, of the City of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Doctor of Medicine.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th January 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "THE MANUFACTURE OF AN IMPROVED
INFLAMMABLE COMPOSITION, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR LIGHTING FIRES, WHICH
INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE PREPARATION OF WOOD, PAPER, AND
OTHER MATERIALS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE." [A communication from abroad by
Charles David Bradley, of the City of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Doctor of
Medicine.]
This Invention relates to the manufacture of an improved inflammable com-
position chiefly designed to be used for lighting fires, and is also applicable for the
preparation of wood, paper, and similar materials for the same purpose.
In practising the said Invention I employ a process by which volatile inflammable .
fluids can be so united with solid combustibles that the whole may be kept for an
indefinite time for lighting or igniting purposes without liability of the fluid to.
evaporate or waste.
The said Invention consists essentially in impregnating sawdust or other suitable
absorbent material with a volatile inflammable fluid or fluids such as coal-oil
or any of the products of petroleum, and then mixing or coating the same.
with resin, pitch, grease, wax, or similar solid combustibles in such a manner that.
these latter form about the absorbent material an impervious covering, and prevent
the waste either by evaporation or absorption into surrounding substances of the

page_text: inflammable fluid contained therein. Moreover these solids act as a cement or
agglutinating medium, the presence of which in the mass enables the latter to be
pressed and moulded into any shape suitable for kindling or lighting fires.
In carrying this Invention into practice I take any suitable absorbent material,
such, for instance, as dry sawdust, and mix it with coal-oil or some product of
petroleum or their equivalent until each particle of the absorbent material is
impregnated almost to saturation with the inflammable fluid, being careful that
the particles of sawdust thus impregnated do not contain an excess of the inflam-
mable fluid. The proper impregnation of the absorbent material with the
inflammable fluid is of the greatest importance, as if there is an excess of the
fluid in the absorbent material, and the latter is mixed with resin, pitch, grease, or
a similar substance as aforesaid, the surplus fluid will gradually dissolve a portion
of the said resin, pitch, or other substance until the mass becomes slimy, dirty, and
disagreeable to the sight and touch, all of which is avoided if the absorbent
material is not impregnated with too much of the fluid. The proportion I
preferably use is about one gallon of fluid to two bushels of saw dust, but this may
be varied without materially affecting the process. A simple manner of ascertaining
whether the saw dust is properly saturated or not is to rub it between the hands;
if there is not enough surplus fluid in the sawdust to wet the hands, but simply
enough to leave a gloss, the sawdust will contain the proper proportion of fluid.
There are two ways of uniting the saturated sawdust with the resin, pitch, grease,
wax, or other suitable material. They may be called the warm process and the
cold process.
In what I call the warm process the resin, pitch, grease, or wax, or a
combination of two or more of these solids, is first melted, and while still fluid, but
not too warm, is rapidly mixed with the saturated sawdust, the latter being added
in sufficient quantities to take up all the melted solid or solids and leave only a
thin layer of the same around each particle of sawdust, and the proportion being
about one part of the melted solid to five or six parts of the sawdust. But this
proportion varies considerably according to the solids used, the rapidity and
thoroughness of the mixing, and especially upon the intention of the mixer, that is
to say, whether a large or small proportion of solid combustibles is required in the
mass formed, and whether an adhesive or non-adhesive mass is to be produced. If
an adhesive mass is required (one which is to be pressed into solid shapes) care
must be taken not to add too much of the saturated sawdust, as the latter would
neutralize the adherent qualities of the solid used. On the other hand if a non-
adherent mass is required a large proportion of saw dust may be used.
When it is desired to press the mass thus formed into solid blocks or shapes, it is
better to do so while the mass is still warm, as the shapes thus formed are more
solid and adherent.
The solids I prefer for mixing with the saturated saw dust are resin and pitch.
First, because of their intense combustible properties and adhesiveness; and,
secondly, because of their cheapness.
When melting resin or pitch, I prefer to add a little grease or tar in the
proportion of about one part of tar or grease to twenty or thirty parts of resin or
pitch, as the melted resin or pitch when used alone cools and hardens too quickly
on being mixed with the saturated saw dust, thus making it difficult to mix the
requisite quantity of the latter with it, and more difficult to mould into proper
shapes. Whereas, if a small quantity of grease or tar is added to the resin or pitch,
this obviates these difficulties. This mixture also remains fluid at a lower
temperature than resin or pitch alone, and the percentage of volatile fluid wasted
by evaporation during the mixing is thereby reduced.
In the cold process above alluded to, the solids are first powdered or triturated
or reduced to fine particles by scraping, and then mixed with the saturated saw
dust in the proportion of about one part of the pulverized solid or solids to about
four or five parts of the sawdust. This mixture may then be put in moulds and
pressed into any shape or size. For the cold process I prefer resin, on account of
its being easily pulverized; and in carrying this part of my Invention into practice

page_text: I always add a small quantity of tar to the saturated sawdust, and mix the two
thoroughly until each particle of saw. dust is covered with a thin film of tar, after
which I add the powdered resin. Having thoroughly mixed the whole, I leave the
mass to stand for about half an hour, and then press or mould it into shapes. The
thin film of tar, besides increasing the combustible properties of the mass, makes
the whole more adhesive. The reason for letting the mass stand some time before
pressing the same is that the fluid in the saw dust and the tar have then time to
exert a slight solvent action on the powdered resin, which causes the same readily
to take the required form, and to be firmly coherent.
In practising the said Invention, instead of using saw dust as an absorbent
material, coal-dust, paper-pulp, wood-pulp, clay, or similar absorbent material may
be employed; but I prefer sawdust on account of its cheapness, and because it is
easily handled.
Paper, oakum, or blocks, or splints of wood may also be used as absorbents, care
being taken as with the other absorbents that they are not over saturated. They
are not however as good as the above mentioned absorbents, as they cannot be so
intimately blended with the resin, pitch, or other solid combustibles, and con-
sequently when the same are lighted a considerable proportion of the solid
combustible drips away and is wasted.
When moulding combustible material prepared from sawdust, coal dust, clay,
and the like, the mass may be pressed in solid blocks, or may be hollowed through
the centre, so that the mass in the interior may burn as readily as that near the
surface. And to facilitate the lighting of these blocks a thin layer of saturated
sawdust may be pressed on the surface of the blocks, or a piece of candle wick or
paper attached to their extremities.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th July 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "THE MANUFACTURE OF AN IMPROVED
INFLAMMABLE COMPOSITION, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR LIGHTING FIRES, WHICH
INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE PREPARATION OF WOOD, PAPER, AND
OTHER MATERIALS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE." A communication from abroad by
Charles David Bradley, of the City of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Doctor of
Medicine.
The said Invention relates to a process by which volatile inflammable fluids can
be so united with solid combustibles that the whole may be kept for an indefinite
time for lighting or igniting purposes without liability to evaporate or waste.
The nature of the said Invention consists in impregnating saw dust or other.
suitable absorbent material with a volatile inflammable fluid or fluids, such as coal,
oil, or any of the products of petroleum, and then mixing or coating the same with
resin, pitch, grease, wax, or other solid combustibles capable of being similarly
manipulated in such a manner that these latter form about the absorbent material
an impervious coating, and prevent waste either by evaporation or absorption into
surrounding substances of the inflammable fluid contained therein. Moreover, these
solids act as a cement or agglutinating medium, the presence of which in the mass
enables the latter to be pressed and moulded into any size and shape suitable for
kindling or lighting fires.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I take any suitable absorbent
material, such, for instance, as dry saw-dust, and mix it with coal-oil or some
products of petroleum or their equivalent until each particle of the absorbent
material is impregnated almost to saturation with the inflammable fluid, care being
taken that the particles of sawdust thus impregnated do not contain an excess of
the inflammable fluid. The proper impregnation of the absorbent material with
the inflammable fluid is of the greatest importance, as if there is an excess of the
fluid in the absorbent material and the latter is mixed with resin, pitch, grease, or
a similar substance, as aforesaid, the surplus fluid will gradually dissolve a portion
of the said resin, pitch, or similar substance until the mass becomes slimy, dirty,
and disagreeable to the sight and touch; this condition will be avoided if the
absorbent mixture is not too much saturated with the fluid. The proportion I
preferably use is about one gallon of fluid to two bushels of saw dust, but these
quantities may be varied without materially affecting the process. A simple
manner of ascertaining whether the saw dust is properly saturated or not is to rub
it between the hands, when if there is not enough surplus fluid in the saw dust to
wet the hands, but simply enough to leave a gloss, the saw dust will contain the
proper proportion of fluid.
There are two ways of uniting the saturated saw dust with the resin, pitch,
grease, wax, or other suitable material, and which may be called the warm process
and the cold process. In the warm process the resin, pitch, grease, or wax, or a
combination of two or more of these solids, is first melted, and while still fluid, but
not too warm, is rapidly mixed with the saturated saw dust, the latter being
added in sufficient quantities to take up all the melted solid or solids, and leave
only a thin layer of the same around each particle of saw dust, the proportion used
being about one part of the melted solid to five or six parts of the saw dust.
This proportion however will vary considerably according to the solids used, the
rapidity and thoroughness of the mixing, and especially upon the intention of the
.

page_text: mixer, that is to say, whether a large or small proportion of solid combustibles is
required in the mass formed, and whether an adhesive or non-adhesive mass is to
be produced. If an adhesive mass is required (one which is to be pressed into solid
shapes) care must be taken not to add too much of the saturated saw-dust, as the
latter would neutralize the adherent qualities of the solid used.
On the other
hand if a non-adherent mass is required a large proportion of saw-dust may
be used.
When it is désired to press the mass thus formed into solid blocks of any shape
it is better to do so while the mass is still warm. The solids prefer for mixing
with the saturated saw-dust are resin and pitch. Firstly, because of their intense
combustible properties and adhesiveness; and, secondly, because of their cheapness.
When melting resin or pitch I prefer to add a little grease or tar in the pro-
portion of about one part of tar or grease to twenty or thirty parts of resin or
pitch, as the melted resin or pitch when used alone cools and hardens too quickly
on being mixed with the saturated saw-dust, thus making it difficult to mix the
requisite quantity of the latter with it, and more difficult to mould into the desired
shapes, whereas if a small quantity of grease or tar is added to the resin or pitch
this obviates these difficulties. This mixture also remains fluid at a lower tem-
perature than resin or pitch alone, and the percentage of volatile fluid wasted by
evaporation during the mixing is thereby reduced.
In the cold process above alluded to the solids are first powdered or triturated or
reduced to fine particles by scraping, and then mixed with, the saturated sawdust
in the proportion of about one part of the pulverized solid or solids to about four
or five parts of the saw dust. This mixture may then be put into moulds and
pressed into any desired shape or size. For the cold process I prefer resin on
account of its being easily pulverized, and in carrying this part of my Invention
into practice I always add a small quantity of tar to the saturated saw-dust and
mix the two thoroughly until each particle of saw-dust is covered with a thin film
of tar, after which I add the powdered resin. Having thoroughly mixed the whole
I allow the mass to stand for about half an hour, and then press or mould it into
any desired shape. The thin film of tar besides increasing the combustible pro-
perties of the mass makes the whole more adhesive. The reason for allowing the
mass to stand some time before pressing the same is that the fluid in the saw dust
and the tar have then time to exert a slight solvent action on the powdered resin,
which makes it so adhesive that when pressed it adheres readily and firmly.
In practising the said Invention instead of using saw dust as an absorbent
material, powdered tan-bark, coal-dust, paper-pulp, wood-pulp, clay, or similar
absorbent material may be employed, but I prefer saw dust on account of its
cheapness and because it is easily handled.
Paper, oakum, or blocks or splints of wood may also be used as absorbent materials,
care being taken as with the other absorbent materials that they are not over
saturated. They are not however as good as the absorbents above mentioned, as
they cannot be so intimately combined with the resin, pitch, or other similar solid
combustible, and consequently when the same are lighted a considerable proportion
of the solid combustible drips away and is wasted.
When moulding combustible material prepared from saw dust, coal-dust, clay,
and the like, the mass may be pressed into solid blocks, or may be hollowed through
the centre, so that the interior of the mass may burn as readily as that near the
surface, and to facilitate the lighting of these blocks a thin layer of saturated saw
dust may be pressed on the surface of the blocks, or a piece of candle-wick or
paper attached to their extremities.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
The saturation of saw-dust, coal-dust, clay, wood-pulp, paper pulp, blocks, or
splints of wood or paper or any similar absorbent material with volatile.inflammable
fluid or fluids, and the mixing or coating of the same with resin, pitch, grease,

page_text: wax, or the like, so that the combustible solid substance forms with the saturated
absorbent material an impervious mass in which the inflammable fluid can be
kept for an indefinite time without evaporation or waste, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)