Improvements in and relating to the Treatment of Wood, Rendering the same Highly Inflammable.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
COMT DIE STUTTUA LION.
Improvements in and relating to the Treatment of Wood, Rendering
the same Highly Inflammable.
JOSEPH GRIDLEY Acre Road, Kingston Surrey Joiner 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 :-
My invention has for its object an improved method of treating wood, the same
being after passing through my process highly inflammable, and readily set fire to at
any point by an ordinary lucifer, yet perfectly clean, and hard.
In carrying this my invention into practice I take wood of any reasonable size,
and shape, but preferably 5 or 6 inches long, to inch thick, and either split, sawn,
or riven.
I then subject the wood to heat applied by suitable mechanical appliances, to
exhaust all moisture, and to make the wood equal to the temperature of the solution
hereinafter mentioned.
1 now make a solution of rosin and common petroleum, or some other equally
effective substance, in the former case in quantities of say 10 to 1, by boiling the same
together in any suitable vessel, and now thus prepared, I introduce the wood, and
boil the whole together until the solution has thoroughly impregnated the wood, but
to more perfectly obtain this my object, I now subject the said wood to the high
temperature of Saly 400° Far. which has the effect of sweating off the surplus solution
and of more perfectly completing the process of impregnation.
Although in the above description, 1 have referred to sizes of wood, quantities in
the solution, temperatures etc., I prefer to so alter them to circumstances ĉiz. qualitios
of the different articles under use, the time of the year when thus prepared, and the
size of the wood under treatment; this will effect the object I have in view, namely
to make each and every piece of wood thus subjected to my treatment, to readily
ignite at any point by an ordinary lucifer.
Wood thus treated will be very hard, clean, and effectual for any length of time
resisting all influences of the weather, and as will be readily seen may be used in all
kinds of furnaces, stoves, grates, ranges etc., being governed only by the amount
used.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said invention, and the
manner of performing the same, 1 may observe in conclusion, that I neither restrict
myself to, nor claim the use of the particular materials or substances, or their precise
admixture, or mode of mixing, which have occasion to describe by themselves
individually or collectively. I declare that what I claim as the invention to be
protected by the hereinbefore recited particulars is,
The process of rendering wood highly inflammable, by heating it to a high
temperature and driving out its moisture, then boiling it in a solution of rosin
and petroleum, or any other equally effective substance, in the manner and by the
steps before described, and thus impregnating the wood with the solution as to render
it hard, clean, and capable of readily igniting at any point by a common lucifer, and
thus form an improved, and highly effective material for the construction of fire-
lighters or fuel.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1890.