AN IMPROVED COMBUSTIBLE COMPOSITION FOR WARMING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of" AN IMPROVED COMBUSTIBLE COMPOSITION FOR WARMING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."-A communication
from abroad by Jean Baptiste David Cassinelli, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 17th March 1876, and dated the 9th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th October 1875.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COMBUSTIBLE COMPOSITION
FOR WARMING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a commu-
nication, to be as follows:-
htihla com

page_text: of passengers on railways and common roads. The combustion of this
composition causes no smell or smoke, and is effected with sufficient
slowness to render needless any attention during a long journey to the
pan containing the same, that is to say, a small quantity of this com-
position burned in a pan, with a limited supply of air, will take sixteen
or eighteen hours to completely consume, and will during that time
develop sufficient caloric to warm a compartment of an ordinary railway
carriage.
The said compound will ignite with the greatest facility, and once
ignited will burn continuously and uniformly, and its cost is very
moderate.
The basis of the said combustible compound or composition is the tan
or bark of carbonized wood, which is mixed with a small quantity of
nitrate of lead or spirit of nitre, and with slaked lime or loam, as
agglutinative or agglomerative matter.
These materials are mixed in the following proportions, namely:-Bark
or tan of carbonized wood, 1,000 parts; nitrate of lead or salt of nitre, 10
parts; slaked lime or loam, 100 parts. These proportions may be varied
slightly without affecting the nature or qualities of the said composition.
By adding to these materials a small quantity of dust of hard wood,
charcoal, and light wood, the composition thus formed will be rendered
more still slow of combustion, and will therefore be preferable for long
journeys.
The manipulation of the materials for forming this composition is of
the greatest simplicity. It is sufficient to stir for a few minutes the tan
and loam in warm water, in which is first dissolved the nitrate of lead or
salt of nitre in the proportion above indicated. Then the materials thus
mixed are kneaded either by hand or mechanically, and afterwards
moulded and dried either in the open air, or more rapidly in exposing
them to the heat of an oven or stove.
The briquettes or blocks thus produced, and which may be of any
desired form and dimensions, will have a perfect cohesion, and may be
immediately used.

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 7th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, 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 COMBUSTIBLE COMPOSITION FOR WARMING RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by
Jean Baptiste David Cassinelli, of Paris, France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument 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 immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this Invention is the production of a combustible
composition or compound susceptible of numerous applications, and
which is more especially designed for warming vehicles employed for
the transport of passengers on railways and common roads. The com-

page_text: bustion of this composition causes no smell or smoke, and is effected so
gradually as to render needless any attention during a long journey to
the foot warmers or pans containing the same, that is to say, a small
quantity of this composition burned in a foot warmer or chafing pan,
with a limited supply of air, will take sixteen or eighteen hours to
completely consume, and will during that time develope sufficient caloric
to warm a compartment of an ordinary railway carriage.

page_text: same, I wish it understood that I claim, the improved combustible
compound or composition above described, and which is produced by the
employment of carbonized tan or wood bark in combination with nitrate
of lead or salt of nitre and slacked lime or loam in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the
year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
HENRY JAS. NOONE.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)