Improvements in or relating to Boxes, Safes, and similar Receptacles for Containing Articles Liable to Injury from the Effects of Damp, or of Fire, or of both, or to undergo Putrefaction or Deoay from Exposure to the Air.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
TROYIUNAL STRICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Boxes, Safes, and similar Receptacles
for Containing Articles Liable to Injury from the Effects of Damp,
or of Fire, or of both, or to undergo Putrefaction or Deoay from
Exposure to the Air.
We, WILLIAM JOHN RITCHIE SIMPSON, of No. 3 Middleton Row, in the City
of Calcutta, in the Empire of India, Doctor of Medicine, and GEORGE SPEIRS
ALEXANDER RANKING, of the same address, Doctor of Medicine, Surgeon-Major
Her Majesty's Indian Army, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-.
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to boxes, safes and
similar receptacles (hereinafter referred to as boxes) designed to contain articles
liable to become injured through the effects of damp, or fire, or both, or to suffer
damage or deterioration in the ordinary course of exposure to the air, and it has
for object to render such boxes damp-proof, or fire-proof, or both, and so that they
shall, when required, possess antiseptic properties.
For this purpose the material of which the said boxes are made is impregnated
at any convenient stage of their manufacture, with certain chemical substances of
the kind hereinafter referred to.
This impregnation process is applicable to all materials which have the power of
absorbing the chemical substances in solution, as for instance, papier-mache or
other similar material, pressed paper pulp, or other suitable absorbent fibrous
material of similar description, and suitable for the construction of boxes, safes,
including safe-lining blocks and filling, and other receptacles of similar kind.
For most purposes asbestos will be found to be a convenient material of
which the box may be wholly or partly made, inasmuch as it possesses the desired
quality of absorption in a very high degree, is durable, readily purified if necessary
by exposure to high temperatures such as would destroy other materials otherwise
suitable for the purpose in view, and may be used in various ways for the
construction of boxes and other receptacles which, when properly constructed, will
be fire-proof.
To protect the articles to be enclosed in such boxes from the effects of damp, we
impregnate the box formed of porous material as hereinbefore described, or the
material itself prior to being made up into the form of a box, or otherwise applied,
as may be most convenient, with a suitable hygroscopic substance, which may
advantageously consist of a saturated solution of chloride of calcium (CaCl,) which
has been found to give satisfactory results.
The material thus impregnated, is dried and then possesses the property of
protecting the contents of the boxes made of or lined with it from the injurious
effects of moist air. Such boxes will be of special use for the preservation of
tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, and of gloves, ribbons, and other similar draper's
goods, as well as all other articles liable to injury or deterioration by damp. It
will be evident that a receptacle constructed wholly of asbestos thus impregnated
will be both fire-proof and damp-proof.
For the purpose of delaying or obviating decay or putrefaction which must
inevitably take place in organic substances such as articles of food, milk, meat and
so forth, when exposed to the action of unfiltered air, we impregnate the material
of which the boxes, or other receptacles are made or provided, with a saturated
solution of a suitable non-poisonous inodorous antiseptic substance. We prefer to
employ for this purpose a saturated solution of boric acid.

page_text: The use of odorous, and in case of need, of poisonous antiseptics is permissible in
cases where the articles to be preserved are not food-stuffs. Such antiseptics may
for example be used in the construction of antiseptic coffins for the transmission of
the dead. Suitable antiseptic substances for use in such cases are for examples
solutions of carbolic acid, perchloride of mercury and similar substances in
common use.
Dated this 29th day of November 1893.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Boxes, Safes, and similar Receptacles
for Containing Articles Liable to Injury from the Effects of Damp,
or of Fire, or of both, or to undergo Putrefaction or Decay from
Exposure to the Air.
We, WILLIAM JOHN RITCHIE SIMPSON, of No. 3 Middleton Row, in the City
of Calcutta, in the Empire of India, Doctor of Medicine, and GEORGE SPEIRS
ALEXANDER RANKING, of the same address, Doctor of Medicine, Surgeon-Major
Her Majesty's Indian Army, 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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to boxes, safes, and
similar receptacles (hereinafter referred to as boxes) designed to contain articles
liable to become injured through the effects of damp, or fire, or both, or to suffer
damage or deterioration in the ordinary course of exposure to the air, and it has
for object to render such boxes damp-proof or fire-proof, or both, and so to treat
them, when required, that they shall possess antiseptic properties. For these
purposes the material of which the said boxes are made, is impregnated at any
convenient stage of their manufacture, with certain chemical substances of the kind
hereinafter referred to.
a
This impregnation process, which is effected in the way hereinafter more
particularly explained, is applicable to all materials which have the power of
absorbing the chemical substances in solution, as for instance, papier-mâché or
other similar material, pressed paper pulp, or other suitable absorbent fibrous
material of similar description and suitable for the construction of boxes, safes,-
including safe-lining blocks and filling-and other receptacles of similar kind.
For most purposes asbestos will be found to be a convenient material of which
the receptacle may be wholly or partly made, inasmuch as it possesses the desired
quality of absorption in a very high degree, is durable, is readily purified, if
necessary, by exposure to high temperatures such as would destroy other materials
otherwise suitable for the purpose in view, and may be used in various ways for the
construction of boxes and other receptacles, which, when properly constructed and
closed, will be fire-proof. It will be understood, however, that any other material
may be employed that is otherwise suitable and can be, without injury, raised to
the necessary temperature for purification.
To provide a receptacle which shall protect enclosed articles from the effects of
damp, we impregnate the box formed of porous material as hereinbefore described,
or the material itself prior to being made up into the form of a box, or otherwise
applied, as may be most convenient, with a suitable hygroscopic substance.
A hygroscopic substance well suited for this purpose is calcium chloride (CaCl,)
applied in the form of a saturated solution to the porous material, which is
afterwards heated to expel the water. In preparing the saturated solution of
calcium chloride, we prefer to employ water at a temperature of about 40° Centigrade,

page_text: which is found to be the most satisfactory temperature, having regard both to the degree
of solubility of the salt, and the facility of manipulation: at this temperature every
100 parts by weight of water will take up about 110 parts by weight of calcium
chloride to become saturated, so that when material has been impregnated with this
solution at the temperature mentioned, and has then been subjected to sufficient
heat to expel this water, the calcium chloride contained therein will be capable of
absorbing a considerable amount of moisture..
The material thus impregnated and afterwards dried by the application of heat
in any convenient manner, possesses the property of protecting the contents of
boxes made thereof, or lined or otherwise suitably provided therewith, from
the injurious effects of moist air. Such boxes will be of especial use for the
preservation of tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, matches, cartridges and the like; and
of gloves, ribbons, and other similar draper's goods; also of stationery, stamps,
and other articles having gummed' surfaces liable to adhere inconveniently when
exposed to the action of damp air, as well as of tea and coffee and sundry other
articles liable to injury or deterioration from the effects of a humid atmosphere.
The treated boxes when constructed of porous material, should have their exterior
surface or surfaces protected from the external air by suitable means such as
waterproof varnish, or preferably by tin or tin foil.
It will be evident that a closed box or receptacle constructed wholly of asbestos,
and impregnated as described, will be both fire-proof and damp-proof.
Any suitable receptacle of material other than asbestos may be rendered both
damp-proof and non-inflammable in this manner, if there be added to the saturated.
solution of calcium chloride a saturated solution of sal-ammoniac (NHC));
preferably prepared by dissolving 46 parts by weight of sal-ammoniac in 100 parts
by weight of water at 105° F.
For the purpose of delaying or obviating the putrefaction, decay, or other change
which must inevitably take place in organic substances such as articles of food,
for example milk, meat, and so forth, when exposed to the action of unfiltered air,
we impregnate the absorbent material of which the boxes or other receptacles are
wholly or partly made, or with which they are lined, fitted or otherwise provided,.
with a saturated solution of a suitable antiseptic substance which may be done in
any convenient manner, as by immersing the material in the said solution. In the
case of food-stuffs, it is, of course, essential that the antiseptic substance used
should be both inodorous and.non-poisonous.
The use of odorous, and, in case of need, even of poisonous substances for
antiseptic purposes is permissible in cases where the articles to be preserved are
neither food-stuffs, nor such to which the communication of the odours of the
substance, or its poisonous properties, is undesirable. Such antiseptics, may, for.
example, find a useful application in the construction of antiseptic coffins for the
transmission of the dead, such substances acting also in some cases as disinfectants.
We will now proceed to specify, under various heads, some of the substances
that may advantageously be used in carrying out this part of our invention, with
the formula by which the saturated, solutions thereof may be prepared, without
however restricting ourselves to the use of the substances specified.
Class A. Inodorous and non-poisonous antiseptics :-
(1) Boric or boracic acid :

page_text: If facilities exist for manipulation, a saturated solution can be more cheaply
prepared from
Boric acid
-
33 parts by weight.
Boiling water (at 212° F.)
-
-
100
Aluminium sulphate (fine) -
Acetic acid B.P.
Precipitated calcium carbonate
Water
300 parts by weight.
386
"
"
"
-
130
"
"
"
1000 "
""
"
The aluminium sulphate is dissolved in 800 parts of the water, the acetic acid is
then added, and the calcium carbonate, mixed with the remaining 200 parts of the
water, is poured into the mixture whilst the latter is being agitated. The mixture
is set aside in a warm place, say for about 24 hours, and frequently agitated; it is
afterwards decanted and the sediment pressed. After filtration, the solution is
ready for use.
(4.) A solution of ferric sulphate suitable for the purposes of this invention may
be made by dissolving sufficient ferric sulphate in water at a temperature of 105°
to obtain a saturated solution.
OLD

page_text: Class D. Odorous and non-poisonous.-Amongst odorous and non-poisonous
antiseptic substances suitable for use in accordance with this invention, there may
be mentioned camphor, creolin, creosote, "Terebene," "Sanitas" eucalyptus, pinol,
and essential oils of an antiseptic nature.
A solution of camphor suitable for impregnation may be produced by dissolving
camphor in rectified spirits of wine in the proportion of about 4 parts by weight of
camphor to 5 parts by weight of spirits of wine.
In preparing a suitable solution of creolin we dissolve 1 part by weight of creolin
in 250 parts by weight of water.
A suitable creosote solution consists of 1 part by weight of creosote and
1000 parts by weight of water.
"Terebene" and "Sanitas" may be used in their ordinary condition.
Eucalyptus oil may be applied when dissolved in rectified spirits of wine in the
proportion of 2 parts by weight of eucalyptus oil to 100 parts by weight of spirits
of wine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. For containing articles liable to injury from the effect of damp, a damp-proof
box or receptacle consisting wholly or partly of, or lined with, absorbent material
impregnated with an hygroscopic substance such as chloride of calcium substantially
as herein described for the purposes specified.
2. A fire-proof and damp-proof box or receptacle composed of asbestos
impregnated with a hygroscopic substance such as chloride of calcium (CaCl,)
applied by treating the asbestos with a saturated solution of the hygroscopic salt
and subsequently expelling the water by heat substantially as herein described for
the purpose specified.
3. For containing organic substances liable to undergo putrefaction or decay, a
box or receptacle consisting wholly, or partly, of, or lined with, absorbent material
impregnated with an antiseptic substance such as herein mentioned, whereby
putrefaction, decay or other change of an organic substance placed in the said box
or receptacle, will be delayed, or obviated, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 27th day of August 1994.
53114
THIS 27 day of August 1894.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.