Iм- PROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."
-A communication from abroad by Henri de Lapparent, of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris, Engineer.
Sealed the 19th May 1863, and dated the 27th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
November 1862.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows:-
The aqueous toxical or antiseptic solutions in which animal or vegetable
matters are usually steeped for the purposes of preservation prevent the fermen-
tation which always precedes the decomposition and decay of said matters;
but when the latter do not absorb the solutions in their interior, and are only
acted on superficially, the preservative action will only exist so long as these
surfaces are constantly submitted to the influence of running water.
This Invention consists in fixing said toxical or antiseptic substances with
Price 81

page_text: which the surfaces of the materials are simply coated by means of a coating
which is not removable by washing, and prevents said substances from fleeing;
they may thus be exposed with impunity to the rain, or remain in stagnant or
running water without injury. The advantages resulting from this improved
process permits of the application of toxical or antiseptic solutions to raw or
manufactured animal and vegetable substances which from their close structure
are not suitable for receiving injections, such as textile materials, hemp, cordage,
fabrics, and other substances. This improved process is very simple in appli-
cation, the ordinary apparatus being used for the purpose. The materials are
first prepared by the ordinary means either with sulphate of copper, chloride
of zinc, or other toxical or antiseptic solution; at the end of this operation the
materials are dried either naturally or artificially in a stove at a moderate heat,
after which the coating, is applied. The most economical covering, and one
which has perfectly succeeded in practice, consists of vegetable tar, heated
by steam or in a hot bath, at a temperature of from 158 to 176 degrees
Fahrenheit. For cordage and fabrics, the threads of which they are com-
posed are passed through the tarring apparatus, which is used in all
arsenals. I may also as regards fabrics after their immersion in the antiseptic
solution and when dried simply pass them through the tar. In the latter
case, on leaving the bath the fabrics are passed between cylinders turning in
opposite directions; and which are furnished with a covering of horsehair to
remove any excess of tar, and only leave a simple glaze on the surface of the
fabric. In many cases it will be sufficient to spread the tar in as thin a coat
as possible by means of a brush.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clark, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Henri de Lapparent, of 29, Boulevarţ
St. Martin, Paris, Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 Clark, do hereby declare
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
(that is to say):--
The aqueous toxical or antiseptic solutions in which animal or vegetable
matters are usually steeped for the purposes of preservation prevent the fermen-
tation which always precedes the decomposition and decay of said matters;
but when the latter do not absorb the solutions in their interior, and are only
acted on superficially, their preservation will not be ensured when their surfaces
are constantly subjected to the influence of pluvial or other waters.
This Invention consists in fixing said toxical or antiseptic substances with
which the surfaces of the materials may be simply coated by means of a
coating which is not removable by washing, prevents said substances being
dissipated, and may be exposed with impunity to the rain, or remain in stagnant
or running water without injury. The advantages resulting from this improved
process permits of the application of toxical or antiseptic solutions to materials
which from their close structure are not suitable for receiving injections, such
as textile materials, hemp, cordage, fabrics, and among woods used for
building purposes may be mentioned oak, which it is well known cannot be
injected. The application of these processes is very simple, and requires none
but the ordinary means and apparatus.
Cordage. The threads of which cordage is composed are first steeped in
a solution containing from 2 to 5 per cent. of sulphate of copper, any other

page_text: toxical or antiseptic solution may be used for the purpose; the threads are
afterwards dried either naturally or in a stove at a moderate heat; the coating
may then be applied. This coating may consist either of vegetable tar heated
to a temperature of from 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, or of varnish obtained
from hydrocarburets. The arrangement for the passage of the threads through
the tar is the same as that used in the rope yards of arsenals for tarring
rope yarn.
Oakum intended for caulking purposes. After preparing the white tow or
hemp in the toxical antiseptic solution, it is dried and then dipped in a mixture
of boiling water and tar, or it may be into a cold hydrocarburet; on leaving
the bath it is twisted and allowed to dry. Or white tow or hemp may be loosely
spun into threads and loosely twisted into strands, which are then dipped in
the solution and dried, being afterwards prepared in the ordinary manner
before being used; these strands may be made of triangular shape by means
of a press.
Canvas or other fabrics after leaving the coating bath are passed between
two rollers running in opposite directions, which removes the excess of tar and
leaves simply a protective coating. In some cases it will be sufficient to apply
the coating with the aid of a brush.
Wood, after being dipped in a solution containing about 10 per cent. of
sulphate copper, is dried, and the coating then applied by means of a large
brush. In this case it is of advantage before immersing the wood in the
solution to carbonize its surface with gas, as the slight thickness of carbon
which is then formed will abundantly absorb the toxical liquor in which it is
steeped.
To give an example of the efficacy of the process, I may mention that
cordage prepared as above described, after being buried for a year in a dung
heap, has been found to have retained its original strength while, on the con-
trary, common white cordage under the same conditions became completely
rotten before the end of the first month; rope which had been tarred in the
ordinary manner and rope that had been steeped in sulphate, but without being
coated, had lost at the end of the year one-half of their strength when
tested.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application of a
coating to various substances previously prepared in a toxical or antiseptic
solution, as herein-before described, in order to prevent the dissipation of the

page_text: preservative matter when said substances are to be exposed to the action of
water.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.