A New or Improved Material containing Conglomerated Cork Dust.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Material containing Conglomerated Cork Dust.
We ROMAN ROMANO, and BUENAVENTURA REULL, Manufacturers, both of
10 Rue Fontanella, Barcelona, in the Kingdom of Spain 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:-
We give the name of conglomerated cork to the product which is obtained by
kneading cork sawdust with albumenoid substances or blood mixed with common or
hydraulic lime and moulding the mass to give it the form of plates, squares, arches,
blocks, tubes, bricks, tiles, &c.
The albumenoid substance or blood may be mixed in any proportion with common
or hydraulic lime, the properties of the product obtained being always similar, the
only difference presented being that the greater the quantity of albumenoid or blood
the greater will be the rigidity and hardness. The lime may consequently be
entirely omitted and the conglomeration obtained with albumenoid or blood alone,
or these may be omitted, and common or hydraulic lime may be exclusively
employed. In the latter case cement or gypsum may be substituted for the line.
The conglomerated cork may also be obtained by kneading cork sawdust with
gelatine and bichromate of potash.
In order to make the conglomerated cork product the object of this Patent the
following process is adopted; the substance or substances to be employed to produce
the conglomeration are put into a cask or other receptacle, or into a cauldron.
These substances, as already indicated, may be the albumenoid or blood alone or
mixed with common or hydraulic lime, or with gypsum or cement, and also gelatine
with the bichromate of potash. These substances or the substance which is used
are properly made into a paste of more or less thickness and either cold or hot
according to the variety of product which it is desired to obtain. It is not possible
to fix the proportions of the mixture as these vary with the purpose for which the
conglomeration is to be used, since, according to these it will be necessary that it
should have more or less of rigidity or hardness.
Having prepared the substance or substances which are to form the con-
glomeration, the cork sawdust is stirred into the mass until the whole is well mixed.
This operation may be effected by the hand or by mechanical appliances. In the
first case the mass is stirred with a wooden shovel or spatula, and in the second any
kind of mixed may be used similar to those which are employed for other industries
and which produce the result of properly mixing the cork sawdust with the
substance selected.
When this operation is completed, the mass is moulded and pressed.
If it is desired to produce plates or lamenations the following method is adopted;
a cloth of the dimensions of the required plates is laid upon the bottom of a press:
over this is spread a layer of the cork sawdust paste of a suitable thickness; on the
top of this is put another cloth; over this is placed a metal plate and on the top of this
the operation is repeated until a number of plates are produced sufficient to fill the

page_text: press, and these are submitted to pressure until the plates have obtained the degree
of hardness and cohesion necessary, and they are then taken out of the press and
the operation repeated. If the plates to be made are larger than the framework of
the press the cloths and the layers of paste are made of the total required length
and they are pressed or rather begun to be pressed at one end of the plates, after-
wards moved and pressed in the following section and the operation repeated as
many times as is necessary, or two or more presses are combined to press at the same
time the whole length of the plates.
We have said that cork sawdust paste is spread between two cloths; the object
of these cloths is to prevent the paste sticking to the metallic plates and to facilitate
the handling of the same on being taken out of the press. For these cloths paper
may be substituted and they may also be dispensed with. In this case to prevent
the paste sticking to the metallic plates, these plates are covered with powdered
castille soap or gypsum, or they are smeared with oil or other greasy substance.
When cloths or paper are employed these may remain as an outside cover to the
product or they may be taken off after the completion of the manufacture.
When it is desired to make plates more or less curved for arches and floors or
blocks, tubes, lifebuoys, paving blocks, bricks, tiles, culverts &c. moulds must be used
which have the required form, which are filled with the cork paste and pressed,
precautions being taken analogous to those which have been indicated to prevent
the paste sticking to the sides of the mould.
The presses used may be hydraulic, spiral screw hinge presses, or any other
system.
When the conglomerated cork has received sufficient pressure to give it the form
and consistency required, it is left in the drying chamber the number of days
necessary in order to become well dry. For this purpose it is either exposed to
heat or to a current of natural air, or it is placed in a stove room heated by means
of hot air, or by steam or by direct firing.
When the conglomerated product is dry it is fit for consumption.
The result which we propose, by the manufacture of conglomerated cork is to
obtain a product the principal qualities of which (whatever may be the form given
to it) are the following-those of being a bad conductor of heat, a bad conductor
of moisture, a bad conductor of sound, of being lighter than brick and hard as
stone but more elastic and of being incombustible.
These qualities of not conducting heat and incombustibility make it suitable for
the covering of boilers and steam pipes and also ice houses, and all those bodies in
which it is necessary to maintain a temperature superior or inferior to that of the
surrounding air. If these bodies possess large areas the conglomerated cork can be
employed in plates, if tubes have to be covered the plates are cut longitudinally in
strips or bands which are wound spirally round the tube and the ends of which
are suitably fastened. The cork may also be moulded into the form of tubes
either entire or divided longitudinally for greater facility of application. As a
damp preventer it may be used for covering damp walls and thus avoiding the
contact of persons or objects with the damp.
These two qualities combined with those of lightness and incombustibility render
the cork plates capable of being used with advantage in the covering of buildings.
It may also be employed in the construction of lifebuoys &c.
For its lightness and elasticity it may be employed in substitution of bricks,
tiles, paving blocks, culverts &c. either in streets or in courts or in the interior of
dwellings; for this purpose its hardness is sufficient to enable it to resist wheel and
foot traffic, and its elasticity is such that the shock to the feet of passengers and to
the hoofs of animals will not be so great, and will thus contribute to their health
and preservation. For its lightness, resistance, incombustibility and being a bad
conductor of sound it may be used in the construction of houses in the form of
bricks for partition walls, or in the form of plates more or less curved for the
construction of the floors which separate one storey from another

page_text: With the employment of conglomerated cork the weight of the floor is less and
sound is not transmitted to another dwelling.
In the form of tubes, pitched, painted or bituminised in the interior, it may be
employed for the purpose of conducting clean or dirty water or hot or cold air and
other ways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
A new industrial product, conglomerated cork, which product is formed of cork
sawdust united with albumenoid substance or blood or with common or hydraulic
lime, or with these substances mixed together in any proportions or united with
cement or gypsum alone or with gelatine mixed with bichromate of potash, the
mass being conveniently moulded and pressed in order to give it the form of plates,
tubes, bricks, culverts, blocks, paving squares, arches, life buoys, &c. in accordance
with the purpose for which the same is intended.
Dated this 25th day of November 1892.
R. HADDAN,
Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agent for Applicants.