An Improved Composition Applied to the Permanent Way of Railways to Destroy Vegetation, Preserve the Timber from Decay, and the Rails and Fastenings from Oxidation.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Composition Applied to the Permanent Way of
Railways to Destroy Vegetation, Preserve the Timber from
Decay, and the Rails and Fastenings from Oxidation.
We, WILLIAM THOMAS OWEN, Farmer, and THOMAS THATCHER, Farner,
both of 42 Lambton Quay, in the City of Wellington, in the Colony of New
Zealand, 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:-
The object of our invention is to distribute upon the permauent way of railways
a composition which will obviate in a great measure the present expense of cleaning
the track from-weeds by hand labour, and moreover, will preserve both the sleepers
and rails from decay.
The composition we have found by experiment best adapted for these purposes is
as follows,
We first make a solution of caustic soda of the specific gravity of about 1.350;
we then take about three and a quarter tons of the same and raise it to a temperature
of about 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and to this heated solution we add about two tons
of arsenic trioxide As, O, commonly known as arsenious acid or white arsenic.
It is necessary to keep the mixture in a thorough state of agitation during the time
the arsenic is being added and until it is completely dissolved. We then raise the
temperature of this fluid to about 180 degrees Fahrenheit and whilst strongly
agitating the same add gradually one ton fifteen hundred-weights of water in which
as been previously mixed fifty-six pounds of carbolic acid. The addition of the
carbolic acid has not only a preservative effect, but it serves as an excellent means
of giving a strong smell to the composition and thus preventing accidents by the
misuse of the otherwise scentless fluid.
The solution made in the manner above described should be of S. G. 1.525
nt 60 F., and for the purpose of the first application may be diluted in the
proportion of one gallon of the liquid to 20 gallons of water.
A railway track one mile long and twelve feet wide will require about
2000 gallons of the diluted liquid for the first application; subsequent treatment
will be necessary when the liquid can be more largely diluted.
The method of application we have successfully adopted in our experiments is to
distribute the liquid from a tank mounted on a wheeled truck by means of a
perforated pipe overbanging the track, but it will be evident that a hose or force
pump may be used for the purpose, the object being to distribute the liquid as evenly
as possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1. The composition of matter as and for the purposes substantially as described
herein.
2. The composition of matter distributed on the permanent way of railways as
and for the purposes substantially as described herein.

page_text: 3. The method of manufacturing the composition of matter, substantially as
described herein.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.