IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING TIMBER FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES IMPERVIOUS TO DRY ROT AND DECAY, ALSO RENDERING THE SAME UNINFLAM◄ MABLE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Jones, of Harewood, Calstock, in the
County of Cornwall, Clerk in Holy Orders, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING TIMBER FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES
IMPERVIOUS TO DRY ROT AND DECAY, ALSO RENDERING THE SAME UNINFLAM◄
MABLE."
Sealed the 6th August 1875, and dated the 9th February 1875.

page_text: described.
I am aware that tungstate of soda has been used for rendering certain
fabrics uninflammable, but it has never, as far as I am aware, been used
for rendering timber uninflammable and impervious to dry rot and decay,
nor has a hot solution ever been used for either purpose except by
myself.
After the wood has been impregnated it will be found that it is very
hard and durable, and almost perfectly uninflammable, even if saturated
with paraffin or turpentine. When the wood is dry it may be painted or
polished like wood not thus treated if thought desirable.
To effectuate my Invention I prefer the following process:-I make a
solution in water of the common tungstate of soda of commerce in pro-
portions of from 1 to 3 lbs. of the salt to every gallon of water, so that
the solution may have a specific gravity of from 1·12 to 1.25. The
timber is then to be imprégnated with this solution in either of the
following ways, namely:-The timber may be boiled in the solution or
the solution may be forced into it while hot.
When the timber is impregnated without pressure it should be placed
in the solution in galvanized iron tanks and be allowed to soak in the
solution, which must be boiled occasionally and kept warm while the
timber is soaking. This should be continued until sufficient of the
solution has been absorbed, that is, until about thirty-five gallons per
load of fifty cubic feet has been absorbed.
When the timber is impregnated by pressure it should be placed in
exhausting tubes, as in the creosote process, the air pumped out, and
then the solution while boiling hot be forced into the timber, at first by
atmospheric pressure, and afterwards by hydraulic pressure. The tubes
should be furnished with vacuum and pressure gauges as usual.
L
When the timber is dry it will be found exceedingly hard, durable,
and uninflammable; the fibres, the intercellular spaces, and any minute
granules contained therein will be found coated with the mineral. The
sporules and mycellium of the fungi (such as polyporus destructor,
merulius vastator, and merulius lacrymans), which produce dry rot, thus
become encased in a hard mineral containing neither water, nitrogen,
nor phosphates (which enter almost exclusively into the chemical con-

page_text: stitutions of these fungi), nor indeed any element fit for their nourish-
ment, the development of these fungi therefore becomes impossible. The
timber is also made so hard that white and red pine are rendered both in
appearance and hardness like teak and oak respectively, and would be
found cheap and valuable substitutes for these more expensive kinds of
timber.
If the timber be used in a position exposed to the weather it may be
advisable to paint it either with silicate or other paint, or to convert the
outermost part of the mineral into an insoluble salt of the same in the
ordinary way.
Points to be noted in this Invention are,-
The solution being used hot.
The tungstate solution being used alone without other substances.
The method of impregnating with the tungstate solution.
The hardening of the timber, and the prevention of dry rot and decay
in the same.
The hardening and strengthening of timber already decayed, and pre-
vention of further decay.
The rendering timber uninflammable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JONES, of Harewood, Calstock, in the County of Cornwall, Clerk in Holy
Orders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Jones, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Jones, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Jones, my executors,

page_text: 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 5
IN RENDERING TIMBER FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES IMPERVIOUS TO DRY ROT
AND DECAY, ALSO RENDERING THE SAME UNINFLAMMABLE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Jones, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of 1
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 Thomas Jones, do hereby declare 1
the nature of my 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 to render timber for building and other
purposes impervious to dry rot and decay and also uninflammable. 2
This is done by impregnating the timber with a hot solution of tung-
state of soda. The solution should be of a certain specific gravity
hereafter described.
I am aware that tungstate of soda has been used for rendering certain
fabrics uninflammable, but it has never, so far as I am aware, been used 2
for rendering timber uninflammable and impervious to dry rot and decay,
nor has a hot solution ever been used for either purpose except by
myself.
After the wood has been impregnated it will be found that it is very
hard and durable, and almost perfectly uninflammable, even if saturated a
with paraffin or turpentine. When the wood is dry it may be painted or
polished like wood not thus treated if thought desirable.
To effectuate my Invention I prefer the following process:-I make
a solution in water of the common tungstate of soda of commerce in
proportions of from 1 to 3 lbs. of the salt to every gallon of water, so
that the solution may have a specific gravity of from 1·12 to 1.25. The
timber is then to be impregnated with this solution in either of the

page_text: following ways, for example:-The timber may be boiled in the solution,
or the solution may be forced into it while hot.
When the timber is impregnated without pressure it should be placed
in the solution in galvanized iron tanks and left to soak in the solution,
which must be boiled occasionally and kept warm while the timber is
soaking. This should be continued until sufficient of the solution has
been absorbed, that is, until about 35 gallons per load of 50 cubic feet
has been absorbed.
When the timber is impregnated by pressure it should be placed in
exhausting tubes, as in the creosote process, the air pumped out, and
then the solution while boiling hot be forced into the timber, at first by
atmospheric pressure, and afterwards by hydraulic pressure. The tubes
should be furnished with vacuum and pressure gauges as usual.
When the timber is dry it will be found exceedingly hard, durable,
and uninflammable; the fibres, the intercellular spaces, and any minute
granules contained therein will be found coated with the mineral. The
sporules and mycellium of the fungi (such as polyporus destructor,
merulius vastator, and merulius lacrymans), which produce dry rot, thus
become encased in a hard mineral containing neither water, nitrogen, nor
phosphates (which enter almost exclusively into the chemical consti-
tution of these fungi), nor indeed any element fit for their nourishment,
the development of these fungi therefore becomes impossible. The
timber is also made so hard that white and red pine are rendered both in
appearance and hardness like teak and oak respectively, and would be
found cheap and valuable substitutes for these more expensive kinds of
timber.
If the timber be used in a position exposed to the weather it may be
desirable to paint it, either with silicate or other paint, or to convert the
outermost parts of the mineral into an insoluble salt of the same in the
ordinary way.
DL
AL T

page_text: 3 The hardening and strengthening of timber already decayed, and pre-
vention of further decay.
The rendering of timber uninflammable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or
carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of
"Improvements in Rendering Timber for Building and other Purposes
Impervious to Dry Rot and Decay, also Rendering the same Uninflam-
mable," as herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Jones, have hereunto set 1
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM LANDER,
Ourdworth.
THOMAS JONES. (L.S.)