Improvements in the Method of Preparing or Treating Wood, for the Purpose of Waterproofing the same, or for Making it more applicable for the Formation of Permanent Pressed Designs.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1897-4ccepted, 27th Mar.. 1397
Improvements in the Method of Preparing or Treating Wood, for
the Purpose of Waterproofing the same, or for Making it more
applicable for the Formation of Permanent Pressed Designs.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster Patent Agent for Engraved Wood, Limited,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a method of making wood waterproof, and also
for toughening it so that it can undergo moulding under very heavy pressure.
without disintegration, and also can be exposed to the weather and washing
without chance of absorbing the wet and thus warping or swelling.
The invention consists in treating the wood with a solution of cotton or cellulose
either under strong pressure or without and afterwards withdrawing the whole or a
part of the solvent. There are numerous solutions of cellulose in the market at
the present time from the old wellknown collodion to the new pegamoid and viscose
solutions and all of them are as is well known capable of being fixed or the cellulose
precipitated or separated from the solvent as an insoluble material. Where wood
has to be preserved from the weather the dissolved cellulose is washed over
the surface or the surface thoroughly impregnated with it. Where veneered
wood has to be pressed the veneer is saturated with the solution and the
cellulose fixed in the veneer before or preferably after pressing. By this means
too the glue used in attaching the veneer is prevented from exuding through to the
surface as the wood block with the veneer is saturated with glue and dried first.
In some cases the veneer can be coated with a thin coating of the waterproofing
cellulose solution on one side and dried. This side is then glued to the block and
when the whole is dried the veneer is treated with the cellulose solution and when
it has arrived at a sufficiently hardened state, not quite hard but still tough, the
impression is taken. Some veneers however can be attached to the block without
being saturated with glue. These when dried on the block can be treated with
(preferably hot) cellulose solution and when the latter has sufficiently solidified or
been fixed the pressure is applied. Besides cellulose and collodion for water-
proofing, the glue solution itself can be made waterproof on the surface by treating
it with tannic acid, gallic acid, chromic acid or the veneer can be glued to the
block with glue and combined with a tanning material. If chromic acid be used
the gluing should take place in the dark.
In pressing the wood with hydraulic pressure to produce compact material with
a design in relief, I find it requisite to the formation of a high relief that the glue
saturated block shall be cold and the glue set, but the surface for a slight depth
permeated with viscid material, hence why the cellulose solution is applied shortly
before setting. When heated dies are used, damping the surface a short time
before pressing will do for glued blocks or for a longer time before if cold dies
be used.
Dated this 21st day of May 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 322 High Holborn, London,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Method of Preparing or Treating Wood, for
the Purpose of Waterproofing the same, or for Making it more
applicable for the Formation of Permanent Pressed Designs.
.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.1.M.E, of 6, Lord Street..
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent for Engraved Wood, Limited,
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 for its object a method of making wood waterproof, and also
for toughening it so that it can undergo moulding under very heavy pressure
without disintegration, and also can be exposed to the weather and washing without
chance of absorbing the wet and thus warping or swelling.
Pressed wood panels have hitherto been made by taking a slab of wood with the
grain on end and attaching a piece of veneer on each side and then pressing.
Now my invention consists in impregnating the wood with a solution of gun
cotton or nitro-cellulose or mercerised cellulose, either under strong pressure or
without, and afterwards withdrawing the whole or a part of the solvent. There
are numerous solutions of cellulose in the market at the present time from the old
wellknown collodion, nitro cellulose dissolved in camphor and other solvents and
viscose solutions, and all of them are, as is wellknown, capable of being fixed or
the cellulose precipitated or separated from the solvent as an insoluble material.
Where wood has to be preserved from the weather the dissolved cellulose is washed
over the surface, or the surface thoroughly impregnated with it. Where veneered
wood has to be pressed, the veneer is saturated with the solution and the cellulose
fixed in the veneer before or after pressing. By this means too the glue used in
attaching the veneer is prevented from exuding through to the surface, as the wood
block with the veneer is saturated with glue and dried first. In some cases the
veneer can be coated with a thin coating of the waterproofing cellulose solution on
one side and dried. This side is then glued to the block and when the whole is
dried the veneer is treated with the cellulose solution and when it has arrived at
a sufficiently hardened state, not quite hard but still tough, the impression is taken.
Some veneers however can be attached to the block without being saturated with
glue. These when dried on the block can be treated with (preferably hot)
cellulose solution and when the latter has sufficiently solidified or been fixed the
pressure is applied, the cellulose solutions being all extremely adhesive can be used
instead of glue. Besides cellulose solutions for waterproofing, the glue solution
itself can be made waterproof on the surface by treating it with tannic acid,
gallic acid, chromic acid, or the veneer can be glued to the block with glue
and combined with a tanning material. If chromic acid be used, the gluing should
take place in the dark.
In pressing the wood with hydraulic pressure to produce compact material with
a design in relief, I find it requisite to the formation of a high relief that the glue
saturated block shall be cold and the glue set, but the surface for a slight depth
permeated with viscid material, hence why the cellulose solution is applied shortly
before setting. When heated dies are used, damping the surface a short time
before pressing will do for glued blocks or for a longer time before if cold dies
be used.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of pressed wood carvings in which the wood is impregnated
with a solution of cellulose substantially as described.
2. The method of waterproofing wood for the purpose of making waterproof
pressed wood carvings substantially as described.
Dated this 20th der of Woh 1907
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.