THE MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION OF AN IMPROVED COMPOUND for PROTECTING GOODS OR MATERIALS OF VARIOUS KINDS FROM INJURY BY WATER OR VERMIN
Year: 1879

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LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &n
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"THE MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION OF AN IMPROVED COMPOUND for
PROTECTING GOODS OR MATERIALS OF VARIOUS KINDS FROM INJURY BY WATER
OR VERMIN." A communication from abroad by Daniel Martin Lamb, of the
City and State of New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "THE MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION OF, AN
IMPROVED COMPOUND FOR PROTECTING GOODS OR MATERIALS, OF VARIOUS KINDS
FROM INJURY BY WATER OR VERMIN." A communication from abroad by Daniel
Martin Lamb, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to prepare a compound for and apply the same to.
the treatment of various kinds and qualities of goods for the purpose of rendering
them impervious to water or moisture, or indestructible by or repellant to moths or
similar vermin.
The compound prepared for this purpose is applicable to a great variety of goods,
among which are embraced every variety of textile fabrics, all kinds of feathers,
furs, and the like, leather, paper, and other like materials, as well as wood, stone,
and metal, and, in short, every article, the preservation of which from the humidity.
of the atmosphere or more complete saturation with water is a desirable object.
The preparation hereinafter described is an absolute preventive of the attack of
moths or similar insects or vermin, as well as an absolute waterproofing or water.
repelling material, and it may be used where waterproofing is the only object sought,
or where the only object sought is to render the goods moth or vermin proof, or .
where both objects are sought.
The materials or ingredients used for this purpose are so absolutely colorless and
odorless that they may be applied to any textile fabric, feathers,.flowers, kid gloves,
.

page_text: stuffed birds or animals, as well as to any variety of building stone, wood, or metal,
without in the slightest degree injuring the color or appearance of the same, even
though the color or shade thereof is the most delicate tint possible, and the effect
will be the saine, no matter what may be the object to which the preparation or
compound is applied, that is. to say, it will become immediately waterproof or
water repellant, and the color of the article to which the said compound is applied
will remain more permanent and durable by means of the water-proofing, as fermen-
tation and consequent decomposition will thereby be prevented.
The materials used for this purpose, the manner of compounding them, and the
method of applying the compound to the goods are as follows:-
I take as a basis of the compound any of the lighter hydro-carbon oils from
petroleum, such, for instance; as naptha, benzine, benzole, gasoline, and the like,
but always use such as are of 70° gravity or more. Then into the hydro-carbon
solvent so provided, and which may be taken in any desired or convenient quantity,
I put for each gallon of the oil or hydro-carbon solvent about one quarter of an
ounce to one ounce of some hydro-carbon gum, such as india-rubber, gutta-percha,
milkweed, or other similar gum, and also about one quarter of an ounce to two
ounces of paraffine; or for some purposes the hydrocarbon gum may be used without
the paraffine, and for other purposes the paraffine may be used without the hydro-
carbon gum, but where the paraffine only is used the compound will only be water-
proof, without the vermin proof qualities.
The hydro-carbon gum and the paraffine should be cut into small pieces, before
they are put in the solvent to facilitate their solution; and after they shall have
been fully dissolved the compound will be treated by gas in the following
manner:
I take chloride of sodium or common salt in the proportion of about four pounds
of the salt to each forty gallons of the mixture; and to this quantity or any multiple
thereof I also add about four pounds of sulphuric acid, the salt and the acid to be
so united as to permit the salt to be evenly or nearly evenly distributed over the
bottom of the vessel in which it is placed, and the acid put over the salt so as to
impinge directly upon it. This may be done either in the same vessel in which
the solution above described is placed, or in an adjacent vessel, but if in an adjacent
vessel it must be a closed one; and suitable piping will be provided and arranged to
conduct the gas generated from the chloride of sodium into the bottom part of the
vessel in which the said solution is placed. In either case the gas so generated
will rise through the mass of the compound and escape through the open top of the
fabricating vessel, and the gas thus generated and applied will act upon the mass
of the compound to thoroughly bleach and whiten the same.
the mucilaginous and sedimentary portions of the compound; and precipitate them
to the bottom of the vessel; the whole operation of the gas treatment.upon the
solution being to effect a complete chemical change upon the compound.
It will also attack
The compound or solution will be allowed to remain standing quietly, subject to
the gas treatment, as above described; for about twenty four hours, and then the
sediment will be drawn off from the bottom of the vessel, or the purified compound
from the top of the vessel.
t
The manufacture of this compound can best be conducted in a fabricating vessel
similar to that called an "agitator," in coal oil refining operations, and the gas for
the treatment may be fabricated in, this vessel or in an adjoining vessel, which
latter would have to be connected with the fabricating vessel by means of a suitable
pipe which will terminate in the said fabricating vessel a short distance, say three
inches (more or less) above its bottom. This connecting pipe may also be used to
inject a current of air into the compound as hereinafter described: It is obvious
that similar gas or gases to that produced as above described may be generated from
any of the chlorides and other acids, but I prefer to use chloride of sodium and
sulphuric acid as above described.
After the compound shall have been subjected to the above specified gaseous

page_text: treatment for about twenty four hours, and the sediment drawi öff as above
described, a powerful current of air will be driven through the compound from some
suitable air blower or compressor adjacent to the fabricating vessel; the pipe leading
into the bottom of the said fabricating vessel as above specified being used for
delivering the injected air current into the inass of the compound. This powerful
current of air will be driven through the compound long enough to drive out the
disengaged gases; and the time required for this purpose will usually be from one
to two hours (more or less), and after the air treatment or blowing water will be
added to the mixture so as to thoroughly wash it free from all impurities, and
during this washing process a small quantity of caustic soda or ammonia, or both, or
any other suitable alkali will be added to the mixture so as to thoroughly wash out
and remove any trace of gas or acid. After this agitation or blowing and washing
shall have been completed the inass will remain undisturbed for about an hour,
during which time a thorough subsidence of all remaining solids or impurities will
occur, the sediment or deposit may then be drawn off from the bottom of the
vessel, or the completed compound from the top of the vessel, and the prepared
compound will then be kept in a tightly closed vessel to prevent evaporation until
it is used.
The goods to which this compound is to be applied will ordinarily be treated in
the following manner, viz., a shallow vessel or bath will be provided and a cover for
this vessel will be so set in a water chamber as to seal it tightly against loss by
evaporation during the treatment of the goods. This vessel will be filled or partly
filled with the compound prepared as above described, and then the goods to be
treated will be immersed in the compound so as to thoroughly saturate them, and
the length of time required for this purpose will vary with the kind, quality, and
thickness of the goods under treatment, but a half hour will suffice for thin fabrics,
gloves, etc., while for thick cloths one hour may be required, while furs, leather, and
other heavy articles may require even more time. In lieu of the aforesaid bath a
brush or sponge inay be employed for applying the said composition or compound
to such articles as cannot readily be submitted to a bath, but such application
cannot be so effectual as those of the bath, and therefore the bath will always be
used where practicable.
After the bath or coating all adhering moisture will be allowed to drain off
from the goods, and they will then be hung up to dry in a closed room kept at a
uniform temperature of, say, from 85° to 100° F. by means of steam pipes or
radiators.
After the goods have been thoroughly dried they may be put away in such
packages or cases as are usually employed for these purposes.
:
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The process herein described of preparing a water or vermin proof or
repelling compound by treating a solution of any hydro-carbon gum or paraffine, or
both, dissolved in any suitable light hydro-carbon solvent, and submitting the
solution so formed for about twenty four hours (more or less) to the action of a gas
or gases formed by the union of chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid, or an
equivalent gas or gases, and then immediately after such gaseous treatment sub-
mitting the compound to a powerful air agitation to drive out the remaining gas
from the compound, and then washing the compound with water and caustic soda
or ammonia, or both, or any other suitable alkali for the purpose of removing any
trace of gas or acid.
Second. The water or vermin proofing compound formed by dissolving either a
hydro-carbon gum or paraffine, or both of them together, in any suitable light hydro-
carbon solvent, when treating this solution for about twenty four hours (more or
less) with a gas or gases formed by the union of chloride of sodium and sulphuric
acid or any equivalent gas or gases, and then depriving the mixture of all residual
gas by means of a powerful current of air driven through the mass which must

page_text: finally be washed with water and a suitalbe alkali to remove all traces of gas or
acid.
Third. The water or vermin repelling compound herein before described so
incorporated with. or applied to the goods or materials to be protected as to render
the same water or vermin proof or repellant.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
WM BORT LAKE (IS)