US101320A - Improvement in treating- wood to obtain useful products - Google Patents

Description

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THEODORE-SCHWARTZ, OF NEW YORK, N.

Letters Patent li a-101,320, dated March 29, 1870.

IMPROVBMEHT IN TREATING WOOD I'D OBTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS.

The Schedule referred to in these Lefiers P8.t8I1t i-l1d making part of the same.

, To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE SCHWARTZ, of'thc city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improved Wood Products for Fuel and other purposes; and I do hereby declare the'following to be a full and correct description of the same.

. The nature of the invention consists in obtaining certain new and useful products from wood by subjecting it to regulated heat in a close chamber, by which I efi'ect the complete expulsion of its moisture, and; the browning or darkening of its whole texture without 'charring.

I have discovered that these results occur in the new process for obtaining acetic acid, which I have. devised, in which the temperature to which the wood is subjected is never allowed to rise to a point at which oa'rbonization can take place.

The said process consists in first giving to the wood such form and dimensions as may be desirable, in view of the purposes to whichitis subsequently to be applied, then expelling its moisture by subjecting it in a close chamber, to a suitable temperature for that purpose, (say,not exceeding 250 Fabrenheit,) and finally raising it. gradually to a temperature (say, not above 450 Fahrenheit) just sufiicient to develop and expel acetic acid WllihOlill charring the Wood or reducing it to charcoal.

\Vood thus treated comes from the distilling-chamber perfectly dried, llrowned throughout its entire texture, fully twice as heavy as if charred or carbonized, and possessed of new qualities adapting it for use either as fuel or kindling, for the preparation of superior gunpowder charcoal, and, by reason of the development'ot color and the perfection of the seasoning,

.to the manufacturer of cabinet-ware and-as imitations a stronger and more intense fuel than wood merely desiccated by the ordinary methods.

In the process of preparing the wood as hereinbcfore described, the acetic acid which the wood is capable of yielding is developed and extracted to any desired extent, and I contemplate saving and utilizing it.

pense of the treatment of the wood, and reduces the cost of the products to a figure which facilitates their introduction into general use'at reasonableprices.

The saving of the acid, however, though important, is not an indispensable part of the preparation of the wood, except in an economic point of view.

To render the kindling or tinder-wood, prepared by this process less accessible to moisture, and insure the utmost inflammability under all circumstances, I propose to protect it by the application of rosin, as a thin coating or otherwise.

' Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, in-

1. As a new article of manufacture, wood, browned or darkened throughout the grain for kindling or fuel, said article, which Icall tinder-wood, being produced by the treatment hereinbefore described.

2. Tinder-wood or kindling prepared as described, and protected from access of moisture, and having its infiammability enhanced by the application of rosin as a coating or otherwise as set forth.

3. Small wood, prepared as described, to be used as an improvement in the manufacture of gunpowder charcoal, as stated.

4. Imitation woods, prepared and colored by the process hereinbefore specified, for use in the manufacture of cabinet-ware and for other constructive purposes. 1

5. The saving and utilizing of acetic acid developed from wood during the process of treating it as described, for the purposes specified.

The above specification of my said invention signed and witnessed at Washington this 26th day of January, A. D. 1870.

THEODORE SCHWARTZ.

Witnesses:

A. O. BRADLEY, (Jr-ms. F. STANSBURY.

Its pecuniary value goes far toward meeting the ex-