US1066523A

US1066523A - Process for the scientific curing of woods.

Info

Publication number: US1066523A
Application number: US66139411A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank A Palen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-11-20
Filing date: 1911-11-20
Publication date: 1913-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 1930-07-08

Description

erase arnur rue.

FRANK A. PALEN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ncome.

N0 Drawing.

To all u /2.0m if may concern Be it known that I, FRANK A. Panes, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Processes for the Scientific, Curing of iVoeds, of which the following a specification.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved process whereby an etlicient preservation can be obtained uniformly throughout the entire thickness of the wood, without injuriou. checking or disruption of the wood fibers.

A .t'urthcr object of my invention is to provide an improved process, by which the thoroughly d ricd-and hardened wood fibers will be protected throu glmut the mass by a coating or varnish of tlie undecomposed wood resins.

in previous processes'ilor treating woods, the unheated wood has been initially sub jected to a vacuum to remove all water and readily volatile aqueous matters, preliminary to treating the wood with heat in the presence of a vacuum. It has been found that such initial vacuum treatment causes localized drying in the outer layers of the wood, whereby said dried outer layers are injuriously checked and disrupted by the heat employed in the succeeding step, and

act to retard pent-:tration of the heat to the interior wood layers and to entrap and retain the moisture in said inner layers.

in the preferred operation of my invention, the undried wood is placed in a suitable receptacle or retort and subjected to a progressively increasing temperature in the presence of a vacuum of ap roximately 520 to '28; the temperature being gradually raised to a maximum preferably below 300 F. and above the. point of sterilization. In this step, the gradually increasing temperature causes a progressive penetration of the heat through the entire thickness of the wood, whereby the escape of aqueous vapor from the interior prevents initial drying of the outer wood layers, and enables a thorough" drying to be obtained uniformly throughout the wood without injurious checking; thereby placing the wood in condition for insuring hardening of the wood fibers without disruption of the latterand uniform coating of said fibers by the un- 'decolnposed wood resins, in the succeeding steps of my process. The vacuum is then Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fi-lcd November 20, 1911. Serial No. 661,394.

Patented July 8, 1913.

broken and the wood subjected to either dry or moist heat at a temperature below that which would cause decomposition of the wood resins and above the point of sterilization for a sutiicient time to produce a substantially uniform temperature throughout the mass of the wood, thereby avoiding injurious fiber strains and warping of the wood and thoroughly hardening the wood fibers. Where moist heat is employed in this step, it can be conveniently provided by admitting steam, preferably superheated, to the retort. or by cuttin r oil the vacuum of the preceding step before complete remoral. of the aqueous matters has been produced thereby. The wood is then subjected to the combined action of a vacuum of approximately 20 to 29" and dry heat, preferably below 380 ll, to cause vaporization oi the lighter oils and resins and liquefaction or'partial liquefaction of the heavier oils and resins in an undecomposed form and a uniform distribution of said undecompesed resins as an impervious coating or varnish on the sterilized wood fibers throughout the mass.

By my above descrlbed improved process any possible locahzation by excessive heating or drying; in the outer wood layers,

is avo ded, thereby insuring the necessary uniform drying: and heating throiu hout the mass of the wood to enable a uniform distribution of the undecomposcd resins as a protective coatiup on the wood fibers; there y eliminating the defects of previous )recesses, in which unil'orin distrilnition oi' the resins does not always take place and leaves portions of the wood fibers in condition for deterioratirm under thi action of moisture and fungi growths. My invention provides a sterilized homogeneous product, free from weak portions and which cllicicntly withstands warpinp; and checking under severe climatic conditions.

in the foregoing discussion of the operation of my improved process, I have employed the term resins or wood resins in its broadest, sense. it is, of course, obvious that some woods posdess practically no resins, but that they have s their equivulent heavy oils of a complex :hemical character, and gums of various kinds which act, when liquefied and distributed, as a proteco tive coating for the wood fibers.

I claim:

-1; The herein described process of curing woochwhich consists in first subjecting the undried wood to combined action of a vacuum and a progressively increasing tem perature, then breaking the vacuum andsubjectin-g the wood to heat alone to produce a substantially uniform temperature throughout the entire mass without decomposition of the wood resins, and then subjecting the wood to the combined action of a vacuum and heat for causing distribution of the woodresins in an undecomposed form.

2. The herein described process of curing wood, which consists in first subjecting the undried wood to the combined action of a vacuum and a progressively increasing temperature raised to a maximum below 300 R, then breaking the vacuum and subjecting the wood to heat alon for a sufficient time j to produce throughout the. mass of the wood a substantially uniform temperature below the temperature of 'decompositionof the -'wood resins, and then subjecting the wood to the combined action of a vacuum and heat for causing distribution of the wood resins in an undecomposed form.

3. The herein described process of curing ii 10nd, which consists in first's'ubjecting the undried wood to the combined action of a vacuum and a progressively increasing temperature then wreaking the vacuum and subjecting the wood to heat alone for a sufficient time to produce throughout the mass of the wood a substantially uniform temperature below the temperature of decomposition of the wood resins, and then subj ectmg the wood to the comblned action of a I vacuum and heat below'a temperature of 380 F.

4. The herein described process of curing wood, which consists in first subjecting the undried wood to a progressively increasing temperature in the presence of avacuum, then breaking the vacuum and subjecting the wood to moist heat alone for a sufficient time to produce a substantially uniform temperature throughout the entire mass without decomposition of the wood resins, and then subjecting the wood to the combined action of a vacuum andheat for causing vaporization of the lighter resins and uniform distribution; of the heavier wood resins in an undecomposed form.

5'. The herein described process of curing wood, which consists in first subjecting the undried wood to the combined action of a vacuum .andheat raised progressively to a maximum below 300 F., then breaking the vacuum and subjecting the wood to heat alone for a sufficient time to produce throughout the mass of the wood a uniform temperature below the temperature of decomposition of the wood resins, and then subjecting the wood to the combined action of a vacuum andheat below a temperature of 380 F.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. PALEN.

wane; B. Morrow, A. B. OHINNI.