US1427682A - Cork substitute and process of manufacture - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMMA E. GRAHAM, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CORK SUBSTITUTE AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.

No Drawing.

To all wfwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA E. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washin ton, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in a Cork Substitute and Process of Manufacture, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to cork substitutes and process of manufacturing the same, and is in part a continuation of my application Serial No. 232,720i.

Bark cork is not only expensive but is usually marred by worm holes and other defects.

One of the principal objects, therefore, of the present invention is to treat soft porous wood so that it may be used in place of bark or making bungs stoppers and other articles.

Nood consists of cellulose fibres intimately mixed and bound together with non-ccllulose material such as lignin, resins, etc. The percentage of cellulose varies according to the hardness of the wood, usually ranging from about 40% as in the case of oak to about 57% as in the case of hr.

The non-cellulose constituents may be extracted chemically either in part or substantially Wholly. For the present purpose only part ot the lignin, etc. is removed to avoid the reduction of the wood to a shupeless mass of pulp and to yield a product having the desired resiliency and mechanical strength.

In practice, using the wood of the Orclr-roma Zagopus knownin most tropical countries as the Balsa wood and in American Samoa as Fan which ontains about 75% of cellulose, satisfactory re ults may be obtained by removing from about 10%- to 60% of the non-cellulose materials. l sually the amount removed is about 2521'? I have also found that in trcating wood with my process to remove a portion of the 1 non-cellulose materials a soft porous wood hard woods.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

' Balsa WOOCl is particularly suitable since it contains salp ducts through it and in general any WOCK having sap ducts therethrough is particularly useful for the present pu r= pose.

While various methods may be employed for reducing the content of non-cellulose materials to render the wood resilient, vcl'v satisfactory results have been obtained, by means of the following process: v

First, the wood is cut into the desired size and shape on a lathe or other suitable machinery. Second. the wood is immersed'in a solution made of five gallons of water to one pound of bicarbonate of soda, when the solution is at a'temperature of approximately 180 F. and maintained at such temperature constantly for from six to twelve hours according to the size of the pieces of wood to he treated. Third, the wood is immersed in clear water of the same temperature as of said solution and agitated for about ten minutes, being careful to maintain the temperature and not permit the wood to cool. Fourth, the wood is immersed in a solution of the same temperature made of water and wood ash lye, being about ten per cent of the latter. The temperature must be maintained and the wood left in this solution from ten hours up, emcordinp to the size and hardness of the wood. and until the solution has thoroughly penetrated the wood. Fifth, the wood is washed in clear water of the same temperature for six hours or more until the former solution is washed out. Then the wood is dried in a room heated to practically the same tei'nperature. and having good circulation of air. It is important not to let the Wood cool until it is thoroughly dry.

I claim as my invent-ion:

1. The process of treating wood to render the same resilient which consists in immersing said wood in a solution consisting of water and bicarbonate of soda. then immersing it in a solution consisting of water and wood-ash lye which penetrates the same, the temperature of the solutions and said wood during its treatment being maintained at npprordmatel; one hundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit.

2. The process of treating wood to render the same resilient which consists in immersing said wood in a solution consisting of the proportion of approximately five gallons of outer to one pound of bi urbouatc of soda, then immersing said wood in clear water,

then immersing said wood in a solution consisting of water and approxinately 10% wood-ash lye, then immersing said wood in clear water, and then removing said wood to dry, the temperature of said solutions of said clear water and of the said wood during its entire treatment bein maintained at approximatel one hundred and eighty degrees Fahren eit. I

3. An improved article of manufacture consisting of wood stock of Balsa genus treated to remove a portion of its 1ntra cellular binders to increase its cork-like char acteristics. i

4. The process of treatin wood to render the same resilient which inc udes first cutting the wood into desired shape, immersing it in a solution of bicarbonate of soda, washing the wood, immersin same in a solution consisting of water an lye, and finally drying the product, the tem erature of said solution and of the said woo during its entire treat .mately 180 F.

ment being maintained at approximately 180 F. Y

5. The process of treating wood to render the same resilient which includes immersing it in a solution of fire gallons of water and one pound of bicarbonate of sodat'or approximately six to twelve hours, washing the same in clear water for approximately ten minutes, then immersing the wood in a solution of lye for approximately ten to fifteen hours, and finally washing it in clear water for from six to ten hours. after which the product is dried in a heated room of approxi- In testimony whereof I have hereunto suhscribed my nume in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v EMMA E. GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

J. A. Hosnon, EDNA R. Hosuon.