GB2297983A - Timber preservation - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of preserving a structural timber is described wherein a blind bore is formed into the timber, a duct has one end sealingly engaged in the bore, and the other end of the duct communicates with a reservoir of liquid timber preservative, the arrangement being such that the liquid timber preservative flows under gravity into the bore and seeps into the timber. An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a reservoir having a generally planar back plate (1), a spigot (4) extending from the lower end of the back plate, the spigot having a bore (5) in communication with the interior of the reservoir, and being open at its end remote from the reservoir.

Description

TIMBER TREATMENT DEVICE The present invention relates to timber preservation and is particularly concerned with a device far effecting long-term treatment of structural tinkers with preservative.

Conventionally, timbers for use in construction arxllor fencing are treated with preservative prior to being placed in position. Such treatments include pressure treatments with preservative, simple painting of preservative solutions onto the tiger surface, or combinations of these two treatnErits.

It has been found that the relatively superficial nature of such treatments permits timbers to deteriorate over a period of time, particularly when the timbers are in naturally daap positions, such as is the case far example with the lower ends of fence posts set in the ground.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a lowooost long-acting titter preservative treatment method and apparatus, to protect structural tigers against deterioration.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the treatment apparatus; and Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the apparatus.

Referring now to Figure 1, the apparatus comprises a reservoir having a generally planar back plate 1. In the embodiment shown, the back plate 1 is generally tear-drop shaped with a narrow upper end and a rounded lower end. A curved front cover 2 extends from the sides of the back plate 1 to define a hollow reservoir with an opening 3 at the upper end. A cap (not shown) is preferably provided to close the opening.

At the lower end of the back plate, a spigot 4 is forned to extend at approximately 450 from the plane of the the back plate 1 an its side remote fran the front cover 2. The spigot 4 has a central bore 5 in cammunication with the interior of the container, and is open at its end remote from the container The exterior surface of the spigot 4 my be formed as a series of coaxial canical segments, tapering towards the free end of the spigot.

In alternative embodiments (not shown) the spigot may extend perpendicularly to the plane of the back plate, or may extend at any other suitable angle out of the plane of the back plate.

In use, a vertical surface of the tinker to be treated is located, and a bore is formed in the vertical surface extending downwardly at an angle equal to the angle between the back plate 1 and the spigot 4. The diameter of the bore is such as to closely surround the external surface of the spigot 4.The reservoir is then offered up to the timber by inserting the spigot 4 into the bore, and pushing the spigot far enough into the bore so that the back plate 1 of the reservoir contracts the vertical face of the timber. At the upper end of the back plate, a fixing opening 6 is prided so that a nail, screw or other fixing may be used to attach the back plate 1 to the tiber.

The timber treatment is carried out by sinply filling the reservoir with a liquid timber preservative of a conventional type through the opening 3 in the reservoir, and then applying the cap to seal the opening. Preferably, a vent hole is provided either in the reservoir or in the cap to enable the liquid preservative to flow freely out of the reservoir through the spigot 4.

Most preferably, a sealing compounds is applied between the exterior surface of the spigot 4 and the surface of the bore in the timber, to prevent urnented leakage of preservative.

Under gravity, the preservative runs fran the reservoir through the spigot 4 and exits at the end of the spigot 4 remake fran the reservoir. Since this end of the spigot is positioned deep below the surface of the tinker, and the bore is sealed to prevent leakage, the preservative then seeps into the timber and permeates the structure of the timber to a much greater depth than can be achieved by simply painting the preservative onto the exterior surface of the tiber. Tests indicate that a reservoir such as is illustrated, with an overall vertical dimension of 100 in to 150 mm, will contain sufficient preservative to pravide a continuing treatment to the tiber for a period of some years.

It should be understood that the device is not solely applicable for use as a tiber preservative despeeeer, but could also be useful in treating timbers for insect pests such as woodworm, deathwatch beetle, etc by providing a long-term continuous supply of pesticide or insecticide to the central regions of the timber.

The reservoir is preferably blow-moulded fran polyprspylene or other plastics material, but cculd equally well well be formed fran injection moulded plastics, or fran cast metal such as cast iron ar bronze. Embodiments formed by folding and soldering or welding sheet metal are also possible, but are not thought to be as durable as the cast metal ar natlldod plastics embodiments.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, (not shown) a reservoir may be provided with a vertically downwardly extending spigot, to which is attached a delivery tube. The end of the delivery tube remote from the spigot is inserted into an angled ar horizontal bore in a structural timber, and may be sealed therein using a sealing compound to provide a fluid-tight joint between the delivery tube and the bore. A preservative or other treatment fluid may then be placed into the reservoir, so as to run by gravity down the delivery tube and into the core of the tiber. Each such reservoir may be connected to a plurality of delivery tubes so as to supply a treatment fluid to a number of different points fran a single fluid reservoir.

Claims (10)

1. A method of preserving a structural timber, wherein a blind bore is formed into the timber1 a duct has one end sealingly engaged in the bore, and the other end of the duct communicates with a reservoir of liquid timber preservative, the arrangement being such that the liquid timber preservative flows under gravity into the bore and seeps into the timber.

2. A method of preserving a structural timber according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of ducts are fed from one reservoir.

3. A timber treatment apparatus for use in the method of claim 1, comprising a reservoir having a generally planar back plate, a spigot extending from the lower end of the back plate, the spigot having a bore in communication with the interior of the reservoir, and being open at its end remote from the reservoir.

4. A timber treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the spigot is formed to extend at approximately 45" from the plane of the back plate.

5. A timber treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the spigot extends perpendicularly to the plane of the back plate.

6. A timber treatment apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the spigot is formed as a series of coaxial conical segments, tapering towards the free end of the spigot.

7. A timber treatment apparatus according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the upper end of the back plate is formed with a fixing opening so that a nail, screw or other fixing may be used to attach the back plate to a vertical surface of a timber to be treated.

8. A timber treatment apparatus substantially as described herein, with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of preserving a structural timber according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: a) locating a vertical surface of the timber to be treated; b) forming a bore in the vertical surface; c) securing a timber treatment apparatus according to any of claims 3 to 8 to the timber, with the rear face of the reservoir contacting the vertical surface and with the spigot sealingly received into the bore; d) filling the reservoir with a liquid timber preservative.

10. A method of preserving a structural timber substantially as described herein.