/ J£, 



32 SENDING WOOD. 



Heat and moif- rnofl of thofe who life them make a myftery of thera. The 



ture are 

 to bend 



16 "timber- P roce ^ s employed in this operation has given rife to the method 



at prefent in ufe for bending with eafe the largeft and fiiffefr 

 timber: it confifisin penetrating it with humidity, and at the 

 fame time imparting to it a uniform temperature, then bending 

 it, and letting it coo!, while it is kept in the form to which it 

 has been brought. 



—In three dif- For heating and moiftening the timber, three different pro- 

 entwajs: ceffes have been employed: firir, boiling water; fecondly, 

 fleam; the third, wet fand heated. 



i ft. By boiling The flove for the firft procefs confi (Is of a large copper 

 boiler, heated by three furnaces, clofed by a movable cover, 

 and varying in its dimenfions according to the fize of the tim- 

 ber for which it is intended. Cranes are ufed for raifing the 

 timber, and putting it in or taking it out of the boiler, which 

 is kept full of water. When the timber is in, the cover is put 

 on and beaten down clofe, to diminish the evaporation of the 

 water; the three fires make the water boil, the timber is heated 

 and penetrated with moiflure, and it is then taken out to be 

 bent. 



This diflblves This procefs, one of the flrft that was employed, has the 



fome of the com- defe6l of din - oIving a part f the proper fabflance of the wood 



ponent parts, and , > or ^ . 



lefiens the di- in the boiling water ; the timber (brinks in drying, fo as to 



mentions of the become narrower and fhorter ; its ftrength and elaflicity are 



confiderably diminiftied, and from thefe alterations occafioned 



by it the procefs is difufed. 



2d. By fteam. Figures 2, 3, and 4, PI. II. reprefent the plan and ele- 



th^fteamer vations of a fleamer. It confifls of a large wooden box, 



formed of flout planks, held firmly together by fquare frames. 



Within are fupports for the timber that is to be expofed to the 



aclion of the fleam. The dimenfions of the box are regulated 



by the fize and quantity of the wood intended to be foftened. 



For fmall fleamers a boiler is fixed at one extremity of the. 



wooden box, and the wood is introduced at the other through 



an opening, the door of which either Aides in a groove or turns 



on hinges. For large ones the boiler is fixed in the centre, and 



there is an opening for the timber at each end. In the fide 



oppofite the boilers are openings aaa for arranging the tim- 



Ir fhouM be co- ber on the fupports. It is ufual to leave the wooden boxes ex- 



b^ccSuaor^of P ofed lo tlie aIr externaI, y 5 but il would be of advantage to 



L;at. COVet 



