UNITED STATES

PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM GESNER, OF WILLIAMSBURG, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ASPHALT
MINING AND KEROSENE GAS COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT.IN KEROSENE BURNING-FLUIDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. £1,208, dated Jnne 27, 1954,

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ABRAHAM GESNER, late
of the city and county of New York, now of
Williamsburg, in the county of Kings, and
State of New York, have invented and dis.
coveretl.t new and useful manufacture or com-
position of matter, being a new liquid hydro.
carbon, which I denomitiate “kerosene,” and
which may be used for illuminating and other
purposes, of whicli the following is a specifi-
eation.

Lobtain this product from petroleum, maltha,
or soft mineral pitch, asphaltnm, or bitumen,
wherever found, by dry distillation and °sub-
sequent treatment with powerful reagents and
redistillation.

This process, which will presently be de-
scribed, yields kerosene of three different quali-
ties or proofs, each of which, in my opinion, is
a mixturein certain proportions of a spirittons,
light, and highly volatile and inflammable liq-
uid, with an oily, heavy, and less yolatile and
inflammable liquid. [have not succeeded in
completely separating these liquids in theman-
ufacture, and I ‘see no practically-usefal ob-
Ject to be gained by doing so. . Neither haveI
ascertained the exact proportions in which the
two liquids are mixed ; but I suppose thelight-
est fluid, which I denominate “ A” kerosene,
to be composed of two parts, by measure or
equivalent proportions, of the heavy andeight
of the light fluid. Its specific gravity is .750,
water being 1, and it boils at 150° Fahrenheit.
It is not a’solvent of such gums as I have tried
to dissolve init, among avhich I niay mention in-
dia-rabber.  Sixty-fiveparts, by measure, of al-
cohol of specific gravity .844, at a temperature
of 60° Fahrenheit, will dissolve thirty-five
parts, by measure, of thisliquid. By itself the
“A” kerosene is highly volatile and infamma-
ble, so much so thateyen in cold winter weather
a good light is produced by forcing a current
of atmospheric air through it, cirenlating the
same in pipes and burning it in jets like gas.

The secondor medium-proof fluid I eall *B”
kerosene, and suppose to be composed of four
parts or équivalents of the heavy and six of
the light Huid. Its,specific gra’ 8.775 and
its boiling-point 250° Fahrenheit. It is not a
solvent of gums, but will: soften them very
slightly. Seventy-five parts of alcohol, of spe-
cific gravity $44 ata temperature of GU° Fabr-
enheit, will dissolve twenty-five parts of this
liquid. By itself the “B” kerosene is moder-

ately volatile and inflammable, but will not,
like the “A,” yield a good light by having a
surrent-of air passed through it and burned.

‘The third or low-proof fluid I call “CO” kero-
sene, and suppose it to be composed of six
parts or equivalents cf the heavy and four of
thelightliqaid. Unlikethe “A? and “B,” the
heavy liquid preponderates in and gives char-
acter tothe “C” kerosene. Its specific grav-
ity is .800, and its boiling-point is 350° Fahr-
evheit. Unlike “A” and. B,? it is not solu-
ble in alcohol, but itis a good solvent of gums,
as india-rubber dissolves in it readily. It-is
not very volatile or inflammable; butin an Ar-
gand lamp, with a button over the wick, it
barns with a brilliant: white light without
smoke or the naphth-lons odor so offensive in
many hydrocarbons having some resemblance
to this but possessing very different proper.
ties. As burning-fluids for the purpose of ar-
tificial illumination, these are highly useful
and economical, either separately, mixed to-
gether, or “A” and “B” mixed with aleohol.
The “C” kerosene has also proved very good
as a lubricant for machinery where it hasbeen
tried; but, being a new and almost untried
thing, the kerosene doubtless has very numer-
ous uses besides its adaptation to illumination
and lubrication that will soon be discovered
alter itis manufactured on the large scale and
put into the market as an article of trade,
Moreover, as the rocks whence the kerosencis
most abundantly obtained are widely dissemi-
nated, and the deposits of them are of almost
unlimited extent, an immense mass of hither-
to useless matter will by means of ‘this inve:
tion -be rendered available for the uses of inan-
kind as a cheap and convenient substitute for.
illuminating purposes for the oils and fats
which are yearly increasing in searcity and
price.

The process and apparatus I employ in pro-
dueing the kerosene | will now proceed to de-
scribe, premising that I do not confine myself
toany particular form or arrangement of ap-
paratus, bat intend to use whatever may prove
most convenient in any given cas

The first part of the process consi
mitting the raw material to dry disti

yin sub-
ation at

the lowest temperature at which the kerosene
will volatilize, care being taken, not to raise
the temperature so long as tolerably-rapid
evaporation continues, and the heat must not
in any case beraised above 800? Fahrenheit, a