A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OR MEANS OF MELTING LARD, TALLOW, AND OTHER FATS OR FATTY SUBSTANCES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McDonnell, of the City and County of Limerick.
Ireland, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OR MEANS
OF MELTING LARD, TALLOW, AND OTHER FATS OR FATTY SUBSTANCES AND
APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McDonnell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd December 1879,
WILLIAM MCDONNELL, of the City and County of Limerick, Ireland. "A New
OR IMPROVED METHOD OR MEANS OF MELTING LARD, TALLOW, AND OTHER FATS OR
FATTY SUBSTANCES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
According to the first part of my Invention I melt fats or fatty substances at or
about the lowest temperature possible, as I find that the lower the temperature
and the less time the fats are exposed to heat in melting, the better will be the
flavour of the melted fat; on the other hand I find that when the melted fat is
kept for some time at a high heat, as heretofore, an undesirable flavour is imparted
thereto.
According to my Invention I do this by permitting the fat, lard, or other fatty
substances to flow away from the vessel in which it is being melted immediately as
it melts, so that it has no time to acquire a high temperature (and not as heretofore
to remain with the mass until all or at least nearly all is melted); this part of the
Invention therefore consists in allowing the fat to flow away as it melts, so that
one portion is not allowed to remain till the whole is melted.
A convenient apparatus for carrying my Invention into effect is as follows:-I
employ a vessel, the bottom or sides, or it may be both the bottom and sides, of
which are perforated with holes sufficiently large to allow the flow of melted
material. I now turn into the vessel a steam pipe, and almost at the immediate
admission of free steam the part of the fat in coming in contact with it melts, and
begins to flow, passing away by the holes, and is secured in another vessel, the
entire being melted in a very short space of time. This vessel may of course be
made of any material, even a canvass bag answering the purpose. But as it is not
necessary that the fats should be melted by free steam, the same process can be
effected by a jacketted boiler, but of course the holes in this instance should be
tubes or a tube passing from the inner casing to the outer one; it may be effectel
in any boiler by making a channel by which the material can flow away as it
melts, or it could be melted on a tray placed over any heat or steam with holes in
the sides of the tray by which the fat could flow away as it melts.
The fat so far prepared is or may then be filtered in any suitable filter press, and
may further for some purposes be treated with cold or iced water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William McDonnell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
June 1880.
WILLIAM MCDONNELL, of the City and County of Limerick, Ireland. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED METHOD OR MEANS OF MELTING LARD, TALLOW, AND OTHER FATS OR
FATTY SUBSTANCES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
According to the first part of my Invention I melt fats or fatty substances at or
about the lowest temperaturo possible, as I find that the lower the temperature
and the less time the fats are exposed to heat in melting the better will be the
flavour of the melted fat; on the other hand I find that when the melted fat is
kept for some time at a high heat, or in contact with the greaves, as heretofore, an
undesirable flavour is imparted thereto. In practice I have also found that the
direct admission of steam into the melted fat is not advantageous as the steam
imparts a somewhat undesirable flavour to the melted fat.
According to my Invention I do this by permitting the fat, lard, or other fatty
substances to flow away from the vessel in which it is being melted immediately
as it melts, so that it has no time to acquire a high temperature (and not as hereto-
fore to remain with the mass until all or at least nearly all is melted); this part of
the Invention therefore consists in allowing the fat to flow away as it melts, so
that one portion is not allowed to remain till the whole or a great part of same
is melted.
•
If the fats are allowed to remain in the vessel, it is not only detrimental to the
fat, but as fat is a bad conductor of heat, the mass of the fat would remain solid,
and the sides only melt, except the heat in the melted portion were higher than
desirable for some purposes, as it tends to injure the flavour and leaves the melted:
portion stewing for a longer time in order to melt the mass or rest.
A convenient apparatus for carrying my Invention into effect is as follows:-I
employ a vessel, the bottom or sides, or it may be both the bottom and sides, of
which are perforated with holes sufficiently large or formed of such porous material
as to allow the unhindered or free flow of melted material therefrom. This vessel
contains the fat to be melted, and is secured in another vessel. I turn into the
vessel a steam pipe, and almost at the immediate admission of free steam the part
of the fat coming in contact with the steam or steam heat melts, and begins to flow,
passing away by the holes or pores into the other or outer vessel; all the fat will
thus melt in a very short space of time, and the part melted flow away as fast as it
melts. The vessel containing the fat to be melted may be made of any suitable
material, such as perforated tin, even a canvas bag will answer the purpose.
it is not necessary that the fats should be melted by free steam, the same process
can be effected by a jacketted boiler, but of course the holes in that instance should
be tubes or a tube passing from the inner casing to the outer one; it may be effected
in any boiler by making a channel by which the material can flow away as it
melts, or it could be melted on a tray placed over any heat or steam with boles in,
or at, or near the sides of the tray, by which the fat could flow away as it melts.
The fat so far prepared is or may then be filtered in any suitable filter press,
and may further for some purposes be treated with cold or iced water.
But
In order that my said Invention may be more easily understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an apparatus constructed according
to one modification of my Invention, which I have found to answer the purpose 5
with steam piping connected thereto. a is the vessel containing the fat to be
melted, in this case made in the form of a bag; b is the steam pipe, which at its
exit end should be branched off or formed as a rose or roses, so as to distribute the

page_text: steam which plays on the bottom and sides of the bag; the fat as it comes in
contact with the heat or steam flows down into the vessel c, and passes off by the
spout, or tube, or tubes d.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through a similar apparatus, in which the outlet
spout & is placed in the centre of a conical bottom part. To admit the steam direct
into the bag a is not desirable as it would impair the flavour of the melted fat.
Figure 3 is a vertical section through a pan or tray fitted with a chamber or
jacket for the steam to act in, the steam in this case not being free, as in the first
example, that is, not coming in contact with the fat. The tray a is formed with a
concave bottom (or it may be convex), on which the fat to be melted is placed;
steam being admitted by the pipe b enters the chamber or jacket c, which is fitted
with a small tap or trap for the condensed water. The fat as it melts flows to the
rim of the tray a, and passes off by one or more spouts d. A sieve e made of wire
netting or other suitable material is, by preference, arranged as shown, or nearer
the spout, or it may be as a rose on the outside of the spout.
A. hopper may be fitted over the tray, but I prefer to place the fat directly on the
tray, and to turn it over occasionally during the melting, otherwise the greaves
would adhere to the bottom of the tray a, and give the melting fat the bad flavour
which I wish to avoid.
A stirring apparatus may be fitted to the tray and be worked by hand or
power.
Figure 4 is a vertical section through what may be called a boiler or pan working
according to my Invention. The pan proper a is made with a sloping bottom a¹,
terminating in a tube d, which passes from the inner casing a to and through the
outer casing or steam jacket c, terminating in a spout d; b is the pipe supplying
steam to the latter.
The steam pipe and rose may in all cases be so placed and arranged as to cause
the greatest heat to be applied at the place where the melted fat runs away.
The means employed for the melting of fats, as described and illustrated with
reference to the previous Figures, I have found to answer satisfactorily. Or the fats
may be contained in small bags or sieves in a heated chamber similar to a Turkish
bath, or otherwise be exposed to the lowest heat at which fats melt. The fat as it
melts is thus permitted to flow off freely, and be received underneath in suitable
vessels, and I have found this arrangement also to answer well
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I do not confine myself to the apparatus
herein described as suitable to be employed in the melting of fats, but what I
claim as and with my new or improved method or means of melting lard, tallow,
and other fats or fatty substances and apparatus therefor is, the melting of fats at a
low temperature by placing same on or in a heated vessel exposed to steam or other
heat, so that as quickly as it melts it is allowed to flow freely away to a suitable
receiver, all substantially as described, and also as illustrated with reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McDonnell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand night hundred and sicher