IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AND METHODS OF MAKING SOAP AND SEPARATING THE COMPONENT PARTS OF FATS AND OILS AND OBTAINING FROM THEM GLYCERINE STEARINE AND OLEINE.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AND METHODS OF MAKING SOAP AND SEPARATING
THE COMPONENT PARTS OF FATS AND OILS AND OBTAINING FROM THEM
GLYCERINE STEARINE AND OLEINE. A communication to him from abroad
from William West of Denver in. the county of Arapahoe State of Colorado in
the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF
MAKING SOAP AND SEPARATING THE COMPONENT PARTS OF FATS AND OILS AND
OBTAINING FROM THEM GLYCERINE STEARINE AND OLEINE"-A communication
to me from abroad from William West of Denver in the county of Arapahoe State
of Colorado, in the United States of America.
This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus, and method of making
soap, so as to very much shorten the time of the operation, and produce a more
perfect combination of the alkali and fatty bodies, and a perfectly neutral soap, and
It also
at the same operation save the Glycerine usually wasted in making soap.
relates to an improved method of decomposing fatty bodies into the components of
Glycerine, Stearin and Olein, as hereinafter described.
Fig. 1. Is a side elevation in section of the superheating furnace, the Retort or
Still, the condensers, and the pipe connections, and outlets.
Fig. 2. Is a view of the hollow inverted truncated cone in the Retort or Still.
Fig. 3. Is a view of the double cone or circulator in the Retort or Still.

page_text: A. Fig. 1. Is a Superheating Furnace constructed of fire brick or other suitable
material. In the lower part of the furnace is a fire box, with grate bars, and ash
pit, with doors through for supplying fuel and cleaning out the furnace as shown at
a. b. c. d. B is an arrangement of flasks and pipes for superheating the steam
preferably made of a series of wrought iron flasks connected together by wrought
iron pipes as shown. The size of the flasks and pipes are varied according to the
capacity-of the-apparatus. One end-of the-pipe connected-to-the-flasks-passes up
through the top of the furnace as shown at B¹ the other end passes out at the side
of the furnace and enters the top of the Retort or Still as shown at B*. C is a
Retort or Still made of any suitable metal capable of resisting a pressure of 250
pounds to the inch. The body of the Retort or Still is made round or boiler shaped
the height being greater than the diameter as shown in the drawing. Inside the
Retort or Still is a hollow inverted truncated cone or funnel shaped piece C¹ shown
in Fig. 2, this piece is made of copper or iron the upper or large end of the cone is
attached to the inside of the retort or Still by metal strips as shown at C² the lower
end passing down to or near the centre of the retort or Still as shown directly
below the cone C, is a double hollow cone or funnel shaped piece C³ shown in
Fig. 3. This piece is curved-at-the large ends and-is-joined together at the small
part as shown at C. This piece I call a circulator, it is made of Copper or Iron,
the upper part is attached to the Retort or Still by strips of metal in the same
manner as C. The hollow inverted truncated cone or funnel shaped piece C¹ enters
into the small part of the double cone C³ as shown. The steam pipe from the
superheater shown at B' passes down into and near the lower part of the cone C¹.
The Retort or Still O is provided with a top opening e. which is secured steam tight
by a door or man-hole cover it also has pipe openings f. f. near the top through
which the Liquified fat or oils and alkali can be charged into the retort or Still.
The retort or Still can be charged through the top opening.. g is an outlet near
the bottom for the purpose of discharging the contents or cleaning it out.
D is a
condenser made of any suitable material and is made water-tight; and of any shape
required, it is divided through the centre by a partition E, near the top in the
partition is an overflow opening E¹. F, and F' are two receivers in the condenser,
they are made of metal or any suitable material and of any shape or size required,
they have valves or cocks at the bottom for drawing off the contents as shown at h.
The condenser D is provided with a cold water pipe I near the bottom, and an
overflow opening or pipe J near the top. F is a safety valve attached to the pipe
G near the retort or Still. G is a pipe leading from the retort or still C to the
receiver F. this pipe passes down into the receiver nearly to the centre as shown.
G¹ is a pipe connecting the two receivers, this pipe connects with the top of the
receiver F and passes through the partition E and down into the receiver F' as
shown. H. is a pipe from the top of the receiver F¹ through which the uncondensed
matter or steam is conveyed away. I is a cold water pipe for supplying the
condenser D; water is allowed to flow through this pipe into the part of the
condenser surrounding the receiver F1; when the water rises up to the opening E¹
it will overflow and fill the opposite side of the condenser; when both sides are full
the water will overflow through the opening or pipe J at the top of the condenser.
By this arrangement of condenser and water supply, the receivers are maintained
at different degrees of temperature, so that a part of the products are condensed in
each, the difference in temperature is secured by the water entering cold at I and
passing into the second division through the opening E' in the partition E, thus the
water can be maintained at 180 degrees in the second division all the time. K is a
frame or platform on which the condenser rests. A vacuum pan is placed at or
near the condenser F¹ and connected with the pipe H.
This vacuum pan may be
of any shape or of the same shape as the retort. It may be connected by suitable.
pipe with a water tank placed above. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
The fire in the superheating furnace having been ignited, and the fatty matter and
alkali or other substances to be acted upon is placed or run into the retort.or still.C,
the condenser tank D is filled with water, and a steam pipe-from a steam boiler or

page_text: any source of live steam is connected to the superheater pipe B¹. Steam is allowed
to flow into the superheater and is heated to 440 degrees Fahrenheit.
The steam
thus heated enters the retort or still C through the pipe B2 which passes down to
near the point or bottom of the cone C and strikes the fatty bodies with immense
velocity and causes them to circulate in the direction of the arrows and the action
is continued until decomposition is complete, and the materials are carried over into
the receivers F and F through the pipes G and G. The object of the vacuum
pan to which the pipe H leads is to more perfectly condense and evaporate the
steam passing through the condensers. The uncondensed steam passes over and
around a vacuum pan in which the remaining water from the condensers is
evaporated. The advantages of this invention are as follows:
First. A great saving in labor and time. In the methods heretofore practiced
in soap boiling the fats float on the top of the Lye requiring many hours to combine,
by this method and apparatus the circulation brings both in violent contact at once
and continuously, and a better soap is made in half an hour than can be made in
twenty four hours by the boiling process.
Second. Saving the Glycerine contained in the fat or oil used in making soap
which by the old process is lost amounting to millions of pounds yearly. By this
process the Glycerine is distilled over and condensed in the receiver F from which
it can be drawn off and saved.
Third. This invention is equally applicable to the rapid decomposition of fats
and oils into Stearic and Oleic Acids, and Glycerine.
Fourth. The construction and arrangement of the condenser D whereby the
different degrees of temperature can be maintained. I am aware that superheated
steam has been used in plain retorts and stills for refining purposes, but I am not
aware that superheated steam has been applied to a retort or still constructed the
same as this invention and designed to produce similar results to those claimed
herein.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
-by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal-Patent-Office on the
16th May 1883.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
county of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AND METHODS OF
MAKING SOAP AND SEPARATING THE COMPONENT PARTS OF FATS AND OILS AND
OBTAINING FROM THEM GLYCERINE, STEARINE, AND OLEINE "A communication to
me from abroad from William West of Denver in the county of Arapahoe, state of
Colorado, in the United States of America.
This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus, and method of making
soap, so as to very much shorten the time of the operation, and produce a more
perfect combination of the alkali and fatty bodies, and a perfectly neutral soap,
and at the same operation save the Glycerine usually wasted in making soap. It
also relates to an improved method of decomposing fatty bodies into the components
of Glycerine, Stearine, and Oleine, as hereinafter described.
Fig 1. Is a side elevation in section, of the superheating furnace, the Retort or
Still, the condensers, and the pipe connections, and outlets.
Fig. 2. Is a view of the hollow inverted truncated cone in the Retort or Still.
Fig. 3. Is a view of the double cone or circulator in the Retort or Still.
-A, Fig 1, is a superheating furnace constructed of fire brick or other suitable
material. In the lower part of the furnace is a fire box, with grate bars, and ash-
pit, with doors through for supplying fuel and cleaning out the furnace as shown
at a, b, c, d. B is an arrangement of flasks and pipes for superheating the steam,
preferably made of a series of wrought iron flasks connected together by wrought
iron pipes as shown. The size of the flasks and pipes are varied according to the
capacity of the apparatus. One end of the pipe connected to the flasks, passes up
through the top of the furnace as shown at B', the other end passes out at the side
of the furnace and enters the top of the Retort or Still as shown at B³. C is a
Retort or Still made of any suitable metal capable of resisting a pressure of
250 pounds to the inch. The body of the Retort or Still is made round or boiler
shaped, the height being greater than the diameter as shown in the drawing.
Inside the Retort or Still is a hollow inverted truncated cone or funnel-shaped
piece C shown in Fig 2; this piece is made of copper or iron, the upper or large
end of the cone is attached to the inside of the Retort or Still by metal strips, as
shown at C, the lower end passing down to or near the centre of the Retort or Still
as shown; directly below the cone C¹ is a double hollow cone or funnel-shaped
piece C shown in Fig 3. This piece is curved at the large ends, and is joined
together at the small part as shown at C. This piece I call a circulator, it is
made of copper or Iron, the upper part is attached to the Retort or Still by strips
of metal in the same manner as C. The hollow inverted truncated cone or funnel
shaped piece C², enters into the small part of the double cone C³ as shown. The
steam pipe from the superheater shown at B2 passes down into and near the lower
part of the cone C¹. The Retort or Still C is provided with a top opening e., which
is secured steam tight by a door or man hole cover; it also has pipe openings f. f
near the top, through which the liquefied fat or oils and alkali can be charged into
the Retort or Still The retort or Still can be charged through the top opening
g is an outlet near the bottom for the purpose of discharging the contents or
cleaning it out. D is a condenser made of any suitable material, and is made
water-tight, and of any shape required; it is divided through the centre-by-a
partition E, near the top in the partition is an overflow opening E¹. F and F are

page_text: :
two receivers in the condenser; they are made of metal or any suitable material
and of any shape or size required, they have valves or cocks at the bottom for
drawing off the contents as shown at h. The condenser D is provided with a cold*
water pipe I near the bottom, and an overflow opening or pipe J near the top.
F is a safety valve attached to the pipe G near the retort or still. G is a pipe,
leading from the retort or still C to the receiver F; this pipe passes down into the
receiver nearly to the centre as shown. G¹ is a pipe connecting the two receivers;
this pipe connects with the top of the receiver F and passes through the
partition E, and down into the receiver F as shown. H is a pipe from
the top of the receiver F¹, through which the uncondensed matter or steam is
conveyed away. I is a cold water pipe for supplying the condenser D; water is
allowed to flow through this pipe into the part of the condenser surrounding the
receiver F; when the water rises up to the opening E¹ it will overflow and fill
the opposite side of the condenser; when both sides are full the water will overflow
through the opening or pipe J at the top of the condenser. By this arrangement
of condenser and water supply, the receivers are maintained at different degrees of
temperature, so that a part of the products are condensed in each, the difference in
temperature is secured by the water entering cold at I, and passing into the second
division through the opening E' in the partition E, thus the water can be
maintained at 180 degrees in the second division all the time. K is a frame or
platform on which the condenser rests. A vacuum pan is placed at or near the
condenser F¹, and connected with the pipe H. This vacuum pan may be of any
shape or of the same shape as the retort. It may be connected by suitable pipe
with a water tank placed above. The operation of the apparatus is as follows.
The fire in the superheating furnace having been ignited, the fatty matter and
alkali or other substances to be acted upon are placed or run into the retort or
still C, the condenser tank D is filled with water, and a steam pipe from a steam
boiler or any source of live steam, is connected to the superheater pipe B¹. Steam
is allowed to flow into the superheater and is heated to 440 degrees Fahrenheit.
The steam thus heated enters the retort or still C through the pipe B³, which passes
down to near the point or bottom of the cone C₁, and strikes the fatty bodies with
immense velocity, and causes them to circulate in the directions of the arrows, and
the action is continued until decomposition is complete, and the materials are
carried over into the receivers F and F through the pipes G and G¹. The object
of the vacuum pan to which the pipe H leads, is to more perfectly condense and
evapourate the steam passing through the condensers. The uncondensed steam
passes over and around a vacuum pan in which the remaining water from the
condensers is evapourated. The advantages of this are as follows:
First A great saving in labour and time. In the methods heretofore practiced in
soap boiling, the fats float on the top of the Lye, requiring many hours to combine;
by this method and apparatus the circulation brings both in violent contact at once
and continuously, and a better soap is made in half an hour than can be made in
twenty four hours by the boiling process.
Second Saving the Glycerine contained in the fat or oil used in making soap,
which by the old process is lost amounting to millions of pounds yearly. By this
process the Glycerine is distilled over and condensed in the Receiver F from which
it can be drawn off and saved.
Third This invention is equally applicable to the rapid decomposition of fats
and oils into Stearic, and Oleic Acids, and Glycerine.
Fourth The construction and arrangement of the condenser D, whereby the
different degrees of temperature can be maintained. I am aware that superheated
steam has been used in plain retorts and stills for refining purposes, but I am not
aware that superheated steam has been applied to a retort or still constructed the
same as this invention, and designed to produce similar results to those claimed
herein.
Having thus fully described this invention, what I claim is:-
First The Retort or Still C constructed of any suitable material and with a

page_text: hollow inverted truncated cone C³, and a double hollow cone or circulator C³, inside
the Retort or Still and attached to it, substantially as shown and described.
Second. In a soap making apparatus, the employment of a jet of superheated
steam, introduced into a hollow inverted truncated cone and circulator in the centre
of a Retort or Still, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The condenser D, constructed with receivers F and F inside the water
tank, and arranged to receive its supply of cold water near the bottom of the
second or last tank, so as to condense the Glycerine and other products_of_the_
Retort or Still at different degrees of temperature, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a soap making apparatus, the combination of the following elements:
the superheating furnace A, the superheater B, the Retort or Still C with its
connections, and the condenser D, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto
set my hand and seal this eleventh day of May in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three
TIZH n
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