IMPROVE- MENTS IN BLEACHING AND PURIFYING BEESWAX
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Smith, of 4, Stafford Terrace, Loughborough
Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BLEACHING AND PURIFYING BEESWAX."
Sealed the 25th November 1859, and dated the 13th June 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
June 1859.
I, ARTHUR SMITH, of 4, Stafford Terrace, Loughborough Road, Brixton, in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING AND PURIFYING BEESWAX," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in bleaching and purifying
beeswax. For this purpose beeswax is melted in a suitable vessel and treated
with chronic acid, which it is preferred to obtain by mixing bichromate of
potash and sulphuric acid; other chromates and acids may, however, be
employed. The wax is mixed with the other materials by blowing steam or air
into the vessel containing the wax and bleaching compound, or the materials
may be mixed by other mechanical means, afterwards the bleaching mixture
is allowed to settle to the bottom of the vessel, and is separated from the wax.
The wax, by the operation before described, is usually stained by the chromium
salt, and to remove this stain, I blow steam through it, or I agitate it with

page_text: sulphuric or other acid by preference. I employ these means conjointly, that
is to say, I add acid to the wax, and agitate the mixture by blowing steam
through it. When the wax is free from color, the process is complete.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
SMITH, of 4, Stafford Terrace, Loughborough Road, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Arthur Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigus, or such others as I,
the said Arthur Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING AND PURIFYING BEESWAX," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Smith, my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in bleaching and purifying
beeswax. For this purpose beeswax is melted in a suitable vessel and treated
with chromic acid, which it is preferred to obtain by mixing bichromate of
potash and sulphuric acid; other chromates and acids may, however, be
employed. The wax is mixed with the other materials by blowing steam or

page_text: air into the vessel containing the wax and bleaching compound, or the mate-
rials may be mixed by other mechanical means; afterwards the bleaching
mixture is allowed to settle to the bottom of the vessel, and is separated from
the wax.
The wax, by the operation before described, is usually stained by
the chromium salt, and to remove this stain, I blow steam through it, or I
agitate it with sulphuric or other acid; by preference I employ these means
conjointly, that is to say, I add acid to the wax and agitate the mixture by
blowing steam through it. When the wax is free from color, the process is
complete.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I
prefer to conduct the process.
I employ a vessel of wood lined with sheet lead, and either square, circular,
or of other convenient form; this vessel should be of a capacity equal to at
least double the quantity of material to be placed in it, as herein-after men-
tioned, and its depth should be equal to or somewhat greater than its width.
At the bottom of the vessel a coil of steam pipe is placed; this coil should
be of lead, and should cover the whole of the bottom of the vessel, coming to
within an inch or two of the sides all round, and a space of about three inches
being left between each convolution and that next to it; for a vessel of a
suitable size for treating a hundredweight and a half or two hundredweight
of wax, I have found a steam pipe of one inch internal diameter suitable.
Along the whole length of the coil perforations are made; one row of holes
each one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, and at distances of four inches the
one from the other, is formed at the top of the coil, and a similar row of holes
is formed on the onter side of each convolution of the pipe from the centre to
the exterior of the coil, the holes in this latter row being placed equidistant
from the holes of the first row. The vessel is furnished with a tap or plug at
the bottom, and with several other taps or plugs for drawing off the materials,
as herein-after mentioned.
At the commencement of the process a quantity of water is run into the
vessel, and steam is blown into it until it boils, so as thoroughly to heat the
vessel; then by one of the cocks, which is placed at a suitable level, some of
the water is run out, leaving in the vessel six gallons of water for each
hundredweight of wax to be operated. I then add for each hundredweight of
wax from twelve to fifteen pounds of bichromate of potash, according as the
wax is more or less strong or colored; and also three gallons of concentrated
sulphuric acid, weighing about forty-eight pounds. The potash salt is dissolved
and the materials mixed by turning on the steam for a few minutes. Before

page_text: the commencement of the bleaching operation, I prefer to melt the wax with
water and steam, and to allow it to clarify in the manner usually practiced.
When the clarification is complete, the wax may be cast into blocks, and
afterwards remelted by introducing the blocks into the hot bleaching liquor,
prepared as above described; or it may be run in a liquid state into the
bleaching liquor. As soon as the wax is introduced the steam is then turned
on, and the whole kept in a state of brisk ebullition for about an hour.
Much of the success of the operation depends on the materials being
kept well mixed during this period, the steam employed, however, should
not be of high pressure, or its temperature will injure the wax; steam of
about 5 lbs. to the square inch is suitable. The agitation may, if desired, be
produced by heated air, or a mechanical agitator may be used; I, however,
prefer steam. Towards the end of the process a sample is drawn in a
glass vessel, and if it rapidly separates into two layers, 'the lower one
consisting of the bleaching liquor which has become black, and the upper
one consisting of melted wax colored a bright green by the chromium,
the process is complete. The whole is then allowed to stand till a complete
separation takes place. I usually allow it to stand for about half an hour,
and the wax is then drawn off by a tap or plug placed just at the bottom of
the layer of wax; the vessel is provided with several taps or plugs, so that the
one nearest to the bottom of the layer of wax may be selected. The vessel
into which the wax is run is a wooden tub containing a small coil of steam
pipe, and the vessel is prepared to receive the wax by placing in it one and a
half gallons of water and one pound of sulphuric or oxalic acid for each
hundredweight of wax, and turning on the steam until the whole is brought
to a boiling temperature. I find in practice that oxalic acid produces a better
effect than sulphuric acid. After the wax is introduced the boiling is con-
tinued until the wax becomes free from color, which will generally be at the
end of an hour; it may then be run into moulds to cool, and is ready for use.
It is, however, desirable to wash the wax free from acid by means of water and
steam if it is required in a very pure state; this may be done by running
off into another similar vessel containing water and blowing steam through it,
the admission of steam being continued until all trace of acid has been
washed out.
I would remark that, although I have described the use of bichromate of
potash, I do not confine myself thereto, as other materials may be employed
which yield chromic acid in the course of the process; other acid, however, may
be used in place of sulphuric acid; I consider, however, that the use of
bichromate of potash and sulphuric acid is most advantageous.

page_text: I would also remark that I am aware that bichromate of potash has before
been employed in a manner different, however, from that herein described for
the purification of fats and oil; what I claim is the use, as herein described,
of bichromate of potash or other substance containing chromic acid for the
bleaching and purifying of wax.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
ARTHUR SMITH. (L.S.)