IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE BLEACHING OR PURIFYING OF DARK COLORED MINERAL AND OTHER DISTILLABLE OILS to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Consulting Engineer and
Scientific Expert do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE BLEACHING OR PURIFYING OF DARK COLORED MINERAL AND OTHER
DISTILLABLE OILS to be as follows:-
"
This application is a reissue of my part of the invention protected by provisional
application No 5969 of December 31 1883 the remaining part being covered by
patent No 5208.
The invention consists essentially in distilling the oil through a layer or series of
layers of thoroughly dessicated hot porous material preferably animal charcoal with
or without superheated steam and with or without atmospheric pressure but
preferably and in some cases necessarily without atmospheric pressure. I place
the crude oil in a retort or vacuum pan preferably immersed in a hot regulated
bath and if superheated steam be used I inject the latter into or over the oil. The
vapours rise up through a purifier or purifiers somewhat similar to those used in
gas purification consisting of perforated shelves loaded with the porous purifying
material, which can be lime mixed with animal charcoal animal charcoal alone or
in some cases lime, dry hydrated oxide of iron pumice stone kieselgohr fullers earth
or other inert porous material. This purifier is however kept hot by a jacket of
superheated or other steam at or a trifle above the distilling point of the oil to be
distilled I arrange at the bottom of the purifier for the introduction of superheated
steam through a pipe with perforations pointing downward by which means
the steam is spread evenly over the under surface of the shelves. This superheated
steam is used as a means of heating and drying the powder used. From the
purifiers (two or three purifiers may be used in series or only one as desired) the
vapours pass to the condensing apparatus. This consists of a single worm in a
cooling liquor or exposed to currents of air or it can be composed of 1st. a rather
hot worm then a collecting receptacle then another worm kept a little cooler than
the last then another collecting receptacle and so on. By this means the oils of
higher boiling point are still further fractionated from the lower, being deposited
in the first receptacle. From the last of the receptacles and in most cases one
worm and one receptacle will suffice a pipe is preferably led to an air pump or
other exhauster so as to keep up a vacuum and enable the oil to be distilled at a
lower temperature and also enable it to come over of a lighter color.―This is
especially useful with petroleum oils.

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6, Lord Street Liverpool Lancashire, Consulting Engineer and Scientific Expert
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
BLEACHING OR PURIFYING OF DARK COLORED MINERAL AND OTHER DISTILLABLE
OILS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-—
This application is a reissue of my part of the invention, protected by provisional
application No. 5969 of December 31 1883 the remaining part of said provisional
specification being covered by patent No. 5208.
The invention consists essentially in distilling the oil through a layer or series of
layers of thoroughly dessicated hot porous material preferably animal charcoal
with or without superheated steam and with or without atmospheric pressure, but
preferably and in some cases necessarily without atmospheric pressure.
Now since the filing of this provisional specification I have learned that in
America some experiments were tried there in passing the oil vapour through
animal charcoal arranged between a perforated false bottom and similar false top
in closed chamber and that these experiments proved an entire failure and I believe
for the following reason solely: The vapours were sent into the charcoal when the
latter was cold and damp, for charcoal absorbs moisture from the air with great.
avidity; they condensed on the charcoal, other vapour following failed to penetrate
the oily char, the pores of which were saturated with water which could not get
out for the surrounding oil. The vapours therefore formed passages through the
mass, and thus escaped without entering the pores of the charcoal, or practically
coming in contact with the charcoal at all. I find indeed that if the distillation be
conducted through charcoal that has been allowed to stand for some days exposed
to the air, no purifying results follow, but the oil acts substantially as above
described.
Now by my invention I ensure dry hot charcoal and no cooling or condensation
of the vapour before entering the char, and also ensure the intimate contact of the
vapour with the char. For this purpose, I prefer to use the following apparatus:
I form the still and purifier practically of one chamber the upper part of the
chamber being the purifier, but for practical ease of construction I make the two in
separate pieces. The upper part or purifier I prefer to jacket with superheated
steam and below the layer of charcoal I place a supply pipe of superheated steam
so that I can thoroughly dry and heat the char by superheated steam before the
distillation begins. Also to prevent the vapours forming lanes through the char,
I have several layers of char one over the other with vacant spaces between, and
thus allow the granular charcoal to "dance" and so fill up any lanes that may form
while even if a lane forms in the bottom layer of char the vapour has to "ruu the
gauntlet" of the others. Lastly, I so arrange the trays of charcoal in a frame or
box that the entire frame can lift out, and each tray lift out of the frame. I thus
can replenish my purifier in a few minutes.
Referring to the drawing annexed hereto of a plant designed by me:
A is the furnace, B still, C, pipe for superheated steam to be used as required,
but is not always, necessary. D, baffle plate to prevent oil priming into the purifier
and fine charcoal dropping from the purifier into the still, this is supported on little
standards E. F, small curb to further prevent charcoal falling into the still.
G, superheated steam pipe coil with holes having perforations below, these per-

page_text: forations let the steam project downward against the purifier bottom, and rise
up in an even cloud into the purifier, H, valves. These are not necessary as a rule,
but are useful used, where it is desirable that the steam should not enter the still,
also in case of a fracture of the worm and the advent of water into the distilling
worm when distilling under a partial vacuum, these valves would prevent the
water rushing into the hot oil in the still, and causing an explosion. When used,
these valves are of light material hinged to the plate D and hang down all round
against rim F. I, is the purifier J, casing in purifier armed with internal ledges K,
on which perforated or woven wire work trays L rest. The casing is carefully
fitted to the purifier, so as to prevent the possibility of vapour passing between it
and the wall of the purifier and for this purpose the purifier is formed preferably
slightly pyramidal or conical widest at top instead of prismatic or cylindrical,
M, charcoal or other absorbent or purifying material in the granulated state,
Besides charcoal I have found large numbers of other porous materials available
such as fuller's earth, pumice, or broken bricks originally formed of clay and saw-
dust or other organic material intimately mixed, and then burnt at a low red heat.
I prefer however vegetable charcoal in pieces the size of peas down to pepper-corns
and mustard seed as on the whole the cheapest and most convenient. N, hooks for
raising the casing and trays out of the purifier by crane or blocks when too foul
for use. O, is a superheating jacket into this hot air steam hot water, hot oil,
superheated steam or hot brine is led, and caused to circulate through so as to keep
the purifier at or about the temperature of the still. Of the various fluids above
mentioned choice can be made according as an oil of higher or lower evaporating
point is being distilled, but as a rule hot water or superheated steam is to be
preferred. P, ordinary condenser. Qtank.
In carrying out my invention I place the crude oil in the still and light the fire.
I now pass superheated steam heated to 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit through
the purifier until satisfied that their is no moisture or gas left therein and keep up
the steaming or keep the steam jackets full of superheated steam till vapour rising
from the oil can take its place.
The oil is now distilled in the usual fractional manner with or without the use of
superheated steam, and with or without atmospheric pressure depending upon the
kind of oil being distilled.
In my drawings I have only shown an ordinary worm instead of the fractional
condensing worm described in the Provisional Specification This is quite sufficient
for many purposes but with some kinds of mineral oils, distillates of very low
boiling point are apt to mechanically carry or balloon over oils of higher boiling
point, and the plan of fractional condensation described in my Provisional Specifi-
cation will be found very useful in such cases.
The process is as follows: The worm instead of being in a single length is in
several, with chambers between each in succession into which the condensed
materials collect. The first length of worm is cooled to say 300° and oil liquifying
at this temperature is deposited in the chamber at the end and drawn off from time
to time, the second length is cooled say to 260° and so on. The brine or other fluid
used to cool the cooler parts circulates in succession round the hotter ones.
fractional distillation is however by no means a necessary part of my invention and
as already stated is only useful in certain cases.
This
In conclusion I am well aware that gas has been passed through oxide of iron,
lime and other purifiers that the vapour of oil has been passed over various
chemical substances with a view of altering its constitution. That the very
absorbents that I use have been proposed in the patent of Baynes and Fearenside
No 5208 of 1883 to be inserted into the oil in the retort itself for the purpose of
purification. That a porous stopper of asbestos or other like material has been
used in oil refining to prevent the liquid oil and froth from passing out with the
vapour, but I believe that the idea of passing the vapour of oil through hot dry
porous material with a view of filtering the colouring matter out of it, has never
before been known or used.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
'
1st. The process of bleaching or purifying dark coloured mineral or other
distillable oils which consists in passing their vapour through thoroughly dried
hot porous
absorbent material, substantially as described.
2nd. In the bleaching or purifying of oils such as described distilling them up
from the retort or vacuum pan through a superimposed filter formed of a chamber,
containing a series of perforated plates loaded with dry hot granular material,
through which material the vapour is obliged to pass, substantially as described.
3rd. In the vapour filtration of oil, drying and heating the filtering material to
about the vapour point of the oil by means of superheated steam prior to said
filtration, substantially as described.
4th. The fractional condensation of the vapour after passing through the purifier,
substantially as described.