Im- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PARAFFINE OIL
Year: 1869

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Edward Meldrum, of Dechmont, in the County
of Linlithgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PARAFFINE OIL."
ealed the 29th June 1869, and dated the 6th February 1869.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Meldrum
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th February 1869.
LEDWARD MELDRUM, of Dechmont, in the County of Linlithgow,
North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PARAFFINE OIL," to be
As follows:-
In the manufacture of paraffin oil from shale or coal there are
various liquid and solid products obtained in the purification of the
10 crude oil, such products having different boiling points and different
Especific gravities. The heavier oils or those oils which have a high
Specific gravity and a high boiling point cannot be advantageously
Doice 1

page_text: employed for burning in the ordinary lamps constructed for the burning
of paraffin burning oil, and those solid paraffines which have a low
melting point are not well adapted for the manufacture of good candles,
but both of these substances may be rendered useful and of greater
commercial value by converting them into light oils and into a thick
lubricating oil, which I propose to effect in the following manner :-
An apparatus such as an iron tube or a common retort such as is used
in the distillation of shale or coal is built up over or alongside of a fire
so that the temperature can be so regulated as to attain a range of
temperature not exceeding a visible red heat, and in order that a large
heating surface may be obtained such apparatus may be filled with
broken stones, spent shale, or other refractory substance in a divided
state. The heavy oil or oils or the melted paraffine are to be run slowly
in at one end of a retort or decomposing tube, or are passed through the
same in the state of vapour from a still or distillatory apparatus connected
therewith, and the products thus resulting are condensed by passing off
through a cooling pipe, worm, or condenser proceeding from or connected
with the other end of the retort.
By proper regulation of the tem-
perature of the retort or decomposing apparatus it will be found that
a large proportion of the oils or paraffine or a mixture of the same is
converted into light oils useful for the purposes of illumination or for
burning in paraffin lamps, and also into thick oils more suitable and
useful for lubricating machinery and other similar purposes. The
temperature which has been found to answer such desired purpose is
between 700° Fahrenheit and a low red heat, or a temperature suffi-
ciently high to decompose or split up the materials employed but not
high enough to convert the products wholly into permanent gas. From
the condensible products thus obtained the light oil may be separated
by distillation and purified by' well-known processes, such for example
as those applicable to paraffine oils, and the heavier portion of such
products being now much thicker may also be distilled over and purified
for lubricating purposes, or it may be still further converted into light
oil and thicker oil by being again passed through the heated retort or
decomposing apparatus.
It will be readily understood that the apparatus employed may be
varied in many ways so as to effect the desired purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Meldrum in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
MELDRUM, of Dechmont, in the County of Linlithgo, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Edward Meldrum, Her special license that
I, the said Edward Meldrum, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Edward Meldrum, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF Paraffin Oil," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Edward Meldrum, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Edward Meldrum, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
In the manufacture of paraffine oil from shale or coal there are
various liquid and solid products obtained in the purification of the
crude oil, such products having different boiling points and different
specific gravities. The heavier oils or those oils which have a high
specific gravity and a high boiling point cannot be advantageously
employed for burning in the ordinary lamps constructed for the burning
of paraffine burning oil, and those solid paraffines which have a low

page_text: melting point are not well adapted for the manufacture of good candles,
but both of these substances may be rendered useful and of greater
commercial value by converting them into light oils and into a thick
lubricating oil, which I propose to effect in the following manner :-An
apparatus such as an iron tube or a common retort such as is used in the
distillation of shale or coal is built up over or alongside of a fire so
that the temperature can be so regulated as to attain a range of tem-
perature not exceeding a visible red heat, and in order that a large
heating apparatus may be obtained such apparatus may be filled with
broken stones, spent shale, or other refractory substance in a divided
state. The heavy oil or oils or the melted paraffine are to be run slowly
in at one end of a retort or decomposing tube, or are passed through
the same in the state of vapour from a still or distillatory apparatus
connected therewith, and the products thus resulting are condensed by
passing off through a cooling worm or condenser proceeding from or
connected with the other end of the retort. By proper regulation of
the temperature of the retort or decomposing apparatus it will be found
that a large proportion of the oils or paraffine or a mixture of the same
is converted into light oils useful for the purposes of illumination in
paraffine lamps, and also into thick oils more suitable and useful for
lubricating machinery and such like purposes. The temperature which
has been found to answer the desired purpose is between 700° Fahrenheit
and a low red heat, or a temperature sufficiently high to decompose
the materials employed but not high enough to convert the products
wholly into permanent gas. From the condensible products thus
obtained the light oil may be separated by distillation and purified by
well-known processes, for example those applicable to paraffin oils.
The heavier portion of the products being now much thicker may also
be distilled over and purified for lubricating purposes, or it may be still
further converted into light oil and thicker oil by being again passed
through the heated retort or decomposing apparatus.
It will be readily understood that the apparatus employed may be
varied in many ways so as to effect the desired purpose.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the

page_text: improvements in the manufacture of paraffine oil as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Meldrum, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
EDWARD MELDRUM. (L.S.)