IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING AND RAISING OIL AND FAT
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Thom and George Aldcroft Phillips, both of
Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, Soap Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING AND RAISING
OIL AND FAT."
Sealed the 30th September 1858, and dated the 5th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Thom and George
Aldcroft Phillips at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 5th May 1858.
We, DAVID THOM and GEORGE ALDCROFT PHILLIPS, both of Pendleton, in
the County of Lancaster, Soap Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING AND
RAISING OIL AND FAT," to be as follows:-
In bleaching oil and fat, it has hitherto been customary to use open vessels,
and to allow the vapours to escape into the open air or to convey them into a
chimney. Now, our Invention consists in bleaching oil or fat in high-pressure
vessels, and conveying the vapours through a pipe into a closed vessel, partly
filled with water or other liquid, and from this vessel by another pipe into an
open fire-place or flue. As the oil or fat is bleached in high-pressure vessels,

page_text: the vapours rising therefrom may be conveyed in any direction, and as the end
of the pipe that conveys the vapours into the closed vessel is brought below the
level of the water or other fluid in the closed vessel, it is evident that the
communication is broken between the vessel containing the oil or fat and
the open fire-place or flue.
After the oil or fat has been bleached, it is raised out of the high-pressure
vessel by pumping or admitting water or other liquid of greater specific gravity
than oil or fat under pressure into the high-pressure vessel containing the oil
or fat to be raised. The water or other liquid descends to the bottom of the
vessel, and as it accumulates in the vessel it raises the oil or fat, and forces it
through a pipe to the requisite height. When the oil or fat has been thus
raised the water or other liquid is rin off. The latter part of our Invention is
applicable in all cases where oil or fat has to be raised.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Thom and George Aldcroft Phillips in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
THOM and GEORGE ALDCROFT PHILLIPS, both of Pendleton, in the County of
Lancaster, Soap Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
David Thom and George Aldcroft Phillips, Her special licence that we, the
said David Thom and George Aldcroft Phillips, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said David Thom and George Aldcroft
Phillips, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING AND RAISING OIL AND FAT," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said David Thom and George Aldcroft Phillips,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 we, the said David Thom and George Aldcroft
Phillips, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 bleaching oil and fat it has heretofore been customary to use open vessels,.
and to allow the vapours to escape into the open air, or to convey them into a
chimney. Now, our Invention consists in bleaching oil and fat in high-
pressure vessels, and in conveying the vapours arising therefrom during the
process of bleaching through a pipe into a closed vessel partly filled with
water or other liquid, and from this vessel by another pipe into an open fire-
place or flue. As, according to our improvements, the oil or fat is bleached in
high-pressure vessels, the vapour arising therefrom may be conveyed or forced
in any direction or to any level, and as the end of the pipe that conveys the
vapours from the high-pressure vessel into the closed vessel is brought below
the level of the water or other fluid in the closed vessel, it is evident that the
communication is broken between the high-pressure vessel containing the oil
or fat, and the open fire-place or flue, and consequently the offensive vapours
cannot escape into the open air, nor is there any danger of the oil or fat being
ignited by the fire in the flue into which the vapours are conveyed.
After the oil or fat has been bleached, it is raised out of the high-pressure
vessel by pumping or admitting water or other liquid of greater specific gravity
than oil or fat under pressure into the high-pressure vessel containing the oil
or fat to be raised. The water or other liquid descends to the bottom of the
vessel, and as it accumulates in the vessel it raises the oil or fat, and forces it
through a pipe to the requisite beight or in the requisite direction. When the
oil or fat has been thus raised the water or other liquid is run off. The latter
part of our Invention is applicable in all cases where oil or fat has to be
raised.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the letters marked
thereon.
The Drawing is made partly in section. a is a cylindrical vessel,. made by
preference of wrought iron, into which the oil or fat to be bleached is put

page_text: through the pipe a¹; the lower part of this vessel is furnished with a jacket or
casing b, which is heated by steam entering through the pipe c; d is a safety
valve for the steam, and e the off pipe for the condensed steam.
The vessel a
is furnished with a man-hole f. To the upper part of the vessel a is connected
the lower end of the pipe 9, which enters the closed vessel h; this vessel is
partly filled with water or other liquid, and from it another pipe i is taken to
an open fire-place or into the flue of a boiler, or into a chimney. The pipe j
is to convey water into the vessel a, and the pipe k is to supply air; the lower
end of the pipe k is connected to a coil of perforated pipes to distribute the air
among the oil or fat, as is now customary.
During the process of bleaching the oil or fat, the vapours rising from the
vessel a pass through the pipe g, and through the water or other fluid in the
closed vessel h; the vapours are then conveyed through the pipe i to an open
fire-place, where they are consumed, or into the flue of a chimney. When the
process of bleaching is completed, the oil or fat is raised or forced out of the
vessel a, by admitting water or other liquid of greater specific gravity than oil
or fat under pressure through the pipe j, and as this water or other liquid
accumulates in the vessel a, it expels the oil or fat through the pipe l, and
forces it into the cooler or other chamber, which may be on a higher or lower
level than the vessel a, the level to which it is raised depending on the pressure
on the water or other fluid admitted through the pipe j.
When the oil or fat has been thus raised out of the vessel. a, the supply of
water or other fluid under pressure is shut off; the vessel a.is then emptied
by allowing the water or other fluid to run through the pipe m, and the
apparatus is again ready for receiving a fresh charge of the oil or fat to be
bleached.
Our improvements in raising oil or fat by means of water or other fluid,
under pressure, as above described, is applicable in other processes where oil
or fat has to be raised.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
in which the same may be carried into practical operation, we wish it to be
understood that we do not limit ourselves to the details set forth, as the same
may be considerably modified without departing from the peculiar character of
our Invention; but what we do claim is,-
First, the use of high-pressure vessels in bleaching oil and fat.
Secondly, the application of a closed vessel containing water or other fluid
through which the vapours rising from oil or fat during the process of bleaching
pass before entering the fire-place, flue, or chimney, as described.

page_text: And, lastly, the application of water or other liquid under pressure for
raising oil and fat, as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Thom and George Aldcroft
Phillips, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day
of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight.
0
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
DAVID THOM.
(L.S.)
GEORGE A. PHILLIPS. (L.S.)