IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OIL FROM SHALE OR OTHER BITUMINOUS MINERALS AND SIMILAR OILS, TO OBTAIN VARIOUS PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John M°Lean, at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd June
1863..
I, JOHN MCLEAN, of Dander Hall, West Calder, in the County of West
Lothian, North Britain, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OIL FROM SHALE OR OTHER
BITUMINOUS MINERALS AND SIMILAR OILS, TO OBTAIN VARIOUS PRODUCTS THEREFROM,
AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention relates to the treatment of oil from shale or other
bituminous minerals and similar oils so as to obtain various products there--
from in a.more satisfactory and profitable manner than hitherto.
In carrying out the Invention, crude mineral oil, such as that obtained in
the ordinary way from shale, is put into a distilling vessel constructed and
arranged so that at the commencement of operations a very low heat may be
applied thoroughly to it. Hitherto it has been usual to treat such oil in appa-
ratus of considerable depth, and, on account of that depth, the heat acting
directly upon the bottom has had to be raised to such a degree to penetrate
up through to the surface of the liquid; that the products corresponding to a
low heat have not been obtained in a satisfactory manner.
:: According to the present. Invention, however, the distilling vessel is shaped

page_text: so that the oil, whilst covering an extended horizontal space, occupies a com-
paratively small depth, and the furnace arrangements are such as to cause the
direct application of the heat to the entire surface of the vessel, up to or nearly
up to the surface level of the oil, by which means the entire mass of the oil
becomes thoroughly penetrated by a low heat. A modification of a distilling
vessel, suitable for carrying out this system, is in the form of a shallow hori-.
zontal boiler of about seven feet six inches long, by three feet six inches broad,
and two feet six inches deep, the top, bottom, and corners being somewhat
rounded. This vessel supported upon open brickwork, above a furnace
grate, which is about two feet wide, and which extends back about five feet
six inches under the vessel. A flue space is formed, in brickwork, all round
the sides of the vessel, and up to the intended level of the oil, or nearly so, and
after circulating in this flue space, the fire gases pass off by a chimney at one
end. The vessel is provided with a man-hole door, and with a screw sight
hole, which is, by preference, in the man-hole door. To convey away the pro-
ducts of distillation, there is fitted to the top of the vessel a still head or
funnel, which is curved down into a horizontal direction as closely upon the
top of the vessel as can be conveniently managed. The funnel is gradually
contracted from about twelve inches to about four inches in diameter, and it
has connected to it a considerable length of piping, say about sixty feet, having
the very slight inclination downwards of about one half inch to the foot. At
intervals this piping is arranged with a curved piece, designed to slightly check
the current of the vapour. Just as it leaves the distilling vessel the piping is
passed through a cistern, into and from which cold water is filled and dis-
charged as the operations may require.
In working with the improved apparatus herein-before described, the crude
oil being put into the vessel, the fire beneath is very gradually raised until a
temperature of about 120 degrees Fahrenheit is attained, when there distils over
a light naptha or liquid like naptha, which becomes condensed in the piping
without cold water being put into the cistern, and it is drawn off at the
extreme end into any suitable vessel. As the fire heat is gradually increased,
turpentine, or a liquid like turpentine, is next distilled over instead of the
naptha, and is received into a separate vessel. As the heat is still gradually
increased the turpentine is followed by a kind of paraffine oil, suitable for illu-
mination, and the paraffine oil is followed by an oil which, when purified, is
suitable for lubricating purposes. These two oils require cold water to be put
into the cistern to effect their condensation. Upon these oils being drawn off
the residue is taken out of the distilling vessel, and may be used for various

page_text: useful purposes, such as for manufacturing black paint or printing ink. The
paraffine oil is purified by treatment with strong sulphuric acid, and by re-
distillation once again or oftener. The lubricating oil is also purified by means
of sulphuric acid and re-distillation, when there separates from it a thicker oil
or grease, which may likewise be used for some lubricating purposes.