IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OIL
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting En-
gineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OIL
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 20th October 1870, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENT'S SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF OIL AND OTHER PRODUCTS OF PETROLEUM," and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made
solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad
by Charles Toppan, of Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the follow-
ing statement :——
The heavy oils produced from petroleum, which are known in commerce
as paraffine oils and are used for currying and lubricating, are found to
answer a good purpose, but owing to their dark colour cannot be used
upon harness, belt, trunk, lace, or other light coloured leather. Moreover
the common paraffine oil is of a lighter specific gravity than fish oil,
consequently leather when stuffed with paraffine oil will weigh less than
when fish oil is employed. Furthermore a white deposit is sometimes
formed upon the surface of leather stuffed with paraffine oil which injures
its appearance and sale.
These objections are obviated by my Invention, which consists in
filtering the paraffine oils now in common use and which are produced by
distillation in. "
a vacuum still," so called, whereby certain light colored
inodorous products of heavy specific gravities are obtained, which may
be used with great advantage in currying light or dark colored leather
and in compositions used for printing cloths and in printers' ink, also
for lubricating and for various other purposes.
as
In practising the said Invention I take the article known in commerce
vacuum oil," that is, any heavy paraffine oil produced from a vacuum
still.
My Invention is not limited to the treatment of oil produced by any
particular apparatus or mode of treatment, but extends to the treatment
of any heavy paraffine oil possessing the same qualities as the oil produced
by the processes above referred to. This oil is taken at a temperature
sufficiently high to make it run freely (about blood heat), and is filtered
through charcoal, bone dust, or other material ordinarily used as a filtering
medium.
The first product obtained (about four (4) per cent. of the whole) which
I denominate " amorphous paraffine" is inodorous, thick, white, and

page_text: translucent, and as it will not crystallize is particularly useful in the
manufacture of dressing for the hair, for soap, and other toilet articles.
The specific gravity of the amorphous paraffine is from 24° to 36°
indicated by the Baumé hydrometer.
"
The first product having been removed the filtering is continued and
a second product (about forty-three per cent. of the whole) is obtained.
This product which is of a light straw color and of a specific gravity of
about 20° Baumé is especially adapted to be used as a stuffing" in
currying leather of various descriptions. The specific gravity of this.
product is much greater than the ordinary dark colored heavy paraffine
oil commonly used, and will consequently cause the leather to weigh as
much as where fish oil is employed and the white deposit on the surface
of the leather incident to the use of the dark colored heavy paraffine oil
is entirely avoided.
The second product having been removed the filtering is continued, and
a third product (also about forty-three per cent. of the whole) is obtained
which is of an amber color, also of a specific gravity of about 20°
Baumé. This third product (which is the last obtained) is also well
adapted as a stuffing" for leather, and both the second and third
products may be used in printers' ink and for lubricating and other
purposes.
<<
د,
"
The second and third products are also peculiarly adapted for
thickeners for coloring matters used in printing cloths, as they not
only give the proper consistency to the composition, but also serve to fix
the colors on the cloth.
After obtaining the three products above named about ten (10) per
cent. of the quantity originally introduced into the filter will remain
therein which cannot be utilized.
Instead of separating the filtrate into three products as above described
it is evident that it may be separated at different stages into a greater or
lesser number of products to suit the requirements of the case, and if
desired two or more of these products may be afterward mixed or com-
bined together. In practice there will usually be no need of separating
the second and third products, but they may both be collected together.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
_me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practise, I claim,-

page_text: The within described process of treating heavy paraffine oil for the
purpose set forth.
Also the products resulting from the filtration of heavy paraffine oil,
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
H. J. GEDGE.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)