IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE FROM STEATITE OF JOURNALS, AXLE BOXES, AND BEARINGS FOR MACHINERY AXLES AND SPINDLES, TO WORK IN, SMOKING PIPES, BUTTONS, CRUCIBLES, AND POTS FOR CHEMICAL AND SMELTING PURPOSES, AND ALSO OF A LUBRICATING COMPOUND FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bethell, of No.38, King William Street, London,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE FROM
STEATITE OF JOURNALS, AXLE BOXES, AND BEARINGS FOR MACHINERY AXLES AND
SPINDLES, TO WORK IN, SMOKING PIPES, BUTTONS, CRUCIBLES, AND POTS FOR CHEMICAL
AND SMELTING PURPOSES, AND ALSO OF A LUBRICATING COMPOUND FOR RAILWAY AND
OTHER CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 14th January 1862, and dated the 15th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bethell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th August 1861.
I, JOHN BETHELL, of No. 38, King William Street, London, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE FROM STRATITE OF JOURNALS. AXLE-BOXES, AND BEARINGS FOR MACHINERY
AXLES AND SPINDLES TO WORK IN, SMOKING PIPES. BUTTONS, CRUCIBLES, AND POTS FOR
CHEMICAL AND SMELTING PURPOSES, AND ALSO OF A LUBRICATING COMPOUND FOR RAILWAY
AND OTHER CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in making all the different things named in the
Price 8d.1

page_text: title of this Patent with "steatite" or "soapstone." The forms of smoking
pipes (in imitation of meerschaum), buttons, crucibles, and pots for chemical
and smelting purposes are obtained either by cutting the soapstone as got
from the mines into the forms required, or by reducing it to a fine powder,
and then pressing it in metallic dies by great pressure, so as to obtain the
desired form; after which the article so made is put into a crucible, which is
to be luted with clay, and put into a furnace, and kept at a white heat for
two or three hours,after which it is taken out and allowed to cool gradually.
Journals, axle-boxes, and bearings for machinery are made of this soap-
stone, and either used in its natural state, or where they will be exposed to
great wear they are hardened to the point required by heating them in the
manner above described, but they are not heated to so great an extent.
The iron or steel axle or machinery spindle is then made to revolve and
work on this surface of soapstone.
The lubricating compound for railway and other carriages and machinery
is made by reducing the steatite to very fine powder, freeing it from any
extraneous matter, and then mixing it with a certain quantity of oil or fat
until the proper consistency of lubricating compound is formed for the
different machinery purposes for which it is required.
Railway or other carriage grease is made by mixing the soapstone with
palm oil or palm oil and tallow, but before using the palm oil, 1 correct the
acidity in it by. boiling it with soda or other alkaline matter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Bethell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, JOHN
BETHELL, of No. 38, King William Street, London, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Bethell, Her special licence that I, the said John Bethell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said

page_text: John Bethell, my 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE FROM STEATITE OF JOURNALS, AXLE-BOXES, AND BEARINGS FOR
MACHINERY AXLES AND SPINDLES TO WORK IN, SMOKING PIPES, BUTTONS, CRUCIBLES, AND
POTS. FOR CHEMICAL AND SMELTING PURPOSES, AND ALSO OF A LUBRICATING COMPOUND
FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Bethell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 John Bethell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement :-
I manufacture from steatite journals, axle-boxes, and bearings for
machinery axles and spindles to work in, by making bearings or linings to
the bearings of blocks, sheets, or powder of steatite in its natural condition,
or purified as shall be hereafter described, and on which the axle will
rotate. Sometimes it is better to place the steatite in the bearings only on
one side of the axle, and on that side that does not sustain the weight of
the axle and the machinery. In some cases I use the powdered steatite
purified in the manner hereafter described, and this can be used in many
ways, as will be evident to all machinists, the object being to keep the axle
constantly supplied or rubbed over by the powder of steatite which will
perfectly lubricate it. It can be done by pressing the powder into a long
cup or open box to fit that side of the axle where the weight is not, and
then by pressing up the box and the powder in it to the axle by means of
springs, or by putting the powder in cups over the axle, and causing it to be
pushed or shaken down through holes in the bearings to the axle, whereby
the latter will get supplied with the powder which will well lubricate it.
I manufacture from steatite smoking pipes, buttons, crucibles, and pots
for chemical and smelting purposes, by simply cutting them out of the
teatite blocks to the forms desired, and either calcining them or not, as is

page_text: thought best; as for all these purposes, except buttons, they will answer
equally well either burnt or not; buttons must be calcined. All the articles
under this head may also be made by taking the powder of steatite, and
pressing it in moulds to the form desired, and then calcining them in fur-
naces like pottery ware or fire-bricks.
I make lubricating compounds for railway and other carriages by first
grinding and reducing the steatite to a very fine powder, and then washing
it to separate it from all gritty particles, and if it is found to contain iron,
I steep the powder for some time in diluted muriatic acid, stirring it often,
I then take out the
and I keep it there until all the iron is dissolved.
powder, wash it-again-in-clear-pure-water, and-dry it, and-after this is done,
it is what I call purified steatite powder, and then it is only necessary to
mix this powder with any of the oils or fats or soapy compounds now used
for lubricating in any proportion that may be thought best.
I will name some mixtures which I have found to answer, but of course
many others can be made.
1. take three parts of caustic soda, twenty-three parts of palm oil, and
twenty-four parts water (all by weight), and I boil them together for some
time (adding water to make up for that which evaporates), till I make a
soapy compound, and to this I add fifty parts by weight of the steatite
powder, and I mix well together whilst hot.
2. I boil Carrageen or Iceland moss, or any other seaweed or moss that
will produce a jelly, in water till I get a thick jelly; then I take thirty-five
parts (by weight) of this jelly, fifteen parts of the soapy compound made
as above, and I heat it and mix well together, and whilst hot I add fifty
parts of steatite powder, and stir it well together, and then let it cool.
Sometimes I use this jelly alone mixed with the powder, and without
adding the soapy compound.
3. I mix the purified steatite powder with either rape, olive, paraffine,
or any other of the oils used for lubricating, and this mixture will be found
to lubricate much better than the oils by themselves.
The quantity of steatite powder added to the oil will depend on the pur-
pose for which it is to be used, and the wish of the parties using it, either
to make the compound thin or thick. What I generally use is from
thirty-five to seventy parts of steatite powder, according to the purpose for
which it is intended to be used.
I claim as my Invention the improvement in the manufacture from
steatite of the articles and compounds above named in the panner above

page_text: described, and especially I claim the purifying the powdered steatite from
iron, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bethell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
A. H. HOSKING,
38, King William Street,
London Bridge.
(1.3.)