IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
-A communication from abroad by Jacob Beers Bennett and James
SD. CL
TT
Sealed the 1st December 1865, and dated the 5th June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th June 1865.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
These improvements in manufacturing soap consist in the agitation by any
suitable machinery of oils, fats, or other saponifiable materials with salts of
alkali in solution with water in any closed vessel while under heat and extra-
ordinary pressure in such a manner as to cause a thorough mixing and co-
mingling of such saponifiable materials with such solutions while under heat
and extraordinary pressure, causing thereby an instantaneous combination of
the acids of the oils with the bases of the alkaline solutions.

page_text: In order to illustrate this Invention, and to enable others skilled in the arts
to use it, I proceed to describe the process :-.
Let us, for example, suppose a quantity of tallow, lard, or other oily sub-
stance enclosed in a vessel with a solution of carbonate of soda in water, and
heat applied to produce a pressure of about two hundred and forty, to two
hundred and eighty pounds per inch, and a temperature of three hundred and
fifty to four hundred and ten degrees Fahr., a combination between the
acids of the oil and the soda of the solution will take place only at the upper
surface of the solution where in contact with the under surface of the grease,
the heavy lye occupying the lower part of the vessel, the grease floating on
the solution, and soaps will only be produced where the oil and alkali come in
contact. If we now agitate in such a manner as to stir together and
thoroughly mix and comingle the contents of the vessel, the whole will be
converted into a homogeneous and good and even quality of soap. It is
advisable to use no more water than is wanted in the soap when cooled.
Several methods of thus agitating will at once suggest themselves, but I prefer
to do it thus in the apparatus and in manner described :-I use a boiler or
cylinder similar in shape to a plain cylinder steam boiler resting horizontally
and heated by any convenient manner, one or both heads of the cylinder is
or are made so as to be conveniently removable and admit of the insertion of
a revolving shaft, which I prefer' should be as long as the cylinder itself; the
bearings of this shaft should be in the centre of the cylinder, and either or
both ends worked through a stuffing box for the convenience of applying power
to a pulley to revolve the shaft. On the shaft are fastened arms or floats or
stirrers extending nearly to the sides of the cylinder; the arms, floats, or
agitators on one side of the shaft when revolved carrying the grease or oil
down into the alkali, while the arms, floats, or agitators on the other side
carry the alkali up into the oils or grease, thus while under heat and extra-
ordinary pressure thoroughly comingling the whole, and causing the conver-
sion of the whole contents of the vessel into a uniform, even, and good
quality of soap. At the fire end of the cylinder are placed two safety valves,
one on the top of the cylinder, the other on an outlet pipe inserted in the
head of the cylinder. I also use a mercury bath of about four inches in
length of gas pipe, and screwed into the boiler in any convenient place for
the insertion of the thermometer bulb, at the opposite end of the cylinder is
an opening for the insertion of the supply pipe. The contents of the cylinder
when operated upon should be subjected to a pressure of about two, hundred
and forty to two hundred and eighty pounds per inch, and under a heat of
about three hundred and fifty to four hundred and ten degrees Fahr. When

page_text: ;-
the, shaft is revolved all the ingredients in- every part of the cylinder are-
thoroughly comingled, and the same will take place by means of any other
revolving or vibratory machinery. Perfect saponification is at once effected
the soap. produced is of uniform, even, and good quality. When the
machinery is first put in operation it is necessary to allow some carbonic acid
gas to escape at one of the safety valves, if carbonate of soda is used, in order
to prevent' undue pressure by the liberation of the carbonic acid when com-
binations of the oils and soda and alkali take place. If any of the liquid be
allowed to escape before the temperature reaches 325 to 875° Fahr. it
should be returned to the cylinder. The safety valve on the outlet pipe may
be so loaded as to. allow an escape of soap at a pressure of 250 to 280 lbs.,
and a quantity of lye and oil may be introduced by pump or otherwise at the
opposite end; the agitation by the revolving shaft being still kept up, and
thus a continued stream of soap produced so long as the feeding is continued.
The product may then be prepared for market by the refrigerating, moulding,
and cutting process in ordinary use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of. the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal - Patent
Office on the 5th. December 1865. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victória, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," (communicated to me from abroad by Jacob Beers Bennett
and James Sidney Gibbs, of Buffalo, United States of America), upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
These improvements in manufacturing soap consist in the agitation by any
suitable machinery of oils, fats, or other saponifiable materials with salts of
alkali in solution with water in any closed vessel while under heat and extra-
ordinary pressure in such a manner as to cause a thorough mixing and co-
mingling of such saponifiable materials with such solutions while under heat
and extraordinary pressure, causing thereby an instantaneous combination of
the acids of the oils with the bases of the alkaline solutions.
In order to illustrate this Invention, and to enable others skilled in the arts
to use it, I proceed to describe the process :--
:
Let us, for example, suppose a quantity of tallow, lard, or other oily sub-
stance enclosed in a vessel with a solution of carbonate of soda in water, and
heat applied to produce a pressure of about 240 to 280 pounds per inch,
and a temperature of 350 to 410 degrees Fahrenheit, a combination between
the acids of the oil and the soda of the solution will take place only at the
upper surface of the solution, where in contact with the under surface of the
grease the heavy lye occupying the lower part of the vessel, the grease floating
on the solution and soaps will only be produced where the oil and alkali
come in contact. If we now agitate in such a manner as to stir together and
thoroughly mix and comingle the contents of the vessel the whole will be
converted into a homogeneous and good and even quality of soap. It is
advisable to use no more water than is wanted in the soap when cooled.
Several methods of this agitating will at once suggest themselves, but I prefer
to do it thus in the apparatus represented in the accompanying Drawing and
in manner described. I use a boiler or cylinder similar in shape to a plain
cylinder steam boiler resting horizontally and heated by any convenient
manner, one or both heads of the cylinder is or are made so as to be con-
veniently removeable, and admit of the insertion of a revolving shaft a, a, which

page_text: I prefer should be as long as the cylinder itself; the bearings of this shaft
should be in the centre of the cylinder, and either or both ends worked
through a stuffing box c, for the convenience of applying power to a pulley h,
to revolve the shaft. On the shaft are fastened arms or floats or stirrers f,
extending nearly to the sides of the cylinder, the arms, floats, 'or agitators on
one side of the shaft when revolved carrying the grease or oil down into the
alkali, while the arms, floats, or agitators on the other side carry the alkali
up into the oils or grease, thus while under heat and extraordinary pressure
thoroughly comingling the whole and causing the "conversion of the whole
contents of the vessel into a uniform, even, and good quality of soap. At the
fire end of the cylinder are placed two safety valves, one e, on the top of the
cylinder, the other d, on an 'outlet pipe inserted in the head of the cylinder.
I also use a mercury bath k, of about four inches in length of gas pipe, and
screwed into the boiler in any convenient place for the insertion of the ther-
mometer bulb; at the opposite end of the cylinder is an opening for the
insertion of a supply pipe. The contents of the "cylinder when operated
upon should be subjected to a pressure of about 240 to 280 pounds per inch,
and under a heat of about 350 to 410 degrees Fahrenheit. When the shaft
is revolved all of the ingredients in every part of the cylinder are thoroughly
comingled, and the same will I take place by means of any other revolving or
vibratory machinery. Perfect 'saponification is at once effected, the soap pro-
of uniform, even, and good quality. When the machinery is first
put in operation it is necessary to allow some carbonic acid gas to escape at
one of the safety valves, if carbonate of soda is used, in order to prevent
undue pressure by the liberation of the carbonic acid, when combinations of
the oils and soda or alkali take place. If any of the liquid be allowed to
escape before the temperature reaches 325 to 375° Fahrenheit it should be
returned to the cylinder. The safety valve on the outlet pipe may be so
loaded as to allow an escape of soap at a pressure of 250 to 280 lbs., and
a quantity of Iye and oil may be introduced by pump or otherwise at the
opposite end, the agitation by the revolving shaft being still kept up, and thus
a continued stream of soap produced as long as the feeding is continued.
The product may then be prepared for market by the refrigerating, moulding,
and cutting process in ordinary use.
duced
The following advantages are obtained by this Invention,-rapidity of
manufacture, improved quality, increased quantity, economy in labour, saving
in fuel, the employment of cheaper materials, saponification of all the oil or
grease, uniforin certainty of the result, saving the valuable property of glycerine,
which greatly improves the quality of the soap, and power to use alkaline salts

page_text: instead of caustic lye, obviating the necessity of using chloride of sodium to
get rid of the waste lye.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the Im-
provements in the Manufacture of Soap, and in Apparatus employed
therein,"―
First, the agitation and comingling by any suitable machinery of the
ingredients used for making soap in a closed vessel while under heat and
extraordinary pressure sufficient to insure the desired new combinations, and
produce cheaply and quickly a uniform, even, and good quality of soap,
substantially as herein-before described.
And, second, the construction and employment of apparatus substantially as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here.
unto set my hand and seal this Fourth day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.