IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF REFINING FAT OILS, AND MORE PARTICULARLY THE CRUDE OIL OF COTTON SEED.”
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Campbell Morfit, of Baltimore, State of Mary-
land, United States of America, Chemist, but at present of 35,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF REFINING FAT OILS, AND
MORE PARTICULARLY THE CRUDE OIL OF COTTON SEED.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Campbell Morfit at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th January 1872.
I, CAMPBELL Morfit, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States
of America, Chemist, but at present of 35, Southampton Buildings, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF REFINING FAT OILS, AND
MORE PARTICULARLY THE CRUDE OIL OF COTTON SEED," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the method of refining fat
oils, and more particularly the crude oil of cotton seed.

page_text: I carry my Invention into effect by putting a given weight of the
crude oil in a vat of suitable construction, adding water and boiling by
means of an open pipe which leads a steam current into the mixture.
When the latter has reached 212 degrees Fahrenheit I add to it milk of
lime in quantity only sufficient to separate the viscous and darker
colouring matters of the oil. The quantity of milk of lime required
will vary with the kind and the quality of the oil, and is to be deter-
mined empirically by adding it cautiously in small portions at a time,
and with sufficient interval between cach dose to permit the operator to
observe when enough has been added. This is known when a sample of
the oil cooled upon a plate is wholly free from viscidity, and no longer
stains or dirties the finger. The boiling being then discontinued the
whole is left to repose, and the coagula separated by means of a
sieve.
This operation is termed by me the first fractional treatment, and the
coagula thus separated I call "foot stuffs." The latter contain the
viscous and pigmentary matters, together with some little of the oil, and
are to be distilled with sulphuric acid for the reclamation of that little
of retained oily matter in the form of oleic fat for soap and candle
makers' use.
The portion of oil from which the "foot stuffs" have been separated is
of a brown colour sometimes only dark, but at others smoky. It is however
free of glutinous matters. The next operation therefore is to separate
only the coloured portion of the oil, which is done also with milk of
lime in the same manner as previously, and constitutes what I term the
second fractional treatment.
The steam heating and the dosing with milk of lime are to be con-
tinued only so long as the oil retains any colour, and then the whole is
left to repose, in order that the lime soap which has been formed may
be separated by means of a sieve or other kind of strainer. This lime
soap is then put into a suitable vat diffused in water, and decomposed by
sulphuric or hydrochloric acid with the aid of steam currents. The
brown fat acids thus set free rise to the top, and are to be drawn off,
washed, and sent into the market as "cotton oleic primes" for the uses
of the soap and candle maker.
The nortion of the neutral oil which has been left by the second frac-

page_text: tional treatment jellifics on cooling, and assumes otherwise a molecular
structure, which renders it easily saponifiable.
Being a new product with characteristic properties I have given it a
distinctive name, that of "Morfit's jelly fat."
To convert it into a very bright colored neutral oil of superior taste
and odour it is only necessary to boil it in a clean vessel with about 160
gallons of water to every ton of the jelly fat, and treat the mixture with
about two gallons of caustic soda lye of 21 degrees to 22 degrees Baumé
or thereabouts in small portions at a time, gradually added during con-
tinuous boiling and stirring. The stirring may be done by a "blow up"
tube with an occasional current of open steam. Scum rises to the top as
the oil gradually, clears and brightens, and at the culminating point the
whole is to be left to settle, in order that the refined oil may be drawn
off as the upper stratum, and thoroughly washed with water previous to
being sent into market.
What I claim is the purification of crude fat oils by fractional treat-
ments with lime and soda, so as, firstly, to separate the pigmentary and
viscous matters; and, secondly, to divide the oily portion thus refined.
into acid and neutral products by the means and after the manner as
herein substantially set forth and described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Campbell Morfit in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CAMPBELL
MORFIT, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States of America,
Chemist, but at present of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Campbell Morfit, Her special licence
that 1, the said Campbell Morfit, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, or such others as I, the said Campbell Morfit, 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, 5
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF REFINING FAT OILS, AND MORE PARTICULARLY THE CRUDE
OIL OF COTTON SEED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Campbell Morfit, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 1
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 inmediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Campbell Morfit, do hereby 1
declare the nature of my 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 :-
My Invention relates to improvements in the method of refining fat
oils, and more particularly the crude oil of cotton sced.
2
I carry my Invention into effect by putting a given weight of the
crude oil in a vat of suitable construction, adding water and boiling
by means of an open pipe which leads a steam current into the mixture.
When the latter has reached 212 degrees Fahrenheit I add to it milk of
lime in quantity only sufficient to separate the viscous and darker 2
coloring matters of the oil. The quantity of milk of lime required
will vary with the kind and the quality of the oil, and is to be deter-
mined empirically by adding it cautiously in small portions at a time,
and with sufficient interval between each dose to permit the operator to
observe when enough has been added. This is known when a sample a
of the oil cooled upon a plate is wholly free from viscidity, and no
longer stains and dirties the finger. The boiling being then discon-
tinued the whole is left to repose, and the coagula separated by means of
a sieve.
This operation is termed by me the first fractional treatment, and the ;
coagula thus separated I call "foot stuffs." The latter contain the
viscous and pigmentary matters, together with some little of the oil, and

page_text: are to be distilled with sulphuric acid for the reclamation of that little of
retained oily matter in the form of oleic fat for soap and candle makers'
use.
:
•
The portion of oil from which the "foot stuffs" have been separated
is of a brown color, sometimes only dark, but at others smoky. It is
however free of glutinous matters. The next operation therefore is to
separate only the colored portions of the oil, which is done also with
the milk of, lime in the same manner as previously, and constitutes what
I term the second fractional treatment.
The steam heating and the dosing with milk of lime are to be con-
tinued only so long as the oil retains any color, and then the whole is
left to repose, in order that the lime soap which has been formed may
be separated by means of a sieve or any other kind of strainer. This
lime soap is then put into a suitable vat diffused in water, and decom-
posed by sulphuric or hydrochloric acid with the aid of steam currents.
The brown fat acids thus set free rise to the top, and are to be drawn off,
washed, and sent into the market as "cotton oleic primes" for the use
of the soap and candle maker.
The portion of the neutral oil which has been left by the second frac-
tional treatment jellifies on cooling, and assumes otherwise a molecular
structure, which renders it easily saponifiable.
Being a new product with characteristic properties I have given it a
distinctive name, that of "Morfit's jelly fat."
To convert it into a very bright colored neutral oil of superior taste
and odour it is only necessary to boil it in a clean vessel with about
160 gallons of water to every ton of the jelly fat, and treat the mixture
with about two gallons of caustic soda lye of 21 degrees to 22 degrees
Baumé or thereabouts in small portions at a time gradually added during
continuous boiling and stirring. The stirring may be done by a "blow
up" tube with an occasional current of open steam. Scum rises to the
top as the oil gradually clears and brightens, and at the culminating
point the whole is to be left to settle, in order that the refined oil may
be drawn off as the upper stratum, and thoroughly washed with water
previous to being sent into the market.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
in which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that

page_text: what I claim is, the purification of crude fat oils by fractional treat-
ments with lime and soda, so as, firstly, to separate the pigmentary and
viscous matters; and, secondly, to divide the oily portion thus refined
into acid and neutral products by the means and after the manner as
herein substantially set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Campbell Morfit, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.