IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN KINDS OF SOAP, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gossage, of Widnes, in the County of Lan-
caster, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CERTAIN KINDS OF SOAP, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS TO BE
USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."
Sealed the 16th October 1861, and dated the 19th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gossage at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
August 1861.
I, WILLIAM GOSSAGE, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN KINDS OF SOAP, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
My improvements are applicable to the manufacture of those kinds of soap
in which the boiling (which is a necessary part of such manufacture) is effected
by the use of steam applied either as "open steam," that is, by steam being
injected amongst the materials from which such soap is being manufactured,
or as "close steam" applied by circulation in pipes, or by means of a steam
jacket forming part of the apparatus employed. These applications are in
common use and well understood. This part of my improvements consists in
the use of steam obtained by the concentration of caustic alkaline liquors
(commonly called "soap lyes"), which concentration I effect in close boilers,
and I conduct the steam arising from such concentration into the apparatus

page_text: which I employ for the manufacture of soap, and by the same means I obtain
concentrated lyes to be used in the manufacture of soap.
My improvements in the construction of apparatus to be used in the manu-
facture of soap consist in the use of a vessel containing siliceous pebbles or
other suitable material, through which I cause to be filtered the steam which
I employ in the manufacture of soap, by which filtration the whole or the
greater part of the water which rises by "priming" from the boilers in which
such steam is generated is arrested, and is thereby prevented from being intro-
duced together with the steam into the vessels in which such soap is being
manufactured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Gossage in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GoSSAGE, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth 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 William Gossage, Her special license that I, the said William Gossage,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Gossage, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN KINDS OF SOAP, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Gossage, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 William Gossage, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
manner.the

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
My improvements are applicable to the manufacture of those kinds of soap
in which the boiling of the soap (which is a necessary part of such manu-
facture) is effected by the use of steam applied either as "open steam,” that
is, by steam being injected amongst the materials from which such soap is
being manufactured, or as "close steam" applied by circulation in pipes, or
applied by means of a steam jacket forming part of the apparatus employed.
These applications are in common use and are well understood.
The first part of my improvements consists in the use of steam obtained
by the concentration of caustic alkaline liquors (commonly called soap lyes)
which concentration I effect in close boilers, and I conduct the steam arising
from such concentration into the apparatus which I employ for the manu-
facture of soap, and by the same means I obtain concentrated lyes suitable
to be used in the manufacture of soap. In the ordinary manufacture of
soaps which are produced by boiling together the materials of which such
soaps are composed by the aid of steam, it is needful to provide a boiler
in which steam is generated from water, and the steam so produced being
conducted by pipes to the "soap pan" in which soap is being manufactured,
it is there applied to effect the boiling of the soap either by being allowed
to escape from the pipes amongst the materials employed, or by being passed
through pipes in contact with such materials, or by being confined in a "steam
jacket" surrounding the lower part of the soap pan; water is supplied to the
boiler for the generation of steam either by means of a force pump or from
a reservoir placed at such a height as will give sufficient pressure to force
the water into the boiler. In effecting this part of my improvements I supply
caustic alkaline liquors, or "soap lyes," in place of water to the boiler
employed, and I can effect such supply either by means of a force pump
connected with a reservoir containing such liquors, or by the use of a reservoir
suitably elevated containing such liquors, but I prefer to use a force pump for
such purpose. The application of fire to the boiler containing caustic alkaline
liquors occasions the generation of steam, which I apply to the manufacture
of soap by boiling in the same manner as steam generated from water has
hitherto been applied, and I keep the boiler properly supplied with liquors
as the evaporation proceeds, by which means the caustic alkaline liquors
or soap lyes in the boiler become concentrated, and when this concentration
has arrived at such a point as I deem advisable, I transfer the strong liquors
thus obtained into a reservoir, and I introduce a fresh supply of weak liquors
into the steam boiler employed. By these means I obtain concentrated

page_text: caustic alkaline liquors which are very suitable to be used in the manufacture
of soap.
"
The second part of my improvements, or that which comprises the con-
struction of apparatus to be used in the manufacture of certain kinds of
soap, consists in the construction of certain apparatus, by the use of which
particles of water which are carried over from steam boilers in mixture with
steam, when this is generated in the ordinary manner, are separated from
the steam, thereby rendering this more suitable to be used in the manufacture
of soap when this manufacture is conducted by injecting "open steam'
amongst the materials employed. To effect this part of my Invention I
provide a cylindrical vessel of iron (having one end closed) about two feet
in diameter and twelve feet deep placed vertically, and I adapt a perforated
or false bottom to the lower part of such vessel, upon which I place siliceous
pebbles or other suitable materials (about the size of walnuts) until the
vessel becomes nearly filled, and I then close the upper end of the vessel.
I adapt a pipe to the lower part of the vessel below the false bottom, and I
connect this pipe with the steam boiler employed; I adapt another pipe to the
upper end of such vessel, and I connect this pipe with the steam pipes
conducting to the apparatus in which the manufacture of soap is being effected
by the injection of steam. I take care to clothe or otherwise cover the outer
surfaces of the vessel and pipes so as to prevent as much as practicable the
loss of heat therefrom. In using this arrangement of apparatus in the
manufacture of soap, I cause steam to be conducted from the steam boiler
employed (which steam contains particles of water in suspension) into the
lower part of the cylindrical vessel before mentioned, and as the steam filters
through the bed of siliceous pebbles or other suitable materials contained
therein, particles of water are arrested by the filtering material, and steam
deprived of such particles of water (therefore more suitable for the manu-
facture of soap by injection of steam) passes from the upper part of such
vessel to the apparatus in which soap is being manufactured. I adapt a
small pipe to the lower part of such vessel, through which I run off the water
collected therein.
I have herein described the means which I consider to be most suitable for
effecting the objects of my Invention, but these means may be varied to some
extent without deviating from the nature of my Invention; I claim as my
Invention secured to me by the Letters Patent herein-before partly recited,-
Firstly, the use of steam generated by the concentration of caustic alkaline
liquors or soap lyes in close boilers for the manufacture of those kinds of soap
in which the boiling is effected by the employment of steam>

page_text: And, secondly, the construction of apparatus to be used in the manufacture
of those kinds of soap which are made by injection of steam amongst the
materials employed, which apparatus provides for the steam employed being
passed through a bed of filtering materials, and thereby causing the separation
of particles of water therefrom previously to its being used for such manu-
facture
WILL. (L.S.) GOSSAGE.