IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF PARAFFINE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Meldrum, of Bathgate, in the County of
Linlithgow, North Britain, Esquire,. for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF PARAFFINE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Meldrum at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th June 1867.
I, EDWARD MELDRUM, of Bathgate, in the County of Linlithgow, Norths
Britain, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF PARAFFINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists essentially in the purification of paraffine by treating:
it whilst in a cold state with naphtha, in lieu of as heretofore in a heated or
liquid state, which causes a considerable loss of naphtha by evaporation or..
volatilization.
In carrying out my said Invention I first reduce the impure solid, paraffine-
to a powder, and then introduce therein or mix therewith naphtha, after which
I subject the mass to pressure. By repeating the operation several times the
paraffine may be freed or nearly freed from the heavy hydrocarbon oils with
which it is contaminated in its impure state.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Meldrum in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
MELDRUM, of Bathgate, in the County of Linlithgow, North Britain, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Meldrum, Her special license that I, the said Edward Meldrum, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Meldrum, my executors, administrators, or 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 PURIFICATION OF PARAFFINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Edward Meldrum, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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
Qffice within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Meldrum, do hereby 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 follow-
ing statement:
My said Invention consists essentially in the purification of paraffine by
treating it whilst in a cold unmelted state with paptha, instead of as hereto-
fore in a heated liquid state.
In carrying out my said Invention I reduce the impure solid paraffine to a
powder, and then introduce therein sufficient naptha to make it into a paste
or pulp, after which I subject the mass to pressure; or the solid impure
paraffine and naptha may be ground up together, and the mixture be then
subjected to pressure. By repeating three or four times the operation of
regrinding the paraffine to a paste or pulp with naptha and then squeezing it

page_text: in a press the paraffine can be freed from the heavy bydrocarbon oils with
which it is contaminated in its impure state.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the purification of paraffine by
treating it in a cold unmelted state as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Meldrum, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Second day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
EDWARD MELDRUM. (L.s.)