IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING AND CONCENTRATING THE COLOR, TANNIN, AND OTHER MATTERS CONTAINED IN VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
MALTBY, junior, of Mile End, Chemist, and RICHARD CUERTON, junior, of
Percy Street, Brassfounder, both in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Seventh day of March, in the third year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said William
Maltby and Richard Cuerton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that we, the said William Maltby and Richard Cuerton, our
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Maltby and
Richard Cuerton, our exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING AND CONCENTRATING THE COLOR,
TANNIN, AND OTHER MATTERS CONTAINED IN VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the said William
Maltby and Richard Cuerton, or one of us, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: Figures 7 and 8 represent the concentrating vats, with false bottoms A; is
perforated with holes; B, a pipe, the length of the vats, with communicating
cocks marked C; D, stop-cock and union joint; E, force pump, and supply
pipe F.
Figure 9 represents a tank, for the force pump N, with supply pipe P, and
union screws O, O.
Figures 10 and 11 represents stand vats.
In using the apparatus first described, let the boiler B be charged with
water, or other liquid usually employed as a bath, as high as the guage
cock H; then nearly fill Figure 2 or 3 with log or other dyewoods, or other
matters from which an extract is required, either in the form of chips, dust,
or otherwise finely divided, having previously placed a cloth or wire strainer
over the false bottom; fill the tank or vat, Figure 2 or 3, containing the
wood, with cold water or other liquid, and then run it into the boiler A,
Figure 1, from one of the tanks, Figure 2 or 3, or otherwise fill the boiler A
up to the guage cock; open the cock in the return pipe C, to charge, when
full shut off, and set furnace D to work, and turn on steam pipe S. When
the liquor has acquired sufficient heat, which will readily be ascertained by
inserting a thermometer at W, turn off steam pipe S, and shut the safety
cock K; turn on steam cock T, until the liquor contained in boiler A has
passed up the pipe M into the receiver N, and run off by pipe P on to the
wood or other matter contained in vat or tank, Figure 2 or 3; then turn off
steam cock T, and open the cock in return pipe C; the steam in boiler A will
condense, and allow the liquid to flow rapidly back into the boiler A. This
operation is to be repeated on fresh quantities of wood or other matter placed
in the tanks, Figures 2 and 3, until the liquor is impregnated with colouring
or other matters to the extent required, and this will readily be ascertained by
drawing off a quantity of the liquor and examining it, as heretofore practised.
The pipe P may be readily shifted from one tank to another, by which means
any number of vats or tanks, Figure 2 or 3, may be employed, care being
taken always to put on the covers of the vats or tanks, Figures 2 and 3, so
that any steam or volatile substance arising therefrom will be caused to pass
up the pipe D into the worm or refrigerator contained in the vats, Figure 4
or 5, and such products, as they are condensed, return back on to the wood or
other matter under operation in Figure 2 or 3.
It should be remarked, that in place of causing the liquor to be forced up
out of the vessel or boiler A by the pressure, as above described, the liquor
may be raised by a pump or pumps, and thrown on to the wood or other sub-

page_text: stance to be operated on, and the liquor having filtered through the same is
permitted to flow back into the boiler, by which the liquor can be kept to the
proper temperature when the same liquor is to be raised and thrown over a
fresh quantity of wood or other substance; in this case the vessel in boiler A
will be open. After having obtained the desired. strength fit for use, by passing
this liquor successively through several tanks containing matters from which
extract is required, we then draw all off, and repeat the operation with fresh
liquor being thrown upon the same wood, until all the coloring or other matters
are obtained therefrom; this liquor not being of sufficient strength or con-
taining sufficient coloring or other matter required to be concentrated, which is
accomplished as follows:-The liquid is all run into the tank or vat, Figure 9,
and pumped into the separating vats, Figures 7 or 8, by a force pump N, up the
supply pipe P and outlet union screws O, O, or the liquor may be thrown at
once from the boiler A of Figure 1, by means of the upright pipe M, the pipe
P being shifted in any desired direction by stuffing box O. Having covered
the false bottom A of the separating vats, Figure 7 or 8, with fine cloth or
calico, previously to filling with liquor; we then precipitate the color or tannin
by chemical means, according to the wood or other matter employed (as, for
example, with the extract of logwood, vat, Figure 7, being filled with a solution
of logwood, we take either acetate of lead, commonly called sugar of lead, or
subacetate of lead, usually prepared by boiling acetate or sugar of lead with
litharge dissolved in water, and add to the liquor in the vat, Figure 7, so much
as shall cause it to become colorless or of a pale straw color, the pump E being
worked gently until the liquid is pumped up nearly clear, then turn the cock
D, and let the clear liquid run away. After a short time, turn on the upper-
most cock C, and as the color precipitates turn on the other cocks, and let the
clear liquid run away; we have then the coloring matter and tannin reduced
to a thick paste. Turn off the communicating cocks C, C, and add to the
paste (well stirring it at the same time) two and a half fluid ounces of con-
centrated sulphuric acid, previously diluted with the same quantity of water,
to each pound of sugar of lead; we then repeat the same operation, namely, the
pump E being gently worked until the liquor is nearly pumped up clear, then
turn on the under communicating cock C and cock D, and let the clear liquor
run into standing vat, Figure 10 or 11. We then neutralize the excess of acid,
if necessary, by adding soda of commerce or other alkaline carbonates or caustic
alkalies; the quantities are to be varied according to the alkali employed, as
is well understood. Should a solid extract be required, evaporate in earthen
pans, fixed in a water bath, or as shewn in Figure 6.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention, we would have it
understood that we make no claim to any of the parts of the apparatus
separately; but what we claim is,-
First, the mode of extracting coloring, tannin, and other matters from
vegetable and animal substances by causing the water or liquid to be raise:l
and caused to flow over from the boiler or vessel A, by means of the steam
and heated air therein on to the substance under operation, and return again
into the boiler or vessel A, continually heated, and to be again and again raised
therefrom and caused to flow over fresh quantities of the substance from which
the extract is to be obtained.
Secondly, we claim the raising the liquor from the vessel A by means of
pumps, when the liquor is successively returned into the vessel A, and therein
kept heated between, throwing it on successive quantities of wood or other
matter from which extracts are obtained.
Thirdly, we claim the application of a refrigerator or condenser to the tank
or vessel wherein the substances are operated on, in order to condense and
convey back the products evaporated therefrom, as above described.
And, lastly, we claim the mode of treating extracts of vegetable matters to
obtain coloring matter and tannin, by rendering the chemical matters by
which the precipitate has been obtained insoluble, and thus setting the coloring
matter and tannin free.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Maltby, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this 7th day of September, One thousand eight hundred