IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF SOAP
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cowan, of the Firm of L. Cowan and Sons,
of Hammersmith Bridge Works, Barnes, in the County of Surrey,
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SOAP."
Sealed the 1st February 1870, and dated the 13th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cowan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th August 1869.
I, JOHN COWAN, of the Firm of L. Cowan and Sons, of Hammersmith
Bridge Works, Barnes, in the County of Surrey, Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN:
THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP," to be as follows:-
I manufacture an improved soap by the admixture of tallow; palm
oil, or other grease, fat, or saponifying oil, or of the stearine of the same,
or of hard portions thereof, with resin, vegetable wax, or other resinous

page_text: gum, preferring but not restricting myself to 10 cwt. of tallow, oil, fat,
or stearine to 1 cwt. resin. I thus form a saponaceous compound which
I subject to the process of "fitting," so as to separate the nigre and
other impurities, whereby I obtain a refined and purified soap, and I
subject the refined and purified portions of the soap thus produced
to the action of a strong solution of alkaline lees forced into them
preferably in a steam boiler under a pressure generally of 40 lbs. to
the square inch, whereby I obtain an improved curd soap. I some-
times dispense with the resin, vegetable wax, or resinous gum in manu-
facturing my improved soap, and I can vary the amount of pressure
and the proportions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Cowan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COWAN, of the Firm of L. Cowan and Sons, of Hammersmith Bridge
Works, Barnes, in the County of Surrey, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Cowan, Her special licence that I, the
said John Cowan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Cowan, 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 SOAP,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Cowan, 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

page_text: date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Cowan, 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, that is to say:-
I manufacture a soap by the admixture of tallow, palm oil, or other
saponifying grease, fat, or oil or, of the hard stearine of the same, or of
hard portions thereof, with resin, vegetable wax, or other resinous gum,
preferring but not restricting myself to the proportions of 10 cwt.
tallow, oil, fat, or stearine to 1 cwt. resin. I thus form a saponaceous
compound which I subject to the ordinary process of "fitting," so as to
separate the "nigre" and other impurities, whereby I obtain a refined
and purified soap, and I subject the refined and purified portions of the
soap thus produced to the action of a strong solution of alkaline lyes
forced into it in a steam boiler under a pressure of about 40 lbs. to
the square inch, whereby I obtain an improved curd soap. I sometimes
dispense with the resin, vegetable wax, or resinous gum in manu-
facturing my improved soap.
I now proceed to describe more particularly in what manner the
Invention may be carried into practical effect; I mix one hundred-
weight of resin, vegetable wax, or other resinous gum with ten hundred-
weight of tallow, palm oil, or other grease or greasy matter, or of the
stearine of the tallow, grease, or palm oil, or of the hard portions thereof,
so as to form a soap or saponaceous compound. I then subject the
saponaccous mass to the ordinary process of 'fitting" (a term well
known to soap makers) by which means I separate the " nigre" and
all impurities, and thus obtain the soap in a refined and purified
condition, this process not differing from that adopted by soap makers
generally; I then take the refined or purified portions of the soap
produced as above described, and I submit them to the action of a
strong solution of caustic alkaline lyes, say at about a strength of
20° Baumé, and I conduct this process in a steam boiler under a pressure
of about 40 lbs. to the square inch, whereby I produce a superior curd
soap. This soap is so homogeneous in its composition, and so compact
in its texture, that it is of suitable hardness and dryness, and it will

page_text: not shrink or twist like soap made by the ordinary processes, and it
has various other commercial, industrial, and resultant advantages.
I do not confine myself to the exact proportions above described nor
to the exact steam pressure specified, though I believe the same to be
most suitable for carrying out my Invention.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the manu-
facture of soap in the manner above set forth, that is to say, by pro-
ducing a saponaceous compound of the ingredients above set forth,
which compound after being "fitted," refined, or purified is subjected
to the action of a strong solution of alkaline lyes forced into the same
under steam pressure, substantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cowan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
E. DE PASS,
68. Fleet Street,
London.
JOHN COWAN. (L.S.)