IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CERTAIN INFLAMMABLE MATTERS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES AND SOAP
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
FERGUSSON WILSON, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, Gentle-
man, GEORGE GWYNNE, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man, and JAMES PILLANS WILSON, of Belmont, Vauxhall aforesaid, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing
date at Westminster, the Tenth day of May, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
George Fergusson Wilson, George Gwynne, and James Pillans Wilson, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said George Fergusson Wilson, George
Gwynne, and James Pillans Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
and every of them, by ourselves, or by our deputy or deputies, servants
or agents, or such others as we, the said George Fergusson Wilson, George
Gwynne, and James Pillans Wilson, our 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 of fourteen years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales,
and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of 'Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CERTAIN
INFLAMMABLE MATTERS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES AND SOAP;" in

page_text: which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso requiring us, the said
George. Fergusson Wilson, George Gwynne, and James Pillans Wilson, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, or under our hand and seal of one of us, and to cause
the same to be enrolled in the 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, the said
George Fergusson Wilson, George Gwynne, and James Pillans Wilson, do,
and each and every of us doth, hereby declare that the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
and particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
The first part of our Invention relates to a mode of treating or preparing
cocoa-nut oil, lard, and tallow. In the Specification of a Patent granted to
the said George Gwynne, and bearing date on or about the Tenth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and forty; a process is described for
boiling up solid fats and liquid oils with carbonated alkalies for the purpose
of improving the quality of common candles and liquid oils. And a process
of boiling up cocoa-nut oil and lard with carbonate of soda, is also described
in the Specification of a Patent granted to the said George Gwynne and
George Fergusson Wilson, and bearing date on or about the Twentieth day of
May, One thousand eight hundred and forty-four. Now, we have discovered
that the process of boiling described in the said Specifications is not necessary,
and that by applying alkaline agents to cocoa-nut oil, lard, or tallow, at a lower
temperature, we can use American potash advantageously in place of carbon-
ated alkalies in the process of treating or purifying these substances. And
it should be stated that we have found it important to keep down the heat of
the materials under process below boiling, as we have discovered that if they
are allowed to reach the boiling point of water when using American potash
considerable part of the materials is converted into soap.
The means which we pursue for carrying into effect this part of our Inven-
tion are the following:-Into an iron vessel provided with a coil of closed
steam-pipe we put one thousand pounds weight of American potash broken
into small pieces, and two hundred and fifty gallons of water; we then apply
heat by passing steam through the coil till the potash is dissolved, after which
we add enough water to supply the loss caused by evaporation, and then allow

page_text: the solution to repose for twelve hours in order that the impurities may settle
from it when the clear solution is drawn off. We then put ten tons of cocoa-
nut oil, or lard, or tallow, into an iron vessel provided with a similar coil of
closed steam-pipe, and melt the same by passing steam through the coil. As
soon as the heat has fallen to within about ten degrees of Fahrenheit above
the melting point of the fat under process, we add the clear potash solution
prepared as above mentioned, by pouring in the same slowly, keeping the
fat in constant agitation while the solution is being poured in. The agitation
is kept up for two hours after the whole of the solution has been added,
and the mixture is then allowed to repose for twenty-four hours. It will
be advisable to keep the room in which the operation is performed heated
to about ten degrees above the melting point of the fat under process.
We then draw off the fatty material from the dregs, and boil it up with
half its bulk of water in a wooden tub having a perforated steam-worm,
and afterwards allow it to repose for twelve hours. The water is then run
off and an equal quantity of fresh water added, and the said process of boiling
and reposing is then repeated as before. The dregs may be used in the
manufacture of soap, or the small quantity of fatty matter that they contain
may be recovered by neutralizing the potash combined with them by diluted
sulphuric acid.
The second part of our Invention relates to the manufacture of composite
candles, by which we mean candles composed of fatty acid combined with
unacidified material. Our improvement in the manufacture of composite
candles consists in the application thereto of fatty matters purified with
alkaline agents, when the fatty matters so purified have not been submitted
to pressure.
In the Specification of the said Patent granted to the said George Gwynne
and George Fergusson Wilson, and bearing date on or about the Twentieth
day of May, One thousand eight hundred and forty-four, it is mentioned that the
harder products obtained by pressing cocoa-nut oil or lard purified with alkalies
may be applied in the manufacture of composite candles, but we have found
that the process of pressing fatty matters so purified may be dispensed with.
The method of applying unpressed fatty matters purified with alkalies in the
manufacture of composite candles is the same as that practised when unpressed
fatty matters not so purified are used, and which is extensively practised and
well known. We may here observe, that in applying in the manufacture of
composite candles unpressed cocoa-nut oil purified with alkalies, we have not
found it necessary to subject the same to the before-mentioned processes of
boiling, as the object of the boiling processes is then sufficiently effected by the

page_text: usual process of boiling up the cocoa-nut oil with the stearic acid, and by the
diluted sulphuric or oxalic acid used in the last-mentioned process.
The third part of our Invention consists in an improved application of
artificial cold in candle making.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to the said James Pillans
Wilson, and bearing date on or about the Twenty-ninth day of August,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four, a process is described for
cooling candle moulds by making the frames pass through a room or space
artificially cooled. Now, we have: discovered that artificial cold in candle
making may be obtained by exposing the moulds to currents of air passing
in contact with the moulds, in place of allowing candles in moulds to cool in a
quiescent. atmosphere; and although various arrangements of apparatus may
be resorted to for causing currents of air to pass in contact with moulds
containing candles to cool, ye we prefer to apply such currents by means of a
revolving fanner or blower so placed as to produce currents of air upon the
moulds. We find this part of our Invention particularly advantageous in
making candles with Morgan's patent candle machine; in doing which we
prefer to introduce the current of air through a pipe connected with the fanner
or blower, and having its exit under the railway about halfway between the
filler and the scraping drawers.
The fourth part of our Invention consists in an improvement in the process
of acidifying the residuum or "bottoms" produced in the distillation of fatty
and oily matters.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to the said George Gwynne and
George Fergusson Wilson, and bearing date on or about the Sixteenth day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and forty-three, a method is described
for blowing out the residuum by the force of steam; and it is mentioned in the
same Specification that residuums obtained in the distillation of fatty or oily
matters may be converted into acids by the common process of saponification
and decomposition of the
soap.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to the same parties, and bearing
date the Twenty-eighth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-three, a process is described for converting fatty and oily matters into
fatty acids by mixing sulphuric acid therewith, and afterwards heating up the
mixture to a high temperature.
And in the Specification of another Patent granted to the said parties
jointly with the said James Pillans Wilson, and bearing date the Thirty-first
day of October, One thousand eight hundred and forty-four, a process is
described for obtaining similar effects by mixing. sulphuric acid with fats

page_text: previously heated to a high temperature. Now, we have found that for the
purpose of the last-mentioned process or other processes of acidification
applicable to the residuums or bottoms obtained in the' distillation of fatty or
oily matters, and requiring the matter operated upon to be heated, it is advan-
tageous to operate upon the residuums or bottoms in the heated state in
which they are taken out of the distilling vessel, by which means 'the expence
and delay of allowing the same to cool, as heretofore practised, and afterwards
heating the same are avoided. '. We effect this part of our Invention by
blowing out the residuums or bottoms by the means. described in the Speci-
fication of the said Patent of the Sixteenth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-three, or other suitable means, into the vessel in which
the process of acidifying is to be commenced, or a vessel. immediately com-
municating therewith, and commencing the process of acidifying in the manner
described in the Specification of the said Patent of the Thirty-first day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and forty-four, or other suitable manner,
before the heat of the residuum has cooled down.
The fifth part of our Invention relates to rosin..
'
In the Specification of the said Patent of the Sixteenth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-three, a process is described for dis-
tilling rosin oil, which is a substance produced by the distillation of rosin.
We have since discovered that the rosin itself can be advantageously distilled
with the air excluded during the process by an atmosphere of steam or other
suitable means. We effect this part of our Invention by an apparatus similar
to that in' use for the distillation of rosin, with the addition of a perforated
steam worm placed near the bottom of the distilling vessel, and through which
steam is constantly admitted during the process of distillation, so as to excludė
the air from the distilling vessel by keeping up an atmosphere of steam
therein; or we effect this distillation by means of heated steam, in the manner
mentioned in the said Specification of the said Patent of the Twenty-eighth
day of December, One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
The sixth part of our Invention relates to the manufacture of soap, and
consists merely in the use of distilled rosin in such manufacture. We prefer
to effect this part of our Invention in the manner now in use for the appli-
cation of undistilled rosin in the manufacture of soap, which being well known
need not be further described.
The seventh part of our Invention relates to schist oil. We effect this
part of our Invention by distilling the schist oil with the air excluded by an
atmosphere of steam or other suitable means, in a manner and by apparatus

page_text: similar to those described in the said Specification of the said Patent of the
Sixteenth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and forty-three, in
reference to the distillation of fatty and oily matters; except that instead of
terminating the condensing apparatus, as there described, with a tank, we
terminate the same with an ordinary worm set in a worm tub to condense the
more volatile products of the distillation. Or we effect this distillation by
means of heated steam in the manner mentioned in the said Specification
of the said Patent of the Twenty-eighth day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-three. In the said process of distillation we keep
separate the heavier products thereof from the lighter or more essential
products thereof. The heavier products are then distilled three or four times,
in a manner similar to that before mentioned with reference to the distillation
of the crude schist oil. The more essential products are distilled three or
four times, in a manner and by apparatus similar to that in use for the
distillation of turpentine.
The eighth part of our Invention relates to the schist itself, and consists
in admitting steam into the retorts used in the distillation of schist for the
purpose of facilitating the process of distillation and improving the products
thereof. And we effect this part of our Invention by simply introducing a
jet of steam into the retort through a suitable pipe connected with a steam
boiler.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the best means
we are acquainted with for carrying it into effect, we wish it to be understood
that we do not claim the treating of inflammable matters with alkalies
generally, nor the general application of inflammable matters so treated to
the manufacture of composite or other candles, nor the general application
of cold in candlemaking, nor do we claim the distillation of rosin or schist
oil or schist generally. But what we do claim as our Invention consists in
the following particulars, that is to say :-
First, we claim the treating of cocoa-nut oil, lard, and tallow with alkaline
agents as a means of purifying the same, when the temperature used in the
process of applying such agents does not ascend to that of boiling water. And
we claim the using American potash as an agent for purifying cocoa-nut oil,
lard, and tallow.
Secondly, we claim the using of fatty matters purified with alkaline agents,
but not submitted to pressure in the manufacture of composite candles.
Thirdly, we claim the cooling of candle moulds in the process of making
candles by subjecting the same to currents of air, as before described.

page_text: Fourthly, we claim the mode of treating residuums or bottoms by applying
the heat produced in the distillation thereof in the subsequent process of
acidifying the same.
Fifthly, we claim the distillation of rosin with the air excluded by an
atmosphere of steam or other suitable means, and we claim the distillation
thereof by means of heated steam.
Sixthly, we claim the application of distilled rosin in the manufacture of
soap.
Seventhly, we claim the distillation of schist oil with the air excluded by an
atmosphere of steam, or other suitable means. And we claim the distillation
thereof by means of heated steam.
Eighthly, we claim the admission of steam into the distilling vessel in the
process of distilling schist.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Pillans Wilson, for and on behalf
of myself and the said George Fergusson Wilson and George Gwynne,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.