IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUOYANT OR FLOATING SOAP
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUOYANT OR FLOATING SOAP." A
communication from abroad by Jacob Hilgers, of Rheinbrohl, Germany.
Sealed the 8th October 1878, and dated the 13th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BUOYANT OR FLOATING SOAP." [A communication from abroad by Jacob Hilgers, of
Rheinbrohl, Germany.]
The Invention relates to the production of soap which will float on water. Soap
possessing this quality will be a great advantage to bathers, whether in open water
or in a bath enclosed in a building, the unpleasantness which is caused by the soap
slipping away and disappearing being remedied by means of my said Invention.
I am aware that floating soap has been heretofore manufactured, but not upon
the principle I propose to adopt, for instance, so-called froth soaps, which are not
made of common quality.
By practising my said Invention any kind of soap may be made to float.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I enclose within the soap a body,
which is of a less specific gravity than water, and so much less that the piece of
soap which is connected therewith, is also made of a less specific gravity than
water, and therefore floats. There are a great number of such bodies which are
suitable for this purpose, for instance, a hollow glass ball, a ball or hollow body of
paper made waterproof, the bark of fir or pine, and cork. I prefer to use for this
purpose fir bark and cork, owing to their lightness, sinall cost, being not easily
broken, and their resistance to the influence of water. A small piece of this bark
or cork having being cut to a form corresponding with the outside form of the
cake of soap is enclosed in the same, when it is cast or moulded. The size of the

page_text: enclosed body depends entirely upon the size of the cake of soap, but a small picco
of cork or fir bark relatively to the size of the piece of soap is sufficient to cause
the latter to float.
I also propose to effect the object of this Invention by providing cavities in the
soap, instead of having a piece of cork, bark, or other substance enclosed therein, as
herein-before described.
In carrying this part of said Invention into practice I unite two pieces of soap
by means of liquid soap, and each of these picces has recesses (which may be of any
shape) pressed into their inner surfaces, so that there will be hollow spaces or
cavities inside the piece of soap, and which cavities may be of a spherical or any
other shape, and will make the volume of the cake of soap such that in proportion
to its volume it is of a less weight than water.
The manufacture of soap according to this Invention may be easily effected, and
is not costly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Williain Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th October 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BUOYANT OR FLOATING SOAP." A communication from abroad by Jacob Hilgers, of
Rheinbrohl, Germany.
This Invention relates to the production of soap which will float on water, and
which will be very advantageous for bathers in either open water or in an enclosed
bath. By this Invention the unpleasantness caused by the slipping away and
disappearance of the soap will be obviated.
I am aware that floating soaps of various kinds have been already manufactured,
but these do not resemble mine, for instance, the so-called "froth soaps," which are
not made of common quality.
By my Invention any quality of soap may be made capable of floating.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I enclose within the soap a body or
substance of a less specific gravity than water, and so much less that this body,
with the piece of soap combined therewith, is also of a less specific gravity than
water, and therefore Hoats. There are a great number of such bodies or substances
which are suitable for the purpose of this Invention; for instance, a hollow glass
ball, a ball or hollow body of paper made waterproof, the bark of fir or pine, and
cork, and the like. The first two kinds of the above-named bodies, although they
may be serviceable, are not advantageously applicable for the purpose of my In-
vention by reason of the liability of the glass to break, and because of the incon-
venience and difficulty connected with the manufacture of the other materials. I
therefore prefer to use for this purpose the bark and cork, which are very advan-

page_text: tageous, by reason of their lightness, their slight cost, their non-liability to be
easily broken, and their resistance to the effect of the water. A small piece of this
bark or cork having been cut to a shape corresponding with the external form of
the cake of soap is enclosed in the same, when the soap is cast or melted. The
size of the enclosed body obviously depends upon the size of the cake of soap; a
small piece of cork or fir bark relatively to the size of the piece of soap is sufficient
to cause the latter to float.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a section showing the enclosed cork or bark a in the inside of a pieco
of soap b; Figure 2 is a plan showing in dotted lines the shape of the said cork or
fir bark.
I also propose to effect the object of this Invention by providing cavities in the
soap, instead of having a piece of cork, bark, or other comparatively light substances
enclosed therein, as herein-before described.
This modification of the said Invention is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, and is
carried into practice by uniting two pieces of soap b, b¹, by means of liquid soap;
each of these pieces b, 61, has recesses a, a, of any suitable shape pressed into their
inner surfaces, so that there will be hollow spaces or cavities insido the soap. Theso
cavities may be of a spherical or any other shape, and will make the volume of the
cake of soap such that the specific gravity of the said cake of soap will be less than
that of water.
The manufacture of soap according to this Invention may be casily effected, and
is not costly.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim, the improvements in the manufacture of soap, whereby the same is
made buoyant or capable of floating on water, either by the employment, in com-
bination with the soap, of cork, bark, or other substance of comparatively small
specific gravity, or by making the soap with cavities, spaces, or chambers, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.