IMPROVEMENTS IN DIS- TILLING FATTY AND OILY MATTERS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Aristide Michel Servan, of Philpot Lane, in
the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIS-
TILLING FATTY AND OILY MATTERS."
Sealed the 28th November 1853, and dated the 20th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Aristide Michel
Servan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th September 1853.
I, ARISTIDE MICHEL SERVAN, of Philpot Lane, in the City of London,
do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DISTILLING FATTY AND OILY MATTERS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the means now
practised in distilling fatty and oily matters, and consists of applying
pyramids (by preference triangular ones) of metal at the bottom of the
still, and when oily or fatty matters are placed in such still pumice
stone or other light cellular matter is introduced, and floats on the
surface of the fatty or oily matters; boiling water or steam at low tem-
perature is introduced in a divided state below the surface of the fatty
or oily matters. The still is heated by the direct action of fire. By
this arrangement the water carries off the heat from the pyramids, and

page_text: prevents the fatty or oily matters assuming a spheroidal form by the
contact of great heat, and the distillation is carried on under very
favorable circumstances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Aristide Michel Servan in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ARISTIDE MICHEL SERVAN, of Philpot Lane, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Aristide Michel Servan, Her special
licence that I, the said Aristide Michel Servan, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Aristide Michel Servan,
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 DISTILLING FATTY AND OILY MATTERS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Aristide Michel Servan, by an
instrument 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 Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Aristide Michel Servan, 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):
This Invention has for its object improvements in the means now

page_text: practised in distilling fatty and oily matters, and consists of applying
pyramids (by preference triangular ones) of metal at the bottom of the
still, and when oily or fatty matters are placed in such still pumice stone
or other light cellular matter is introduced, and floats on the surface of
the fatty or oily matters; boiling water or steam at low temperature is
introduced in a divided state below the surface of the fatty or oily
matters. The still is heated by the direct action of fire. By this
arrangement the water carries off the heat from the pyramids, and
prevents the fatty or oily matters assuming a spheroidal form by the
contact of great heat, and the distillation is carried on under very
favourable circumstances.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood,
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the process
pursued by me. I use a still of the description ordinarily employed
for distilling fatty matters heated by a furnace beneath, and on the
bottom of this still I place pyramids of cast iron, having each of
their sides between 2 and 3 inches long; by the side of the still
there is a small boiler containing water heated by a furnace beneath.
From this boiler proceeds a small pipe, say one quarter of an inch
in internal diameter for a still capable of distilling one ton of fatty
matter in a day, and of the same relative size for other sizes of stills.
This pipe enters and descends to the bottom of the still, where it
terminates in a rose perforated with small holes. The still is connected
with a condenser of the ordinary description, and is also furnished with
a glass tube to show the level of the liquid within the still of a similar
nature to those used for the same purpose in steam boilers. The
manner of proceeding is as follows:-The fatty matter is run into
the still so as to cover the pyramids to the depth of about eight inches,
and on the surface of the fatty matter is placed small pieces of pumice
stone to prevent the fatty matter from being projected over by the
escape of the vapour. The furnace is then lighted under the still, and
the fat is heated to a temperature of about 400° to 450° Fahrenheit,
which is indicated by a thermometer, the bulb of which is immersed in
the fatty matter. A tap is then opened to allow the water to be forced
from the small boiler (by the pressure therein, which should not

page_text: exceed 5 lbs. on the square inch) into the still, where it immediately
flashes into steam. This steam causes the fatty matter to assume the
form of vapour, which together with the steam passes to the condenser.
Care must be taken in conducting this process to introduce more
fatty matter into the still, as the quantity is diminished by evaporation,
so as to maintain always about the same level therein. I would remark,
that although I prefer to employ pyramids of a triangular form, I do
not.confine myself thereto, as the form may be varied without departing
from my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the exact details described; but what I claim is,
the employment of metallic bodies rising to or formed with points in
stills when distilling fatty or oily matters, and combined therewith the
introduction of boiling water or steam at a low temperature, and also
the use of light floating matters on the surface of fatty or oily matters
when distilling the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Aristide Michel Servan, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
four.
Witness,
GEO. PITT,
4, Old Square.
A. SERVAN. (L.S.)