IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER OILS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.”
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Galletly and William Mac Ivor, both of
Addiewell, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Chemists,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDROCARBONS AND
OTHER OILS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Galletly and
William Mac Ivor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 18th November 1870.
We, JOHN GALLETLY and WILLIAM MAC IVOR, both of Addiewell, in
the County of Mid-Lothian, North Britain, Chemists, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDRO-
CARBONS AND OTHER OILS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:-
In the refining of paraffin oils, petroleums, naphthas, or generally that
class of bodies termed hydrocarbons, as also in the treatment of rape
oil and other vegetable and animal oils, sulphuric acid is one of the
agents usually employed, and it results from so treating them that the

page_text: above-mentioned oils or hydrocarbons are much deteriorated in quality
on account of being allowed to remain too long in contact with the said
sulphuric acid. For example, in the case of oils used for burning in
lamps, from the presence of sulphur compounds formed in the oils
through lengthened contact with the sulphuric acid, the burning quali-
ties thereof are so seriously impaired that whilst burning crusts are
formed on the wicks, occasioning smoking, white deposits also appear on
the lamp glasses, and noxious gases are produced, whilst the colour of
the oil is deteriorated and is liable to darken.
This Invention then relates to so treating the said oils by the means
or apparatus herein-after referred to, so that a rapid removal (from the
oils or hydrocarbons under treatment) of the tarry matters along with
the acids or alkalies employed in their purification or refinement is
effected.
The means or apparatus herein-before referred to, consists of a settling
vessel having the form of a shallow box. The settling vessel is fitted
with partitions running across its width arranged in such a manner as to
form a continuous channel of great length in proportion to its width.
The channel is rounded at each turn, thus securing the continuous
motion of the oil from one end of the vessel to the other. The channel
is hollowed towards the centre and is lower at the sides of the box than
in the middle so as to secure the accumulation of the tar at the turns
of the channel. Under these turns on each side of the vessel pipes are
placed to collect and remove the tar deposited, and these are connected
by narrow pipes with the lowest parts of the channel. An overflow is
fitted at the end of the. channel by which the depth of the oil may be
regulated.
In working this apparatus it is desirable that the oil on
its
passage
through the channel should occupy less than ten minutes, especially in
the case of oils for burning finished with "special treatment."
This apparatus may be employed in the treatment of oils in any stage
of purification, the rapidity at which the apparatus may be worked being
dependent on the state of purity and the nature of the oils under
treatment. Oils in the refining of which this apparatus has been
employed are superior in colour and odour to those treated in the
ordinary apparatus, and are not liable to deteriorate on keeping...
1
Obvious modifications of this apparatus whereby a similar result may
be attained are easily suggested, for instance, a coil of tube (which may

page_text: be flattened) could have. the oil slowly forced up through it, tar traps.
being placed at various heights, up the coil, but the apparatus herein-.
before described is at once the simplest, most economical, and is easily
cleansed..
It is not intended to confine the carrying out of the Invention to the.
exact forms herein-before described, but what it is intended to claim as.
novel and original in the Invention, is the rapid removal of the "tarry".
matters along with the acids or alkalies. employed from the oils under
treatment, by a continuous slow motion, in thin or shallow, layers, in,
contradistinction. to the present mode of settling in deep tanks, the oil.
being in a state of rest. An important result of the Invention is. that
by its means the treatment of the oils referred to becomes a continuous
process instead of an intermittent one as at present, thereby rendering
less plant necessary and diminishing the cost of the production of such
oils
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Galletly and William Mac Iyor, in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 17th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN.
GALLETLY and WILLIAM MAC-IVOR, both of Addiewell, in the County
of Mid-Lothian, North Britain, Chemists, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the 34th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Galletly and William Mac Ivor
Her special license that we, the said John Galletly and William Mac
Ivor, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said John Galletly and William Mac Ivor, 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
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
TREATING HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER OILS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS

page_text: EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Galletly and William Mac Ivor, by an instrument in writing
under our 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
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Ietters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Galletly and William Mac
Ivor, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures, marked
thereon, that is to say :-
In the refining of paraffin oils, petroleums, naphthas, or generally.
that class of bodies termed hydrocarbons, as also in the treatment of
rape oil and other vegetable and animal oils; sulphuric acid is one of
the agents usually employed, and it results from so treating them that
the above-mentioned oils or hydrocarbons are much deteriorated in
quality on account of being allowed to remain too long in contact with
the sulphuric acid. For example, in the case of oils for burning in
lamps, from the presence of sulphur compounds formed in the oils
through lengthened contact with the sulphuric acid, the burning
qualities thereof are so seriously impaired that whilst burning crusts
are formed on the wicks, occasioning smoking, white deposits also
appear on the lamp glasses, and noxious gases are produced, whilst
the colour of the oil is deteriorated and liable to darken.
This Invention then relates to so treating the said oils by the means
or apparatus herein-after referred to, so that a rapid removal (from the
oils or hydrocarbons under treatment) of the tarry matters along with
the acids, alkalies, or other chemicals employed in their purification or
refinement is effected.
The means or apparatus herein-before referred to consists of a settling
vessel having the form of a hollow box. The settling vessel is fitted
with partitions running across its width, arranged in such a manner as
to form a continuous channel of great length in proportion to its width.
The channel is rounded at each turn, thus securing the continuous
motion of the oil from one end of the vessel to the other. The channel
is hollowed towards the centre, and is lower at the sides of the box than

page_text: in the middle, so as to secure the accumulation of the tar at the turns of
the channel. Under these turns on each side of the vessel pipes are
placed to collect and remove the tar deposited, and these are connected
by narrow pipes with the lowest parts of the channel. An overflow is
fitted at the end of the channel, by which the depth of the. oit may be
regulated.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we
now proceed to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which
the same is or may be carried out in practice, that is to say:-
Upon the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal
section, Figure 2 is a transverse section, and Figure 3 is a plan shewing
our improved apparatus for treating hydrocarbons and other oils. The
same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts upon
the different Figures on which they occur.
Under the arrangement shewn the apparatus consists of a large
rectangular settling box or tank A, by preference constructed of strong
timber planking, and having arranged within it a series of thin plates or
sheets a, of lead, or other similar and suitable metal, so as to form a
continuous and tortuous passage or channel B leading from the end
marked C to the opposite end marked D of the settling box or tank A,
as more particularly shewn at Figure 3. The passage or channel B is
arranged with a fall from its sides towards its centre, as clearly shewn
upon its longitudinal section, Figure 1, and in like manner with a fall
towards each side of the settling box or tank A, as shown at Figure 2,
where a set of drain pipes 6 are situated, and projecting downward
communicate with the tar pipes E and E', which extend longitudinally.
beneath each side of the box or tank A, as shewn upon the Drawings.
Having now described the construction of the improved apparatus
which constitutes our Invention, the manner whereby the special treat-
ment of the oils is effected will be more clearly understood as follows:-
The oil which is discharged into the settling box or tank A flows through
the channel B from the end marked C to the opposite end marked D, as
indicated by the arrows upon Figure 3, and the tarry matter which is
deposited in the channel B is drawn off through the various drain
pipes b, (being directed thereto through the fall which is formed in the
said passage or channel B, as already set forth and shewn upon the
Drawings,) and accumulates in the large tar pipes E and E'. The said
tar pipes E and E', although not so shewn upon the Drawings, are

page_text: before described is at once the simplest, most economical, and most
easily cleansed.
An important result of the Invention is, that by its means the treat-
ment of the oils referred to becomes a continuous process instead of an
intermittent one, as at present, thereby rendering less plant necessary,
and diminishing the cost of the production of such oils, besides pro-
ducing an article of superior quality.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner of carrying the same into practical effect, we
desire to observe in conclusion, that we do not confine the carrying out.
of our Invention to the exact forms herein-before described; but what
we consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
removal from oils of the tarry matters, together with the acids or other
chemicals employed, by a continuous slow motion of the oils in thin or
shallow layers, in contradistinction to the mode at present used of
settling in deep tanks, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Galletly and William Mac
Ivor, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of
May One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
JOHN GALLETLY.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM MAC IVOR. (L.S.)