AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN. KINDS OF SOAP
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hugh Anderson, of No. 1, Palace Villas,
Widmore Lane, Bromley, in the County of Kent, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
CERTAIN. KINDS OF SOAP."
Sealed the 25th April 1871, and dated the 27th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hugh Anderson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th October 1870.
I, JOHN HUGH ANDERSON, of No. 1, Palace Villas, Widmore Lane,
Bromley, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE.
MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN KINDS OF SOAP," to be as follows:-
:
In the manufacture of soap there is an operation performed termed
"crutching," which has for its object the thorough commingling of the
soapy mass.
It is the final operation previous to casting the soap into.
the "frames" for cooling and solidifying, and thereafter cutting into
slabs and bars, and it is by this operation also that the coloring matters.

page_text: and essential oils are incorporated in making "perfumed" or "fancy"
soaps.. Hand labor is generally employed for this purpose, that
being found most effective, and usually six men are engaged in thus
"crutching" about half a ton of soap in a pan. Steam power is also
in some instances applied, and a perpendicular or upright shaft rotating
in a pan with blades radiating therefrom is well adapted for crutching
"close
" stiff
"
Or run” soaps, but it is inoperative when subjecting a
bodied soap or a "curd" soap to its action, as the soap is then to a
considerable extent driven by it in a mass and the work performed is
found to be very deficient or imperfect, for this reason hand labour
is generally preferred.
""
"
Now I have found by employing a suitably shaped vessel with a
steam-heating jacket to regulate temperature and a revolving, horizontal
shaft provided with blades working through a stuffing box, the difficulty
with regard to "crutching" a stiff bodied or a "curd" soap is over-
come and a satisfactory result is obtained, with great economy of time
and saving of labor.
66
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hugh Anderson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HUGH ANDERSON, of No. 1, Palace Villas, Widmore Lane, Bromley, in
the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Hugh Anderson, Her special
licence that I, the said John Hugh Anderson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Hugh Anderson,
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

page_text: "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN
KINDS OF SOAP," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Hugh Anderson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 John Hugh Anderson, 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 :-
"
In the manufacture of certain kinds of soap there is an operation
performed termed "crutching" which has for its object the thorough
commingling of the soapy mass. This is the final operation previous to
the flow of or the "casting" the soap into the "frames" for cooling and
solidifying in order to the cutting of it into slabs and bars. It is in this
operation also that any coloring matters or essential oils are incorporated
with the soap for the making of "perfumed or "fancy" soaps.
Hand
labor is generally employed in this process of "crutching," that having
hitherto been found most effective for the purpose; usually six men are
engaged in thus "crutching" about half a ton of soap in a "pan.”
Steam power is also in some instances, or has been proposed to be applied,
and in such case a perpendicular or upright shaft with blades radiating
therefrom was employed to rotate in the "pan," an arrangement which
is well adapted for " crutching " "close or run soaps, but which is
inoperative when subjecting a "stiff bodied
"curd" soap
to its action, as the soap is then to a considerable extent driven by
such arrangement in a mass and the work performed is found to be
very deficient or imperfect. For this reason hand labor is generally
preferred.
"
"
"
"
soap or a
Now I have found by employing a suitably shaped vessel provided
with a heated jacket to regulate the temperature of the contained
matters, and with a revolving horizontal shaft furnished with blades,
such shaft working through stuffing boxes, the difficulty with regard to
crutching a "stiff bodied " or a "curd soap is overcome, and a
satisfactory result is obtained with great economy of time and saving
of labor.
<<
""
"

page_text: Figure 1 shows an end view; Figure 2, an under side view; Figure 3
a longitudinal section; and Figure 4, a transverse section of apparatus
arranged according to my Invention. In each of the views the same
letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a, a, is the
pan which is provided with an outer case or jacket 6, and the space
between is adapted to receive by suitable pipes steam or other heating
media, as also other pipes for the passing away of the water of con-
densation, and also for the introduction of cold or other water or cooling
media as may be required. This pan a is provided with a horizontal
shaft c which passes through suitable stuffing boxes a¹, a¹, and carries a
toothed or other suitable wheel c', which receives motion from a pinion
or other suitable means from a steam engine or other power to give
rotary motion to the shaft c at the speed desired. The shaft c is
provided with a series of arms d carrying blades e which in the rotation
of the shaft act upon the soapy matter contained in the pan a to effect
the thorough admixture of such matters. f is a neck which is closed
by the valve g by which the contained matters may be discharged from
the pan a.
The valve g is supported so as to be capable of turning on
the pin g', and facility for movement thereto is obtained by the valve g
being provided with a handle g². It is also held in close contact with
the lower surface of the neck f by means of the spring guide h. i is a
moveable cover to the pan. Provision is also made by which free steam
may be admitted amongst the soapy matters under operation in the
pan a when desired.
There is also a safety valve connected with the
jacket b, but which with the inlet and outlet pipes or passages I have
not thought it necessary to show.
In carrying out my Invention I proceed as follows:-I charge the pan
with the soap either in the hot state direct from the soap copper in
which it has been made, and then set the shaft c in motion.
If I am making a "fancy" soap I then add the suitable "color"
and essential oil thereto, but if the soap be in the cold state or con-
sisting of cuttings or scraps, I charge the pan therewith and melt them
down by means of heat supplied to the jacket or by the introduction of

page_text: free steam amongst the soapy matters, or in some cases I employ both
heat to the jacket and free steam to the matters under operation. When
the matters under operation have become sufficiently softened by the
heat applied to them, I then set the shaft c in motion and proceed as
above described. After the apparatus has been in operation some time
I open the valve g slightly so as to allow the portion of matter con-
tained in the neck f to escape into a pail or other vessel from which I
return it to the pan to be again mixed so as thereby to obtain a clearance
of the matter which may have settled in the neck f. When the opera-
tion by the blades e has proceeded so that judging as is usual from the
general appearance it may be considered that the process of working or
"crutching" has been sufficiently accomplished, the operator will place
under the neck or outlet a "frame" or receiver, and when this "frame"
or receiver has been filled he will sometimes " pack or stir the soap
mixture in this "frame" or receiver for a short time, to aid in letting
out any air which may have become mixed therewith.
"
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangements of parts as shown and
described, as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of my Invention; but what I claim is, the improved method
of operating in the process commonly called "crutching" in the manu-
facture of certain kinds of soap by the employment for that purpose of
a suitable vessel provided with a horizontal revolving shaft or axis
carrying arms and blades acting substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hugh Anderson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
ABO