IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLIDIFYING PETROLEUM, SCHIST AND OTHER OILS, AND THEIR VOLATILE ESSENCES EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING PURPOSES, AND IN THE PURIFICATION AND LIQUEFACTION OF SUCH SOLIDIFIED OILS AND ESSENCES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLIDIFYING PETROLEUM, SCHIST AND OTHER OILS, AND
THEIR VOLATILE ESSENCES EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING PURPOSES, AND IN
THE PURIFICATION AND LIQUEFACTION OF SUCH SOLIDIFIED OILS AND ESSENCES."
-A communication from abroad by Charles Alfred Jordery and
Nicholas Michel Paschkoff, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th November 1871.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLIDIFYING PETROLEUM, SCHIST AND OTHER
OILS, AND THEIR VOLATILE ESSENCES EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING PURPOSES, AND
IN THE PURIFICATION AND LIQUEFACTION OF SUCH SOLIDIFIED OILS AND ESSENCES,"

page_text: whilst quickly stirring. The solidifying at first would be imperfectly
effected, since a separation 'would take place of about fifteen "parts
of the saponifying matters employed in excess, which would fall to
the bottom of the receptacle, leaving the petroleum or solidified oil
supernatant. By decanting these saponifying matters they may be
used again.
The new solidified product thus obtained with the essential oils
continues combustible, although much less vapour is evolved from it
than when in its ordinary fluid state, and under the same conditions of
temperature.
One remarkable property of these solidified bodies is, that when
placed in a mass of the form of a frustum of a cone or of any other
form on a permeable body, such as wood for example, they do not
spread on the wood when ignited, but the flame is confined to the space
occupied on the wood, whilst petroleum or liquid volatile products would
be immediately diffused over the entire surface, and the flame would
extend over the whole.
If it be desired to restore the solidified oil to its ordinary liquid
condition, in order to employ it for the purposes of illumination under
known conditions, this may be effected by the simple distillation to which
crude petroleum is necessarily subjected in order to purify it, so that by
the same operation the double result of liquefying and purifying is
obtained.
Pure petroleum and volatile oils should be subjected to a temperature
of about 140 degrees Fahrenheit in a water bath, which will effect the
separation in a few hours.
The same process may be used for oils in general, but in that case the
operation is extremely slow. A more elevated temperature must then
be employed in order to obtain the result more expeditiously.
In order to destroy the emulsion, and restore the pure petroleum and
the solidified essences to their liquid condition, the following means
may also be employed:-On the surface of the solidified oil a layer is
maintained of a weak solution of gum lac dissolved in alcohol by means
of a light sieve. As this liquid is compelled to distribute itself over the
entire surface and to permeate the whole mass, the saponifying matter
becomes separated, and leaves liquid oil free.

page_text: As regards the solidified essences the operation may be performed in
exactly the same manner, but by employing acetic acid; the acetic acid
may be revivified by the usual processes, in order to reutilize it for other
operations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my 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 SOLIDIFYING PETROLEUM, SCHIST AND OTHER OILS, AND THEIR
VOLATILE ESSENCES EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING PURPOSES, AND IN THE PURIFI-
CATION AND LIQUEFACTION OF SUCH SOLIDIFIED OILS AND ESSENCES," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Charles Alfred Jordery and Nicholas
Michel Paschkoff, of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say :-
The said Invention has for its object the obviating the various incon-
veniences attendant upon the use of petroleum, schist oils, and their
volatile essences, as also of oils in general.
These products by reason of their fluidity require great care in their
transport; they become diffused over and absorbed by the surfaces or
substances in contact therewith; and so far as relates to petroleum and
volatile oils they evolve inflammable vapours, the evolution of which,
apart from the danger incurred, constitutes a serious loss of oil.
According to this Invention it is intended to solidify these bodies so
as to form a new industrial product of greater consistence, more readily
transportable, and in the case of volatile oils evolving less vapour.
In carrying out this Invention a solution, decoction, or extract is
first prepared of the root of the soap-wort plant (saponaria officinalis),
soap-wort leaves, Panama wood, or Quillay wood (Quillaga), or any
other body having saponifying properties, such as the Gypsophilum
strutium.
In order to effect the desired solidification of the oil it is simply
requisite to place in, say, a cylindrical receptacle a quantity of the
above-solution or decoction equal to one-twentieth part by measure of
the quantity of petroleum, oil, or essence to be treated, the latter being
supplied to the receptacle continuously in small quantities in order to
effect an intimate admixture of the substances by agitation, which
operation is carried on continuously in the mixture by any suitable or
well-known means. An excess of the liquid to be solidified would not
be detrimental, as the same would remain free, and could be decanted
off after settling.
The operation may be performed more rapidly by altering the pro-
portions, and inserting in the cylinder or other vessel employed twenty
parts by measure of saponifying decoction for each eighty parts of
petroleum or oil; the whole of the latter should then be thrown into
the cylinder at once whilst quickly stirring. The solidifying at first
would be imperfectly effected, since a separation would take place of

page_text: about fifteen parts by measure of the saponifying matters employed
in excess, which would fall to the bottom of the receptacle, leaving
the petroleum or solidified oil supernatant. By decanting these saponi-
fying matters they may be used again.
The new solidified product thus obtained with the essential oils
continues combustible, although much less vapour is evolved from it
than when in its ordinary fluid state, and under the same conditions of
temperature.
One remarkable property of these solidified oils is, that when placed
in a mass of the form of a frustrum of a cone or of any other form
on a permeable body, such as wood for example, they do not spread on
the wood when ignited, but the flame is confined to the space occupied
on the wood, whilst ordinary petroleum or liquid volatile products would
be immediately diffused over the entire surface, and the flame would
extend over the whole.
If it be desired to restore the solidified oil to its ordinary liquid
condition, in order to employ it for the purposes of illuminating under
known conditions, this may be effected by the simple distillation to which
crude petroleum is necessarily subjected in order to purify it, so that
by the same operation the double result of liquefying and purifying is
obtained.
Pure petroleum and volatile oils should be subjected to a temperature
of about 140° Fahrenheit in a water bath, which will effect the separation
in a few hours.
The same process may be used for oils in general, but in that case the
operation is extremely slow; a more elevated temperature must then be
employed in order to obtain the result more expeditiously.
In order to destroy the emulsion, and restore the pure petroleum and
the solidified essences to their liquid condition, the following means may
also be employed :-On the surface of the solidified oil a layer composed
of a weak solution of gum lac dissolved in alcohol is maintained by
means of a light sieve. As this liquid is compelled to distribute itself
over the entire surface and to permeate the whole mass the saponifying
matter becomes separated, and leaves the liquid oil free.
As regards the solidified essences the operation may be performed in
exactly the same manner, but by employing acetic acid; the acetic acid