IMPROVEMENT OF THE ART OF MAKING SOAP FROM FATS AND OILS, AND APPARATUS FOR PRACTICING SUCH IMPROVEMENT
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lionel Varicas, of 2, Montague Place, Russell Square,
London, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENT OF
THE ART OF MAKING SOAP FROM FATS AND OILS, AND APPARATUS FOR
PRACTICING SUCH IMPROVEMENT." A communication from abroad by Henry
Heckel, of the City of Cincinnati, in the County of Hamilton and State of
Ohio, one of the United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Lionel Varicas at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1882.
"
LIONAL VARICAS, of 2, Montague Place, Russell Square, London, in the County
of Middlesex. 'IMPROVEMENT OF THE ART OF MAKING SOAP FROM FATS AND
OILS, AND APPARATUS FOR. PRACTICING SUCH IMPROVEMENT." A communication
from abroad by Henry Heckel, of the City of Cincinnati, in the County of
Hamilton and State of Ohio, one of the United States of America.
This Invention relates to the manufacture of soap from fats. The practice now
is to saponify fats with alkalies without any previous treatment of the fat, looking
to preliminary decomposition of the same.
The result is a comparatively slow saponification, and all the glycerine which
does not remain in the soap mechanically suspended is carried off in the waste.
alkaline solution and lost. The object of my Invention is to prepare fats for
instant saponification, and to save all the glycerine. To this end my Invention
consists of the preliminary extraction of the glycerine from fats in their neutral
condition by the direct action of the steam and water under a pressure of about
one hundred and fifty pounds, whereby a soap stock is produced susceptible of
instant saponification by compounding it with an alkali or alkaline solution.
Besides the important advantage of saving all the glycerine from the fats, the
whole process of soap making is materially shortened by the practice of my Inven-
tion, and I have also found by actual tests that soap made from fats according to
it is of better quality, all other things being equal, than soap made from fats
...

page_text: according to the old. process. The annexed Drawing illustrates one form of
apparatus by which fats may be prepared for saponification in accordance with my
Invention."
Fig. 1 represents a central vertical section through the tank or digester in which
is carried on.
the process
Fig. 2 represents a cross section of the tank near the bottom to shew the
arrangement of the pipes near the bottom. A is the tank or digester, in the upper
part of which is located a diaphragm provided with perforations w. The bottom
of the tank is made somewhat conical in shape, as shewn in the Drawing.
The fats or oils to be decomposed are introduced into the digester A through the
inlet pipe A (by opening the valves a³ and a) until the tank is about one half
full, when the valves a, a, are closed. The valve b, b', are now opened, permitting
steam from a boiler to enter the digester through the pipes C, C¹. The pipe C
passes to the bottom of the digester, where its lower end is preferably coiled
horizontally, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower end of this pipe C is provided
with perforations t, through which the steam escapes into the digester.
The steam entering at the bottom passes upwardly through the digester, keeping
the oil or fat of a uniform temperature throughout. The steam is kept passing in
until the pressure within the digester is nearly equal to that within the boiler,
which should be at least 100lbs, to the square inch. The valves a' and a are now
opened, and hot water from a boiler is introduced into the digester through the
pipes B and A. Enough hot water is introduced to bring the level of the fat and
water to about the line c when the valves a, a', are closed.
The fact that the mixture has reached this point is determined by the escape of
liquid from a try cock located outside of the digester, and connected by a suitable
pipe to the end of pipe 2 located within the boiler.
The inner end of this try pipe 2, as well as the inner ends of try pipes 1, 3, and
4, is perfectly provided with a strainer, as indicated in Fig. 1. Try pipes 1, 2, 3,
and 4 are at different levels within the digester, and are provided on the outside
of the digester with try cocks, and by means of them the level of the mixture in
Within
the digester may be ascertained, as is ordinarily done in steam boilers.
the digester just below the level C is placed a centrifugal or rotary pump D
operated by the shaft d, which receives its motion from any ordinarily constructed
gearing, such as the pulley d' shewn on Fig. 1. The shaft d is held in position by
braces g, and to make the joint with the digester tight passes through the stuffing
box H. The lower portion of the stuffing box H is surrounded by the casing h
forming the chamber h¹, into which cold water to prevent box h from becoming
over heated is introduced at h², passing out at h³. D' is the influent pipe of the
pump D;
it reaches nearly to the bottom of the digester. The pump D discharges
through the pipe D², which passes nearly to the top of the digester.
It is now necessary to return to the description of the operation, which was
interrupted after the description of charging the digester.
The rotary pump D is now set in motion, and the water, which being heavier
than the oil has settled to the bottom, is thrown in the upper part of the digester,
falling on the perforated diaphragm E, from which it falls in a finely divided, state
in the fat beneath. The pump continuing in action a gradual mixture of the oil
and water takes place until finally perfect emulsion is formed. While the process
of emulsifying the fat is proceeding the valves b, b', are open, letting steam enter,
which preserves a uniform temperature throughout the mass, and also keeps the
latter under a heavy pressure, which is preferably about 150 pounds to the square inch.
The steam thus introduced is partially condensed, thereby raising the level of
the liquid. The heighth to which the liquid is permitted to rise is determined by
the cocks attached to the try pipes 3 and 4. The mixture should not be permitted
to rise above the level of try pipe 3, as the space above is necessary to secure the
fine division of the water falling through the diaphragm E, and also that the
emulsion may come in contact with the steam after leaving the diaphragm, and
after being finely divided. If the liquid or emulsion rises to this point,. a portion

page_text: .
of it is drawn off in the following manner: The. pump is stopped, and valve b
closed and valves a, a² opened, so as to keep up the pressure. of steam within the
digester. The water will then settle to the bottom of the digester when valve 63 is
opened, and the pressure within the digester forces the water out through pipes C¹
and F into a suitable receiving vessel. Sufficient water having been withdrawn,
valves a, a, and 63 are closed, valve b opened, and the pump again started.
When the operation of pumping and mixing has been carried on for a sufficient
length of time (about 7 hours being required by my apparatus when the pressure is
as low as 150 lbs. to the square inch, and a shorter additional time when the
pressure. is more than 150lbs. per square inch, and which period can be ascertained
by subjecting some of the liquid to the proper tests) the motion of the pump is
stopped, and the liquid allowed to remain at rest a short time, the pressure within
the digester being kept up however by opening valves a² and a and closing valve b.
The water containing the glycerine will now gradually.separate from the other
portion, and settle to the bottom. By the above described operation the glycerine
has been separated from its combination with the fats or oils, and is taken up by
the water and remains in solution in it as the latter settles to the bottom of the
digester, leaving the other parts in the upper part of the digester.
When the water containing the glycerine in solution, has separated from
the fat or oils and settled to the bottom of the digester, is determined by examining
some of the fluid drawn off through pipe 1. The valves 61, 62, are now opened, and
the solution of glycerine is forced through the pipe C and F into a suitable
receptacle. When the other portion of the fat begins to come. over they are
directed into another receptacle. The drawing off of the glycerine and the balance
of the product is effected by pressure continually kept up in the digester, the
valves a, a, being open.
We now have the glycerine separated from the fat. The solution of the glycerine
is conveyed to evaporating pans, where the water is evaporated, and the glycerine
remains in a crude state. The residue is soap stock, ready for immediate and
instant saponification by compounding it with alkali or an alkaline solution. If
the saponification is to be effected in the ordinary iron kettle now generally used
by soap makers for that purpose, the alkaline solution should be first introduced
into the kettle, and started aboiling, and then the soap stock gradually added,
preferably by showering it into the kettle by means of a trough provided with
numerous perforations. If the acid soap stock were first introduced into an iron
kettle, as is customary now, not only would the latter be attacked and injured by
the stock; but the color of the soap would also be darkened as a result of such attack.
Hence it is desirable to saponify the stock before it comes in contact with the iron
kettle, and that is effected by proceeding as above directed. The showering of the
stock into the alkaline solution is not essential but will be found advantageous in
that it insures a smooth saponification and prevents lumpiness.
Placing the pump inside dispenses with a number of joints, and prevents cooling
of the pump and its connections, and the consequent cooling of the mixture, but I
do not desire to confine myself to the placing of the pump inside the digester, as it
may be arranged outside.
I have mentioned a pressure of 150 pounds representing 352° F. In actual
practice I have used a pressure varying from 150 pounds to 160 pounds, which has
given perfectly satisfactory results, but I desire it to be understood that the
pressure may be much below or much above that given and actually used by me,
the process being protracted by using a lesser pressure, and accelerated by using a
greater pressure. I have found in actual practice the glycerine obtained by my
process is of exceptional purity, being free from lime and acids and other foreign
impurities.
Although I have described this process as particularly intended for the prepara-
tion of soap-stock, and for extraction of glycerine from fats to be used thereafter
for soap-stock, yet it will be understood that the same process of extracting
glycerine from fats may be used in the art of candle making, and where-ever it

page_text: may be necessary or desirable to decompose fats for the purpose of separating
glycerine from them.
So far as the practice of this process (hereinafter claimed) is concerned, I do not
desire to limit myself to the particular apparatus I have described, as other and
differently constructed apparatus may be used for that purpose.
I also desire to state that I am aware that fats have been decomposed heretofore
by water under heat and pressure; and for the purpose of extracting glycerine from
such fats, and that therefore I do not claim such a process broadly; but what I do
claim as this Invention is,
1. The improvement of the art of making soap from fats, which consists of first
. extracting the glycerine from such fats in their neutral condition by the direct
action of steam and water under a pressure of about 150 pounds (so that the use of
any chemicals is not necessary), and then saponifying the resultant stock, substan-
tially as before set forth.
2. The improvement of the art of separating glycerine from fats, which consists
in heating the fat in admixture with water by the direct action of steam under a
pressure of about 150 pounds, and showering the heated admixture through a
confined volume of steam under pressure, substantially as before set forth.
3. In a digester for decomposing fats the combination of a broad flat perforated
diaphragm located and operated in the steam space and above the fat and water
line, and the pipes D¹, D², pump D, perforated steam pipe C¹, by which the steam
is directed in jets into and caused to flow up through the mass, substantially as
before set forth.
4. In a digester for decomposing fats the combination of a perforated diaphragm
located and operated in the steam space and above the fat and water line of the
digester, the circulating pump D with its suction pipe D¹ and discharge pipe D2
all within the digester and perforated steam pipe C¹, by which the steam is
directed in jets into and caused to flow up through the mass, substantially as before
set forth.
5. Digester A provided with steam pipe C¹, inlet pipe A¹, pipes C and B and F,
perforated diaphragm E, pump D, inlet pipe D¹, outlet pipe D2, all combined
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lionel Varicas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty eighth day of March, in the year. of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
LIONEL VARICAS. (L.S.)