IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING THE GREASE OF COTTON SEED OIL AND OTHER FATTY MATTERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Doughty, of the City of Lincoln, Merchant,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING THE
GREASE OF COTTON SEED OIL AND OTHER FATTY MATTERS."
Scaled the 14th December 1866, and dated the 4th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Doughty at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
July 1866.
I, CHARLES DOUGHTY, of the City of Lincoln. Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DISTILLING THE GREASE OF COTTON SEED OIL AND OTHER FATTY MATTERS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for distilling
I
the grease of cotton seed oil and other fatty matters. For this purpose [
employ superheated steam in the following manner: The steam enters by a
pipe from the superheater. and passes by spiral coils of pipe into and through the
grease or matter to be distilled, discharging itself through the bottom coil or
coils, which are perforated for the purpose of allowing it to be blown in
amongst the contents of the still, and thus to facilitate the process of
distillation. The lower part of the still below the grease line may conveniently
Die S1

page_text: be jacketted and heated by free or superheated steam; or a fire may be used
externally without jacketting the still to aid the internal appliance of heat,
and thus more rapidly bring over the contents of the still. The main object
of causing the descent of the steam into the still by spiral coils is not only to
generate and accumulate the necessary heat for distillation, but to disseminate
it so equally throughout the interior of the still as to reduce any carbonisation
(or formation of pitchy matter) to a minimum, the application of external
heat alone to thick greases (especially cotton grease), causing great carboni-
sation from the difficulty with which the exterior heat permeates the mass.
Amongst the benefits derived from this mode of distillation are the rapidity
with which the products are brought over, the larger quantity and the better
quality of these fatty products and consequent decrease of pitchy residue, a
large saving in working expenses, and much more profitable results as a
whole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Doughty in the Great Seat Patent Office on the 3rd
January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DOUGHTY, of the City of Lincoln, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Doughty, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Doughty,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said Charles
Doughty, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec
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 APPARATUS FOR
DISTILLING THE GREASE OF COTTON SEED OIL AND OTHER FATTY MATTERS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Doughty, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention. and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Doughty, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 apparatus for distilling
the grease of cotton seed oil and other fatty matters. For this purpose l
employ superheated steam in the following manner:-The steam enters by a
pipe from the superheater, and passes by spiral coils of pipes into and through
the grease or matter to be distilled, discharging itself through the bottom coil
or coils, which are perforated for the purpose of allowing it to be blown in
amongst the contents of the still, and thus to facilitate the process of
distillation. The lower part of the still below the grease line may conveniently
be jacketted and heated by superheated steam; or a fire may be used
externally without jacketting the still to aid the internal appliances of heat,
and thus more rapidly bring over the contents of the still.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is a longitudinal section of the still and apparatus connected
therewith; Figure 2 is a plan of the still with the head removed; Figure 3
is a plan of the condenser. a, a, is the still, say of four feet diameter and of
suitable size to take a ton of grease; but the still may of course be made
larger or smaller as required, the coil and fittings being made to correspond; b
is a copper pipe, say one and a half inches diameter, and connected with a boiler
of sufficient size to maintain twenty pounds of pressure when the pipe is fully
open; and between the boiler and the coil b' within the still a superheater is
interposed of sufficient size when required to heat the full quantity of steam
capable of passing through the pipe to a. temperature of five hundred degrees;
so high a heat is not however usually required in working. The copper pipe ↳
is continued through the still by four or five horizontal coils of 2 feet diameters,
marked b', ending in three lower convolutions, which form a nearly flat worm,
and are perforated at the top, bottom, and sides, so as to allow the steam to
escape freely in all directions; there is a safety valve a' at the top of the still,
as is usual. is a fire-place under the still with its fire flues d' passing on each
side of the still; or for these a jacket to receive superheated steam may be

page_text: substituted. The condenser e is of larger size than is usual, as more steam is
employed than has heretofore been customary, and passages e', e', are provided,
so that the steam may pass freely from one limb to the other of the condenser
without blowing through any condensed grease which may have been allowed
to accumulate in the bend. The still having been charged with grease (say
colton seed grease) I cominence working by the admission of free steam
blown freely through the coils (at about twenty pounds pressure on the boiler).
and in about half an hour light a fire under the superheater, and gradually
increase the heat for another half hour, at which time I light the fire (or turn
on the superheated steam) under the still itself, and from this time I keep the
external and internal heat as nearly alike as possible until the grease has
gradually arrived at distilling point, taking care not to exceed a temperature
of four hundred degrees if possible until nearly the close of the distillation,
when a further steam pressure and greater external heat may advantageously
be applied to bring over the latter products of the still. By this mode of
working with spiral coils a greater quantity of steam may be employed, even to
the extent of working with full bore of one and a half inch cock; and as by
this method nearly 3 parts of water to one part of grease has to be condensed
It is advisable to have ample condensing power, or the good effects of the
distillation may he interfered with. The main object of causing the descent
of the steam into the still by spiral coils is not only to generale and accumulate
the necessary heat for distillation, but to disseminate it so equally throughout
the interior of the still as to reduce any carbonisation (or formation of pitchy
matter) to a minimum, the application of external heat alone to thick greases
(especially cotton grease) causing great carbonisation, from the difficulty with
which the exterior heat permeates the mass.
Amongst the benefits derived from this mode of distillation are, the rapidity
with which the products are brought over the larger quantity, and the better
quality of the fatty products and consequent decrease of pitchy residue, a
large saving in working expenses, and much more profitable results as a whole.
In witness whereof. I, the said Charles Doughty, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES DOUGHTY. (L.s.)