IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION AND PURIFICATION OF ROSIN OIL
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE DISTILLATION AND PURIFICATION OF ROSIN OIL."-A com-
munication.
Sealed the 16th November 1853, and dated the 16th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th August 1853.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION AND PURIFICATION
OF ROSIN OIL" to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to a novel construction of
iron kettle or still, which has the form of the segment of an egg. It
is set in a furnace composed of brickwork, and rests upon a central
block of cast iron. The thickness of metal in the kettle is greatest at
the bottom, and it gradually decreases until at the upper edge of the
kettle the metal is reduced by about one half. This is to guard against.
cracking from sudden expansion or contraction of the metal. The
kettle is covered by a dome-shaped still head, which is firmly secured;

page_text: to the lip of the kettle (when the apparatus is in operation) by screw
bolts, the joint being packed to prevent leakage.
Connected to the still head is an arrangement of serpentine pipes
for discharging the oil during the process of distillation, and separating
it from the other products of distillation. The cast iron still is supplied
with rosin by a pipe leading from a rosin reservoir, and extending to
near the bottom of the still. The serpentine pipe is connected at
different parts of its length with small coolers containing worms, and
at its extremity with the worm of a large cooler.
By the use of this apparatus in the process of making rosin oil the
charging and discharging the still may be effected without the necessity
of unluting, and the incrustation of the still will be in great part pre-
vented. The separation also of the oil from the more volatile products
will be effected at different and distinct points remote from the still,
instead of being discharged altogether, as has heretofore been done.
When the oil has passed through the coolers it may be treated in
the following manner for the purpose of effecting its purification:-
At the outlet of the woim of the cooler is a wooden trough which
receives the condensed oil. This trough is lined with sheet lead or zinc,
and has a quantity of chloride of lime or other cheap chloride strewn
upon its bottom, over which the oil issuing from the worm slowly flows,
and thereby becomes bleached and deodorized. When the oil has all
flowed through the worm it is succeeded by a flow of bright varnish
from each charge of the retort, which is collected in another reservoir.
The residuary carbonaceous substance left in the retort is cleaned out
after every charge, and may be sold as a base for black paint and
printer's ink. The trough terminates at a suitable reservoir.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 16th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special license that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION AND PURIFICATION OF ROSIN OIL,"
being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is
to say):
The first part of this Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, relates to the employment in the distillation of
rosin oil of a novel construction of cast iron kettle or still, which some-
what resembles in form the segment of an egg. This kettle is intended
to be set in a furnace composed of brickwork, and to rest upon a
central block of cast iron.
The thickness of metal in the kettle is greatest at the bottom, and it
gradually decreases until at the upper edge of the kettle the metal
is reduced in thickness by about one half. The object in constructing

page_text: the kettle of an egg shape, and in forming it of a varying thickness, is
to guard against cracking from the sudden expansion or contraction of
the metal.
The kettle or still is closed by a dome-shaped head or cover, which
is firmly secured to the lip of the kettle (when the apparatus is in
operation) by screw bolts, the joint being packed to prevent leakage.
In the accompanying Drawing, which shews rather the relative con-
nection of the various parts of the distilling apparatus than the con-
struction of the parts themselves, A, is the cast iron kettle or still;
connected to the still head is an arrangement of serpentine pipes B, B,
for discharging the oil during the process of distillation, and separating
it from the other products of distillation. The cast iron still is sup-
plied with rosin by a pipe C, which leads from a rosin reservoir D,
and extends to near the bottom of the still. The serpentine pipe B, B,
is connected at different parts of its length with small coolers E, E,
containing worms, and at its extremity with the worm of a large
cooler F. By the use of this apparatus in the process of making
rosin oil the charging and discharging the still may be effected with-
out the necessity of unluting, and the incrustation of the still will be
in great part prevented.
The separation also of the oil from the more volatile products of
distillation will be effected at different and distinct points remote from
the still, instead of being discharged all together, as las heretofore been
done, into a common receptacle.
When the oil has passed through the coolers it may be treated in the
following manner for the purpose of effecting its purification:-At the
outlet of the worm of the cooler a wooden trough is to be placed for
the purpose of receiving the condensed oil. This trough is lined with
sheet lead or zinc and chloride of lime, or other cheap chloride is
strewn upon the bottom of the trough. The oil, as it issues from the
worm, flows slowly over the bed of chloride of lime, which taking up
the coloring matters and other impurities contained in the oil effects the
bleaching and deodorizing of the oil.
When the oil given off from one charge of rosin ceases to flow
from the worm it is succeeded by a discharge of bright varnish, which

page_text: must be collected in a separate receiver. The residuary carbonaceous
matters contained in the kettle or still must not be allowed to accumu-
late to an undue degree, or they would greatly retard the distilling
operation, and cause the rapid destruction of the still. When removed
from the still the residual product may be applied with advantage as a
base for black paint or for printer's ink.
The plan which I prefer for removing this residual product is to blow
into the still steam at a high pressure, which will dissolve the product
and permit of its facile discharge together with the steam.
Having now described the Invention of "Improvements in the Dis-
tillation and Purification of Rosin Oil," as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the use of a kettle or still constructed as described, and capa-
ble of resisting to a great extent the injurious effects of unequal
contraction and expansion to which such vessels are subjected.
Secondly, I claim the process herein set forth for distilling off the
oil, and separating it from the more volatile products at distinct parts
of the still, and simultaneously with the conduct of these operations
effecting the bleaching and deodorizing of the oil.
In witness whercof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of Feb-
ruary, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)