Improvements in the Art of Treating Cotton-seed, Linseed, and other Vegetable Oils.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Art of Treating Cotton-seed, Linseed, and other
Vegetable Oils.
I, GEORGE WASHINGTON SCOLLAY, Chemist, a citizen of the United States,
of No. 100 Maiden Lane, in the City of New York, in the County and State of
New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My present invention relates to the art of treating cotton-seed, linseed and other
vegetable oils and they consist of two separate and distinct parts, to wit; (1) of
certain novel methods pointed out in the concluding claims; and (2) of certain
novel apparatus which may be employed in practising said methods also pointed out
in the claims. But it will be understood that these methods may be practised with
any other suitable apparatus and that the claims for the methods are not in any
sense limited by the description herein of such apparatus.
When cotton-seed, linseed or other vegetable oils are heated, to about the boiling
point certain elements are vaporized. This vapor is heavier than air, and remains
on the surface of the oil. If the boiling be continued this vapor combines with
the
oxygen with which it comes in contact, and is then converted into acrolein
which is at the temperature present a vapor or gas and which being lighter than
air immediately escapes but the process of conversion is slow, with some oils
slower than others, and long continued boiling is necessary to effect the desired
result, while the oil is discolored and is otherwise injuriously effected and the
acrolein evolved is extremely offensive.
I have discovered that by removing the vaporized elements while still in the
form of vapor, without waiting for the vapor to undergo conversion into acrolein
these difficulties are obviated, the oil is made viscid in much less time and with
much less expenditure of fuel, the color of the oil instead of being injured is
improved and no offensive gas is evolved. Moreover the condensed vapor thus
removed is a valuable product. Not only is this method applicable to the
treatment of vegetable oils which are commonly made viscid by boiling as above
described, but it is also applicable to the treatment of other vegetable oils. For
example, by such treatment the empyreumatic odor of cotton-seed oil is discharged.
My present experience seems to indicate that the best results are obtained by
avoiding an unnecessarily high temperature during treatment.
As
The treatment may be effected with any apparatus suitable for the purpose.
the vapor is heavier than air it will flow off by gravity if the sides of the vessel
containing the heated oil are not too high or if the vessel be tipped, as shown in
Fig. 1 of the drawings (which is a cross section of a kettle containing oil). It is
advantageous to provide the vessel with a spout, as the condensed vapor is thereby
led away and may be more easily collected and saved. This part of my invention
is based upon the discovery above pointed out and it consists, broadly speaking, in
removing this heavy vapor by any suitable means without waiting for it to be
converted into acrolein.
I will now describe the structure shown in Fig. 2 which is a cross section of the
device which I at present prefer to employ, although of course, others differing
radically from this might be used.
A is a tank. B are pivots attached to the tank set in suitable journals. Any
suitable means may be provided for tipping the tank or maintaining it in any
desired position as the worm and gear C. D is a cover. E is a spout attached
thereto. F is a marginal trough attached to the cover and H an opening forming
a communication between the trough and tank. I is a cooling coil through which

page_text: water flows. The cover and spout are hinged to the tank at K. L is a link
attached to a fixed support M and to the spout at N. The metal of the tank
between the pivot B and the hinge K form with L parallel twin links, by means
of which the inclination of the spout is maintained constant irrespective of the
position of the tank. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the cover and spout.
The operation of the device is as follows: The vapor from the oil passes up
through the opening H and is condensed in the trough F and flows thence out of
the spout E. By tipping the tank the level of the oil can always be kept near the
cover. The cover is always parallel with the oil in the tank, whatever the position
of the tank. Of course various modifications in the structure above described may
without departing from the spirit of my invention of improved apparatus and
without exceeding the scope of the claims therefor, be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The method of treating vegetable oils, consisting of heating the oil to a
temperature at which vapor which is heavier than air is given off and then
removing said vapor before it is converted into a vapor or gas which is lighter
than air.
2. The method of treating vegetable oils, consisting of heating the oil in a
covered vessel to a temperature at which vapor which is heavier than air is given
off and then removing said vapor before it is converted into a vapor or gas which
is lighter than air.
3. The method of treating vegetable oils, consisting of heating the oil to a
temperature at which vapor which is heavier than air is given off and then removing
said vapor by gravity before it is converted into a vapor or gas which is lighter
than air.
4. In an apparatus for treating vegetable oils, the combination of a pivoted
tank, means for controlling said tank, a trough above the oil, a spout connected
with said trough and means for permanently maintaining said trough horizontal.
5. In an apparatus for treating vegetable oil, the combination of a pivoted tank,
means for controlling said tank, a cover, an artificially-cooled trough below said
cover, a spout connected with said trough and means for permanently maintaining
said trough horizontal.
6. In an apparatus for treating vegetable oil, the combination of a pivoted tank,
means for controlling said tank, a cover, a trough below said cover, a spout rigidly
connected with said trough, hinged to said tank and means for permanently
maintaining said trough horizontal.
7. In an apparatus for treating vegetable oil, the combination of a pivoted tank,
means for controlling said tank, a cover, a trough below said cover, a spout rigidly
connected to said trough, and parallel links attached at one end to a stationary
support and at the other end to said cover and spout, for permanently maintaining
said trough horizontal.
Dated this 6th day of June 1893.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.