IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP
Year: 1854

page_text: thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John William Partridge, Her special licence that I, the said John William
Partridge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
aid John William Partridge, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John William Partridge, 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 John William Partridge, 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:
My Invention consists in introducing into the manufacture of soap certain
kinds of grain or seeds, or extracts of the same, whereby I obtain an improved
soap at a reduced cost.
I will now describe the manufacture of my first or commonest description
of soap.
I take any quantity of fresh soap mixture warm, and if just made
and taken from the lees the better for my purpose, and mix with it any quantity
up to one hundred per cent. (and in some cases even more than this quantity,
if desired, but I prefer that that proportion should not be exceeded,) of linseed,
rape seed, hemp seed, cotton seed, or other similar seed having like oleaginous
and mucilaginous properties, which may be introduced in the form of the seed
itself bruised to a kind of pulp, either before or after the oil may have been
expressed therefrom. This ingredient having been thoroughly amalgamated
with the soap, the whole mixture is put into drying frames to cool, and when
cool is fit for use. This process, as I have before said, forms a common
description of soap. For the manufacture of the higher qualities I first make
an extract, by decoction, infusion, or other suitable process, from any or all
such seeds or grain before mentioned, so as to dissolve and bring out the
internal parts or kernels of the seeds, which extract I pass through a sieve or
bag of linen or flannel, or other suitable medium, until every particle of husk
is strained from it. I then stew down the extract to the consistency of a stiff

page_text: jelly, taking care that all these operations shall be performed in such manner
and in such vessels and utensils as shall keep the extract quite clean. I
now take a quantity of any kind of soap (if newly made the better), and put
it into a boiler with fifty per cent. of its weight of the above extract, and warm
it sufficiently to admit of the ingredients becoming thoroughly mixed, by
keeping it well stirred the whole time. After which I take it out, and frame
it in the usual way, and when cool cut it up for use. When intended for
toilet soap, perfumes must of course be added, as usual, during the manufacture.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is practically to be carried out, I wish it to be clearly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein specified, nor to the
use of the exact quantity of the seeds or extract which I have herein men-
tioned; those being merely the proportions I prefer employing. But what I
claim are the improvements described in the manufacture of soap by intro-
ducing into such manufacture linseed, rape seed, hemp seed, cotton seed, or
other seed of a similar nature possessing like oleaginous and mucilaginous pro-
perties, or an extract or extracts from any or all of such seeds, in manner herein
set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Partridge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOHN WILLIAM (L.s.) PARTRIDGE.