IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING MATTERS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Leach, of 19, Bronte Place, East Street, Wal-
worth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING MATTERS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES."
Sealed the 27th May 1862, and dated the 3rd December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Leach at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
'December 1861.
I, JAMES LEACH, of 19, Bronte Place, East Street, Walworth, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature, of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PREPARING MATTERS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES," to
be as follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in preparing matters to be
used in the manufacture of candles. For these purposes what is known as
dead or heavy oil such as is obtained when distilling naptha from coal tar is used,
and is subjected to the action of chlorine gas, the gas being passed through
and amongst the heavy or dead oil. The product is then distilled by which a
hard substance is obtained as a distillate, the distillate is next washed in water
with free steam for some time, and is then subjected to the action of streams of
carbonic acid gas whilst the washing is continued. The product thus obtained
is distilled, and the-distillate obtained washed-(by-the-aid of free steam) in
water acidulated with sulphuric acid. The product is then suitable for the
+

page_text: manufacture of candles, or the same may before being made into candles be
subjected to the action of lime water by melting the same in heated lime
water, and afterwards be again distilled.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Leach in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEACH, of 19, Bronte Place, East Street, Walworth, in the County of Surrey;
send.greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Leach, Her special licence that. I, the said James Leach,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Leach, 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
PREPARING MATTERS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Leach, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their; or one of their
bands and seals, 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 James Leach, 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in producing or manufacturing a substance suitable
for the manufacture of candles by subjecting dead or heavy oil to the action of
chlorine gas, distillation, and carbonic acid.gas..
And in order that the Invention, and the manner of performing the same may
most be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the process of manufacturing

page_text: such substance, practised by me. The dead or heavy oil is placed in a suitable.
closed, vessel, the one I have employed is of wood and lined with lead, but:
vessels of other materials may be used so long as they will not be injuriously
acted on by the materials introduced therein. Into heavy or dead oil in this
vessel is to be introduced streams of chlorine gas so that the same may be
intimately mixed with or act on all parts of the dead or heavy oil. The dead
or heavy oil is allowed to remain in the vessel with the chlorine gas (after the!
same has been introduced) for a period of three days and constantly agitated."
The quantity of chlorine gas used for each gallon of the dead or heavy oil, is
that which is produced in the ordinary manner from 1lb. of the black oxide of:
manganese. The dead or heavy oil is then to be thoroughly washed with
water and I find in practice that it is desirable to use clear lime water for this
purpose as the heavy. or dead oil is thereby more fully and readily deprived ofi
smell than when using water uncombined with lime. I have found that fourt
washings in four successive quantities of clear lime water produces a highly
satisfactory result which occupies-about two days.
The heavy or dead oil is placed in the wash water, and is thoroughly stirred
and mixed therewith, the mixture is then allowed to stand till the wash water
separates completely from the oil, when the wash water is to be run off, and
a fresh quantity of clear lime water introduced into the vessel. The vessel
employed by me is of wood lined with lead. I would state that I have found.
it desirable to keep the wash water and the oil continually at a temperature of
about 110° Fahrenheit. The washed dead or heavy oil is then distilled-in like
manner to that in which tar and other matters are distilled, and as is well
understood.
The first product which comes over for some minutes is a light oil which is
kept separate. The desired distillate or substance comes over next and the
fact of its coming over is readily ascertained by placing a cold red of glass
under the running stream coming from the condenser, and if the distillato.
is found to harden or set on the glass rod then the product is to be
received into a separate vessel from that in which the light oil has been
received. The process of distillation is to be continued till this product
ceases to come over; the residue in the still is a dark product or pitch.
÷
In order to obtain the best product, I have found that it is desirable again
to distil the substance obtained, as above described, before subjecting it to the
action of carbonic acid gas; the product of the first distillation is, however, to
be first well washed before subjecting the substance again to distillation. This
washing, as before, is, by-preference, with clear lime water, and the washing is
aided by the action of free steam, as is well understood. This-washing process

page_text: occupies about five days, the wash waters being from time to time changed,
and fresh ones supplied; this changing of the wash waters I have done five
times a day, and I allow each quantity after being well agitated with the
substance, by the aid of free steam, to settle, in order that it may be drawn
off or separated from the product or substance. The substance is again
distilled, as above described, and as before the first product of light oil is to
be set aside. The product or substance obtained from the second distillation
is again to be thoroughly washed in lime water, as before described, in respect.
to the product obtained from the first distillation. The distilled product or
substance is to be subjected to the action of carbonic acid gas, which I have
performed by introducing the substance into a close vessel similar to the one
employed when subjecting the crude, heavy, or dead oil to chlorine gas;. .but
in this vessel provision is made for introducing streams of free steam to
maintain the substance or distilled product in a melted state. In the vessel is
placed a like weight of water to the weight of the distilled product under
process in the vessel. Streams of carbonic acid gas are then introduced into
the vessel, so as to be intimately mixed with the substance or product therein.
The quantity of carbonic acid gas used is what is produced in the ordinary
manner from 14 lbs. of whiting for each 100 lbs. of the distilled product in
the vessel. When the carbonic acid gas ceases to be supplied then allow the
result to stand 12 hours, and the process is completed. The contents of the
vessel are to be drawn off into a suitable vessel and allowed to cool, when the
water will separate and it is to be drawn off, and a hard product suitable for
candle making is obtained, which may be subjected to pressure or not, as other
candle-making substances have heretofore been, according as a more or less
hard candle stuff is desired. The substance thus produced may be used alone
or in combination with other candle-making materials.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Leach, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord Oue