AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY AND EXTRACTION OF OILS AND FATS, SPERMACETTI, PARAFFIN, AND WAX, BY THE DISTILLATION OF A VOLATILE SOLVENT THROUGH THE MATERIALS CONTAINING THEM, AND THE RECOVERY OF SUCH VOLATILE SOLVENT
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Cox and Samuel Cox at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 24th July 1872.
We, JOHN Cox, of East Stockwith, in the County of Lincoln,
Analytical Chemist, and SAMUEL Cox, of Hatcham Road, in the Parish
of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Hydraulic Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
THE RECOVERY AND EXTRACTION OF OILS AND FATS, SPERMACETTI, PARAFFIN,
AND WAX, BY THE DISTILLATION OF A VOLATILE SOLVENT THROUGH THE MATERIALS
CONTAINING THEM, AND THE RECOVERY OF SUCH VOLATILE SOLVENT," to be as
follows:-
We distil bisulphide of carbon or such volatile solvent as is most
suitable for the substance operated on through the materials from which
the extract is made, and which we place in a plain or perforated cylinder
with a perforated bottom contained in a double cased cylinder with a

page_text: double bottom closed by a cap having deep dipping rims dropping into
the space between the inner and outer cylinders containing water, and
so forming a secure water and air tight joint. This cap is perforated
in the centre, and around such perforation are placed two collars, the
one of larger diameter than the other, so as to form a space for water
and to admit a pipe fitted also at the end with a collar. The vapourous
solvent employed coming into contact with these joints cannot pass
through them, because it is either immediately condensed or driven off,
according as the water in them is hot or cold. The volatile solvent is
distilled from another cylinder of exactly the same construction by
means of steam being passed into the water within the space. between
the double cylinder through the just described pipe which is connected
with the head of a condensing worm fitted also with a water joint. The
vapour is here condensed and passes through a pipe connected at the
bottom of the worm by a sliding and revolving water joint into another
double cased cylinder as above described. In this cylinder the con-
densed volatile solvent saturates the grease containing substances, and
with the oil or fat in solution falls to the bottom of the cylinder, and is
recovered by re-distillation into the first or a third cylinder containing
more materials to be operated on. The oil or fat is drawn off by a cock
at the bottom of the cylinder.
By using three or more cylinders the operation is economically and
expeditiously performed, as during the distillation of the solvent another
cylinder is being prepared, and is operated upon whilst the second one
is being completed and emptied and recharged with fresh materials.
This forms a continuous mode of operation, and is economical because
in the necessary separation of the solvent from the oil held in solution
it is made to do its work over and over again without loss. It is
expeditious because each distillation may be made in from three-quarters
to one and a half hours.
To ensure the complete separation of the solvent from the oil. and
materials contained in the perforated cylinder, the double cased cylinder
is, after the solvent has been distilled off, and whilst another cylinder
is being worked with fresh materials, connected by means of pipes and
water joints with another cylinder having a false bottom, and filled
above this with coke or other similar material, upon which is placed
a covering of wire gauze, and through this a stream of cold water is
caused to flow, thereby condensing and carrying to the bottom the

page_text: bisulphide of carbon, which is driven from the materials contained in
the double cased cylinder by steam being freely injected through a
perforated serpent pipe contained within the inner cylinder. The con-
densed solvent is removed by a cock at the bottom.