IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PARAFFINE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fordred,. of Blackheath, in the County of
Kent, Chemist, and Frederick Lambe and Arthur Charles Sterry,
both of Rotherhithe New Road, in the County of Surrey, Paraffine
Refiners, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF PARAFFINE."
Sealed the 21st April 1868, and dated the 24th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fordred,
Frederick Lambe, and Arthur Charles Sterry at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th:
February 1868.
WC, JOHN FORDRED, of Blackheath,. in the County, of Kent, Chemist,
and FREDERICK LAMBE and ARTHUR CHARLES STERRY, both of
Rotherhithe New Road, in the County of Surrey, Paraffine Refiners,,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for:" IMPROVEMENTS.
IN THE TREATMENT. OF PARAFFINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain economical processes of treating.
paraffine to remove the coloring matter and other impurities therefrom..
To this end we first melt the crude paraffine, and having allowed the:.
mechanical impurities which it contains to subside we run the liquid.

page_text: clarified paraffine into another vessel, where we again heat it, and then
add to it a certain quantity of sulphuric acid with which we agitate it
so as to form a complete mixture. We then allow the tarry or colored
matter formed by the action of the acid to deposit, and after this has
taken place we draw off the supernatant liquid paraffine from the
sediment. The paraffine thus treated we mix with a solution of glue or
other gelatinous or albuminous substance, or with starch or flour mixed
with water or with milk, and thoroughly incorporate the liquids by
mechanical agitation or by blowing up with free steam. Or instead of
mixing the liquid paraffine drawn off from the deposit caused by the
acid with glue or with one or more of the other substances named above
we add to it a quantity of fuller's earth (the heat of the paraffine being
maintained at the required degree) and after thoroughly mixing this
with the paraffine we allow the whole to settle. After this the clear
paraffine may be drawn off and mixed with spirit and then pressed and
filtered through animal charcoal in the ordinary manner; or instead of
treating the paraffine with acid we simply melt the crude paraffine and
then either after allowing the impurities' to 'subside, or whilst it is simply
in the melted state, we add to it a quantity of fuller's earth, taking care
to thoroughly mix it with the liquid paraffine; after the mixture has
been allowed to settle the paraffine may be run off. This treatment
with fuller's earth may be repeated one or more times if thought
necessary.
We sometimes dispense with the use of spirit or other solvent in our
operations, and in that case we proceed as follows:-We take paraffine
partially bleached by either of the methods of treatment described, or
by any other process, and having formed this paraffine into cakes in
the usual manner we subject such cakes (which consist of paraffinc
only without any admixture of spirit or other solvent) to cold hydraulic
pressure, which we call dry pressing; the paraffine is then remelted
and cast into cakes, which when cold are again pressed, but now in a lot
hydraulic press, such as is used in the manufacture of stearine, and this
treatment may be repeated till the paraffine is sufficiently white to be
finished off by filtering through animal charcoal. We also propose
to use fuller's earth for finishing tlic bleaching of paraffine in lieu of
animal charcoal whatever the previous process of purification may have
been, and we find that in all our processes where we have mentioned
fuller's earth as the agent to be employed we can replace that substance

page_text: by marl, clay, or other natural silicate of alumina, or by silica or
alumina; thcsc. may be used alone or mixed together in various
proportions. The fuller's earth or analogous substances used in place
thereof in any of the ways stated above may be re-used, or the paraffine
may be recovered from it by washing with agitation or by other suitable
means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Fordred, Frederick Lambe, and Arthur
Charles Sterry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOHN
FORDRED, of Blackheath, in the County of Kent, Chemist, and
FREDERICK LAMBE and ARTHUR CHARLES STERRY, both of Rotherhithe
New Road, in the County of Surrey, Paraffine Refiners, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Fordred, Frederick Lambe, and
Arthur Charles Sterry, Her special licence that we, the said John
Fordred, Frederick Lambc, and Arthur Charles Sterry, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Fordred, Frederick Lambe, and Arthur Charles Sterry, our 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 TREATMENT OF PARAFFINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said John Fordred, Frederick Lambe, and Arthur Charles
Sterry, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing,
under our, or their, or one of their hands 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

page_text: 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 we, the said John Fordred, Frederick Lambe,
and Arthur Charles Sterry, do hereby declare the nature of our 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):-
--
This Invention relates to certain economical processes of treating
paraffine to remove the coloring matter and other impuritics therefrom.
To this end we first melt the crude paraffine, and having allowed the
mechanical impurities which it contains to subside we run the liquid
clarified paraffine into another vessel, where we again heat it to about
two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit; and then add to it about ten
per cent. by weight of sulphuric acid of the strength of oil of vitriol of
commerce, with which we agitate it so as to form a complete mixture
between the acid and the melted paraffine; we then allow the tarry
or colored matter formed by the action of the acid to deposit, and after
this has taken place we draw off the supernatant liquid paraffine from
the sediment. The paraffine thus treated we mix with about twenty-five
per cent. of a solution of glue made by dissolving five pounds of glue in
sixty gallons of water, or a solution of other gelatinous or albuminous
substance, or with starch or flour mixed with water, any of them being
brought to a strength equivalent to that of the glue or with milk, and
we thoroughly incorporate the liquids by mechanical agitation or by
blowing up with free steam. Or instead of mixing the liquid paraffine
drawn off from the deposit caused by the acid with glue or with one or
more of the other substances named above, we add to it a quantity of
fuller's earth .in .fine powder, the heat of the paraffine being maintained
at about two hundred and thirty degrees of Fahrenheit, and after
thoroughly mixing this with the paraffine we allow the whole to settle;
after this the clear paraffine may be drawn off and mixed with spirit
or coal naphtha, and then pressed and filtered through animal charcoal
in the ordinary manner. Or instead of treating the paraffine with acid
we simply melt the crude paraffine and then either after allowing the
impurities to subside, or whilst it is simply in the melted state, we add
to it about twelve per cent. by weight of fuller's earth in fine powder,
taking care to thoroughly mix it with the liquid paraffine, which must
be kept at a temperature of about two hundred and thirty degrees

page_text: Fahrenheit during the operation; after the mixture has been allowed
to settle the paraffine may be run off. This treatment witli fuller's
earth may be repeated one or more times if thought necessary so as to
effect the more complete purification of the paraffine. The fuller's
earth we also use for finishing the bleaching of paraffine in lieu of
animal charcoal whatever the previous process of purification may have
been. In that case about twelve per cent. of powdered fuller's earth
is added to the melted paraffine (which is maintained at a temperature
of about two hundred and thirty degrees Fahrenheit) and well agitated,
and after subsidence the clear paraffine is run off. We find that in
all our processes where we have mentioned fuller's earth as the agent
to be employed we can replace that substance in great part or wholly
by marl, clay, or other readily obtainable natural substance of like
character. The fuller's earth or analogous substances used in place
thereof in any of the ways stated above may be re-used and the paraffine
remaining adherent may finally be recovered from it by washing with
agitation or by other suitable means.
Where we have specified any particular quantity of material.or
temperature to be employed in the processes described we have only -
done so to indicate the mode of operation which we have found most
convenient, but we do not confine ourselves to such quantities of
material or temperatures, but intend to cover by this Patent all such
quantities of material and temperatures as will produce the cnd which
we have in view through the means which we have described above.
Having now stated the nature of our Invention we wish it to be
understood that we claim as the points secured to us under the present
Letters Patent to be as follows:-
°
First. The treatment of paraffine after being subjected to the sulphuric
acid treatment in the manner specified with a solution of glue or other
gelatinous or albuminous substance, or starch, or flour, or milk, in the
manner and with the object described.
Secondly. The treatment of paraffine after being subjected to the
sulphuric acid treatment as described with fuller's earth or the
substances named as its equivalent, in the manner and with the objects
above set forth.
Thirdly. Treating paraffine (not previously chemically treated) with
fuller's earth or the substances named as its equivalent as a distinct
and substantive means of purification as specified; also the use of

page_text: uller's earth as a finishing agent in the place of animal charcoal as
lescribed.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Fordred, Frederick Lambe,
and Arthur Charles Sterry, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.