AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PURIFYING OF OILS AND FATTY MATTERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Marshall, junior, of Selby, in the County of
York, Oil Refiner, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
PURIFYING OF OILS AND FATTY MATTERS."
Sealed the 27th January 1857, and dated the 25th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Marshall. at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th November 1856.
I, JOHN MARSHALL, junior, of Selby, in the County of York, Oil Refiner,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE PURIFYING OF OILS AND FATTY MATTERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of facilitating the final purification
of oil or fatty matter. The oil or fatty matter to be operated upon is run in a
fluid or semi-fluid state into a water-tight cylinder or strong vessel, provided at
top and bottom with a supply and discharge pipes. In connection with the
pipe which enters the bottom of the oil cylinder is a closed tank, which is sup-
plied with water at a considerable pressure from the local supply pipe, or from
other convenient source when no general local supply exists. Leading from
the top of the oil cylinder is a pipe for conducting the oil to a vessel con-
structed to resist the internal pressure equal to the head of water employed,
and in this vessel is a series of filtering bags, formed of different materials, and

page_text: mado somewhat larger than the vessel to contain them, each bag increasing in
fineness of texture over the one it envelopes; the outer bag may be of strong
chamois leather. The pipe from the oil cylinder enters the central bag, and
the necks of all the bags are carefully secured to the pipe. The vessel con-
taining the filtering bags is perforated, to allow ready exit to the oil as it passes
through the bags; the oil will then flow into a vessel placed below to receive
it. The oil cylinder is provided at the top with a funnel and tap, and at
bottom with a tap connecting it with the water cylinder and tap for running
off the water when it is requisite to empty it. The water cylinder receives the
water at top, and it passes thence to the oil cistern, entering it at bottom. Any
air which may have been held in suspension in the water may be drawn off as
it accumulates in the water cistern by an air tap.
In operating with the apparatus, the oil cylinder is first filled with oil, and
water is let into the water cistern at a pressure, and allowed to find its way
into the oil cylinder. In doing so, the oil will be forced to enter the filtering
apparatus; the bulk of oil discharged from the filter being equal to the
displacement of oil by water in the cylinder.
By this arrangement, the lighter and more fluid portions of oil will first be
run off, and then the heavier or denser portions, until by a regulated valve or
gauge pipe the further flow of water is stopped. If required, two more filters
may be employed to nct upon the oil in succession.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Marshall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MARSHALL, junior, of Selby, in the County of York, Oil Refiner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said John Marshall, junior, Her special license that I, the said John Marshall,
junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Marshall, junior, 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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE PURIFYING OF OILS AND FATTY MATTERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Marshall, junior, 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 per-
formed, 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 Marshall, junior, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to tho
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to the purification of oil or fatty matter, by causing it
to pass through suitable filtering media under the pressure of a head of water.
In carrying out my Invention, I run the oil or fatty matter which is to be
operated upon, while in a fluid or somi-fluid state, into a water-tight cylinder
or strong vessel, and provided with suitable supply and discharge pipes.
Water at a pressure is then let into the cylinder, and pressing upward on the
oil, forces the same through. the discharge pipe; or, where it is undesirable
that any contact should exist with the oil and water, I employ a flexible bag,
adjusted to the size of the oil cylinder, and connected with the oil supply and
oil discharge pipe of the cylinder. This pipe leads to the filters, and the oil
being thus introduced to the filters at pressure will be caused to percolato
quickly through the layers or thicknesses of filtering substances in a pure and.
limpid stato.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn in partial sectional elevation;
the apparatus which I propose to employ in carrying out the object of my
Invention, and have introduced the flexible bag to shew the mode of applying
the same when the same is required..
a, a, is a water-tight cylinder, composed of cast or wrought iron, and sup-
ported vertically in suitable framework.. In the head of this cylinder are fitted
the oil supply pipe 6 and the oil discharge pipe c, both of which are connected
to the flexible bag which is to receive the oil. The capacity of this bag; and
also of the vessel containing it, must be sufficient to permit of its containing..
the quantity of oil to be operated upon at one time. The flexible bag: I pro-
pose to form of any strong waterproof material, such as calico coated with a
drying oil. Connected to the bottom of the cylinder a, by a pipe e, is a closed.

page_text: metal tank f, supplied with water at a considerable pressure from the local
supply pipe, which pressure will in general be found to range between fifteen-
and forty pounds to the inch. In the top of this tank is a cock g, for dis-
charging any air or gaseous matter held in mechanical admixture with the
water; or, where this exists to a small extent only, I dispense with the use of
the tank f, and admit the water at once to the cylinder a, guarding against any
accidental accumulation of gaseous matter in this case; by a cock h provided
for the purpose. i is a discharge cock at the bottom of the vessel a, for run-
ning out the water when its power has been expended; and k is a man-hole
for giving access to the vessel. Leading from the oil discharge pipo care
pipes, for conducting the oil to filtering vessels m, m, constructed to resist an
internal pressure equal to the head of water employed. These vessels may be
fitted with pierced trays covered with calico, filtering paper, leather, or other
suitable porous material, care being taken that the substance with the most
open pores first acts on the oil, and that with the finest pores covers or forms
the last tray. Coarse calico may be employed on the first or lowest tray, and
materials of a finer texture for the upper ones; but I prefer, when operating
upon seed oils to be employed in the woollen manufacture, to use a slab of
slate for the last or uppermost tray. I am thus enabled to extract the resinous
principle existing in such oils without having recourse to acids or chemical
agents for its removal. Instead of employing filters fitted as above explained,
I propose sometimes to provide the filtering vessels with filtering bags, as
shewn in the sectional view, Fig. 2. In the outer vessel m, I fit an inner
vessel n, the sides and bottoms of which are pierced with holes, to allow the
filtered fluid to pass off into the space between the vessels m and n. In this
vessel n I insert my improved filter bag, which is composed of a series of cases
formed of different materials, and mado somewhat larger than the vessel n
which contains them. Each cover I make of a finer texture than the one it
envelopes; the outer bag I prefer to make of strong leather of closest texture.
The bag is connected to the oil supply pipe; the necks of all the cases forming
the bag being carefully gathered up around it, and secured thereto by wire or
other fastening, easily removable. It may be convenient to close the vessel n
by a hinged cover secured by sliding bolts, or any other means of closing it
may be adopted that will ensure ready access to the interior of the vessel. In
operating with the above-described apparatus, the cylinder a is first filled with
oil, and when the oil has had time to settle, water is let into the water tank
and allowed to find its way into the oil cylinder. The upward pressure of
the water in the cylinder will force the oil into and through the filtering.
apparatus.

page_text: By this arrangement the lighter and more fluid portion of oil will first be
run off, and then the heavier or denser portions, which latter may, if desired,
be run into a separate filter. When the whole of the oil has been discharged;
the supply of water to the cylinder a is cut off, the discharge pipe is opened,
and the water contained in the cylinder is run out; the flexible bag is then
ready to receive a fresh charge of oil, to be in like manner driven forward to
the filters by the renewed pressure of water let into the cylinder.
I have thus far in this description supposed the large flexible bag in the oil
cylinder to be filled with oil; but when thought desirable, I reverse this arrange-
ment and make the flexible bag receive the water in lieu of oil, as can bo
readily understood; but I prefer the other arrangement. But when I do not
deem it necessary to employ a flexible bag, as before intimated, I adapt'a
gauge glass to the cylinder to shew the level of the oil, and thus enable me to
shut off the water at a convenient time. It will now be understood that by
applying the motive force of the water obtainable from the public supply pipes,
I am enabled greatly to expedite the filtration of oil, and that at compara-
tively little cost, as every ton of water employed (which may be estimated
at about one ponny per ton) will sorve to effect the filtration of the same bulk
of oil.
If required, two or more filters may be employed to act upon the oil in suc-
cession, and the number of filters employed in direct connection with the
pressure cylinder may be varied according to the speed at which the filtration
is required to be carried on.
I have found the above process may be employed with economical advan-
tage on the fluid fatty acids of commerce, sperm, tallow, lard, fish, olive, and
seed oils; sperm particularly in cold weather, owing to the refrigerating effects
of the water depositing the spermaceti on the filtering strata to a more than
ordinary extent, leaving the oil which percolates through better adapted for
lubricating purposes; and a somewhat similar result follows with the others
where the temperaturo is suitable, in the separation of the oleic from the
margaric and stearic acids, rendering the former acid more desirable when
used as a lubricant for light machinery.
The process is also applicable to the fatty matters or impure oils known in
the trade as foots, more especially the lower qualities of olive, linseed, and rape
oils, which consist of water with portions of the husk of the plant, resinous and
other impurities held in suspension, and which impurities, by the above process
of filtration, are effectually separated.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "an improvement
in the purifying of oils and fatty matters," and explained the manner of

page_text: carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent, I claim the mode herein described of forcing
the oils and liquid fatty matters to be purified through suitable filtering
materials, and I also claim the employment of filtering bags, constructed as
above explained, for receiving the oil or fatty matter as it flows from the
pressure cylinder or oil vessel.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Marshall, junior, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-soven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOHN MARSHALL, JUN. (LS.)