Improvements relating to the Preparation of Artificial Manures from Fish and other Substances and to the Extraction of Oil therefrom.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements relating to the Preparation of Artificial Manures
from Fish and other Substances and to the Extraction of Oil
therefrom.
I, CURT WEIGELT, of 2ª Thurmstrasse, Berlin, N.W. German Empire, Doctor of
Philosophy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention relates to the preparation of artificial manures and oil from fishes,
sea-animals or parts of the same, and also from waste meat in general, and it
substantially consists in salting the animal substance with suitable potassium salts
or with magnesium salts and allowing these salts to act upon the said substance for
some time, whereby the latter is extensively dephlegmated and also perfectly
impregnated with the salt or salts which arrest putrifaction and at the same time
After this treat-
improve the properties of the substance when used as manure.
ment the substance is separated from the juice that has passed out, is left to dry in
the air, and is then ground. The dust or powder obtained forms an improved
manure which is rich in nitrogen and richer in phosphoric acid the more fish-bone it
contains.
Of the potassium salts I preferably use potassium chloride, potassium sulphate, ard
potassium-magnesium sulphate; and of the magnesia salts the most suitable is
magnesium sulphate. They can be employed either alone or in mixtures. It is
sufficient to use from 3 to 10 per cent. of the same.
If the substance is fat, the production of train-oil can be combined with the
preparation of manures. For this purpose the substance treated as above described
is allowed to dry; it is then reduced and the fat is withdrawn from it in extracting-
apparatus. The substance from which the fat has been removed is then allowed to
dry and suitably reduced. Or the substance is converted into a pulp; the latter is
salted, the salt allowed to act, and the juice removed by pressure. The juice contains
the fat or oil, which is obtained by suitable separation; the cakes are allowed to dry
and are then ground. If the substance is very fat, the said cakes are preferably
Or the
more fat from them.
treated again in extracting apparatus to remove
substance reduced is steamed and pressed; the cakes are reduced, subjected to the
action of the salt, allowed to dry, and then ground.

page_text: In all cases the aqueous juices can be used for obtaining nitrogen, as they contain
soluble albuminous substances. For this purpose they are heated until they coagulate,
and filtered; or they are evaporated.
Dated this 9th day of August 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45,1Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements relating to the Preparation of Artificial Manures
from Fish and other Substances and to the Extraction of Oil
therefrom.
1, CURT WEIGELT of 2ª Thurmstrasse, Berlin N.W. German Empire, Doctor of
Philosophy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to the preparation of artificial manures and oil from fishes,
sea animals or parts of the same, and also from waste meat in general, and it
substantially consists in salting the animal substance with suitable potassium or
magnesium salt or salts, and allowing these salts to act upon the said substance for
some time whereby the latter is extensively dephlegmated and also perfectly
impregnated with the salt or salts which arrest putrefaction and at the same time
improve the properties of the substance as a manure. After this treatment the
substance is separated from the juice which has passed from it, allowed to dry in
the air, and then ground. The dust or powder obtained forms an improved manure
which is rich in nitrogen, and which is the richer in phosphoric acid the more fish-
bone it contains.
.
Of potassium salts I preferably use potassium chloride, potassium sulphate, also
potassium-magnesium sulphate; and of the magnesium salts the most suitable is
magnesium sulphate. They can be employed separately or in mixtures. It is
sufficient to use from 3 to 10 per cent. of the same.
The process is applicable with equally good results to fresh substances as well as to
substances which have already commenced to putrefy. If the material contains a
sufficient quantity of fat, the extraction of oil or of fat may be combined with the
treatment for obtaining manure. This extraction is advisable whereever the fat
contained in the substance exceeds 2
per cent.

page_text: I. PROCESS FOR MEAGRE-SUBSTANCE.
Large fishes, sea animals, or waste are fiist reduced in a suitable manner, for
example cut to slices or the like, but small fishes, sea animals or parts of the same
of from 200 down to 50 grammes weight each are scratched through the skin upon
their two sides or two opposite sides (Still smaller animals are preferably treated
according to the modification described under II. 2, for fat substance.) The
substance rendered diffusible in this manner is salted with from 3 to 10 per cent. of
one of the above mentioned salts or of a mixture of several of the same by simple
dusting or powdering and then left for from three to five days to the action of
the salt or salts in suitable wooden or metallic vessels. A repacking of the substance
during this time is unnecessary, as by reason of the high endosmotic equivalent of
the salt or salts employed the substance will be very soon under juice.
The salting causes the direct eduction of from 20 to 25 per cent. of the water
contained in the salted substance. After this pickle has been let off, the substance
without the use of artificial heat readily dries so completely that it can be converted
in a simple fodder mill into a powder of a condition resembling that of sawdust.
For example, meat of perches and tusks, also whole meagre-herrings and pikes
treated in the described manner in a chamber in which there is a slight draught
will dry within 12 to 16 days so as to be fit for grinding.
The ground substance forms a manure which is rich in nitrogen, enriched by the
potassium salt that has penetrated it, and is improved as an alimentary substance
for plants, the phosphoric acid contained in the said manure being the greater the
more fish-bone it contains. In the employment of magnesium sulphate (kieserite)
no very considerable enrichment takes place, but the presence of the combined
sulphuric acid is not without a favourable effect upon the efficiency of the manure.
The meat juices which have passed from the substance owing to the salting
contain, besides effective quantities of the salt or salts employed, on an average
towards 0.8 per cent. of nitrogen. By heating above the point of coagulation of
the albuminous substances, part of the nitrogen can be obtained directly, another
part besides portions of the potassium salt or salts, by filtration through peat,
earth, and can thus also be utilized for manuring purposes. If the condition as
to the price of nitrogenous manure is favourable, the pickle may be evaporated to
(1) With fat substance the direct drying of the salted substance till it is adapted
for grinding does not succeed even if artificial heat be applied. However, about 40
to 50 per cent. of the water which the salted substance contains can be removed in a
few days (6 to 8) by drying in the air. If the half-dry material is to be rendered
fit for grinding, a removal of fat must after a suitable reduction be effected, which
easily succeeds in extracting apparatus. After the removal (evaporation) of the
extracting agent (petroleum ether) the oil remains behind; the extracting agent is
re-obtained by cooling. The extracted material now dries rapidly and completely,
artificial heat being applied if desired.
(2) Fishes, sea animals, or parts of the same, and waste meat in general, which
contain upwards of 2 per cent. of fat, are for example converted into a meat pulp
by means of a meat-cutting machine; this pulp, as stated under I., is salted,
allowed to stand for two or three days, and then heated to 100 degrees by steam
or also under pressure, and then pressed. In this manner are obtained cakes which
contain salt and considerably less fat, and which dry easily in the air. These
dried cakes are converted by grinding into manuring powder. With very fat
substance it is advisable to effect the removal of fat from the dry substance by
means of petroleum ether or the like in extracting apparatus.

page_text: By the pressing operation upwards of 50 per cent. of the water originally contained
in the meat is removed, and the largest portion of the fat or of the oil is obtained
directly at the same time. The oil is obtained separately by skimming it from the
expressed water. The aqueous liquid also contains soluble nitrogenous substances
(about 0.5 per cent.) which can be obtained as above described.
When using comparatively dear salts-such as potassium sulphate-the process can
be modified in such a manner that the substance converted into a pulp is evaporated
in an unsalted state, and then subjected to a moderately strong pressure, wheroupon
the expressed pulp is again passed through a meat-cutter. The half-dry pulp passing
from this cutter is salted as above described and being heavily weighted is left to the
diffusive action of the salts, and is then directly spread out for drying. In this
manner loss of salt can be entirely obviated.
As a raw substance can be used fishes, sea animals, parts of the same, and pieces of
meat, which have become unfit as marketable substances, and also substances which
have been spoilt or are no longer suitable as food for people.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
First. The process of treating fishes, sea animals, waste parts of the same, and also
waste meat in general to obtain dry manuring powder, which consists in salting the
raw substance rendered diffusible by reduction or scratching with potassium salts or
magnesium salts, allowing it to stand with the respective salts for the purposes of
dephlegmation and impregnation, then separating it from the pickle, drying it in the
air, and grinding it.
Second. The modification of the process above described for the purpose of saving
salt, which consists in evaporating, prior to the salting, the raw substance converted
into a pulp, and subjecting it to a moderate pressure, and only then proceeding as
described in the first claiming clause.
Third. The modification of the process described in the first claiming clause, in
order to obtain, in the treatment of fat substances, a product adapted for grinding,
which consists in removing the fat from the impregnated substance separated from
the pickle, after the drying in the air and prior to the grinding, or in effecting this
removal of the fat prior to the drying by heating the substance separated from the
pickle to about 100 degrees Centigrade, and by subsequent pressing, then allowing it
to dry and finally grinding it.
Fourth. In combination with the treatment of fishes, sea animals and parts (waste)
of the same by means of potassium salts or magnesium salts, the utilization of the
pickle and expressed water for the extraction of the nitrogenous substances contained
therein by heating the same above the point of coagulation and filtering the same
through peat, earth, or by evaporating the same.
Dated this 12th day of April 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.