IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Talbot Pitman, of the American & European
Patent Offices, 67, Gracechurch Street, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN THE APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH."-A communication from Campbell Morfit, of
Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, one of the United States of
America.
Sealed the 17th September 1858, and dated the 20th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Talbot Pitman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th March 1858.
I, JOHN TALBOT PITMAN, of the American & European Patent Offices, 67,
Gracechurch Street, London, do hereby declare the nature ofthe said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN THE APPA_
CONNECTED THEREWITH," a communication from Campbell Morfit, of
Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, one of the United States of America, to
be as follows:-
The improvements relate to the composition of soap and to the mechanical
means used in its manufacture.
Thefirstimprovementconsists in the use of powdered carbonate of soda in any
andallofits chemical andcommercial formsand conditions,as "barilla," "kelp,"
"trona," "sal soda," "soda ash," bi-carb. sodae, &c., for saponifying the fatty
acids generally and more particularly the "red oi!" or red (oleic) acid oil," as
it is sometimes called, obtained in the manufacture of "stearic," "star,'
"admantine, & palmitic candle stock, whether alone or admixed with rozin,
and converting them by direct combination into soap at temperatures between
32° & 500° Fah².

page_text: The mechanical part of the operation in which' my second improvement
consists, is performed by means of a steam twirl, which heats and stirs the
soap ingredients simultaneously. It consists of an upright shaft turning in a
socket fixed to the centre of th bottom of the containing vessel, and carrying
a number of tubular arms arranged in any convenient position. The shaft is
hollow from the point where the upper ends of the tubular arms open into it
up to the collar or stuffing box in which it turns. It is also hollow a short
distance up from the bottom to the point where it receives the lower or exit
ends of the tubular arms. The upper end of the shaft works in a collar or
stuffing box which has a groove or passage way for the steain which passes
from the generator through the stuffing box to the hollow shaft and tubular
arms. The lower end of the shaft connects with a waste pipe. A stop-cock
in the pipe from the generator to the stuffing box controls the flow of steam.
There is also a cock in the waste pipe. Revolution is given to this twirl by
any suitable gearing. The operation is as follows:-The steam passes from
the generator through a supply pipe into the stuffing box at the upper end of
the shaft, and thence through the hollow in said shaft into the tubular arms;
parting with its heat to them it becomes condensed.and passes out through
the waste pipe communicating with the lower hollow of the central shaft;
revolution being given at the same time, the contents of the vessels are simul-
taneously stirred, mixed, & heated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Talbot Pitman in the Great Seal Patent Offices onthe
20th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TALBOT PITMAN, of the American & European Patent Offices; 67,Gracechurch
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the
year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Talbot Pitman, Her special licence that I, the said John Talbot Pitman,
and my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,the said John
Talbot Pitman, or 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: a
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 MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
communication from Campbell Morfit, of Baltimore, in the State of Mary-
land, one of the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Talbot Pitman, and my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, aud cause the
same to he 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 Johu Talbot Pitman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My improvements relate to the composition of soap, and to the mechanical
means used in its manufacture. The advantage obtained by my process is the
production of soaps of maximum quality as to grades with a great economy of
labor and time. The ratio of superiority over the soaps of corresponding price
is maintained throughout all the grades, and equals in cleansing power thirty
per cent., independent of other desirable qualities which my soaps possess in an
unusual degree of eminence. By virtue of these qualities they waste slowly in
water, give a rich lather, and whiten the clothes. Moreover, my soap is.
always uniform in appearance and composition, and does not shrink or
deteriorate by time and atmospheric influences.
The first part of my Invention consists in the use of powdered carbonate of
soda in any and all of its chemical & commercial forms and conditions as
"barilla," "kelp," "trona," "sal soda," "soda ash," "bi-carb. soda," &c., for
saponifying the fatty acids generally, and more particularly the "red oil" or
"red (oleic)acid oil," as it is sometimes called, obtained in the manufacture of
"adainantine," "palmitic," "palmatin," "Belmont sperm," and "star" candle
stock, whether alone or admixed with rosin, and converting them by direct
combination into soap in open pans or kettles at temperatures between 32°
and 500° Fahrenheit's thermometer.
The first step in my process is to provide an open pan with fire beneath, or
preferably a tub and steam twirl, like that herein-after described. That having
been done, red oil or other fatty acid is poured into the kettle or tub to the
depth of one-third of its capacity, and agitated and heated by setting the twirl
in operation. As soon as the oil has become hot, and if it is desired to mąkę

page_text: a grade of soap lower than toilet soap, then rosin is to be added in small
lumps: The propertion of rosin may range from five (5) per cent. of the fat
acid used, and upwards, according to the quality of the soap it may be desired to
.make. My aim is always to restrict it to the lowest possible quantity con-
sistent with a fair profit. When, after continued heating and stirring, the
rosin becomes entirely dissolved, carbonated alkali, fiuely powdered, is to be
added portionwise to the homogenious mixture of fat and rosin while the
twirl is kept slowly revolving. When, after continued heating and stirring,
ail the alkali is in, and the intumescence has subsided, the paste will begin to
thicken, and promptly assume the condition of soap. At this stage it is to be
shovelled out into frames, and there left to set and cool preparatory to being
cut into bars and blocks, in the usual manner of cooling and cutting soap.
.The quantity of carbonated alkali which I use varies with the kind employed
and the grade of soap it is intended to make; but in all cases for neutral soaps
it should only slightly exceed the chemical equivalent proportion, and must be
determined by calculation from the combining number of the fat acid which
constitutes the "stock." For strong soaps the quantity may be increased
several per cent. beyond that proportion.
As the requisite amount of constitutional water of the soap is supplied in
my process exclusively by the water of crystallization or of accident of the
alkali, it is to be remarked that in the use of "sal soda" alone the quantity
necessary to accomplish perfect saponification would introduce an excess of
water, and thus render the paste soft and slow to set and dry. Toobviate this
.therefore, I equalize and adjust the amount of water for the soap under
process by using a proper portion of the "sal soda" in a lesser state of
hydration, and to which lesser state of hydration I reduce it by previously
subjecting it to air currents or the action of a "centrifugal mill." Or else
I substitute for the latter a corresponding portion of dry soda ash. In either
case the requisite proportion of the dry sal soda or soda ash must be
determined by calculation from the amount of normal "sal soda" employed.
It is to be observed that when two conditions of alkali are used, they must be
added to the fatty mixture separately for the higher grades of soap; and in all
cases, that which contains most water should go infirst. In the lower grades
of soap they may be added separately or together, according to the judgment
and experience of the operator. For the toilet soap rosin is omitted. The
relative proportions of fat, rosin, and alkali and water, being adjusted at the
beginning, there is no waste ley or other residue; and my soap comes out.
promptly and in greater perfection than can be rea ily obtained by the usua
methods of boiling soap upon caustic leys.

page_text: The mechanical part of my process is performed by means of the steam
twirl herein-before mentioned, and which constitutes the second branch of my
Invention. This apparatus I will now proceed to describe, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are vertical
sections, and Figure 3 a top view. The same part is indicated by the same
letter in all the Figures. This apparatus is useful for mixing, stirring, and
heating the contents of vessels of any size or form by "dry" steam at one and
the same operation.
V, V, is the containing vessel, which may be a pan with a round bottom, as
represented in the Drawing, or a wooden tub, the 1orm and material being
dependent upon the nature of the substance under process, and the kind of
treatment to which it is to be subjected, my combined heater and twirl being
equally applicable to open and close pans or tubs.
Firmly fixed to the centre of the bottom of the containing vessel is a slightly
conical metallic socket m, communicating with a waste pipe n, and adjusted to
and turning in this socket is the upright metallic shaft C, carrying the tubular
arms or coils R, R, r, r, r, r, and s, s, s, s, arranged in horizontal and vertical
series alternately, and which, together with the shaft C,constitute the heating
twirl as shown in Figure 2. There may be two, four, or more of these series
or branches of tubes according to the capacity of the containing vessel; and
each and every one of the same is tightly joined with the shaft at w, the centre
of which is hollow from that point upwards to the stuffing box D, as a passage
way for the steam from the generator to the twirl. The lower end of the shaft
is also hollow in the centre to a height of several inches above the top of the
socket for the purpose of communication between the exit ends i of the series
or branches of arms of the twirl with the waste pipe n, the connecting joints
being made steam-tight.
The gearing by which the twirl is made to revolve is shown at A and B,and
it derives its motive power from an ordinary steam boiler or generator. The
same boiler supplies the steam also for heating the twirl as it revolves; and
the arrangement for this purpose consists in a piece of metal D, adjusted to
the shaft and sunk in a wooden support E. This piece of metal D has on each
side stuffing boxes 0, 0, and in its centre is a groove so cut as to allow free
circulation of the stean, which is admitted through a pipe F, leading into it,
and fixed by a screw joint. This pipe communicates with the steam boiler or
generator, and the current of steam passing through it into the twirl is
regulated by the cock G. As before explained, the shaft C is hollow in the
centre, above the point w where the mouths of the twirl tubes enter it, and
communication between this channel in the shaft and the steam is made by a

page_text: hole penetrating through the metal into the groove. Following the course of
this passage way, the steam continues from the feed pipedown into the tubular
arms of the twirl,which twirl being made to revolve simultaneously by power
applied to the gearing A, B, the mixing, stirring, and heating of the contents
of the pan or containing vessel go on pari passu and uninterruptedly, the
condensed steam being discharged through the waste pipe x and n,into which
the exit ends of the twirl branches or tubular arms enter at i, i.
My arrangement is not only admirably adapted to the manufacture of soap,
but to the rendering of tallow and other similar operations, the concurrent
revolutions of thetwirlandthe extended heating actionof the tubular branches
effecting at one and the same operation a thorough diffusion of heat and a
completeness of manipulation not attainable by the use of a stationary worm,
or a double bottom pan, or any other known method for such purpose, even
at much greater expense of time, labor and money than is required by my
process.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention, as communi-
cated to me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what
I claim under the above in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the saponification of red oil, or red acid oil and fat acids generally, by
means of powdered or dry carbonates of soda, as barilla, kelp, trona, sal soda,
soda ash, bi-carbonate of soda, &c., and converting them into toilet and laundry
soaps, substantially in the manner herein-before set forth.
And, secondly, I claim the apparatus herein-before described, the same
consisting of the combination of the hollow shaft and tubular arms asamixing,
stirring, and heating twirl for dry steam, either in open or closed vessels, as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Talbot Pitman, have hereunto set
my hand an seal, this Eight enth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight,
JOHN TALBOT PITMAN.