IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING FATTY AND OILY MATTERS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gwynne, of Hyde Park Square, in
the County of Middlesex, Esquire, and George Fergusson Wil.
son, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, Managing
Director of Price's Patent Candle Company, for the Invention
B
AND OVER THE RIDE"
A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gwynne
and George Fergusson Wilson at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th December
1852.
WC, GEORGE GWYNNE, of Hyde Park Square, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Esquire, and GEORGE FERGUSSON WILSON, of Belmont, Vaux-
hall, in the County of Surrey, Managing Director of Price's Patent
Candle Company, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING FATTY AND OILY MATTERS" to be as
follows:-
It is found that fatty and oily matters which have been treated
or operated on with nitrous, hyponitrous, or allied acids do not
burn well, in consequence, we believe, of a combination or intimate
mixing of the acid in the fats or oils. Our Invention consists

page_text: of improving fats and oils which have been so treated by causing
them to be acted on by a salt of weaker acid, such as acetate of
ammonia or others.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said George Gwynne and George Fergusson
Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th June
1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc,
GEORGE GWYNNE, of Hyde Park Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Esquire, and GEORGE FERGUSSON WILSON, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in
the County of Surrey, Managing Director of Price's Patent Candle
Company, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said George Gwynne and
George Fergusson Wilson, Her special licence that we, the said George
Gwynne and George Fergusson Wilson, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Gwynne and
George Fergusson Wilson, 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 TREATING FATTY AND OILY
MATTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
George Gwynne and George Fergusson Wilson, or one of us, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, 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 filed in the Great Seal Patent

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Fergusson Wilson, for
myself and the said George Gwynne, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):
It is found that fatty and oily matters which have been treated
or operated on with nitrous, hyponitrous, or allied acids do not burn
well, in consequence, we believe, of a combination or intimate mixing
of the acid in the fats or oils. Our Invention consists of improving
fats and oils which have been so treated by causing them to be acted
on by a salt of a weaker acid, such as acetate of ammonia, or others.
And in order that our said Invention may be more fully understood
and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means
pursued by us.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to William Coley Jones
and the said George Fergusson Wilson, on the Eighth of December,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two, a process of hardening
fatty and oily matters was described by means of nitrous fumes. We
have discovered that matters which have been so treated with nitrous,
hyponitrous, or allied gases are much improved in their burning
qualities if they are acted upon by a salt of a weaker acid, which we
believe acts by breaking an injurious mixture or combination of the
nitrous fumes with the fatty matter. A very suitable salt for this
purpose is acetate of ammonia.
In treating fatty and oily matters we prefer to operate with nitrous
fumes as follows: -
To a hundred weight of the fatty or oily body we use about four
pounds of the red fuming nitrous acid of commerce (specific gravity
1,350), which we inix in an earthenware or other suitable vessel with
about one sixth of its own weight of treacle; nitric acid of commerce
may be substituted, but we prefer the former. This mixture, after
being thoroughly incorporated by stirring, is poured into the body
under process (which is to be melted if not already liquid). Heat

page_text: is then applied until the nitrous fumes are evolved. We apply the
heat by means of a coil of steam pipes placed at the bottom of a tub
of water in which the earthenware vessel containing the matter under
process is immersed. Immediately on the distinct evolution of the
nitrous, fumes we check the operation by admitting about twenty
gallons of cold water. Care should be taken, in this part of the
operation, that the action be not continued too long, as we have found
that the matter under process may be thereby discoloured. We then
add four pounds of acetate of aminonia, stir well up, and allow the
mixture to repose for four hours, when the supernatent fatty matter
is to be drawn off and passed through a suitable filter in a warm
room, and is then ready to be made into candles and night lights.
We would remark that, although we prefer to use the above
mentioned salt of a weaker acid, we do not confine ourselves thereto,
as other salts of weaker acids may be employed; but if such salt is
liable to act injuriously in the burning of the fatty inatter, such for
example as the acctate of soda, a subsequent boiling of the mixture
with acidulated water and free steam should be resorted to.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Fergusson Wilson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and
fifty-three
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
GEO. F. WILSON. (L.S.)