IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS AND PRODUCTS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Chesebrough, of Upper Berkeley
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS AND PRODUCTS." - A
communication from abroad by Robert Augustus Chesebrough, of
the City of New York, in the United States of America, Manu-
facturer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Chese-
brough at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd March 1874.
I, WILLIAM HENRY CHESEBROUGH, of Upper Berkeley Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS AND PRODUCTS,"
a communication to me from abroad by Robert Augustus Chesebrough,
of the City of New York, in the United States of America, Manufacturer
to be as follows:—

page_text: back in the still or retort which has not been distilled over. This residuum
contains no paraffin, but appears to be a concentrated product of the
heavier parts of petroleum, and from it a material which I term vaseline is
made by filtration through bone black. The amount of residuum left back
in the still or retort varies according to the distilling process, the heat used,
and the character of the crude oil; but I have found that from ten to
twenty-five per cent. of the crude oil of from 45° to 47° Beaumé in the
shape of residuum is most suitable for making into vaseline. The
best form of filter to use is an inverted cone with a length of about three
times its diameter at top, and tapering to about six or seven inches at
bottom. I fill the filter about three-quarters full of fine bone black (about
the grain of very fine sporting gunpowder), which bone black has
previously been heated so as to expel all moisture therefrom.
The bone black should be put in the filter quite hot and the above
described residuum poured thereon after first being heated to about 200°
Fahrenheit, and during the entire process the filters should be kept in a
hot room or externally heated by means of steam jackets or other
convenient means. The result of the filtration is the material I term
vaseline which appears as a dense oleaginous substance, and which first
runs white from the filter and gradually approaches a deep red color of a
greenish tinge at the close of the operation, and which material on
cooling becomes solid, vaselinė thus made presents in some degree the
taste, odor, and peculiar color of petroleum, and while it is useful
in the arts these characteristics retard and prevent its use to some
extent.
My present Invention is therefore adapted to so refining the vaselino
as to make it substantially free from the taste, odor, and color of
petroleum, and consists in taking vaseline (after filtration) or the above
described residuum before filtration, and subjecting it to a long simmering
in open iron kettles or vessels by means of dry heat. The kettles should
be fitted as full as safety will admit of, and the heat applied should be
slow and regular, yet sufficient to keep the contents simmering and
giving off vapor. This process of slow boiling should be kept up for
from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, or until the vaseline or residuum:
shall appear to have parted with the odor and taste of petroleum, which
point the operator will soon learn to determine by the smell and taste.
The contents are then allowed to cool sufficiently to filter through the
bone black, and the result of such filtration will be pure vaseline free

page_text: from the odor, color, and taste of petroleum, and in such shape that it
can be used with great advantage for medicinal and toilet purposes, as a
base for cerates and ointments, as an antiseptic for preserving perfumes,
as well as for many other useful and delicate purposes. The same purity
from taste and odor cannot be obtained by boiling in closed iron retorts
or kettles and saving the vapors by recondensation. My present Inven-
tion is therefore limited to the process of boiling in open kettles as
described, and allowing the vapors to pass freely off. Incrased solidity
will also result to the residuum or vaseline subjected to this simmering.
process; as a farther concentration will be effected by it, which solidity
will also be still farther increased by the subsequent filtration through
bone black.
Vaseline when finished is essentially a concentrated jelly of petroleum
varying in color from a pearly white to a deep red color, and liquifying
at a temperature of from 80° to 100° Fahrenheit, and is a most useful
and singular product.
Petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil when subjected to this samo
process, and subsequently filtered will be deprived of their color, odor,
and taste.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Chescbrough in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 18th September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY CHESEBROUGH, of Upper Berkeley Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Henry Chesebrough, Her
special license that I, the said William Henry Chesebrough, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Henry Chesebrough, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times.

page_text: 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 HYDROCARBON OILS AND PRODUCTS,"
a communication to me from abroad by Robert Augustus Chesebrough,
of the City of New York, in the United States of America, Manu-
facturer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Henry Chesebrough, my executors or administrators, 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 performed, 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 William Henry Chesebrough, 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, that is to say:—
When petroleum is distilled either in the ordinary stills used or by
the vacuum or superheated retort processes, a quantity of residuum is
left back in the still or retort which has not been distilled over. This
residuum contains no paraffine, but appears to be a concentrated product
of the heavier parts of petrolcum, and from it a material which I term
vaselino is made by filtration through bone black or animal charcoal.
The amount of residuum left back in the still or retort varies according
to the distilling process, the heat used; and the character of the crude oil;
but I have found that from ten to twenty-five per cent. of the crude oil of
from 45° to 47° Beaumé, in the shape of residuum is most suitable for
making into vaseline. The best form of filter to use is an inverted cone
with a length of about three time its diameter at top, and tapering to about
six or seven inches at bottom. I fill the filter about three-quarters full of
fine bone black (about the grain of very fine sporting gunpowder), which
bone black has previously been heated so as to expel all moisture
therefrom.
The bone black should be put in the filter quite hot and the above
described residuum poured thereon after being heated to about 200°
Fahrenheit, and during the entire process the filters should be kept in a
hot room or externally heated by means of steam jackets or other.
convenient means. The result of the filtration is the material I call.

page_text: vaseline which appears as a dense oleaginous substance, and which first
runs white from the filter and gradually approaches a deep red color of
a greenish tinge at the close of the operation, and which material on
cooling becomes solid, vaseline thus made presents in some degree the
taste, odour, and peculiar color of petroleum, and while it is useful
in the arts these characteristics retard and prevent its use to some
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taste, odour, and peculiar color of petroleum, and while it is useful
in the arts these characteristics retard and prevent its use to some
extent.
-My present Invention is therefore adapted to so refining the vaseline
as to make it substantially free from the taste, odour, and color of
petroleum, and consists in taking vaseline (after filtration) or the above.
described residuum before filtration and subjecting it to a long simmering
in open iron kettles or vessels my means of heat. The kettles should be
filled as full as safety will admit of and the heat applied should be slow
and regular, yet sufficient to keep the contents simmering and giving off
vapor. This process of slow boiling should be kept up for from 24 to 48 to
60 hours, or until the vaseline or residuum shall appear to have parted
with the odor and taste of petroleum, which point the operator will soon
learn to determine by its color, smell, and taste. The contents are
allowed to cool sufficiently to filter through the bone black, and the
result of such filtration will be pure vaseline free from the odor, color,
and taste of petroleum, and in such shape that it can be used with great
advantage for medicinal and toilet purposes, as a base: for cercates and
ointments, as an antiseptic substance, and for preserving perfumes, as
well as for many other useful and, delicate purposes. The same purity
from taste and odor cannot be obtained by boiling in closed iron retorts,
stills, or kettles, and saving the vapors of condensation. My present
Invention therefore consists, first, of the process of slow, boiling or
simmering in open kettles and allowing the vapors to pass freely off as
described; and secondly, of the above process used in combination with
filtration through bone black. Increased solidity will result to the
residuum or vaseline subjected to this simmering process as a further
concentration will be effected by it, which solidity will also be still
further increased by the subsequent filtration through bone black.
C>>
This refined vascline when finished is essentially a concentrated jelly
of petroleum varying in color from a pearly white to a deep red color,
and liquifying at a temperature of from 80° to 110° Fahrenheit, and is
a most useful and singular product.

page_text: From some of the oil wells of Pennsylvania there is obtained a
peculiar solid greasy substance of a greenish brown color. By subjecting
this natural residuum to the process herein set forth a substance very
closely resembling vaseline can be made, only of a much higher melting
point and of a color more opaque.
:
Petroleum or other hydrocarbon oils when subjected to this simmering
process and subsequently filtered will be deprived of their color,
odor, and taste, and will be capable of new uses and applications in
the arts.
E
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my 1
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and orignal, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The manufacture of the material I term vaseline from the 1
residuum of petroleum by simmering in open kettles, and filtration
through bone black as herein-before described.
Second. Refining hydrocarbon oils and products by simmering or
slowly boiling the same in open kettles.
Third. Refining hydrocarbon oils and products by simmering in open 2
kettles in combination with filtration through bone black.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Chesebrough, have
to this my Specification set my hand and scal, the Fourteenth
day of September, One thousand eight. hundred and seventy-
four.
2