IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
THOMAS, of Bristol, Soap Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the First day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Thomas, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Charles Thomas, my exors,
adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Thomas, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP ;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Charles Thomas, should cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Thomas, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
My Invention consists, first, of a combination of apparatus for stirring the
materials when making soap.
And, secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in the means of
compressing soap when in frames.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view partly in section; Figure 2, a front view
thereof, with the guard or cover removed; and Figure 3 shows a perspective
view of the apparatus when at work. The object of the apparatus is to stir
and break up the surface of the boiling matters to the depth of about six or
eight inches below the surface of the boiling matters, which will allow of the
steam escaping, thus preventing the boiling over of the soap. The apparatus
is so arranged that the stirrer may be lowered into its place in the boiler by s
means of a cord and pulleys, as shewn. a is a wheel or stirrer of the form
preferred, consisting of two wheels (with open floats), fixed on the axis b,
which is carried by the hollow bar c, the nature of which is clearly shewn in
the Drawing, such hollow bar being carried by, but not rotating with, the
axis or shaft d, as will be readily understood on examining the Drawing.
e is the guard or cover fixed over the wheels. Motion is communicated to
the wheels or stirrer by means of the shaft d, on which is fixed a bevilled
tooth wheel f, which takes into and drives the bevilled toothed wheel g,
when the clutch box h is in a proper position, as is indicated by the Drawing;
such clutch being acted on by the lever and rods i, i, as shewn. When it is
desired to put the stirrer into or out of action, the bevilled toothed wheel g
is fixed on the axis j, which passes down the hollow bar c; and at its other
end is fixed a bevilled toothed wheel k, which takes into and drives the bevilled
toothed wheel, fixed on the axes b, by which arrangement rotatory motion is
communicated to the stirrer.
I would remark that, although I prefer the form of stirrer shewn, I do not
confine myself thereto, as variations may be made therein, so long as a suitable

page_text: mechanical stirrer is used capable of acting to break up the surface of the
boiling matter, and thus to facilitate the getting away of the steam, as herein
explained.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention. Figure 4
shows a side view, and Figure 5 a transverse section of a frame (such, for the
most part, as is ordinarily used for moulding and pressing soap). It consists of
a series of rectangular frames a, a, placed one on the other, fixed together by
screw bolts and nuts 6, the upper part being closed in by a cover c, kept down
by a screw d. The lower frames fit over a vessel B (which is about one-
tenth the depth of the frames), into which, according to my Invention, a fluid
(heavier than the soap) is forced to obtain the desired pressure by the arrange-
ment of pump shewn, or the same may be done by other convenient means, this
part of my Invention consisting of obtaining the requisite pressure by means
of fluids, in place of the mechanical instruments heretofore employed. The
pumping apparatus D shewn is similar to those used in presses; E is a valve,
by which the pressure employed can be regulated; F is the receiver of the
fluid employed, which I prefer to be a solution of alkali of greater specific
gravity than the soap, and I use it hot, say from 160° to 200° of Fahrenheit,
so as not to cool the lower part of the soap till it has been sufficiently pressed.
The liquor is to be forced in at intervals until the mass of soap has ceased to
shrink in cooling.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the details herein described, as the same may be varied, and yet retain the
peculiar character of each part of my Invention. But what I claim is, first,
the combination of apparatus herein described for stirring soap.
And, secondly, I claim the pressing soap in frames by fluid pressure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Thomas, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Charles Thomas, in
the pros
presence of
CHARLES (L.s.) THOMAS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid Charles Thomas came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.