AN IMPROVEMENT IN OBTAINING CERTAIN OILS
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WALKER WOOD, of Austin Friars, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of March, in the fifth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Walker Wood, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Henry Walker Wood, my exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Walker Wood, my exors,
adiňors, 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, the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN OBTAINING CERTAIN OILS," communicated to me by a certain Foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,
the said Henry Walker Wood, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in His 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 heing thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Walker Wood, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention, as
communicated to me from abroad, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in and by the following
description thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention is applicable to the process of obtaining such oils as are
produced from seeds. In obtaining oils from seeds according to the ordinary
means now resorted to, it is usual to submit the seed to bruising and grinding,
and consequently to considerable pressure, in order to express the oil therefrom,
all which is well understood. Now the object of the Invention secured by
the present Letters Patent is in the progress of such process to apply diluted
acid (muriatic acid in preference) previously to pressure, whereby the seed
will part more thoroughly with the oil.
Having thus stated the object of the Invention, I will describe the process
as pursued in order to apply the improvement before mentioned. Take about
one hundred pounds of seed, and during the time it is being ground sprinkle
it regularly with about three pounds two ounces of muriatic acid diluted with
about six pounds and a quarter of water, this is supposing the acid to be of
one thousand one hundred and sixty specific gravity. By the process of
grinding and sprinkling, the diluted acid will be intimately mixed with the
ground seed. This mixture of seed, acid, and water is to be permitted to
stand for some hours, twelve will be generally found sufficient, though
the time will vary, depending on the quality of the seeds, but this will
be soon ascertained by practice, and a short time longer or shorter will
not materially influence the result of the process. The mixture is next.
to be submitted to pressure by placing it in bags, and disposing the same
in the press in the following manner :-First, a bag of seed; next, a plate of
iron; then a bag of seed, and so on. I prefer an bydraulic press; and the
pressure is to be exerted in the usual manner. By this improvement it will be
found that the seed will part with the oil more thoroughly, and a larger
quantity of oil will be obtained from a given quantity of seed than heretofore.
Having now described the Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I would remark, that although I have stated exact quantities of acid and
water to be applied to a certain quantity of seed, yet I do not confine myself
thereto, as it will be found that the quality of the seed will in some degree
vary the quantities of the diluted acid which will produce the best effect, but
this must in a great measure depend on the judgment of the workman, which
can only be obtained by practice; but the above quantities are given as
average quantities. Nor do I confine myself to the use of the particular acid

page_text: used, or to the applying the diluted acid precisely in that part of the operation
called grinding, as the same may be mixed subsequently, but before the
pressure is applied.
In conclusion, I would have it understood that what I claim as the Inven-
tion of an Improvement in Obtaining certain Oils consists in the application of
diluted acid (muriatic acid in preference) to seeds in the process of obtaining
oil therefrom, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walker Wood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.