IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PARAFFINE AND ILLUMINATING AND LUBRI- CATING OILS FROM PETROLEUM." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun Tweddle, of the City
and State of New York, United States of America, now of No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PARAFFINE AND ILLUMINATING AND LUBRI-
CATING OILS FROM PETROLEUM."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Wilkin
Colquhoun Tweddle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 29th July 1874.
I, HERBERT WILKIN COLQUHOUN TWEDDLE, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PARAPPINE AND ILLUMINATING AND
LUBRICATING OILS FROM PETROLEUM," to be as follows:-
-
My Invention relates to the distillation of petroleum by a process
wherein the distillation is carried on at comparatively low temperatures,

page_text: with rapidity, so that neither the contents of the still nor the vapors
volatilized shall be decomposed and separate carbon formed.
Heretofore in the distillation of hydrocarbon oils high temperatures
havo been used and a variety of appliances have been adopted to promote
the decomposition of the crude oil. By the use of such processes and
appliances the vapors of the heavier oils which contain the paraffine aro
condensed in the domo or goose neck or stand pipes, and fall back into
the still, where they are decomposed by the high temperature and redis-
tilled. A portion of them goes over and is condensed, forming light
illuminating oils. A portion forms carbides of hydrogen and other
non-condensiblo gases and water, another portion being precipitated and
adhering to the sides or top and bottom of the still as solid carbonaceous
matter, whilst tarry matters and separated carbon are left in the still as
the residual matters of the distillation. My improved process is oxactly
the reverse of this, inasmuch as I prevent as much as possible a decom-
position of the crude oils.
In practising the said Invention I proceed as follows:-First. I uso a
still heated by fire directly or indirectly. In this still are dry stoam
pipes and a steam pipo or pipes perforated for the admission of common
steam and superheated steam, as desired. The dry steam pipes may bo
dispensed with. The said still is connected by proper pipes to a pump,
to produce a vacuum in the said still and draw off the products of dis-
tillation. There is a condenser between the pump and the still. I may
use either a dry condenser, a spray condenser, or a compound condenser.
If a spray condenser is used the water of condensation may be separated
from the products of distillation by a Torricellian column and the oil
passed away by the pump which maintains the vacuum. The latter
apparatus with its appliances I will herein-after more fully describe.
To produce the largest amount of paraffine and lubricating oils I use
petroleums which have a gravity of from 33 Baumé's bydrometer at
60° Fahrenheit up to 48 or 50° Baumé. This oil I deprivo of its light
spirit by steam until the distillate is from 62 to 63° Baumé. I then
introduce into the apparatus the residual oil of this primary operation.
I then distil of from 30% to 45% of illuminating oil. This is put in
onc receiver, then the distillation is continued in a separate receiver
until 20% or 30% more distillate is obtained. The residual oils in the

page_text: BC contam no separated caroon, and are very
valuable for lubricating and other purposes.
The first distillate is the spirit of petroleum.
The second distillate is illuminating oil.
Tho third distillate is chilled, and the paraffine separated by pressure.
It will be found that the yield of paraffine is very large in comparison
with the yield by the ordinary processes in use, and, that the oil expressed
from it is very valuable for lubricating purposes.
It can be refined by simple exposure to the sunlight, or further rofined
by redistillation and a slight chemical treatment. The oil so produced
has these peculiar characteristics :-It is light yellow in color; it has
very little fluorescence, or blue and green color, by reflected light; it
has very little odor; it has great viscidity compared with its gravity,
which is from 30° to 34/ Baumé; it has a high boiling point and requires
a high temperature to volatilize it; it contains hardly any admixture of
light oils.
The paraffine obtained has this peculiarity, namely, it is nearly white
in color and is casily purified.
It may be further refined by subsequent distillation in the same dis-
tilling apparatus and separated into different grades. When first.
separated it has not the yellow green color of ordinary crudo paraffine,
nor has it any acid odor.
If I desire to produce lubricating oils that will not chill in extremely
cold weather, or to produce a very large-per-centage of lubricating oils
compared with illuminating oils, I proceed as follows, that is to say, I
introduce directly into the aforesaid apparatus crude oils, which have a
natural gravity of from 26° to 33° Bauiné, and which are obtained from
the first sand rock at Franklin, Pennsylvania, United States of America,
and are known in common as Franklin oils or the West Virginia oils.
Below 38° Baumé, I distil off from 10% to 20% of_the_light-oils-into-
one receiver. This is illuminating oil. The distillation is then con-
tinued in another receiver until 40% to 60% more distillate is obtained.
The residual oils left in the still are dark green in color, have a gravity of
from 20° to 26° Baumé, and do not contain coke or separated carbon,
have hardly any perceptible odor, and are valuable for lubricating
purposes.
•

page_text: The second distillate is used for lubricating machinery or for com--
pounding with other oils. It will not chill in extremely cold weather,
even at zero or 20° below zero it will only have a slight. turbidity if tho
operation be properly conducted.
This distillate may be further purified by redistillation in the samo
apparatus, then refined by a simple chemical treatment.
The product thus obtained has very slight fluorescence, and bears.
great cold without being chilled. It has all the other characteristics
which distinguish the oil produced by the first-mentioned process obtained
by expression from the paraffine.
•
In the practise of my Invention I prefer to use my improved con-.
denser, which is constructed as follows:-It is built of wrought or cast
iron, and has an upright cylinder with a perforated diaphragm,.
or two or more of such diaphragms, in the interior, through which the
vapor from the still must pass to come in contact with tho water injected
or drawn in by the vacuum maintained therein. The condensed oil and.
water separate in the condenser owing to their different specific gravities,
the water is drawn off by a pipe, which must terminate at least 32 to
40 feet below the exit from the condenser, where the oil is drawn off in a
water scal or trap. The oil is drawn off by its appropriate pipe to tho
pump which maintains the vacuum in the still and pumps tho oil into a
suitable receiver.
i
The following process may also be applied advantageously to improve
the quality of the lubricating oil expressed from the paraffinc obtained
by the process just above described, or its equivalent oil produced by tho
second process above described. The said oil is introduced into the
aforesaid apparatus and submitted in a vacuum to the action of the
superlicated steam or superheated steam and fire, until all the light oils
that may be mixed with theso oils are volatilized over to the condenser,
say from three to ten per cent. The residual oil is then drawn off from
the still, and will be found darkened in color, but will be more perfectly
deodorized. The oil may then be bleached.
The paraffine oils of commerce may be deodorized and improved by
being subjected to the same treatment, but require the volatilization of
a very much larger percentage of light oils.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun Tweddle in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 25th January 1875.
"TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERBERT
WILKIN COLQUHOUN TWEDDLE, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc.
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun
Tweddle, Her special licence that I, the said Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun
Tweddle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun Tweddle, 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, 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 Paraffine and IlluminaATING AND LUBRICATING OILS PROM
PETROLEUM," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun Tweddle, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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.
. L
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said. Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun Tweddlc,.
-my-do-hereby declare thic nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to the distillation of petroleum by a process
5 wherein the distillation is carried on at comparatively low temperatures
with rapidity so that neither the contents of the still or the vapors
=

page_text: volatilized shall be decomposed and separate carbou
formed.
WILL
LLOG
Пeretofore in the distillation of hydrocarbon oils high temperatures
liave been used and a variety of appliances have been adapted to promote
the decomposition of the crude oil. By the use of such processes and
appliances the vapours of the heavier oils which contain the paraffine are
condensed in the dome, goose neck, or stand pipes, and fall back into tho
still, where they are decomposed by the high temperature and redistilled.
A portion of them goes over and is condensed, forming light illuminating
oils; a portion forms carbide of hydrogen and other non-condensible
gases and water, another portion being precipitated and adhering to the
sides, top, or bottom of the still as solid carbonaceous matter, whilst
tarry matters and separated carbon are left in the still as the residuical
matters of the distillation. My improved process is exactly the reverse
of this, inasmuch as I prevent as much as possible a decomposition of
the crude oils.
In practising the said Invention I proceed as follows:-First. I use a
still heated by fire directly or indirectly. In this still are dry steam
pipes and a steam pipe or steam pipes perforated for the admission of
common steam, superheated steam, or decomposed steam, as desired.
The dry steam pipes may be dispensed with. The said still is connected
by suitable pipes with a pump. To produce a vacuum in the said still
and draw off the products of distillation there is a condenser between the
pump and the still. I may use either a dry condenser, a spray con-
denser, or a compound condenser. If a spray condenser is used the
water of condensation may be separated from the products of distillation
by a Torricellian column and the oil carried away by the pump which
maintains the vacuum. The latter apparatus with its appliances I will
herein-after more fully describe.
To produce the largest amount of paraffine and lubricating oils I use
petroleums which have a gravity of from 33' of Baumé's hydrometer at
60° Fahrenheit to 15° or 50° Baumé. This oil I deprive of its light
spirit by steam until the distillate is from 62° to 63° Baumé. I then
introduce into the apparatus the residual oil of this primary operation
and then distil off from 38% to 45 % of illuminating oil. This is put
in one receiver, then the distillation is continued in a separate receiver
until 20 % or 30 % more distillate is obtained. The residual oils in tho

page_text: still are dark green in color, have little odour, and contain no separated
carbon, and are very valuable for lubricating and other purposes.
The first distillate is the spirit of petroleum.
The second distillate is illuminating oil.
"y"
The third distillate is chilled, and the paraffine saturated by pressure. :
It will be found that the yield of paraffine is very large in comparison
with the yield by the ordinary processes in use, and that the oil expressed
from it is very valuable for lubricating purposes.
The oil can be refined by simple exposure to the sunlight, or further
refined by redistillation and a slight chemical treatment. The oil so
produced has these peculiar characteristics :-It is light yellow-in colour;
it has very little fluorescence or blue and green colour, by reflected light;
it has very little odour; it has great viscidity compared with its gravity,
which is from 30° to 34° Baumé; it has a high boiling point, and
requires a high temperature to volatilize it; it contains hardly any
mixture of light oils.
i
The paraffine obtained has this peculiarity, namely, it is nearly white
in color and is easily purified.
It may be further refined by subsequent distillation in the same dis,
tilling apparatus and separated into different grades. When, first
separated it has not the yellow green color of ordinary crude paraffine,
nor has it in any acid odour.
"
.If I desire to produce lubricating oils that will not chill in extremely
cold weather or to produce a very large per-centage of lubricating. oils
compared with illuminating oils I proceed us follows, that is to say, I
introduce directly into the aforesaid apparatus crude oils which, have a
natural gravity of from 26° to 33° Baumé, and oils below 38° Baumé,
which are obtained from the first sand rock at Franklin, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, and are commonly known as Franklin oils or
-tho-West Virginia oil, or those natural oils obtained at other places
which do not chill at extremely low temperatures. I distil off from
10% to 20% of the light oils into one receiver. The distillation is then
continued in another receiver until 40 % to 60% or 70% more distillate
is obtained. The residual oils left in the still are dark green in colour,
have a gravity of from 20° to 26° Baume, they do not contain coke or

page_text: separated carbon, have hardly any perceptible odour, and aro valuablo
for lubricating purposes.
The second distillate is used for lubricating machinery or for com-
pounding with other oils. It will not chill in extremely cold weather;
even at zero or 20 degrees below zero it will only have a slight turbidity t
if the operation be properly conducted.
This distillate may be further purified by redistillation in the second
apparatus, and then refined by a simple chemical treatment.
The product thus obtained has very slight fluorescence, and bears
great cold without being chilled. It has all the other characteristics
which distinguish the oil produced in the first-named process by
expression from the paraffine.
. In the practice of my Invention I prefer to use my improved con-
denser, which is constructed as follows:-It is built of wrought or cast
iron, and has an upright cylinder with a perforated diaphragm, or two
or more of such diaphragms, in the interior, through which the vapor
from the still must pass to come in contact with the water injected or
drawn in by the vacuum maintained therein. The condensed oil and
water separate in the condenser owing to their different specific gravities.
The water is drawn off by a pipe, which must terminate at least 32 to
40 feet below the exit from the condenser where the oil is drawn off in
a water seal or-trap. The oil is drawn off by its appropriate pipe to the
pump which maintains the vacuum in the still, and pumps the oil into a
suitable receiver.
The following process may also be applied advantageously to improve
the quality of the lubricating oil expressed from the paraffine obtained
in the process just above described or its equivalent oil produced by tho
second process above described:-The said oil is introduced into the
aforesaid apparatus and submitted in a vacuum to the action of the
superheated steam or superheated steam and fire until all the light oils
that may be mixed with these oils are volatilized over to the condenser,
say from three to ten per cent. The residual oil is then drawn off from
the still, and will be found darkened in colour, but will be more perfectly
deodorized. The oil may then be bleached.
The paraffine oils of commerce may be deodorized and improved by
being subjected to the same treatment, but require the volatilization of a
very much larger per-centage of light oils.

page_text: Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The herein-described process of distilling petroleum oils,
whereby I prevent the decomposition and formation of separated carbon
and obtain a large quantity of paraffine, as herein set forth.
Second. The production of illuminating and lubricating oils which
aro almost devoid of fluorescence, as herein described.
Third. The production of distilled lubricating oils from natural
petroleum, which do not contain perceptible paraffine when chilled
to zero temperature Fahrenheit, and which remain limped, as herein
described.
Fourth. The production of residual oils of distillation suitable for
lubrication, and which have a gravity of from 20° Baumé to 32° Baumé,
and are of the colour specified and almost odourless, and free from
separated carbon, as herein set forth.
Fifth. In carrying into practice the above-described process, tho use
of vacuum stills heated by fire directly or indirectly in conjunction with
superlicated steam or decomposed steam produced by passing steam
through red-hot coke.
Sixth. The improved paraffine and the improved illuminating and
lubricating oils manufactured as above described, and which are dis-
tinguished by the peculiar characteristics herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Wilkin Colquhoun Tweddle,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twentieth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.
:
HERBERT W. C. TWEDDLE. (L.S.)
Witness,
JA. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
Tandan