IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TREATING LINSEED, AND OTHER DRYING OILS, SO AS THE BETTER TO FIT THEM FOR USE IN THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Ford at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1883.
ALFRED FORD of 22 Gloucoster Crescent, London N.W.
IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF TREATING LINSEED, AND OTHER DRYING OILS, SO AS THE
BETTER TO FIT THEM FOR USE IN THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES
Tho object of this Invention is so to treat Linseed, and other drying oils,
notably Linseed oil, so as to ronder them of greater use in the arts, and manufac-
tures, than they have heretofore been, 1st by imparting to them such drying powers,
as will enable them to be employed alone, and without the admixture of Turpentine,
or any other dryer, in the manufacture of paint, thereby dispensing with, to a great
extent, the use of those articles for painting purposes and whilst not interfering
with the workability of the paint, giving to it greater body, elasticity, and
durability, and lessening the cost of application, by virtue of its covering the
surface to which it may be applied more perfectly than when Turpentine is used,
and at the same time giving to work a brighter, and better finish. 2nds by
decolorizing such oils when they are required to be used in mixing very light, and
delicate colours. 3rdly by imparting to the said oils after they have acquired the
increased drying powers above referred to, such viscidity, as will enable thein to
bo used as oil varnishes, without the admixture of any resinous, or gummy matter,
or Turpentine, or other Evaporative fluid, and when so used, to give to the
surfaces to which they are applied, an enduring brightness, which cannot be
attained in any other way, except at nearly double the cost, and Lastly by still
further increasing the viscidity, of such prepared oils, as to give to them a con-
sistence, which will enable them to be moulded, and employed in various ways, in
the arts and Manufactures, and these various results I bring about in the following
manner.
I place in a Tank or Cistern, so arranged, that it can be heated by gas, or steam ;
and supplied with pipes connected with an air Engine, say 5 cwt of Linseed, or
other drying oil, and having set the air Engine in motion, so as to drive the air
through the oil, and perfectly agitate it, I apply heat to the surface of the Tank,
continuing the agitation so as to ensure an equal distribution of the heat throughout
the oil, until it reaches a temperature of from 130° to 150° Fahrenheit-I may
require to go higher, but I prefer about this degree of heat-I then pour into the

page_text: oil, whilst in agitation, from a vessel having a perforated plate or rose at the exit
pipe, a solution of the Diacetate of Lead, very slowly, the object being, to disseminate
such solution equally through the oil, and I then continue the agitation, at the
same temperature, and uninterruptedly for ten hours more or less, and then leave
the oil to rest-When it has settled-I draw off the foots, or settlings, and add to
the clear oil, another quantity of the solution of Diacetate of Lead, equal to
about one half of that used in the first operation, and agitate the oil as before, only
at a much lower temperature, and in an interrupted way, for about 10 hours-By
the operation of these processes, the oil is not only freed from its Glyceroid, and
other nondrying properties, which unite with the Lead in the solution, forming a
Glycerole of Lead, but is at the same time, to a great extent, decolorized,―and
when the oil thus treated, and prepared, has been allowed to rest, and deposit its
foots, I obtain an oil, possessing the drying properties requisite for fulfilling the
first object of my Invention, and the lighter colour requisite to fulfill the 2nd.
When I wish to convert this oil into varnish I take the finished, and clear oil,
and further agitate it with atmospheric air at a temperature ranging between 100°
and 250° Fahrenheit more, or less, until it has acquired the requisite viscidity for
a body varnish, and I thus accomplish the third object of my Invention
Lastly, when I wish to convert the oil into a plastic material, capable of being
moulded, I further agitate it, at a much higher temperature, and for a longer
period, until the requisite consistence has been attained.