Improvements in the Process of Cleaning and Extracting Oil and Grease from Cotton-waste and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process of Cleaning and Extracting Oil and
Grease from Cotton-waste and other Fibrous Materials.
I, Baron DAVID BARNETT, of Fordingley Road, St. Peter's Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relatos more especially to the cotton waste ordinarily used by
engineers and others for the purpose of cleaning engines and machinery, and it
has for its object an improved process for removing the oil, grease, and dirt, absorbed
by such cotton waste in use, and for effectually cleaning it so that it can be re-used for
the same purpose.
In order to put my invention in operation I take the oily and dirty waste, or other
material, which is to be treated, and I immerse it in a bath of petroleum or other liquid
hydrocarbon, in which it is stirred or agitated for a sufficient time by hand or other
convenient power. I then remove it from the bath and I expel, by pressure or other
suitable means, as much as possible of the petroleum or other hydrocarbon together
with the oil and greasy dirt with which it has combined in the bath.
I then wash the waste or other material in a bath containing preferably soap, caustic
or other soda or alkali, and turpentine, but the ingredients of which may be varied
more or less according to the character of the material which is being cleaned.
For instance, if the waste has contained principally oil or oily matters the
turpentine may be omitted, but if tallow is to be removed then the addition of
turpentine is preferable.
The proportions of the ingredients of the bath may be varied according to the
quality and condition of the material treated. For instance about half a pound
of ordinary soap, half a pound of caustic soda, and one pint of turpentine may be
mixed with each gallon of water, and about four gallons of this mixture may be added
to about 50 gallons of water to form the bath, which may be used warm or the materials
treated may be boiled in it for a sufficient time.
The waste or other material is then removed, washed in water until all traces of the
bath are removed, and then dried in any suitable way.
It may then be opened out by hand or opening machinery of the usual kind and is
then fit for use.
When the petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon described has taken up sufficient
oil or greasy dirt, it may be separated from them in the usual well known way, and
the oil may he sold and utilized and the petroleum re-used.
The improved process is very simple, cheap, and effective.
Dated this 30th day of January 1890
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process of Cleaning and Extracting Oil and
Grease from Cotton-waste and other Fibrous Materials.
I, Baron DAVID BARNETT, of Fordingley Road, St. Peter's Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying drawing, that is to say :—
My invention relates more especially to the cotton waste ordinarily used by
engineers and others for the purpose of cleaning engines and machinery, and it

page_text: has for its object an improved process for removing the oil, grease, and dirt, absorbed
by such cotton waste in use, and for effectually cleaning it so that it can be re-used
for the same purpose.
In order to put my invention in operation I take the oily and dirty waste, or other
material which is to be treated, and I immerse it in a bath of petroleum or other
liquid hydrocarbon, in which it is stirred or agitated for a sufficient time by hand or
other convenient power.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of apparatus which I have found well
adapted for the purpose, Figure 1 being a front view, Figure 2 a transverse section,
and Figure 3 a longitudinal section.
a is a cylindrical vessel of suitable size and proportions, is an internal smaller
cylinder of wire work of sufficient strength and size of openings carried by ends
provided with axles c, c, turning in bearings in the external cylinder a, so that the
inner cylinder b can be inade to revolve in either direction by driving pulleys and
belts as shewn, or by other suitable means.
The cylinder a has an opening e which can be closed by a sliding or other door f
and the inner cylinder is also provided with a door d by which the waste or other
material to be treated can be withdrawn and removed. i, i, i, are longitudinal bars
by which the waste is agitated as the cylinder 6 revolves. The outer cylinder is partly
filled with the petroleum as shewn, and the rotation of the inner cylinder is continued
backward and forward until the waste is sufficiently impregnated with the petroleum.
The latter also combines with the oil and grease, the mixture settling in the chamber g,
which communicates with the cylinder a by one or more narrow openings and it can
be drawn off when desired by the cock h.
When the waste has been sufficiently treated I remove it from the bath or from the
vessel and I expel, by pressure or other suitable means, as much as possible of the
petroleum or other hydro-carbon together with the oil and greasy dirt with which it
has combined in the bath or vessel.
I then wash the waste or other material in a bath containing preferably soap,
caustic or other soda or alkali, and turpentine, but the ingredients of which may
be varied more or less according to the character of the material which is being
cleaned.
For instance, if the waste has contained principally oil or oily matters the turpentine
may be omitted, but if tallow is to be removed then the addition of turpentine is
preferable.
The proportions of the ingredients of the bath may be varied according to the
quality and condition of the material treated. For instance from about half a pound
to one pound of soap, half a pound to one pound of caustic soda, or soda ash, and half
a pint to one pint of turpentine may be mixed with each gallon of water, and about
four gallons of this mixture may be added to about 5 gallons of water to form the
bath which may be used warm or the materials treated may be boiled in it for a
sufficient time.
The waste or other material is then removed, washed in water until all traces of the
bath are removed and then dried in any suitable way. It may then be opened out by
hand or opening machinery of the usual kind and is then fit for use.
When the petroleum or other liquid hydro-carbon described has taken up sufficient
oil or greasy dirt, it may be separated from them in the usual well known way, and
the oil may be sold and utilized and the petroleum re-used.
The improved process is very simple, cheap, and effective.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is, to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The process of cleaning cotton waste or other material from oil or greasy dirt, by
first washing such material in petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon, then expelling
the petroleum together with the oil and grease combined with it, washing the material

page_text: in a bath composed as herein described and finally washing and drying the material,
all substantially as described, and illustrated.
Dated this 30th dox of Databo 1800
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.