IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING PEAT AND OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, REES
REECE, of London, Chemist, 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 Twenty-third day of
January, in the twelfth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Rees Reece, my exors, admors, and
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Rees Reece, my exors, admors and assigns, and such others as I,
the said Rees Reece, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter, during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdon of Great Britain
and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and also in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, and in all Her Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING PEAT AND OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM;".in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso requiring that I, the
said Rees Reece, shall particularly describe and ascertain 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 scal, and cause the same to be

page_text: bo
existing processes applicable to the same... Either hot or cold blast may
used; I, however, prefer to employ hot blast when the peat contains much
moisture.
I would remark, that I do not confine myself to the construction above
shewn of the blast furnace and condensing apparatus, as the same may
be varied, and the blast furnace and condensing apparatus separately are not
claimed by me as my Invention; the first part of my Invention consisting of
causing peat to be burned by the aid of blast in a furnace, so as to evolve and
collect inflammable gasses, and tarry and other products from peat. .And I
would observe, in respect of this part of my Invention, that by so treating
peat, the products thereof will be more beneficially obtained than by distilling
peat in retorts externally heated.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which relates to
obtaining a product of peat which I call paraffine. For this purpose I take tar
obtained from peat in the manner above described, or tar which has been
obtained from peat by distillation, and such tar being freed from water, I place
the tar in a suitable still, and cause the same to be heated, and I distill off
about half the quantity at as low a temperature as it will come over, and then
I distil over the remainder into a second receiver. The product received in
the second receiver will be found to consist of the products I call paraffine,
and paraffine liquid,. and a small quantity of volatile hydro-carbons. The
paraffine will be found in crystals, which I separate from the liquid paraffine
by hair or other fine sieves, and then melt the crystals and run the same into
moulds about two inches deep, and the cakes thus obtained I subject to
pressure in the manner of pressing stearine, by which I separate the more fluid
portions. The hard product obtained will be found to be of a dark yellow
color, to remove which color I cause the paraffine to be distilled, and the pro-
duct received into moulds; and the cakes thus obtained are to be subjected to
pressure in hot stearine presses; but I have found it desirable to keep down
the heat to 100° of Fahrenheit. If not sufficiently freed from color by the first
distillation, that process may be repeated, and after distillation I cause the
paraffine to be melted and washed with water and free steam, and I allow the
product to stand some days, subject to the atmosphere; this product of peat is
suitable for making candles. The liquid paraffine I also distil one or more
times to remove the color, and this product may be burned in lamps.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, the causing peat to be burned in a furnace subjected to a blast,
and so as to obtain inflammable gasses and other products; and,

page_text: Secondly, I claim the obtaining products of peat, which I call paraffine and
liquid paraffine, by operating on tar or pitchy matter produced from peat, as
herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Rees Reece, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.