IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING LINSEED AND OTHER SEED AND VEGETABLE OILS, SO AS THE BETTER TO FIT THEK FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Ford, of No. 21, Elgin Crescent, Notting
Hill, in the Coy. of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING LINSEED AND OTHER SEED AND
VEGETABLE OILS, SO AS THE BETTER TO FIT THEK FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE
ARTS AND MANUFACTURES.”
Sealed the 7th November 1871, and dated the 2nd September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Ford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd September 1871.
I, ALFRED FORD, of No. 21, Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING LINSEED AND OTHER
SEED AND VEGETABLE OILS, SO AS THE BETTER TO FIT THEM FOR EMPLOYMENT IN
THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES," to be as follows :-
The object of this Invention is so to treat linseed and other seed and
vegetable oils employed in the arts and manufactures as to render

page_text: unnecessary the objectionable process of boiling at present resorted to
which is dangerous to the operator and injurious to the oil.
The advantages of this Invention are, that the oils above referred to
after having been treated as hercin-after explained, acquire all the
increased consistency and drying powers obtained by boiling, without t
suffering the impairment of their other properties, always consequent
upon the employment of a very high temperature such as that necessary
for boiling oil. The oils moreover, instead of being darkened as in
boiling, are made lighter in colour, and fitted for painting white panels,
which ordinary boiled oil is not; they besides acquire a greater 1
toughness and flexibility when dry, and are thus rendered more useful
as waterproofing agents.
"
'
The Invention consists in subjecting linseed or other seed and
vegetable oils to the action of certain metallic, saline, or earthy
chlorides, which possess the power of increasing their consistence, and 1
imparting to them drying powers, and in certain cases of decolorizing
them. The chlorides I prefer are those of mercury, sulphur, antimony,
. zinc, or lead, although I do not restrict myself to these.
The oil previously warmed to a temperature of 120 degrees
Fahrenheit, more or less, is mixed with the chloride I design to employ, 2
by rubbing the latter down in some suitable vessel or on a slab; and
the mixture is frequently agitated during the next two days, more or
less, until the desired result shall have been obtained (cold oil may be
used, only the change is not effected so speedily). In some cases I find
the process perfected by the addition of some salt or oxide of lead, a
zinc, or some other metal or earth (not a chloride) to the mixture, with
a view partially to decompose some of the chloride and to disengage
chlorine, which latter by passing through the oil or being absorbed by
it, may act as a bleacher and hasten the decolorization. The oil is then
allowed to clear itself by rest, or is assisted by the addition of some g
finings of greater specific gravity than the oil, which in settling will
carry down the impurities. When I employ the chloride of sulphur, it
is necessary to prevent its solidifying the oil to mix with it bi-sulphide
of carbon, turpentine, naptha, or some other hydrocarbon with which
chloride of sulphur is miscible, before adding it to the oil; the extent a

page_text: of the dilution depending upon the amount of thickening I want to
produce. It is necessary in this case, after the effect desired. on the oil
has been produced to add lime, magnesia, or some other alkaline carth,
or alkaloid, to remove the acid which would otherwise injure the oil.
•
The quantity of chlorides required to prepare a given quantity of
oil will vary according to the quality and character of the oil, and tho
amount of inspissation and drying powers I wish to impart to it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Ford in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
FORD, of No. 21, Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date, the Second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
.fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Ford, Her special licence that I,
the said Alfred Ford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alfred Ford, my exccutors, 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 MODE OF
TREATING LINSEED AND OTHER SEED AND VEGETABLE OILS, SO AS THE BETTER:
TO FIT THEM FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Ford, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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
•

page_text: Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Ford, do hereby declare the
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:-
The object of this Invention is so to treat linseed and other seed and
vegetable oils employed in the arts and manufactures as to render
unnecessary the objectionable process of boiling at present resorted to,
which is dangerous to the operator and injurious to the oil.
•
The advantages of this Invention are, that the oils above referred to
after having been treated as herein-after explained, acquire all the
increased consistence and drying powers obtained by boiling without
suffering the impairment of their other propertics, always consequent
upon the employment of a very high temperature, such as that necessary
for ooiling oil. The oils moreover instead of being darkened as in
boiling are made lighter in colour, and fitted for painting white panels,
which ordinary boiled oil is not; they besides acquire a greater
toughness and flexibility when dry, and are thus rendered more useful
as waterproofing agents.
This Invention consists in subjecting linseed or other seed and
vegetable oils to the action of certain metallic, saline, or earthy
chlorides, which possess the power of increasing their consistence, and
imparting to them drying powers and in certain cases of decolorizing
them.
The chlorides I prefer are those of mercury, sulphur, antimony,
zinc, or lead, although I do not restrict myself to these.
The oil previously warmed to a temperature of 120 degrees more or
less is mixed with the chloride I design to employ, by rubbing tho
latter down in some suitable vessell or on a slab with a small quantity
of the oil which is subsequently added to the bulk, and the mixture is
frequently agitated during the next two days more or less, until the
desired result shall have been obtained. Cold oil may be used only the
change is not effected so speedily. In some cases I find the process
perfected by the addition of some salt or oxide of lead, zinc, or some

page_text: other metal or earth, not a chloride, to the mixture with a view partially
to decompose some of the chloride and to disengage chlorine, which latter
by passing through the oil or being absorbed by it, may act as a
bleacher and hasten the decolorization. The oil is then allowed to clear
itself by rest, or is assisted by the addition of some finings of greater
specific gravity than the oil, which in settling will carry down the
impurities. When I employ the chloride of sulphur, it is necessary to
prevent its solidifying the oil, to mix with it bi-sulphide of carbon,
turpentine, naptha, or some other hydrocarbon with which chloride of
sulphur is miscible before adding it to the oil; the extent of the
dilution depending upon the amount of thickening I want to produce.
It is necessary in this case after the effect desired on the oil has been
obtained to add lime, magnesia, or some other alkaline earth, or alkaloid,
to remove the acid which would otherwise injure the oil.
The quantity of chlorido required to prepare a given quantity of oil
will vary according to the quality and character of the oil, and the
amount of inspissation and drying powers I wish to impart to it.
The following is the method in which I prefer to make my oils :-I
grind up in the ordinary way of grinding up colours with oil, three
ounces of the bi-chlorido of mercury with one pound of linseed oil and
one ounce of oxide of lead so as to produce a perfectly smooth mixture.
I then add this mixture to one hundred and eleven pounds of linseed oil
which has been previously heated to 120 degrees, and agitate them well
by means of a stirrer for two hours; I then set the mixture aside to
deposit its foots and clear, when clear I run off the clear liquid and add
to it a mixture made of two pounds of sugar of lead, and two pounds of
oxide of lead or litharge, and one pound of linseed oil which have been
previously ground together for some days prior to using, and having
shaken this mixture and the oil well together for an hour or so set them
aside to fine. In a day or two the deposit is complete and a light drying
oil the result. If I cannot give time to the oil to clear itself I filter
after some one of the ordinary modes of filtering oil. The foots are
treated in the ordinary way.
In making thick oil I take a solution of chloride of sulphur, and
having mixed it with mineral naptha or turpentine, in the proportion

page_text: to the oil, frequently stirring untill the required thickening is obtained;
I then add unslacked lime in the state of powder in the proportion of four
pounds to one hundredweight, and having agitated it with the oil, sot
the mixture aside to fine, a thick drying oil is the result.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Ford, have hereunto set 5
my hand and seal, this 26th day of February in the year of our
Lord Eighteen hundred and seventy-two.
(L.s.) ALFRED FORD.