IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FATTY MATTER
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF FATTY MATTER."-A communication from abroad by
Joseph Etienne L'Honoré, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Manu-
facturer.
Sealed the 16th March 1860, and dated the 8th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th October 1859.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FATTY MATTER," a communication from
abroad by Joseph Etienne L'Honoré, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar mode of treating suet whereby a new and
superior fatty matter or compound is produced, applicable as a lubricant, as a
preventive against the oxidation of metals, and peculiarly adapted to the
manufacture of candles. This substance is obtained by mixing about 67 parts

page_text: in weight of suet of the finest quality, melted without the aid of acids, with 8
parts in weight of the white oxyde of zinc.
The suet is first melted in a suitable vessel over a slow fire, and about 20
parts are poured through a fine silk sieve or strainer into a cast-iron flat-
bottomed boiler previously heated to prevent any cooling of the suet; the 8
parts in weight of oxyde of zinc are now added and well mixed with the melted
suet by stirring with a pestle. This produces a stearate of zinc. The
remainder of the suet is now added, being strained through a sieve as before,
and the whole is well-stirred together. The produce is a new preparation
which the Inventor calls "chemical suet," and which may be used in candle
making for coating the outsides of the. candles already made of the finest suet,
whereby their appearance and quality are greatly improved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or
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 TREATMENT OF FATTY MATTER," a communication from
abroad by Joseph Etienne L'Honoré, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Manu-
facturer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar mode of treating suet, whereby
a new and superior fatty matter or compound is obtained, applicable as a
lubricant, as a preventive against the oxidation of metals, and peculiarly
adapted to the manufacture of candles.
about sixty-seven parts in weight of suet
This substance is obtained by mixing
of the finest quality, melted without
the aid of acids, with eight parts in weight of the white oxyde of zinc.
The suet is first melted in a suitable vessel over a slow fire, and about twenty
parts are poured through a fine silk sieve or strainer into a cast-iron flat-
bottomed boiler, previously heated to prevent any cooling of the suet; the
eight parts in weight of oxyde of zinc are now added and well mixed with
the melted suet by stirring with a pestle. This produces a stearate of zinc,
which will be shewn by the transformation of the suet into a thick milky
substance, and by the absence of the oxyde on the pestel or stirrer. This
operation will generally require about one hour to complete, after which the
remainder of the melted suet is added, being strained through a sieve as before,
and the whole is well stirred together so as to mix the stearate of zinc already
formed intimately with the additional suet, which operation will require about
another hour to complete. The produce is a new preparation of suet which
the Inventor calls "chemical suet," and which may be packed in barrels for
subsequent use, a sieve or strainer being employed through which the prepared
material is passed when filling the barrels. For the retail trade the suet may
be ladled out of the barrels into earthen pans, so as to form it into small
moulds or pats, the whole of the processes and operations being conducted
with the greatest cleanliness.
As one example of the application of this prepared suet I may refer to the
manufacture of candles therefrom. The candles are first moulded in the ordinary
manner from suet of the first quality which has been well strained, and these
candles on being withdrawn from the moulds are suspended by means of hooks
to rods at such distances apart that the candles will not be in actual contact
with each other. These candles are now coated or covered externally with
the "chemical suet" herein-before mentioned, containing about six per cent.

page_text: of oxide of zinc, by dipping them once into such material, which has the effect
of imparting to the candle an appearance of the best wax candles, whilst the
quality is also greatly improved.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the system or mode of treating suet by
mixing therewith the white oxide of zinc, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto 1
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)