AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING OILS AND VARNISHES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicholas Charles Szerelmey, of No. 6, Park Terrace,
Brixton Road, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING OILS AND
VARNISHES."
Sealed the 14th June 1861, and dated the 17th December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicholas Charles Szerel-
mey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th December 1860.
I, NICHOLAS CHARLES SZERELMEY, of No. 6, Park Terrace, Brixton Road,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING OILS AND
VARNISHES," to be as follows:-
The oil or varnish is placed in a vessel of zinc or other suitable metal,
having the bottom pierced with a number of very fine holes. A piece of
flannel is laid over the bottom, and the oil or varnish passes through the
flannel and perforated bottom. The fineness of the flannel and the holes is so
regulated that the oil or varnish falls drop by drop from the bottom. This
vessel fits into another vessel of metal deeper than the first-mentioned one,
having the sides double. The distance of the bottom of the first-mentioned
vessel from the bottom of the one into which it fits should not be less than
about seven inches. Hot water or steam circulates between the double sides

page_text: of the secondly-mentioned vessel. The bottom of the secondly-mentioned
vessel is made of finely perforated metal and a piece of flannel is laid thereon.
On the top of the flannel coarsely powdered quartz is placed to the depth of
about one inch, and on the top of the quartz are small pieces of coke of about
the size of a hazel nut, to the depth of about two inches. The coke is
previously prepared by soaking it in a solution of silicate of potash and drying
it. Small pieces of pumicestone may, however, be used instead of the prepared
coke, but I prefer coke prepared as above. The oil or varnish drops from the
bottom of the first-mentioned vessel on to the coke, and passes through it, and
through the quartz, the flannel, and the perforated bottom on which they are
placed, and falls to the bottom of another vessel on the top of which the
secondly-mentioned vessel fits. This is also made with double sides; it has
also a double bottom, and hot water or steam circulates between the double
sides and the double bottoms. A number of short tubes about a quarter of
an inch in diameter, and open at both ends, pass through the double bottom.
A piece of cotton wool is placed in each of the tubes. The oil or varnish
filters through the cotton wool, and falls into another vessel in all respects like
the last-mentioned vessel, and upon the top of which the last-mentioned vessel
fits. The oil or varnish filters through-the-cotton_wool in the tubes in the
bottom of the last-mentioned vessel, and falls into another vessel fitted to the
bottom of it. The purification of the oil or varnish is now complete, and it
may be drawn off for use by a tap at the bottom of the last-mentioned vessel.
The quantity of cotton wool in the tubes should be such as to allow of the oil
or varnish filtering through at about the same rate as it filters through the
coke and powdered quartz. Less cotton wool is required in the purification
of varnish than in the purification of oil. The object of the steam or hot
water circulating between the double sides and bottoms of the vessels, as above
described, is to render the oil or varnish sufficiently liquid to filter throngli
readily. Some oils, such as linseed oil, however, are sufficiently liquid to filter
through cold.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Nicholas Charles Szerelmey, Her special licence that I, the said Nicholas
Charles Szerelmey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Nicholas Charles Szerelmey, my executors, 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
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS POR PURIFYING OILS AND VARNISHES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Nicholas Charles
Szerelmey, 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 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 Nicholas Charles Szerelmey, 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 :-
My improved method and apparatus for purifying oils and varnishes consists
in causing the oil or varnish to drop upon certain porous substances, and to
pass through certain filtering media, the temperature of the oil or varnish
being raised to such a point as to insure a sufficient fluidity to it. By my
method all impurities are rapidly removed without in any way affecting the
chemical constitution of the oil or varnish, or injuring its quality. My
improved method, and the apparatus I employ, is shewn in the following
description and the Drawings therein referred to.
A is an elevation of the apparatus, shewn in section, which is made of zinc
or other suitable metal. No. 1 is a circular vessel, the sides of which are
hollow; into this another vessel No. 2, of about half the depth of No. 1, fits.
The bottom of No. 2 is perforated with fine holes, and has a piece of flannel
the size of the bottom laid upon it. The bottom of No. 2 is similarly per-
forated, and has a piece of flannel also laid upon it. Upon the last-
mentioned flannel coarsely powdered quartz, No. 3, is placed to the depth of
about one inch. On the top of the quartz there are small pieces of coke, No. 4,

page_text: A piece of cotton
the top of a vessel
of about the size of a hazel nut to the depth of about two inches. The coke
is previously prepared by soaking it in a solution of silicate of potash and
drying it. Small pieces of pumicestone may be used instead of the coke, but
I prefer coke prepared as above. The bottom of the vessel, No. 2, should not
be less than seven inches from the upper surface of the coke, and the size of
the perforations in the bottom of the vessel, No. 2, and the fineness of the
flannel thereon, should be such as to allow the oil or varnish when placed in
No. 2 to fall drop by drop upon the coke. The vessel, No. 1, fits on to the
top of a similar vessel No. 5, the sides of which are hollow; and I find it
advantageous also to make the bottom hollow, as shewn in the Drawing.
Small tubes, Nos. 6, 6, 6, &c. of about a third of an inch internal diameter,
and open at both ends, pass through the bottom of No. 5.
wool is stuck into each tube. The vessel No. 5 fits on to
No. 7, similar in every respect to the vessel No. 5, except that the tubes
Nos. 8, 8, 8, &c., which pass through the bottom of the former, should be a
quarter of an inch internal diameter; they have a piece of cotton wool stuck
into each of them. The vessel, No. 7, fits on to the top of a vessel, No. 9,
furnished with a cock No. 10, through which the oil or varnish is withdrawn
when purified. A cover No. 11 fits on to the top of the vessel No. 2. There
are tubular openings Nos. 12, 13, and 14, to the hollow sides of the vessels
Nos. 1, 5, and 7, respectively, by means of which hot water or steam may be
introduced within the hollow sides of Nos. 1, 5, and 7, and there are cocks
Nos. 15, 16, and 17, by which the hot water may be withdrawn. Instead of
hot water steam may be made to circulate within the hollow sides of Nos. 1, 5,
and 7, by any suitable arrangement.
My method of purifying oils and varnishes by the apparatus above described
is as follows I pour the oil or varnish to be purified into the vessel No. 2;
it then passes through the flannel and perforated bottom, and falls drop by
drop upon the coke No. 4; it then passes through the quartz No. 3, and the
flannel and perforated bottom of No. 1; it then falls into the vessel No. 5,
and passes through the cotton wool in the tubes, Nos. 6, 6, 6, &c., and falls
into the vessel No. 7; it then passes through the cotton wool in the tubes
Nos. 8, 8, 8, &c., into the vessel No. 9, and when it arrives there the
purification is complete, and it may be withdrawn through the cock No. 10.
If, as is usually the case, the oil or varnish is not sufficiently liquid when cold,
to pass readily through the apparatus, its temperature must be raised by
introducing hot water or steam within the double sides of the vessels Nos. 1, 5,
and 7, as above described.

page_text: 1, the purification of oils and varnishes by causing them to fall drop by drop
upon coke prepared as above described, or other similar porous substance, and
then causing it to pass through filters of powdered quartz and flannel and
cotton wool, and when necessary heating the oil or varnish during the
filtration.
2, the apparatus for purifying oils and varnishes above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicholas Charles Szerelmey, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
N. C. SZERELMEY. (L.S.)