AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Constantine Jennings, of 8, Great Tower
Street, in the City of London, Practical Chemist, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Constantine
Jennings at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th February 1855.
I, HENRY CONSTANTINE JENNINGS, of 8, Great Tower Street, in the City of
London, Practical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar mode of manufacturing soap when
resin is employed, and I proceed as follows:-I saponify a quantity of tallow,
or fat, or oil with caustic alkali in the usual manner, and produce as pure and
hard curd soap as possible; to this I add a large proportion of calophane,
prepared according to a former Patent granted to me; I also add two or
more per cent. of bicarbonate of soda or soda of commerce, and also about one
or more per cent. of sulphate of alumina, common alum, or other soluble salt
of alumina, and I boil the whole with water until a complete or perfect
combination is produced. The soap is then fitted and framed in the usual
manner of soap-makers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Constantine Jennings in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CONSTANTINE JENNINGS, of 8, Great Tower Street, in the City of London,
Practical Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Constantine Jennings, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Constantine Jennings, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Constantine Jennings, 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 IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Constantine Jennings, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Henry Constantine Jennings, 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 thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention consists of a peculiar mode of manufacturing soap when
resin is employed, and I proceed as follows:-I saponify a quantity of tallow,
or fat, or oil with caustic alkali in the usual manner, and produce as pure and
hard curd soap as possible; to this I add a large proportion of colophane,
prepared according to a former Patent granted to me; I also add two or
more per cent. of bicarbonate of soda or soda of commerce, and also about
one or more per cent. of sulphate of alumina, common alum, or other soluble
salt of alumina, and I boil the whole with water until a complete or perfect
combination is produced. The soap is then fitted and framed in the usual
manner of soap-makers.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to

page_text: describe more fully the manner of performing the same. In carrying out my
Invention I prefer to use the best quality of curd soap, which I dissolve in
about one-third of its weight of water, to which is added colophane, carbonate
of soda, and alum. For this purpose the colophane (which I prefer to be
used at the rate of twenty-five per cent. to the quantity of soap) is dissolved
with about six per cent. of carbonate of soda (of commerce) to the colophane
employed, using about a like weight of water as there is of colophane. These
matters being boiled together till the colophane and alkali are dissolved, the
compound is to be added to the dissolved soap, and the whole of the matters
are to be boiled together till the workman on taking a sample finds that the
soap is hard and smooth, as is well understood by soapmakers. To this
compound is to be added a quantity of sulphate of alumina (common alum)
with a view to improve the colour, say, from about two to four per cent. of the
tallow or oil and colophane in the mixture, using more or less of the alum,
according as the colophane is less or more pure. The whole compound is to
be boiled up, and then allowed to stand for about two to four hours. In order
to prevent the colophane precipitating, a quantity of diluted sulphuric acid is
then introduced and stirred into the above mixture. The strength of such
solution of acid which is used is one part by weight of sulphuric acid to nine
parts by weight of water, of which about two per cent. in respect to the
weight of tallow or oil and colophane in the mixture is to be employed. The
compound or soap is then to be fitted, cleansed, and framed in the usual
manner.
I would remark, in the above description I have spoken of the exact
quantities of the materials employed by me, and which I believe to be the
best under the circumstances stated; but these quantities may be varied
without departing from my Invention, and when inferior qualities of colophane
be used it will be desirable to increase the quantity of alum. What I claim
is, the employment of carbonate of soda and alum when combining colophane
(rosin) with soap.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Constantine Jennings, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
H. C. JENNINGS. (L.S.)