IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PARAFFINE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Michael Letchford, Chemist, and William
Bryer Nation, Paraffine Refiner, both of Three Colts Lane, Bethnal
Green, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IM-
Scaled the 27th August 1872, and dated the 23rd March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Michael
Letchford and William Bryer Nation at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd March
.
1872.
We, ROBERT MICHAEL LETCHFORD, Chemist, and WILLIAM BRYER'
NATION, Paraffine Refiner, both of Three Colts Lane, Bethnal Green,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PARAFFINE," to be as
follows:-

page_text: and labour employed; and, secondly, freedom from danger arising from
the use of paraffine oil in the usual methods of refining.
By a gradual application and certain manipulation of heat to solid
paraffine we obtain the peculiar effect of rendering the harder portion
spongy, without melting, owing to the gradual exudation and escape of
the oily portion containing coloring matter along with the low melting
portions of the solid, and if this treatment be repeated several times,
raising the temperature at each succeeding operation, an inodorous high
melting paraffine wax is obtained, without having recourse to the use of
inflammable oils, chemicals, or pressure.
The heat is most conveniently applied by immersing the cakes of
paraffine in a water bath; but the result may also be obtained by using
free steam or even with a heated closet, provided suitable dispositions be
made.
For obtaining fine degrees of whiteness in hard paraffine we adopt the
method of precipitation with commercial ivory black in powder in place
of the usual method of filtration through granulated animal charcoal.
inmhleabing

page_text: Bryer Nation, Her special license that we, the said Robert Michael
Letchford and William Bryer Nation, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Michael Letchford
and William Bryer Nation, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF
PARAFFIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Robert Michael Letchford and William Bryer Nation, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, or them, 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 Robert Michael Letchford, on
behalf of myself and the said William Bryer Nation, do hereby declaro
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 has for its object improvements in the treatment of
paraffin. In the Specification of our former Patent granted to one of
us, viz., to William Bryer Nation, and dated the 1st day of February,
1866, No. 322, a process is described for treating paraffin with water to
separate from the harder paraffin the impurities and the softer and
more easily melting parts. The process contained in this Specification
is as follows: The paraffin was melted, and then stirred or agitated
with water, the temperature was thus reduced carefully to a point
from two.to six degrees below the melting point of the material. The
purer portion of the paraffin and that which has the higher melting
point was in this way caused to solidify, whilst a residue remained
liquid. To separate the finely divided solid paraffin thus obtained from
the water and the liquid paraffin intimately mixed with it it was pro-,
posed to allow the whole to stand for a time, until the materials
separated into layers according to their specific gravities. In this last

page_text: $
We also claim the method of treating paraffin by mixing it with
commercial ivory black, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Michael Letchford, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.