A NEW PROCESS FOR IMPREGNATING THE ATMOSPHERE WITH PERFUMING OR PURIFYING VAPOURS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugene Rimmel, of 96, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Wholesale Perfumer, for the Invention of "A NEW PROCESS
FOR IMPREGNATING THE ATMOSPHERE WITH PERFUMING OR PURIFYING
VAPOURS."
Sealed the 9th August 1861, and dated the 14th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eugeno Rimmel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
February 1861.
I, EUGENE RIMMEL, of 96, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Wholesalo
Perfumer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
PROCESS FOR IMPREGNATING THE ATMOSPHERE WITH PERFUMING OR PURIFYING
VAPOURS," to be as follows:-
Perfuming the atmosphere has hitherto been effected by the combustion of
fragrant substances, principally woods and resins, either burnt in a solid form
or thrown in a liquid state upon a red hot-metallic surface; but by this process
the perfumo is not evolved alone, it is accompanied with acrid vapours, the
result of carbonization, which destroy to a great extent the beneficial and
agreeable effect of the operation. Besides this disadvantage the number of
aromatic substances giving out a scent by burning is very limited, consisting
only of gums, resins, and woods, all giving nearly the same heavy and oppressive
odour.

page_text: The process I am about to describe renders all perfumes available for the
purpose of perfuming the atmosphere, a result hitherto unobtained, as by com-
bustion all fine and delicate perfumes become destroyed without evolving any
of their perfume.
I proceed in this way:-I prepare a liquid composed of certain proportions
of essential oils aud alcobol or of perfumed alcohol alone, which I mix with
about ten times its weight of water distilled from flowers, such as rose water.
I pour this mixture after shaking it into a flat evaporating pan under which is
a heating apparatus, such as a candle, a spirit lamp, or any other lamp. I
light it, and the water, when it becomes warm, causes the volatile odoriferous
particles contained in the said liquid to disengage and to diffuse in the
atmosphere, preserving in the same time the purity of their odour.
The proportions I give above are those I use by preference for the com-
position of the mixture, but any other proportion may also be employed. A
mixture of essential oils or alcoholic perfumes with water, distilled or not, or
alcoholic perfumes, or any perfumed liquid, may also be vaporized in the same
way, but I use by preference the above-mentioned mixture of essential oils and
alcohol or perfumed alcohol with water distilled from flowers.
The pan used for evaporating the liquid may be of any sort of metal; I
however, prefer copper as being less liable to oxidation and easier to clean.
As to the shape I prefer that of a saucer; for the wider and flatter is the vessel
the more rapid is the operation. The pan is placed on a stand and has a lamp
or a candle underneath. An evaporating pan may also be fixed by means of
a supporter above a candle or a lamp, and in fact any vessel capable of
evaporating a liquid by means of heat will answer the required purpose.
Although my process is especially intended to apply to the vaporization of
perfumed liquids it can also be used for the vaporization and volatilization of
liquids saturated with purifying or medicinal substances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Eugene Rimmel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3
10th August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EUGENE
RIMMEL, of 96, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Wholesale Perfumier,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Eugene Rimmel, Her special licence that I, the said Eugene Rimmel, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Eugene
Rimmel, 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 "A NEW PROCESS
FOR IMPREGNATING THE ATMOSPHERE WITH PERFUMING OR PURIFYING VAPours,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Eugene Rimmel, 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 per-
formed, 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 Eugene Rimmel, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
Perfuming the atmosphere has hitherto been effected by the combustion of
fragrant substances, principally woods and resins, either burnt in a solid form
or thrown in a liquid state upon a hot metallic surface; but by this process
the perfume is not evolved alone; it is accompanied with acrid vapours, the
result of carbonization, which destroy to a great extent the beneficial and
agreeable effect of the operation. Besides this.disadvantage the number of
aromatic substances giving out a scent by burning is very limited, consisting
only of gums, resins, and woods, all giving nearly the same heavy and
oppressive odour.
The e process I am about to describe renders all perfumes available for the
purpose of perfuming the atmosphere, a result hitherto unobtained, as by
combustion all fine and delicate perfumes become destroyed without evolving
any of their fragrance.
I proceed in this way:-I prepare a liquid composed of certain proportions
of essential oils and alcohol, or of perfumed alcohol alone, which I mix with
about ten times its weight of water distilled from flowers, such as rose water.
I pour this mixture after shaking it into an evaporating vessel or pan of any
description, under which is a spirit lamp or any other heating apparatus, as

page_text: represented at Figure 1. 1 light the lamp, and the water, when it becomes
warm causes the volatile odoriferous particles contained in the said liquid to
be set free and be diffused in the atmosphere, preserving at the same time the
purity of their odour. The vapourizer can also be made in a modified form
with a water bath containing plain or perfumed water and a moveable upper
basin containing perfumes with a perforated curved pipe or worm conveying
the steam from the water bath into the upper basin, where it causes the
fragrant molecules to be volatilized as shewn in Figure 2.
Tho proportions I give above are those I use by preference for the com
position of the mixture, but any other proportions may also be employed. A
mixture of essential oils or alcoholic perfumes with plain water, distilled or not,
or perfumed water, or any other perfumed liquid, may also be vapourized in the
same way, but it is always better that the proportion of alcohol contained therein
should not be such as to be liable to ignition; I, however, use by preference
the above-mentioned mixture of essential oils and alcohol, or perfumed alcohol,
with water distilled from flowers.
The pan used for evaporating the liquid may be of any sort of metal; I;
however, prefer tinned or silvered copper as being less liable to oxydation,
and easier to clean. It can also be made of glass, porcelain, or any other
material that can resist heat. The pan is placed on a stand and has a heating
apparatus underneath. An evaporating pan may also be fixed by means of a
supporter above a candle or a lamp or any other lighting apparatus, and in
fact any vessel capable of evaporating a liquid by means of heat will answer
the purpose.
When it is required to impregnate strongly any substanco whatever, or
disinfect any contaminated body, or also to send a current of perfumed steam
into any direction, I provide 'my apparatus with a tube with tap 'and safety
valvo as shewn in Figure 3.
Although my process is especially intended to apply to the vapourization of
perfumed liquids it can also be used for the vapourization and volatilization of
liquids saturated with purifying or medicinal substances.
Figure 1 represents the apparatus in action; A is a single evaporating pan
heated by the spirit lamp B; C is the lid with a perforated top D through
the apertures of which the perfumed vapour issues.
Figuro 2 represents a section of a double apparatus provided with water bath.
E is the water bath heated by the lamp B; F is the upper basin containing
the perfume; a, a, a', is the curved pipe or worm perforated with holes and
conveying the steam from the water bath E to the upper basin.
Figure 3 represents an apparatus with an additional tube. C is a lid, as in

page_text: Figure 1, screwed over the evaporating pan, and furnished with a safety valve H.
The perforated top D of the Figure 1 is replaced by an opening connected by
means of a flexible tube with a curved pipe U, provided with a tap K, and
having affixed to it the terminal tube; the lower part of the pipe U acts as a
condenser or collector of the water discharged by the apparatus.
Having thus explained the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I will observe that I do not limit myself to the
precise details herein-before described, as they may be modified without
departing from the principle of the Invention, more especially as regards the
evaporating apparatus, which may be varied ad infinitum; but I claim the
vaporization or volatilization of perfumes by mixing them with an aqueous
basis and obtaining the disengagement of the fragrant molecules by means of
heat or steam.
I also claim the disinfection of the atmosphere and of all bodies by means
of aromatic vapours, and all uses to which the volatilization of perfumes
obtained by my above described process may be applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eugene Rimmel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
EUGENE RIMMEL. (L.S.)
Witness,
EUGÈNE RASCOL.