IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Marwood Elton, of the Saint Luke's Soap
Works, Golden Lane, Barbican, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN THE
MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN "
Sealed the 22nd May 1863, and dated the 25th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said Thomas Marwood Elton:
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th November 1862.
I, THOMAS MARWOOD ELTON, of the Saint Luke's Soap Works, Golden
Lane, Barbican, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature'
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN
THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in an improved manufacture of that class of soap
known as mottled, colored, or stained and fancy soap, and also in the machinery
whereby such improved soaps are made:
I propose to construct the machinery as follows:-Four standards of iron
or wood support a frame of an oblong square form, at one end of which a
hopper is fixed at the top of the frame; the exit passage at the bottom of the
hopper is regulated by means of a vertical slide the entire width of the passage,
below and in communication with which a small receptacle or bottomless box
is placed; and a second exit or discharge is formed at the lower part of this
box with a similar regulating slide let in grooves or slots. Just below the first.
hopper or receptacle a drum or cylinder is fixed on a shaft, and set in bearings
in the frame; this drum extends across the machine, and is of the full internal
width of the frame, and another similar drum is placed at the lower part of
the frame; these drums are enclosed by an endless band or belt of leather;

page_text: felt, or printers' flannel, or other suitable material, the surface of which con-
sequently lies in an oblique direction; this endless band is supported between
the drums by means of a flat board or a metal plate, so as to preserve a perfect
level, and the lower drum is set in moveable bearings or blocks, so as to
enable the band to be always kept tight thereon. The bottomless box rests
on the upper surface of the band; a vulcanised india-rubber endless cord is
attached to each side or edge of the endless belt, and running in grooves cut
in the drums keeps the band tight laterally.
At the lower end of the machine, beyond the drum, a vessel is placed which
is to contain a colored soap, or a coloring liquid or pigment in solution; this
soap or liquid is kept in a heated state by means of a small furnace. One end
of this vessel has a space cut across in order to receive a roller covered with
flannel, felt, or other suitable material; this roller dips into the soap or
coloring liquid, but exposes itself just above the level of the vessel, above
which a cylindrical drum is set in bearings in the frame. Attached by hinges
to this drum are a series of bars of wood or metal running lengthwise of the
drum at regulated distances apart; these bars carry rows of metal scrapers
having their ends turned up at an angle so as to form flat headed scoops;
these scoops or scrapers just reach the roller in the colored soap or liquid and
carry it round with them. This drum receives its rotary motion by means of
a band and grooved pulley from the first drum working the endless band.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The large hopper being filled
with melted soap from the boilers, and the small vessel being filled with
colored soap or coloring liquid, the drum of the endless band is turned by
hand by a crank and fly wheel, or by a strap and pulley from an engine; thus
it is evident that the endless band will bring down a continuous sheet or layer
of any desired thickness of soap from the hopper (regulated by the vertical
slides), and the rotary motion of the scrapers, aided by elastic bands or springs
attached to the bars, which in their revolution come into contact with a
sudden or graduated stop, and are pulled back and suddenly realeased and
allowed to spring down upon the surface. of the drum, and thereby jerk or
throw the colored soap or liquor upon the descending sheet of soap.
The coloring vessel may contain three or more divisions and rollers with
different colored materials in each, so as to throw a variegated color upon the
soap. If I desire to produce an elongated mottle or striped appearance to the
soap, I allow it to pass or be squeezed through a contracted aperture. If on
the contrary, I desire to produce a more mixed appearance of the mottle, I
apply a pressing roller at the lower part of the endless band, which squeezes
and mixes the whole more completely. The band which drives the coloring

page_text: drum is crossed so as to cause the direction of its rotation to be the reverse of
the endless band.
In some cases I propose to modify the form of the coloring feeders, and to
make them of wooden projections, and to cause the drum to revolve in the
same direction as the endless band. The scrapers may in each case be faced
with felt or flannel, in order to absorb or take up a proper quantity of colored
soap or liquid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Marwood Elton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
MARWOOD ELTON, of the Saint Luke's Soap Works, Golden Lane, Barbican,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Marwood Elton, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Marwood Elton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas Marwood Elton, 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 "IM--
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED
THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Marwood Elton, 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 Thomas Marwood Elton, 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':-
This Invention consists in an improved manufacture of that class of-soap:

page_text: known as mottled or marbled; and fancy soap, and also in the machinery
whereby such improved soaps are made.
I construct the machinery as follows:-I form a frame of an oblong square
form, supported on wheels or otherwise, at one end of which a hopper is fixed
at the top of the frame; the exit passage at the bottom of the hopper is
regulated by means of a vertical slide the entire width of the passage, below
which a drum or cylinder is fixed on a shaft, and set in bearings in the frame;
this drum extends across the machine, and is of the full internal width of the
frame, and another similar drum is placed at the other end of the frame;
these drums are enclosed by an endless drum or belt of leather, felt, or
printers' flannel, or other suitable material, (I find in practice that canvass
coated with india-rubber is very well adapted to the purpose,) the surface of
which should lie in an oblique direction by the requisite position of the
machine; this endless band is supported between the drums by means of a flat
board or metal plate, so as to preserve a perfect level, and the drum at the
end of the machine furthest from the hopper is set in moveable bearings or
blocks so as to enable the band to be always kept tight thereon. The bottom
of the hopper reaches the surface of the band.
At the end of the machine last referred to, and beyond the drum, a vessel is
placed which contains a colored soap or a coloring liquid or pigment in
solution; this soap or liquid is kept in a heated state by means of a small
furnace. Above this vessel a cylindrical drum is set in bearings in the frame.
Attached by hinges to this drum are a series of bars of metal running length-
wise of the drum at regulated distances apart; these bars carry rows of metal
scrapers, having their ends turned up at an angle so as to form flat-headed
scoops; these scoops or scrapers pass through the colored soap or liquid, and
carry it round with them. This drum receives its rotary motion by means of
a band and grooved pulley from the first drum which works the endless band.
The driving wheel actuates a cogged wheel gearing into another toothed wheel
on the shaft of the first drunı, whereby motion is communicated to the
machine.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The large hopper being filled
with melted soap from the boilers, and the sınall vessel being filled with
colored soap or coloring liquid, the drum of the endless band is turned by the
driving wheel either by hand or by a strap from an engine. The melted soap
resting on the surface of the band will thus be carried away from the hopper
underneath the slide, which regulates its thickness, in a continuous sheet or
layer; and the rotary motion of the scrapers, aided by elastic bands or springs
attached to the bars which hold them, and which in each revolution come in

page_text: contact with sudden or graduated stops, whereby they are held back for an
instant and suddenly released and allowed to spring forward, will cause them
to jerk or splash the colored soap or liquid upon the approaching sheet of
liquid soap.
The coloring vessel may contain one or more divisions, so as to throw a
variegated color upon the soap. If I desire to produce an elongated mottle
or striped appearance to the soap, I allow it to pass or be squeezed through a
contracted aperture. If on the contrary I desire to produce a more mixed
appearance of the mottle, I apply a pressing or crutching roller at the lower
part of the endless band, which squeezes and mixes the whole more completely.
The band which drives the coloring drum is crossed in order to cause the
direction of its rotation to be the reverse of the endless band.
.
In some cases I propose to modify the form of the coloring feeders, and to
make them the whole length of the coloring vessel, and to cause the drum to
revolve in the same direction as the endless band. The scrapers may in each
case be faced with felt or flannel, in order to absorb or take up a proper
quantity of colored soap or liquid. Requisite scrapers are provided to remove
the mottled soap from the band, whence it falls down a slide into a
receiver.
By the foregoing description my Invention may be thoroughly comprehended
by those conversant with the manufacture of soap. I annex a Drawing in
which the arrangement of parts composing the machine to a certain extent
is shewn, various parts being omitted which are fully described in the
Specification...
The Drawing is a side elevation. a is the frame set on wheels, one on each
side thereof b; c is the hopper; d is a pinion on the driving shaft e, actuated
by the driving wheel f; this pinion works the pinion g, fixed to the drum h,
around which the endless band i is placed, working the drum k, around which
passes; the soap is conveyed away from the hopper in this manner, and is
splashed or mottled in its passage by the beaters 1, which revolve towards the
soap by means of the crossed band m; in general, however, the band may not
be crossed, so as to cause the beaters to revolve in the same direction as the
drums; n is a projection or stop, against which the beaters are retained and
released as they severally reach the same, as already described; n' is a stop
used when the band is not crossed; o is a vessel containing the coloring soaps
or pigments, and which may be heated by a small charcoal fire fixed under-
neath ;p shows the situation of a scraper and incline or shoot to remove the
mottled soap from the band, and I have added an apparatus which may be
used when an extra coolness or chilling of the soap is desirable after it has

page_text: left the mottling machine. It merely consists of another endless band q on
drums r; the distance from end to end of the apparatus being about 12 feet;
and the width of the band being about 14 inches; underneath the upper
portion of the band a flat shallow closed vessel t of wood, with zinc or other
metal surface is placed and supported in any convenient manner; cold water
is to be circulated through this vessel by means of a pipe at each end thereof.
Motion may be communicated to this apparatus by a band from the machine;
and the soap passing down the incline will travel along this band, and be
cooled in consequence. It is removed by a suitable scraper at or near the
position shewn at s.
The machine is shewn resting on a block u, and it is evident that by
regulating the height at which the machine rests at the point a' of the frame
that the position of the endless band and film or sheet of soap may be made to
assume a slightly oblique form or position, which it is generally advisable to
adopt in order to aid its operation.
Having now described the nature and objects of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in con-
clusion, that I do not limit myself to the precise detail nor to any set form
of apparatus; I have merely described a form which appears to me useful in
carrying out the principle of the Invention, but many other forms and arrange-
ments of parts may obviously be devised in accordance with the tenor of this
Specification, effecting the same results, and without in any way departing
from the principles thereof; but what I claim and desire to be secured to me
by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are, the "Improvements in the
Manufacture of Soap, and in the Machinery employed therein," as herein
fully specified, and partly illustrated by the Drawing annexed, or any
modifications thereof, substantially to all intents and purposes the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Marwood Elton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
G. VINCENT,
21, Kensington Place,
Bath.
T. M.. ELTON. (L.S.)