IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF OILY OR FATTY MATTERS OR MATERIALS CONTAINING THE SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH TREATMENT AND CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Neale May, of Devizes, in the County of Wilts,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF OILY OR FATTY
MATTERS OR MATERIALS CONTAINING THE SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN SUCH TREATMENT AND CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 10th September 1878, and dated the 26th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Neale May at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th March 1878.
CHARLES NEALE MAY, of Devizes, in the County of Wilts.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF OILY OR FATTY MATTERS OR MATERIALS CONTAINING THE
SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH TREATMENT AND CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
My Invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for the treatment of
oily and fatty matters, and of materials containing oil and fat, and for the subse-
quent recovery and separation of the agent employed, and for the recovery of the
oil and fat thus separated, and it consists in the employment, in the manner herein-
after described, of a cold chamber or receptacle of any suitable shape or size, into
which the material to be treated is introduced, and where it is subjected to the
action of carbon, bisulphide, benzoline, petroleum, or other suitable hydrocarbon or
of amyl-alcohol, whereby the grease is extracted from the said material, and of a
heated chamber or receptacle in which the material thus partially treated is next
placed, for the purpose of driving off in the shape of vapour that portion of the
extractive agent which remains combined with the material under treatment.
The cold chamber consists of a receptacle of any suitable shape or size, having a
double casing or jacket for cold water or refrigerating mixture, or of a receptacle
so placed as to be subject to an artificially cooled temperature. This receptacle
may consist of one or more divisions, separated from each other in such a manner
as to admit of duplicate or multiple operations under the same cover, and may also
contain strainers or other appliances for the purpose of separating by pressure or

page_text: otherwise the greater portion of the extractive agent combined with the grease
from the material, under treatment. This material, which is placed in the interior
of the chamber, is contained in a basket of wirework or perforated metal, or other
suitable reticulated material. The extractive agent is then introduced, and if
required motion is imparted by suitable appliances during the time or a portion of
the time that the material under treatment is subjected to the action of the
extractive agent, the receptacle being by preference mounted upon centres or fulern
so as to facilitate such motion.
When the material under treatment becomes thoroughly saturated pressure is
applied by means of screw or other mechanism, and the agent is thus expressed. The
grease now being separated from the material is then conveyed with the extractive
agent into a still where the said extractive agent combined therewith is vaporised,
the vapors escaping being conducted into a condenser above whilst the oil or grease
is collected in a tank situate below the still. The reticulated or other receptacle
containing the material is then removed from the cold chamber, and placed upon a
wheeled carriage or other suitable carrier, and transported to the heated chainber
into which it is next introduced. This chamber consists of a receptacle of suitable
form, but preferably of an inverted cone shape with one or more openings at
its sides at or near the bottom, and an escape pipe at its summit, and having an
outer casing or jacket, into the space between which and the inner casing or wall
of the receptacle steam, hot water, or other agent is admitted, for the purpose of
heating the internal chamber into which the material partially treated is conveyed
by suitable appliances.
Hot air, either pure or chemically treated, may also be introduced to assist the
operation. Under the action of the elevated temperature thus produced the said
material is perfectly freed from the extractive agent, which becomes vaporized and
passes into the condenser by means of a pipe fixed at the top, whence the said agent
in its condensed condition is conducted into a suitable tank to be re-used in
succeeding operations.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the. Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Neale May in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
September 1878.
CHARLES NEALE MAY, of Devizes, in the County of Wilts.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF OILY OR FATTY MATTERS OR MATERIALS CONTAINING THE
SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH TREATMENT AND CONNECTED
THEREWITH.'
"
My said Invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for the treat-
ment of oily and fatty matters, and of materials containing oil and fat, and for
the subsequent recovery and separation of the agent employed, and for the recovery
of the oil and fat thus separated, and it consists in the employment in the manner
herein-after described of a cold chamber or receptacle of any suitable shape or size,
into which the material to be treated is introduced, and where it is subjected to the
action of carbon, bisulphide, benzoline, petroleum, or other suitable hydrocarbon, or
of amyl-alcohol, whereby the grease is extracted from the said material, and of a
heated chamber or receptacle in which the material thus partially treated is next
placed for the purpose of driving off in the shape of vapour that portion of the
extractive agent which remains combined with the material under treatment.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a transverse section of a cold
receptacle and apparatus appertaining thereto constructed and arranged for the
purpose of carrying out my said Invention, and Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation
of the same, corresponding to Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a longitudinal section of a heated chamber or receptacle of a
construction such as may be employed in carrying out my said Invention, and
Figure 4 is a half horizontal section of the same.
A (Figures 1 and 2) is the cold receptacle mounted on trunnions a, a, in bearings
b, b, which are carried on a frame B supported on brickwork or masonry C. This
receptacle may either be provided with a double casing or jacket for cold water or
refrigerating mixture, or (as is assumed in the example illustrated) it may be
situate in a cooled chamber or otherwise constructed and placed so as to be capable
of being subjected to an artificially cooled temperature.
The receptacle A consists of two compartments, videlicet, an upper one A' and a
lower one A separated the one from the other by a horizontal perforated partition
or strainer C, the upper compartment being intended for the reception of the
material to be treated, and from which the grease is to be separated, and the lower
compartment for the introduction of the extractive agent. In the upper compart-
ment A' is fitted a plunger D connected by a ball-and-socket joint d to a rod e, s0
as to admit of the plunger D being raised and lowered without tuming, whilst the
rode is allowed to turn freely. The rod e is connected by a detachable coupling
at to an extension rod g, which passes through a cross head g' supported by
standards h, h, attached to the receptacle A, and is provided at its upper end with
screw gear of any ordinary arrangement by the act of operating which the rods y, e,
and consequently the plunger Ď will be raised and lowered as required. The
receptacle A is closed at its upper end by a cover E attached thereto by bolts i,
which are hinged at their lower ends so as to be capable of being turned down or
of being raised into the position shewn in the Drawings, and which, when in the
position last mentioned, enter slots in the edges of the cover, and are secured by
nuts. The rod e of the plunger D passes through a stuffing box F in the cover E,
and when the bolts i are released and the coupling f is disconnected, the cover E and
the plunger D with its rod e may be bodily removed.

page_text: In operating with this apparatus the cover E and plunger D with its rod e are
first removed as before mentioned, and the material to be treated contained in a
cage or basket G of wirework or perforated metal or other suitable reticulated
material is introduced into the upper compartment A¹, and the cover and the
plunger with its rod are replaced, the cover being secured in position by the bolts, i,
and the plunger rod recoupled at f. The extractive agent is next introduced into
the lower compartment A² by attaching at a pipe leading from a vessel or reservoir
containing the said agent, and by opening a stop-cock . The lower compartment A
having been filled with the extractive agent, the cock is closed, and the said
conducting pipe is disconnected and the rods e and g are uncoupled, and the latter
rod is drawn up clear of the cross head g'. The receptacle A is then inverted (as
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 2) by turning it upon its trunnions a, a, by the act
of operating a handle m or otherwise. The extractive agent is thus caused to pass
through the perforated partition c and permeate the material under treatment
contained within the compartment A¹, after which the receptacle A is returned to
its former position (shewn by full lines in the Drawing), and may then be caused
to oscillate between the positions indicated by the dotted radial lines n, n, in
Figure 2 until the material under treatment has become thoroughly saturated with
the extractive agent. When this has been accomplished the receptacle is secured
in its central position shewn by the full lines in the Drawing and the coupling at f
is re-connected. Pressure is then applied by means of the screw gear or other
suitable appliances with which the rod g may be provided, so as to cause the
plunger D to descend and compress the material under treatment and express
therefrom the extractive agent with the grense separated into the lower compart-
ment A. The grease with the extractive agent mixed therewith is then conducted
by means of a pipe attached at k to a atill, where the extractivo agent is vaporized,
the vapors escaping being directed into a condenser above for re-utilization, whilst
the oil or grease is collected in a tank situate below the still. The plunger D is
then raised, and the cover E and its appurtenances are disconnected as before, and
the cage or basket containing the material under treatment is removed from the
cold receptacle A and placed upon a wheeled carriage or other suitable carrier, and
transported to the heated chamber (an example of which is illustrated by Figures 3
and 4), into which it is next to be introduced. This chamber consists of a receptacle H
of suitable form, but by preference of a domne shape as shewn, or of a conical or
conoidal form, and provided with openings I, I, at its side at or near the bottom
closed by doors K, K', and with a pipe L above for the escape of the vapor, which
is evolved from the material.
The receptacle may be formed of cast or sheet iron, or other suitable metal, which
may be either galvanized, tinned, japanned, or otherwise conted or prepared, or the
receptacle may be made of earthenware or any other suitable material.
The heating of the chamber H may be effected in various ways. In my Drawings
I have represented the chamber H as provided with an outer casing or jacket M
into the space N between which and the inner casing or wall steam, hot water, or
other heating agent is admitted in any convenient manner, for the purpose of heating
the internal chamber H, into which the material partially treated is to be introduced.
The chamber may however be heated by any other suitable means; as, for example,
by steam coils wound round the interior from the base to the summit, or arranged
in any other convenient manner. Heated air, either chemically treated or not, may
also be introduced to assist the operation.
In operating with this apparatus the cages or baskets G containing the material
partially treated as they are withdrawn from the cold receptacle A are introduced
in succession through the door K into the heated chamber or receptacle H. Under
the action of the clevated temperature in the chamber or receptacle H the said
material is perfectly freed from the extractive agent, which becomes vaporized and
escapes by the pipe L into the condenser, whence the whole of the agent recovered
is conducted into a tank to be re-used in succeeding operations. As other cages or
baskets G containing the material which has been operated upon in the cold

page_text: chamber A are from time to time introduced into the heated chamber or receptacle H
the cages or baskets already therein are gradually propelled through the said
chamber or receptacle, and removed in succession through the door K¹. As there-
fore one charge of material which has been partially treated is withdrawn from the
cold chamber another charge to be operated upon is immediately substituted for it,
and the charge partially treated, which has been withdrawn, is conveyed to and
introduced into the heated chamber or receptacle, whilst a charge which has been
already exhausted therein is removed. The several operations thus proceed con-
tinuously during the action of the apparatus.
It is obvious that the details of the apparatus may be greatly modified, as, for
example, the cold receptacle A may be subdivided by vertical partitions into two
or more compartments, or series of compartments, in such a manner as to admit of
duplicate or multiple operations being conducted under the same cover or covers.
The means employed for applying pressure to the material contained in the cold
receptacle may be varied, and generally the details of construction of the said cold
receptacle and its appurtenances, as also of the heated chamber or receptacle, are to
be adapted to the exigencies of particular cases.
In operating upon the material under treatment in the cold receptacle it will be
found advantageous in some cases to introduce in addition to the extractive agent
a small quantity of water, which by its supernatation will tend to prevent the
evaporation of the extractive agent; and in operating with the heated chamber or
receptacle the charges of material may be introduced thereinto without the cages
or baskets. Other like modifications in the conduct of the operations will also
readily suggest themselves to competent persons conversant with the nature of the
materials under treatment, and of the agents employed, without further explanation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the treatment of oily or fatty matters or materials containing oil
or fat by first subjecting such matters or materials to the action, by complete
saturation, of one of the extractive agents herein-before referred, and subsequently
to pressure in one and the same cold chamber or receptacle, for the purpose of
separating the oil or fat from the matters or materials, and recovering the greater
portion of the extractive agent employed in such separation, and then subjecting
the matters or materials thus partially treated to the action of an elevated tem-
perature in another chamber or receptacle for the purpose of recovering the
remaining portion of the extractive agent contained in the said matters or materials,
the apparatus being constructed and arranged, and the operations being carried out,
all substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Neale May, have to this my Specifica-
tion set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
CHA. NEALE MAY. (L.S.)