IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Hill Snell, of the Triangle, Hackney,
in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, for the Invention of "IM-
* MASIE A GRIEDE OF SOAD"
Sealed the 3rd February 1854, and dated the 4th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hill Snell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th August 1853.
I, CHARLES HILL SNELL, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of the following process
in and for the manufacture of soap. It would be well to. remark that
farina, or the flour made from potatoes or other vegetable matter, bas
been hitherto used in the manufacture of soap, as well.as preparation's
made from potatoes called "dextrine," and which it is proposed to
prepare in the usual manner, and to employ the same for the purposes.
of this Invention. It is also proposed by this Invention to make the
soap from tallow or oil in the manner usually practised by soap makers,
getting in as much alkali with the tallow or oil as it will take up in
the usual way of making soap, and which is well understood by prac-

page_text: tical soap makers, and when the soap is made and about to be "fitted,"
a term also well known to soap makers, it is proposed to employ a
grating of iron made of round bars, which are arranged and disposed in
squares or openings of not less than two inches, and such iron grating
it is proposed to place at a distance of from 4 to 12 inches from the
bottom of the pan or boiler, where all the impurities in the soap, techni-
cally termed "nigger," will settle during the process of "fitting,"
after which it is proposed to add the "dextrine," which is prepared in
the usual way from about 2 cwt. of dry potato flour to about 3 cwt. of
cold water and about 5 cwt. of hot water (which makes it into a thin
paste) to one ton of the soap, made and fitted as above mentioned, the
same being well mixed and incorporated with the soap; after it is fitted
in the pan or boiler the iron grating above mentioned prevents the
impurities or "nigger" from mixing with the soap and "dextrine," and
when thus mixed it may be immediately cleansed into the franie-in-the
usual way. Or the soap may be mixed with the dextrine as soon as it
is "fitted" by immediately cleansing it into a frame, and then adding
the dextrine after it is prepared as above by "crutching" it into the
frame with wood or iron crutches in the usual way of crutching soap
in a frame; the pan or boiler then requires no grating at the bottom,
and thus the inpurities or "nigger" are prevented from mixing with
the soap. The soap made by adding the dextrine after the soap is
"fitted" with a grating at the bottom of the pan or boiler, only effecting
the mixing of the soap after it is fitted" with the dextrine in the frame,
will be more free from impurities than by the means at present em-
ployed for mixing the dextrine with the soap, and will improve the
color and greatly increase the cleansing qualities of the soap.
.1
Having described the nature of this Invention, I declare this Inven-
tion to consist in fitting soap in a pan or boiler with a grating at the
bottom to prevent the impurities or "nigger" from mixing with the
soap when the dextrine is added thereto, as herein-before stated, and
after the soap is fitted to mix the dextrine with the soap by crutching
it into the soap in the frame, whereby the impurities -or "nigger"
cannot get mixed with it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the. Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Hill, Snell in the Great Seal Patent
Office, ou the 4th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES HILL SNELL, of the Triangle, Hackney, in the County of
Middlesex, Chemist, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Hill Snell, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Hill Snell, my executors, adininistrators; and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Hill Snell, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP," upon the condition (amongst otliers) that
I, the said Charles Hill Snell, by an instrument in writing under iny
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
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:"
be
per-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Hill Snell, 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):
My Invention consists, firstly, in the use and employment of a
grating of metal or other suitable material placed within a pan or
boiler of peculiar construction made of wrought iron, and at a short
distance from the bottom thereof, for the purpose of accumulating and
-

page_text: separating all or nearly all of the impurities, or what is technically
termed "nigger," from the soap during the process of "fitting." And,
secondly, in mixing dextrine with the soap after it is fitted, instead of
before, or during such process as hitherto practised in the manufacture
of soap. I would remark that I am aware of farina, or the flour made
from potatoes or other vegetable matter, having heretofore been used
in the manufacture of soap, as well as preparations made from potatoes
called "dextrine." I do not, therefore, intend to lay any claim to the
use of such said matters or ingredients for the manufacture of soap,
except when the same are used in the manner herein-after particularly
described and set forth.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I
now proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying my said Invention into practical effect, reference being had
to the illustrative Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the numeral
figures and letters of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, exhibits a transverse and vertical section of a pan or boiler
constructed according to my said Invention; Figure 2, is a top plan
view of the grating before mentioned. At Figure 1, A, A, marks the
pan or boiler of metal; B, B, a jacket or chamber surrounding the
pan, about half way.up from the bottom thereof; C, an induction, and
D, an eduction pipe, furnished with suitable cocks for the admission
and emission of steain to and from the aforesaid jacket or steam
chamber; E, E, rests screwed into the pan for supporting the grating
HI, formed of wrought or cast iron, or other suitable material, the bars
whereof are one inch broad or thereabout, and the openings or spaces
in this grating should not be less than two inches for a pan or boiler
of seven feet in diameter at the top by eight feet deep, and the
grating should be placed about twelve inches from the bottom of said
pan or boiler when the pan is three feet in diameter at that part where
the grating FI, rests. I would here remark that as the size of the
above-mentioned boiler is such as is commonly used by soap boilers, I
deem it unnecessary to give proportions suitable for pans or boilers

page_text: smaller or larger in size than that lastly above mentioned, which I
have found answer well in practise.
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.
The soap is made from tallow, oil, or other oleaginous matter in the
manner usually practised by soap makers at the present time, taking
care to get in as much alkali with the tallow, oil, or other matter as
it will take up in the usual way of making soap, and which is well
understood by practical soap makers, excepting that, instead of em-
ploying the heat from a coal fire for boiling the soap, as 'heretofore
generally practised, I employ the heat from steam, by which I prevent
the "dextrine" from burning when mixed with the soap in the pan;
and when the soap is made it then undergoes the subsequent process
termed "fitting," and it is for effecting this part of the process of
manufacturing soap that I propose to employ the aforesaid grating,
by the use of which all or nearly all the impurities in the soap,
technically termed "nigger," as they are precipitated will accu-
mulate and settle together with the "lees" below the grating, and
thus be separated from the soap, and I remove such said impurities,
together with the "lees," by the use of an ordinary lift pump inserted
into the pan below the grating, and after having pumped out all the
impurities, I then add to every ton of soap in the pan or boiler about
ten of the following mixture or preparation, which I call "dex-
trine," the same being made from farina in the manner usually
practised, or in the following manner and proportions, which I prefer,
that is to say-To two pounds of dry farina, made from potatoes or
any other vegetable, I add about four pounds of cold water, and
having mixed and incorporated these well together, I then add thereto
about fourteen pounds of boiling water, which makes the mixture or
"dextrine" into a thin paste, which paste I mix with the soap in the
proportion before stated, and when the "dextrine" is thoroughly mixed
with the soap, and boiled therewith, I then cleanse the soap into a
frame in the manner usually practised to cool and cut up, observing
that should the soap, upon putting it in the frame, be found too
strong, more "dextrine" can then be added thereto and mixed therewith
by crutching it in the frame in the usual way of crutching soap.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be and may be performed, I declare my Inven÷
tion of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Soap" to consist in, and
I claim, firstly, the fitting of soap in a pan or boiler constructed and
arranged with a grating. marked H, at Figure 2; and, secondly, the
new mode or process herein set forth of manufacturing soap by mixing
the dextrine with the soap after it has been subjected to the operation
of fitting, as above more particularly described, and for the purposes
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hill Snell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
...ALEX* PRINCE;
• Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
CHAS. H. SNELL. (L.S.)