IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN BITUMINOUS MINERAL, PROAL SP IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Perkins, of Manchester; in the County-
of Lancaster, Mechanical Draughtsman; for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN BITUMINOUS MINERAL,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Perkins. at:
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th February 1853...
I, JOHN PERKINS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN BITU-
MINOUS MINERAL SUBSTANCES AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM" to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists in distilling at a low temperature.coal
shales and other argillaceous, and arenaceous, minerals, commonly.
called bituminous substances; not including coal, found in the car-
boniferous formation, and yielding bituminous matters by the
application of heat, and, in obtaining therefrom paraffine, and an
oil containing paraffiné, which I call "paraffine oil," applicable to
lubricating and other purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Perkins in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN PERKINS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Perkins, Her special
licence that I, the said John Perkins, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Perkins, 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 TREATMENT OF CERTAIN BITUMINOUS MINERAL SUBSTANCES AND IN
OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Perkins, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 John Perkins, 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 (that is to say):
My Invention consists in distilling at a low temperature coal
shales and other minerals, commonly called bituminous substances
(not including coal), found in the carboniferous formation, and

page_text: "
yielding bituminous matter by the application of heat, and in
obtaining therefrom paraffine, and an oil containing paraffine, which
I call paraffine oil (applicable to lubricating), and other substances.
The bituminous substances are limited to the true coal formation,
namely, that lying between the old red sandstone and the permian
deposits, and are known in various places by different names. In
England they are called basses, black basses, bats, and coal shales.
In Scotland, blaes, greasy blaes, shining blaes, argillo bitumens,
bituminous argils, and coal shales. In other localities they are
called bituminous sandstones, and sometimes asphaltic coaly
matter, which may be called asphalt coal without. being true coal.
The apparatus I use is a common gas retort, built up in brickwork
and heated by a fire, and to which is connected a coil of iron pipe
immersed in cold water to cool, and condense the products of dis-
tillation. This is a simple form and arrangement of apparatus, and
is casily understood, but many other forms and arrangements can
be used for the same purpose. The retort is filled with the bitu-
ninous mineral, or a mixture of these minerals, and is then closed
tight by a door in the usual way of closing gas retorts. Fire is
now put under the retort, and it is brought gradually up to the
temperature necessary to effect the decomposition of the bituminous
mineral; care being taken that it shall not be so high as to destroy
the liquid products of distillation, and convert them into permanent
uncondensible gas, and the coal tar and napthaline products got as
a liquid in gas making. A low red heat will be found to be 'the
best temperature for getting the largest quantity of paraffine oil,
and the least quantity of permanent gas and napthaline products.
The retort is maintained at this temperature as long as liquid pro-
'ducts run from the cooling pipe, and when this ceases the residue is
'drawn out of the retort, and a fresh charge is put in. This charge
of cold material will cool the retort considerably, but by continuing
to fire slowly it will be gradually brought to the necessary tempera-
ture to decompose the fresh charge, and thus the process is continued.
The products of distillation condensed in the cooling pipe and
caught as a liquid is crude paraffine oil; it contains paraffine, and

page_text: can be employed for. lubricating machinery and other purposes; but
for general use I prefer to separate the naptha and other impurities
it contains, which I do by distillation. I use an iron or other
suitable still, heated by a fire, and to which is connected a cooling
pipe or worm immersed in cold water to condense the products of
distillation. The crude paraffine oil is run into the iron still, fire
is then put underneath it, and kept up so long as liquid products
run out of the worm pipe, that is, until the distillation is carried
to dryness. Naptha and other volatile impurities in the crude
paraffine oil distil over first, and are separated and caught in a
vessel by themselves; then oil containing paraffine is the product
of the distillation, and the quantity of paraffine gradually increases,
until towards the last it solidifies when cooled. Charcoal is left as
a residue in the still, and when the still is allowed to cool down it
is removed to allow of the next distillation, and thus this part of
the process is continued. The oil containing paraffine is caught as
it distils over, and is run into a vessel by itself. It can be further
purified, if desired, by treating it with oil of vitriol, and then
redistilling it by processes now well known, or it can be used as it
is for all purposes to which paraffine oil is applicable. By cooling
the paraffine oil paraffine will crystallize, and is got by filtering the
oil through a cloth. The paraffine remaining upon the filter is
squeezed in a powerful press, and is purified by treatment with its
own bulk of oil of vitriol, maintaining. it at 140° Fah* tem-
perature for twenty-four hours with constant agitation, after which
it is washed perfectly clean with water, and is then fit for use.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best
means with which I am acquainted for. performing the same, I
hereby declare that I claim as my Invention the obtaining of
paraffine oil, or an oil containing paraffine, and paraffine from
bituminous mineral substances found in the coal formation, and
known in their respective localities under the names of basses;
black basses, bats, blaes, greasy blaes, shining blaes, coal shales,
argillo bitumens. or bituminous argils, bituminous sandstones, and
asphalt coals (not including bituminous.coal), yielding bituminous

page_text: matters by the application of heat by treating them in manner
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Perkins, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN PERKINS. (L.S.)