IMPROVE- NENTS IN THE PURIFICATION AND BLEACHING OF OILS, GUMS, AND RESINS AND SPIRITS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Prosser, of Lancaster, in the County
of Lancaster, Lecturer on Chemistry, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
NENTS IN THE PURIFICATION AND BLEACHING OF OILS, GUMS, AND RESINS AND
SPIRITS."
Scaled the 2nd July 1869, and dated the 5th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Prosser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th January 1869.
I, WILLIAM PROSSEB, of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster,
Lecturer on Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION AND BLEACHING OF Oils, GumS, AND
RESINS AND SPIRITS," to be as follows.-
My Invention consists in the purification, bleaching, and saturation of
animal and vegetable oils, also of gums and resins, as well of such liquids
as oil of turpentine, spirits of turpentine, and methylated spirits by
means of ozone, whereby much time is saved and greater purity obtained
[Price 8d.]

page_text: than by the usual operations of submitting these substances to the action
of atmospheric air and light. For this purpose I heat the oils, whether
of animal or of vegetable origin, such as boiled or raw linseed oil, colza
oil, calf's foot oil, cod liver oil, rape oil, and similar oils, also such gums
and resins as are usually used in the manufacture of varnishes, such as
gum animi, gum copal, gum caori or Australian gum, also methylated
spirits, spirits of turpantine, and oil of turpentine with ozone, or with
atmospheric air mixed with ozone.
In carrying out my Invention I at present propose to proceed as
follows:-The-substance to be treated, if liquid, as in the case of oils,
spirits, and gums, or resins in the melted state, is placed in a vessel and
a current or currents of ozone passed thro' the liquid till it is saturated
or till the impurities are separated. In the case of hard, cold, or remelted
gums or resins these substances are powdered and are then treated with
And by ozone in the above description is meant ozone mixed
with atmospheric air or pure ozone produced in any manner whatsoever.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent,
filed by the said William Prosser in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PROSSER, of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, Lecturer ou Chemistry,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Prosser, Her special licence
that I, the said William Prosser, my executors, administrators, and
assigns. or such others as I, the said William Prosser, 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 PURIFICATION AND BLEACHING OF OILS. GUMS, AND RESINS AND SPIRITS,"
upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Prosser, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Prosser, 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:-
My Invention consists in the purification, bleaching, and saturation of
certain animal and vegetable oils, also of gums and resins, as well as of
such liquids as oil of turpentine, spirits of turpentine, and methylated
spirits, by means of ozone, whereby much time is saved and greater
purity obtained than by the methods at present in use.
For this purpose
I treat the oils, such as raw or boiled linseed oil, calves foot oil (other-
wise called neat's foot oil), cod liver oil, castor oil, olive oil, also such
gums as gum aniline, gum copal, gum cuori or Australian gum, amber,
and gum sandarach, also methylated spirits, spirits of turpentine, and oil
turpentine with ozone.
In carrying out my Invention I proceed as follows:-The substance
to be acted upon, if liquid, as in the case of oils and spirits in their
usual state, as well as the gums and resins in the melted state, is
placed in a suitable vessel, and a stream or streams of ozonized atmo-
spheric air or ozonized oxygen heated or not are forced through the
substance. I find it advisable though not absolutely necessary to keep
the liquid in motion so as to bring its particles in contact with the
ozonized air or ozonized oxygen and thus expediate the process of
ozonization, or I let the liquid substance flow through a suitable vessel
possessing a large superficial area, and into which vessel ozonized air or
ozonized oxygen is passed. The great extent of surface permits the
ozonized air or ozonized oxygen to act readily upon the liquid and
ozonize it, or I saturate animal or vegetable charcoal in fine powder
with ozonized air or ozonized oxygen and expose some of the oils, such
as neat's foot oil, to the action of such ozonized charcoal. In the case
of the gums or resins above named in their usual solid or unmelted state,
expose them in fine powder to the action of ozonized air or ozonized
I

page_text: oxygen. By the continued action of ozonized air or ozonized oxygen upon
oil or spirits of turpentine, the latter becomes so saturated with ozone
as to become vehicles for the conveyance of ozone to other substances.
And by ozonized air or ozonized oxygen in the above description is
meant atmospheric air or oxygen ozonized by any artificial means
whatsoever, or atinospheric air or oxygen with which artificially ozonized
atmospheric air or ozonized oxygen has been mixed.
Having thus described my Invention I claim,-
First. The use of ozonized atmospheric air or ozonized oxygen for the
purification and bleaching of boiled or raw linseed oil, colza oil, calf's
foot oil, cod liver oil, rape oil, and other animal and vegetable oils,
also such gums and resins as gum aniline, gum copal, gum caori, also
methylated spirits, spirits of turpentine, and oil of turpentine.
Second. The saturation of some or all of the above substances
with ozone so as to render them media for conveying ozone to other
substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Prosser, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM PROSSER. (L.S.)