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hours. The mass is allowed to lay in this state for forty-eight hours; it may then be boiled by steam for two or three hours, when it will be found to be sufficiently refined. The sulphuric acid which is at the bottom is now run off, and the stearic acid which remains in well washed with pure water; it is then put into large conical vessels of stone ware, enclosed in a box or jacket and kept warm by steam heat, and lined with conical bags of suitable strong filtering paper, through which, being warm, it finds its way; and when the stearic acid has been thus filtered, it is run into blocks, when it will be found a beautiful stearic acid, which the Patentees call palm stearic acid, or palm wax. It is then ready to be made into candles in the usual way.

Another mode is also proposed to be employed as a process of refining. To 100 lbs. of stearic acid add 16lbs. of sulphuric acid, diluted with about 128 lbs. of pure water, or 21 lbs. of sulphate of manganese, and 9 lbs. of common salt. Boil these by steam for ten or twelve hours, or take about 10 per cent. of phosphoric acid, and highly concentrated, or 10 per cent. of oxalic acid, boil in either case ten or twelve hours with steam. By using the phosphoric or oxalic acid, any earthy or metallic matter that might still adhere to the stearic acid, are effectually dissolved with more certainty than can be done by the agitator, unless the stirring shaft is very carefully and vigorously worked. And there is no extra expense of acids, as it is worked over and over again, being occasionally purified by the addition of a small quantity of sulphuric acid, which throws down any earthy or metallic matter the phosphoric or oxalic acid may have collected. The stearic acid, after having been well washed with pure hot

water, is in this case also filtered as above, and run into blocks.

As to animal fat or tallow, the Patentees proceed to describe the processes for the preparation of stearic acid from animal fat or tallow crystallization. The animal fat or tallow is well cleansed from all impurities in the ordinary way; it is then in a melted state put into a round vessel, in which is a stirrer or agitator, and in which it is worked until it has cooled down to about 100 degrees of heat, when it will assume a milky appearance, with a granulated texture; the granulations are the stearine in a state of crystallization.

In this state it is put into the press, and subjected to a powerful pressure; the liquid which runs from the press is the elaine or oil of tallow; the solid substance is the tallow stearine for making candles when operated upon as follows:

Oxydation or conversion of stearine into stearic acid. This process is exactly the same as is described for palm stearine. Separation of the stearic acid from the lime. This process is also the same as is described for palm stearic acid. Crystallization and pressing a second time; after the stearic acid has been well washed with hot water, it is again crystallized or granulated as before described, and pressed a second time. Refining process; the stearic acid is taken from the press, and refined by the second process described for refining palm stearic acid; after being well washed with pure hot water, it is filtered as described for palm stearic acid, and cast into blocks ready to make into candles. Thus has the substance become good stearic acid, which the Patentee calls tallow stearic acid.

Another mode of carrying on the process with animal fat or tallow is as follows:-Having crystallized and

pressed as before, the stearine obtained is to be saponified by combining it with the caustic leys of soda, potash, or any other alkali; thus making stearate of soda or potash, &c. This stearate of alkali is dissolved in a vessel with hot water and steam; to this must be added as much phosphoric acid as will neutralize the alkali and set the stearic acid free. The stearic acid is put into an evaporating vessel with a heat 180 degrees, and is left until the whole of the water is evaporated; it is again pressed, and, after having been well washed and filtered, is cast into blocks, and ready to make into candles. The phosphate of alkali is decomposed with quick lime, forming phosphate of lime and caustic alkali; the caustic alkali is again employed to oxydize a fresh portion of stearine; the phosphate of lime is decomposed by sulphuric acid, and the phosphoric acid is ready to be again employed by this method; the only loss is the sulphuric acid and lime, being about 3 per cent. of the alkali and phosphoric acid.

As to common tallow, mix therewith margaric acid from palm oil, prepared and bleached as aforesaid, in the proportion of 10 to 20 lbs. of margaric acid to 100 lbs. of tallow in the manufacture of common .mould or dip candles.

As to bees wax; we will lastly describe our method of operating upon this article, which is simply mixing - with it a portion of our palm or tallow stearic acid in its highly improved state, in the proportions of from 5 to 10 parts of stearic acid to 100 parts of wax, and then proceeding to make candles of the materials so mixed, by running them into moulds in the ordinary manner of making other mould candles.

The Patentees conclude by saying, " Now, whereas we claim as the said invention the operating upon palm

oil, animal fat, or tallow and bees wax, by mixing them with the ingredients, and by submitting them to the various chemical processes hereinbefore described, and in manner herein before described, for the purpose of manufacturing candles.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, March, 1837.]

To JOHN CHANTER, of Earl-street, in the city of London, and of Upper Stamford-street, in the county of Surrey, Esq., and JOHN GRAY, of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, engineer, for their invention of a new combination of parts forming an improved furnace for consuming smoke and economising fuel; applicable to locomotive-carriages, steam-boats, and other useful purposes. -[Sealed 2d November, 1835.]

THIS invention is described as consisting of a new combination of parts forming an improved furnace, for consuming smoke, and economising fuel, which is considered by the Patentees to be particularly applicable to locomotive-carriages and steam-boats.

In this combination of parts, an additional fire-grate, that is, two fire-grates are adapted, by which means additional water vessels are exposed to the action of the fire, and an increase of steam obtained, as the Patentees say, without a corresponding increase of fuel. This arrangement is said, also, to enable them to use, under particular circumstances, a cheaper description of fuel than that at present adopted, as by this improved construction of the furnace, the smoke and other vapours arising from uncarbonized fuel is subjected to ignition, and reduced to a state of perfect combustion, or nearly so.

The proposed form and construction of the furnace is shown in different sectional views in Plate X., Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation of the furnace or fire-box as applied to a locomotive-engine, taken longitudinally at the horizontal dotted line A, A, in fig. 4; fig. 2, is a transverse section taken at the vertical line B, B, fig. 1, and looking to the end of the fire-box, opposite the fire-doors H, 1; fig. 3, is a transverse section taken at the vertical line c, c, in fig. 1, looking toward the direction of the fire-doors. Fig. 4, shows in part a plan of the water chamber taken through the furnaces in the line D, D, fig. 1.

Fig. 1, represents the furnace or fire-box, constructed by external and internal metallic cases in the mode usually adopted; c, c, being the water spaces between the inner and the outer cases.

The interior of the furnace, or fire-box, is divided into two compartments E, F, by a curved water vessel or chamber passing through the furnace, and formed partly of tubular channels e, e, which may be called hollow bars, and partly by a continuation of the same in the form of a broad chamber d, d, the whole constituting a water way, or communication from the water space at o, to the water space at p.

The hollow bars e, are of any convenient number, and may be made of greater width than depth, where they emerge from the broad water chamber d, d, and increase in depth, until they join into the water spaces at o. The Patentees prefer them thus constructed for the purpose of equalizing the action of the fire, and maintaining an equal area throughout their length, and giving facility for driving the bolts or rivets through the side flanges, which fix the bars to the casing of the firebox, as shown at f, f, in fig. 4. This peculiar form is,

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