Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-05
MiAtIlaataas


DE II known that i. the subscriber OBJ
I'd tained letters jateDt Ia December, 1851, for
an apparatus for be destructive distillation Of
wood, and the making therefrom Of tar OF pitch al
pleasure, and gas and that In the Judgment oj
competent personl the invention Of an appar-
tus recently patentsd by w. ID. Porter cannot be
used by him or anypther person witaout ,infring-
ing my said patent And, further, that what Is
patented by said Pdter rightfuIIy belongs 20 me,
as expect to prove ere long before the United
States Patent Oficej and, further, that the use Of
said Porfer's invention involves also apr0eess
which am now claiming before The United States
Patent Office, and which has been adiqdged 10 be
patentable TO the first inventor thereof and which
said w. ID. Porter has formally dsclaimed, as ap-
pears upon the public records Of said Office, OF
which al oi6eiai copyis hereto annexed, aud also
In the National Infslligsncer Of the 25th instant
Mr.. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the exclusive right 10 making gas from
wood" and threatens prosecution 10 all parties
infringing his patent. ask how this statement
comports with the fart Of my patent of December,
1851, and how far the threat can intimidate under
such circumstances1 Mr.. Pouef's claim ID based
upon movable perforated diaphragm, and was
SO understood by the Patent Office, as il appears
from the records Of the Patent Office that his
claim was at iirst refused as interfering with a
prior patent TO Robert Fouls, Of Canada, for an
equivalent con,rivance. This claim, as given be-
w.
saving clause, is what Mr. Porter calls securing
the Exclusive right 70 making gas from wood
The statement carries absurdity on its front, and
is a libel on the good sense of the Patent lice.
II snch claim or right had been granted, il itwoud
forbid every coalkiln and charcoal mandatory
in the country. iH pt
s The following copies Of correspondence and
extracts from the records ofthe Patent Office will
show the true state of the case; "a ssgs
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
v ae August 25, 1854.
SIR. In reply 10 your letter of this date, asking
g IL any patent has been granted 10 w. ID. Porter,
dated 22d August 1854, or at any other time, or
to any other person or persons, securing 10 him.
or them the errLtsfpe right Of making gas from
vood.p and whether any such claim was made by
W. d. Porter, under his application for patent,
which letters patent were issued bearing the
above date, you are informed that w. ID. Porters
claims are believed 10 be mined 10 his appara-
tus; and further, this Office is not aware that
patent has been granted heretofore for the ezcin-
sips yiglu of making gas from icosd II would,
however, be unlustifable 10 expect me 10 make
an extended investigation 10 answer your re-
quest.
! Lam, respectfully, your obedient servant,
te6i,oF C.. Mason, Commissioner of Patents.
w. p, MCDONALD, Esq, aiflsF04 ate1
Care of Prof. c. g. Page, Washington, d. G,
The United States Patent Ofce-To all persons 10
frlon these presents shall come, grazing
This is TO certify that the annexed is atrue copy
from the files Of this Office of an extract from
paper filed in the matter of the application OF W.
ID. Porler for letters patent in accordance with
which application letters patent were issued 10 the
said w. d. Porter on The 22d day of August,
eighteen hundred and iiiy-four.
In testimony whereof, T. Charles Mason, Com
~ missioner OF Pstenis, have caused the seal
of the Patent Office 10 be hereunto affixed
r.. 81 this 25th day Of August in the year of our
',t Is Lord one thousand eight hundred and fiffy-
four, and Of the independence Of the United
gl States the seveniy-nintb. C. Mason.
Copy et di,claimer Of W. d. Porter IN lis applea.
ron for "aa impr0red stH for making rood
gas, ,rfita ANgast5 8, 1854. Letters patsnf issued
August %, 1854. 31a9 aslanL l1Aiagsli.
81 do not claim as my invention and discovery
the improvements in making gas from wood, viz:
subiecing the products of destructive distillation
10 high degree OF heat, substantially
as has been described and for the purposes set
forth in The specification Of w. p. Mcconnell
The Uaifed Stnfes Patent Office To all persons 10
schons htye psess,ifs shall coms greefmg : ! bBt
This Is 10 certify that the annexed is irue copy
from the records ofths Office Of an extract from
The specification Of w. d. Porefs patent, issued
on the twenty second day Of August, eighteen
hundred and fhy-four. ~
In testimony whereof |, Charles Mason, Com.
sg missioner Of Patents. have caused the
y seal Of the Patent Office 10 be hereunio
GLssJ n he YEAR OF our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and ffty-four, and Of the
h Independence of the United States the
iiig seventy NINTH tNsR c. Mason.
Bssrae from Specification Of w. ID. Po7sr on
sohieh kners pafenf scsre issned august %, 1854.
CLAn.--What claim as my invention and de.
sire 10 secure by letters patent is; ua
The construction Of gas apparatus or still.
co insisting OF metallic or other cylinder b, the
cones Z and ID, disphram plate G, and exit pipe
F. substantially AZ described in the foregoing sPe
and shown in the accompanying draw
ings."
The truth of the above may be ascertsined from
lhe records Of the Patent Office, which all have
49, ~ WIN. p. MCCONNELL.
....rl. II n. ~. $3.50. srIrAQ n DanZ