Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-11-26
MisfslljnfOns
WOOD CAsE CAUTION.

DE It known that n, the subscriber OBJ
Id tanned letters paten@ in December, 1851, for
an apparatus for the Obstructive distilaton OF
wood, and the making tItrefrom of tar or pitch at
pleasure, and gas and that in the judgment OF
competent persons thdinvention OF an appar-
tus recently patented bytW. ID. Porter cannot be
used by him or any otherIperson without infrng-
ing my said patent Adj, further that what Is
patented by said Porter Eghtfully Belongs TO me,
as expect TO prove er long before the United
States Patent Oiice; am, further, that the use Of
said Porters Observation-Disclosures also a process
which am now clairnink before the United States
Patent Office, and whicHhas been adudged to be
patentable 10 the first entor thereof, and which
said w. ID. Porter has f6mally discaimed, as ap-
pears upon the public fcords OF said Office, OF
which an official copy is hereto annexed, and also
copy ofhis claims. 'aN1tt ts2
In the National IutsHksnesr Of the 25lh instant
Mr.. Porter announces That he has secured by
patent the @exclusive right TO making gas from
wood and threatens l}osecution 10 all parties
infringing his patent. Task how this statement
comports with the fact d my patent Of December,
1851, and how far the beat can intimidate under
such circumstances? lr. Porter's claim is based
upon movable perforked diaphragm, and was
so understood by the Ptent Office, as it appears
from the records Of te Patent Office that his
claim was at first refited as interfering with
prior patent 10 Robert Fouls, of Canada, for an
equivalent contrivancel This claim, as given be-
low, and in which the ykrforated diaphragm is the
saving clause, is what Hr. Porter calls securing
the nexclusive right u making gas from wood
The statement carrieshbsurdiiy on IFS front, and
is a libel on the good ense Of the Patent Office.
If such claim or righI had been granted, it would
forbid every coal-kilnhnd charcoal manufactory
in the country. 80 ~ eass
The following copts Of correspondence and
extracts from the rec&ds Of the Patent Office will
show the true state OF the case: rs g ls
UNITED bTATTs PATENT OFFIcE,
AHgust 25, 1854
SIR In reply to yotr letter of this date, asking
'a If any patent has be5n granted to w. D. Porter,
dated 22d August, 1874 or at any other time, or
to any other person d persons, securing to him
or them at lie exclatsi1 right Of making gas from
sooodn and whether dhy such claim was made by
w. D. Porter, under bis application for patent,
which letters pate1 Were ISSUED bearing the
above date, You are tformed that w. d. Porter's
claims are believed b be mined TO his appara-
tus; and, further, tbs Office is not aware that a
patent has been grated heretofore for the eretzt
size right of naakini gas from qrosd II would,
however, be unjustihble 10 expect me 10 make
an extended investigation 10 answer your re-
quest.
am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
C.MAso{ Commissioner Of Patents.
w. p. McCoNAEII Esq, s5si ss ss.! y gts
Care Of Prof d G. Page, Washington, d. G,
The Uaasd States H.tsnt OGee--T5 al persons 70
sghons these (cnts shall coma, grating:
This is 10 ertiythat the annexed is atrue copy
from the files of this Office of an extract from a
paper fled in the 1aiter Of The application Of W.
ID. Porter for lette3s patent, in accordance with
which application efters patent were issued 10 the
said w. ID. PorteI on the 22d day Of August,
eighteen hundred knd fifty -four. s ..eii gapb0
( In testimony whereof, I, Charles Mason, Com
missioner oi Patents, have caused the seal
OF the PatcAt Office 10 be hereunto affixed
H. ST. this 25th dsf of August, in the year of our
Lord one tlbusand eight hundred and fhy-
four, and ofthe independence ofthe United
States the sevenfy ninth. G. Mason
Copv Of aiselainaeIof w. d. Porter in has applica.
fsoh for an approved still for waking seood
ges,n fled Aag{st s, 1854. Letters patent isssasd
AEgEa q, 1851. l-. 49,. si.f.r1
I al do not CLAIM as my invention and discovery
the improvement in making gas from wood, viz:
subjecting the pBducts Of destructive distlation
therefrom TO Hgh degree Of heat, substantially
as has been described and for the purposes set
forth in the SPECIFICATION of w. P. Mcconnell
The United Stat Patent 0Hce-To al persons 10
schom tl1ssi irssenfs shaR come gvesttng. s
This IL 10 cerily that the annexed is a true copy
from the record3oftb this Office Of an extract from
the specifcaiionbf w. ID. Porer's patent, issued
on the twenty econd day Of August, eighteen
In testimony Whereof, I, Charles Mason, Com.
fs missioner OF Patents, have caused the
seal OF lhe Patent Office 10 be hereunto
r, affixed lhis twenty-ffh day OF August,
IL 81 in the year Of our Lord one thousand
aus eight huSdrsd and fify-four, and OF the
Independence OF the United States the
seveniy4int G. Mason.
Ess,as from Sr3oifoasioR Of W. ID. Porter on
sghioh ieffers paf@u ,osrs issued ARgna %, 1854.
/ CLAm.-What lclaim as my invention and de-
sire 10 secure by ktiers patent is
"The consfrucfbn OF gas apparatus or still,
co insisting OF a mkfslic OF other cylinder b, the
cones Z and ID, d1phram plate @, and exit pipe
F, substantially as described in the foregoing spe
cf6cetion, and shown 10 The accompanying draw
ings.n ~ - ts.Ie.. ~. NJ
The truth ofthe ibeve may be sscertained from
The records OF The faient Office, 10 which all have
access.
I. lWM. p. MCCONNELL,
BY h1 attorney CHAS. 9. PAGE.