Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-09-11
wooD GAs.-CAUTION.

i'll iSNh1 ~
an apparatus for the destructive distillation OF
wood, and The making therefrom of tar or pitch al
peast aud gas aud that IN the Judgment OF
coupeteuI persons he invention OF an appar-
tus recently patent, d by w. ID. Porter cannot be
used by him or auy other person without infring-
ing nv said patent And, further, that what IS
pate,ted by said Porter rightiully belongs TO me,
as | expect TO prove ere long before the United
States Patent Office aud, further, that the use of
said Porter's invention involves also process
which am now claiming before the United States
Patent Office and which has been adJudged TO be
patentable 10 the first inventor thereof, and which
said w. ID. Porter has formally disclaimed, as ap
pears upon the public records OF said office, OF
which an official copy is hereto annexed and also
a copy Of his claims.
Mr. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the ''exclusive right TO making gas from
Woodn and threatens prosecution 10 all parles
infringing his patent. l ask how THIS statement
comports with the fact Of my patent of December
1851 and how far the threat can ntimldate under
such circumstances? Mr.. Porter's claim is 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 al first refused as interfering with
prior patent 10 Robert Fouls, OF Canada, Tor an
equivalent contrivance. This claim, as given be-
low, and in which the perforated diaphragm is the
saving clause is what Mr. Porter calls securing
the exclusive right TO making gas from wood" !"
The statement carries absurdity on It's front, and
is a libel on the good sense oil the fatent ohce
If such a claim or right had been granted, it would
forbid every coaI-kin and charcoal mandatory
IN the country
The following copies of correspondence and
extracts from the records of the Patent Office will
show the true state OF the case
UNITEs STATES PATENT OFFICE,
AugaSt 25, 1854.
SIR In reply TO your letter of this date, asking
/" if any patent has been granted 10 w. ID. Porter,
dated 22d August, 1854, or at any other time, or
TO any other person persons, securing 10 him
or them !" The erciasipe right Of making gas Jrom
aoo0d" and whether any such claim was made by
w. ID. Porter, under his application for patent,
which letters patent were issued bearing the
above date, YOU are informed that w. u. Porter's
claims are believed 10 be mined TO his appara-
tus; and, further, this Office is not aware that
patent has been granted heretofore for the srclat-
size right of making gas from Vosd u would,
however, be nnjust6able 10 expect me 10 make
an extended investigation TO answer your re-
quest.
am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. Mason, Commissioner OF Patents.
w. p. McCoNAEIL, Esq,
Care Of Prof G. G. Page, Washington, ID. z.
TIE United States Patent Offce-Io all persons 10
fok0ns these presents shall come, grating
This is 10 certify that the annexed is a true copy
from the files of this Office of an extract from a
paper hled IN the matter OF the aPpHcdlloH VI ".
ID. Porter for letters patent, in accordance with
which application letters patent were issued TO the
said w. ID. Porter on the 22d day OF August,
eighteen hundred and ffty-iour.
In testimony whereof, Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the seal
of the Patent Office 10 be hereunto affixed
H. 5 this 25th day of August, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and nifty
four, and of the independence ofihe United
States the seventy-nintb, T. MASON.
Com of disclaimer Of w. d. Porter "a, his alpitc0
tiora for an improped sfM for making tcood
gas,n fied august 5, 1854. Letters patent ISSUED
august %, 1854.
II do not claim as my invention and discovery
the improvements in making gas from wood, VIZ;
sublecIng the products of destructive distlllauon
theretrom to a high degree Of heat substantially
as has been described and for the purposes set
forth in the specification Of w. r. Mcconnell"
The United States Patent Ofce-Io all persons 10
1ch0n tteSe preSeIuS shall come creating:
This is TO certify that the annexed is true copy
from the records ofths Office of an extract from
the specification OF w. d. Porters patent, issued
in the twenty second day of August, eighteen
hundred and tifty-fonr.
In testimony Whereof |, Charles Mason, Com
missioner Of Patents, have caused the
seal OF the Patent Office to be hereunto
affixed this twenty.ffh day OF August,
= - the year OF our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and ffty-four, and of the
Independence OF the United States the
.eyenty-ninth G. Mason.
Ezlract GoD. Specification Of W. -. Porter on
,shioh ktters patent tceye issued august 22, 1884.
CLAIM.-What | claim as my invention and de-
sire 10 secure by letters patent is:
"The construction OF gas apparatus or sllli
consisting OF metallic or other cylinder b, The
cones and ID, diaphram plate G, and exit pipe
f. substantially described in the foregoing spe-
cihcaiion, and shown 10 the accompanying draw
ings.'
The truth ofthe above may be ascertained from
the records Of the Patent Office, to which all have
access.
WIN. p. MCCONNELL,
By his attorney CItAS q. PAGE