Washington sentinel., 1855-01-07
M istkllxnfgu
WOOD GAs.-CAUTIoN.

r.
13K It known that j, the subscriber OBJ
V1 tanned letters patent in December, 1921, ior
an apparatus for the destructive dlstillat!on OF
wood and The making therefrom Of tar or pitch al
pleasure, and gas and that IN the judgment o.
competent persons The invention of an appar-
tus recently patented by w. ID. Porter cannot be
used by him or any other person without intring-
ing my said patent And, further, that what -
patented by said Porter rightiully belongs 70 me,
as I expect TO prove ere long before the United
States Patent Office and, 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 70 pe
patentabe 10 the FIRST inventor thereoi and winch
said w. d. Porter has formally dsclaimea, Us ap
pears upon the public records OF said ONCE, OF
which an official copy is hereto annexed, ana also
| In Ihe Nationap fa1eutgsnerv oI the &orn instant
Mr.. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the "exclusve right to making gas from
wood" and threatens prosecution TO all paftes
infringing his patent. ask how TINS statement
comports with the fact of my patent OF December,
1851, and how far the threat can intimidate undel
such circumstances MIR. Porter's claim is based
upon a movable perforated diaphragm, and was
SO understood by the Patent Office, as it appears
from the records of the Patent once that ms
claim was at first refused as interfering with
prior patent to Robert Fouls, Of Canada, for 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 10 making gas from wood"
The statement carries absurdi,y on It's 'front.' and
is libel on the good sense OF the Patent once,
II such claim or right had been granted, it would
forbid every coal kiln 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:
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,
August 25, 1854.
SlA In reply to your letter Of this date, asking
" il any patent has been granted TO W. u. Porter,
dated 22d August 1854, or at any other time, or
to any other person or persons, securing 20 nm
or them +" The crciusipc right Of making gas from
soood," 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. u. forters
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 ereiu-
sire right Of making gas from a0osd II would,
however, be unlustifable to expect me TO make
an extended investigation TO answer your re-
quest;
Fam, respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. Mason, Commissioner OF Patents.
w. P. McCoNAELI, Esq,
Care of Prof. c. G. Page, Washington, D. 9.
TIE United States Patent O6ce-To all persons to
aohon these presents shall come, gretlng
This is TO certify that the annexed is airue copy
from the files of this Office of an extract from
paper filed in the matter of the application OF w.
D.yPorter for letters patent, in accordance with
which application letters patent were issued 10 The
said W. b. Porter on the 22d day OF August,
eighteen hundred and ffty-four.
In testimony whereof Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the seal
Of the Patent Office 10 he hereunto affixed
r. 81 this 25th day Of August, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and hfty-
four, and of the independence of the United
States the seyeniy-nintb. Z. Mason.
Com Of disclaimer Of ". d. Porter in his appliea.
tio7, for San impropsd stM toy making rood
ga" "fle9 august 5, 1854. Letters patent issued
ARgna22, 1854.
81 do not claim as my invention aud discovery
the improvements in making gas from wood, VIZ:
subjecins the products of destructive dstiilation
therefrom 10 a high degree of heat, substantially
as has been described and for the purposes set
forth in the specification of w. p. Mcconnell
Tie United States Patent OHce--Io all persons to
trhon Mesepresents shall come greettng:
This is 10 certify that the annexed is a true copy
from the records ofthis Office OF an extract from
the specification of w. ID. Porter's patent, issued
on the twenty second day of August, eighteen
hundred and fifty -four.
In testimony whereof, /, Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the
seal of the Patent Office 10 be hereuno
;, affixed this twenty-ifth day OF August,
10 o. in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and y-four, and of the
independence of the United States the
seventy-ninth. @. Mason
Erfract fron, Specification of w. ID. Porter on
achich letters patent scers issued August %, 1854.
CLArM-What claim as my invention and de-
sire to secure by letters patent is:
"The construction OF gas apparatus or stll
co insisting of metallic or other cylinder B, the
cones and ID, daphram plate G, and exit pipe
F, substantially as described in the foregoing spe-
cifca,ion, and shown in the accompanying draw
ings."
The truth ofthe above may be ascertained from
the records Of the Patent Office, 10 which all have
access.
WIN. r. MCCONNELL,
BY his attorney CHAS. G. PAGE.