Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-10
WOOD GAs.-CAuTION.

WOOD GAS.-CAUTION.
| DE II known that i, the subscriber OBJ
| I'D tanned letters patent in December, 1851, for
an apparatus for the destructive distlllation OF
| wood, and the making therefrom OF tar pitch III
pleasure, and gas and that in the Judgment OF
competent persons the invention OF appar-
tus recently patented by w. ID. Porter cannot be
used by him or any other person without lnirlng
ing my said patent. And, further, that what IS
patented by said Porter rightfuly belongs TO me-
as | expect TO prove ere long before the United
States Patent Otce; and, further, that the of
said Porter's invention involves also process
which am now claiming before the United States
Patent Office, and which has been adludged TO be
paientabe TO the first inventor thereof and which
said w d. Porter has formallysdisclaimed, ap-
pears upon the public records OF said Office OF
which an official copy is hereto annexed, and also
a copy OF his claims,
In the National Iitelhgeacer of the 25th instant
Mr.. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the exclusive right 10 making gas from
wood" and threatens prosecution TO all parties
infringing his patent. | ask how this statement
comports with the fact OF my patent OF December,
1851 and how far the threat can intmdate under
such circumstances2 Mr.. Por,er's claim is based
upon movable perforated diaphragm, and was
so understood by the Patent Office as it appears
from the records Of the Patent Office that his
claim al first refused interfering with
prior patent to Robert FOULS, Of Canada, for an
equivalent contrivance. This claim, as given be-
saving clause, is what Mr. Porter calls securing
the exclusive right TO making gas from wood"
The statement carries absnrdty on It's front, and
is libel on the good sense of the Patent Otice
If such claim or right had been granted, II would
forbid every coai-kiln and charcoal manuactory
n the country
The following copies ol correspondence and
extracts from the records of the Patent Office will
show the true state OF the case:
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
Augua 25, 1854
SIR In reply 10 your letter of this date, asking
eli any patent has been granted 10 W. ID. Porter,
dated 22d August 1854, or al any other time, or
TO any other person persons, securing TO him
them @ "uesaclnsive right Of making gas from
7c0od," 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. Porter's
claims are believed 10 be Mined 10 his appara-
tus; and, further, this Office is not aware that
patent has been granted heretofore tor the erclu-
size right Of making gas troha aoosd II would,
however, be unjustifable to expect me to make
extended investigation 10 answer your re-
quest.
am, respectfully, your obedien servant
G. Mason, Commissioner of Patents
w. p. MCCoNAELI., Esq.
Care of Prof. C. G. Page, Washington d. @.
The United States Patent OGee--To All persons TO
tohom these presents shell come, grefing
This is TO certify that the annexed is a true copy
from the files Of this office of an extract from
paper filed in the matter of the application OF w.
ID. Porter for letters patent, in accordance with
which application letters patent were issuedto the
said w ID. Porter on the 22d day of August
eighteen hundred and ffy-four.
Ia testimony whereof Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the seal
of the Patent Office 10 he hereunto affixed
H.. ). this 25th day of August, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty
four, and Of the Independence of the United
States the seventy-nintb, Q. Mason.
Copy of disclaimer Of w. d. Porter IN has aypiica.
ron for an improped stH for making 1cood
gas filed august 5, 1854. Letters patent fssned
August D. 1854.
"I do not claim as my invention and discovery
the improvements in making gas from wood, viz:
subjectng the products OF destructive dstillation
iherefrom 10 a high degree of heat, substantially
as has been described and for the purposes set
forth in the specification of w. p Mcconnell
The Unaed States Patent OFce-To all persons 70
tch0Di tksSeyrssenfs shall come greeting:
This is 10 certify that the annexed is true copy
from the records Of this Office of an extract from
the specification Of w. ID. Porter's patent, issued
in the twenty second day Of August, eighteen
hundred and ffty-four.
In testimony whereof, J. Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the
seal Of the Patent Office TO be hereunto
:, affixed this twenty.ffih day OF August,
= - n the year Of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and ffiy-four, and OF the
independence of the United States the
seventy-ninth. g. MASON
Err racf from Specification Of w. ID. Porter on
'ciich letters patent ,cere issued august 22 1854.
CIAIM.-What claim as my invention and de-
sire 10 secure by letters patent is
"The construction of gas apparatus or still,
consisting OF metallic or other cylinder b, the
cones f and ID, daphram plate g, and exit pipe
+, substantially as described in the foregoing spe
cifcation and shown in the accompanying draw
ings."
The truthefthe above may be ascertained from
the records Of the Patent Office, TO which all have
access.
WIN. p. MCCONNELL,
BY his attorney CHAS. g. PAGE.