Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-12-13
WOOD GAs.-CaJJTYos.

IL
apparatus for the destructive distilalon OF
wood, and The making therefrom Of tar pitch al
pleasure, and gas and that in the Judgment OF
competent persons the invention of an appar-
tus recently patented by W. ID. Porter cannot be
used by him or any other person without infring-
ing my said patent And further, that what Is
patented by said Porter rightfully belongs TO me-
| expect 10 prove ere long before the United
States Patent Office and, further, that the use OF
said Porter's nvention involves also process
which am now claiming before the United States
Patent Office and whichAhas been adjudged TO be
patentable TO the first inventor thereof and which
said w. ID. Porter has formally disclained as ap
pears upon the public records oil said Office, pI
which an official copy is hereto annexed, and also
a copy of his claims
In the National IsteHigencer 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 intnnidate under
such circumstances? Mr.. Por.er'scaim is based
upon a movable perforated diaphragm, and
so understood by the Patent Office, as il appears
from the records OF the Patent Office that his
claim was at first refused as interfering with a
prior patent to Robert FOULS, Of Canada, for an
equivalent contrivance This claim, a. 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"
ne statement carries dOStTuHv on lts lFDHl ana
is libel on the good sense of the Patent Oh"e
Ii such claim or right had beer granted il would
forbid every coal-liln 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 ease
UNITEs STATES PArRsr OFFICE
Augua 25, 1854
SIR. In reply to your letter OF this date. asking
g if any patent has been granted TO W ID. Porter,
dated 22d August, 1854, or at any other time, or
TO any other person or persons, securing 10 him
them " tie erclssipe right Of making gast from
ayood" and whether any such claim made by
W. ID. Porter, under his application for patent,
which letters patent were issued bearing The
above date, you informed that w. d. Porters
claims are believed TO be Mined 10 his appara-
tus; and, further, this Office is not aware that
patent has been granted heretofore ior lhe escl1-
stue right of making gas from wo.d II would,
however, be unjustfable to expect me TO make
extended investigation TO answer your re-
quest.
am, respectfully your obedient servant,
G, Mason Commissioner OF Patents
w. P, McCoNAELL, Esq.
Care of Prof G. G. Page Washington, ID. G.
The United States Patent ObRce-T TO eH persons 10
1cho0s these presents shall come, gretimg:
This is 10 certify that the annexed is true copy
from the files of this Office Of 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 issued 10 the
said w. ID. Porter on the 22d day of August,
eighteen hundred and ffty-four.
In testimony whereof l. Charles Mason Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the seal
OF the Patent Office TO be hereunto affixed
IL 81 this 25th day of August in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty
four, and ofthe independence Of the United
States the seventy-nintb. G. Mason.
Copy Of disclaimer Of w. d. Porter ia his applica.
ton for I" an improved stiR for making tooo9
gas nfLsd Ang1tst 5, 1854. Letters patent issued
August22, 1854.
g. do not claim my invention and discovery
the improvements in making gas from wood, viz:
subjecing the products of destructive distiation
thererom TO 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 Offce-To all persons 10
tohom htssepresent shall come greeting:
This is certify that the annexed is a 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-iour.
In testimony whereof, J. Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the
seal of the Patent Office 10 be hereunto
!, affixed this twenty fifth day OF August,
- n the year OF our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and fifty.four and OF the
independence Of the United States the
seventy.ninth. c. Mason.
E1raa from Specification Of w. ID. Porter
schtch tettsrs patent ISSUED Amgua %, 1854
CLAM--What claim my invention and de-
sire 10 secure by letters patent is
THE construction Of gas apparatus or still,
co insisting OF metallic or other cylinder Il, the
cones and ID, diaphram plate 9, and exit pipe
+, substantially described in the foregoing spe-
cifcation, and shown in the accompanying draw
ngs."
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 CHAS. O. PAGE.