Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-03-01
WOOD GAs.-cAuTIns.g

| DE II known that Z, the subscriber oh
| ID tanned letters patent IN December 1851, ior
an apparatus for the destructive dislillaton OF
wood, and The making theretrom Of tar pitch at
| pleasure, and gas and that in the Judgment OF
| competent persons the invention of an appar
las recently patented by w, d. Porter cannot be
,ised by him or any other person without infrng
ing my said patent. And, further, that what Is
patented by said Porter rightfuly belongs 10 me,
as | expect 10 prove ere long before the United
States Patent Office and, further, that the use OF
said Porters invention involves also process
Which am now claiming before the United States
Patent Office, and which has been adjudged 10 be
patentabe 10 the first inventor thereof and which
said w. ID Porter has formally dis..laimed, as APP
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 IatsLiigeacey OF the 25ih instant
Mr.. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the exclusive right 10 making gas from
wood" and threatens prosecution 10 all parties
Infringing his patent | ask how this statement
comports with the fact of nay patent OF December
1851 and how far the threat can intmdate under
such circumstances? Mr.. Porter's claim is based
upon a movable perforated diaphragm, and was
| so understood by the Patent Once as il appear
from the records Of the Patent Office that his
| claim al irsi refused as interfering with a
prior patent TO Robert FOULS, OF Canada, for an
equivalent coHtrivance This claim, gwen 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 its 'front.' and
il libel on the good sense of the Patent Office
Ii such claim right had been granted, it would
forbid every coal-kn and charcoal mandatory
in the country.
The following copies OF correspondence and
extracts from the records Of the Patent Office will
show The trne state OF the case:
USrTEs STATES PATENT OFFICE,
August 25, 1854
In I.tt..r nf fht A.
= If any patent has been granted 10 w. ID. Porter,
dated 22d August, 1854 or al any other time,
10 any other person or persons, securing To him
or them : the eIriasiOe rtght Of making gas from
wood,p aud 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 informed that w. ID. Porters
claims are believed TO be mined TO his appara-
lus; aud, further, this Office is mol aware that
patent has been granted heretofore Tor the ercia-
lStUe right Of making gas from cosd Ii would,
however, be unjustitable 10 expect 10 make
an extended investigation to answer your re-
quest.
am respectfully, your obedient servant, ~,
G. Mason, Commissioner of Patents
w. 2. McCoNAELL, Esq,
Care of Prof. q. G. Page Washington ID. G.
Tie United States Patent OGce--To all PERSONS 10
Whoni these presents shall come, greftng
This is 10 certify that the annexed is atrue copy
from The MES oil THIS once OF an eAlrdcl from
paper filed in the matter of the application of w.
I'D. Porter for letters patent, in accordan ce with
which application letters patent were issued 10 tho
said W. ID. Porter the 22d day of August,
eighteen hundred and ffly-four.
In testimony whereof, / Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the seal
OF the Patent Office 10 he hereunto affixed
l.. 5. this 25th day Of August IN the year Of our
Lord one thousand eigh, hundred and ffty-
four, and of the independence OF the United
States the seventy-nIntb O. MASON.
Copy of disclaimer Of w. ID. Porter an has appiioa.
ton for an Improved stM for making ncOod
gas ,fled august 5, 1854. Letters patent issued
AugmSt22, 1854.
al do not claim as my invention and discovery
the improvements in making gas from wood, viz:
subjecing the products of destructive distllation
therefrom 10 high degree of heat, substantially
as has been described and for the purposes set
forth in the specification of w. p. Mcconnell"
Tie Unaed States Patent O1fcc-To all persons 70
fchou1 these presents shall come greeting:
This is 10 certify that the annexed is true copy
from the records ofths Office of an extract from
the specification Of w. ID. Pouer's patent, issued
in the twenty second 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 this twenty fifth day OF August,
n the year oil our Lord one tnousanu
eight hundred and fty.four and OF the
Independence Of the United States the
seventy ninth. Y. MASON.
Eaarad from Specification Of w. d. Porter on
ghich letters yat~nt issued august 70, 1854.
CLAIM.-What | claim my invention and de-
sire TO secure by letters patent is
"The construction of gas apparatus or still,
consisting ei metallic or other cylinder Il, the
cones and ID, disphram plate c, and exit pipe
F. substantially as described in the foregoing spe-
cfcation, and shown 10 the accompanying draw
ings."
The truth ofthe above may be ascertalned from
the records OF The Patent Office, 10 which all have
access.
WIN. p. MCCONNELL,
BY his attorney CHAS. @. PAGE.