Washington sentinel., 1856-03-27
wooD GAs.--CAuTIoN.

/ Il ~
I'D tanned letters patent in December, 1851, for
an apparatus for the destructive distillalion Of
wood and the making thereirom of tar or pitch al
| pleasure, and gas and thai in, the judgment .o
competent persons heainvention of an appar
tus recently patented by w. Id. Porter cannot be
used by him or any other person witnout infring-
ing my said patent. And, further, that what IS
patented by said Porter righifuIly belongs to me
| as expect 70 prove ere long before the United
States Patent Office; and, further, that the use OF
said SPorter's invention involves also process
whiclrI am now claiDing before the United States
Patent Office, and which has been adjudged to be-
patentabe to the first inventor thereof and which
said W.D Porter has formally discIained. as ap-
pears upon the public records OF said office, OF
which IN official copy is hereto annexed, and also
copy OF his eiaiias 18 433 s4 fid QnN ,ab
Ih the Natiegai LilsLhgsspsr Of the 18th lnstani
Mr.. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the . exclusive right 10 making gas from
woSd,p and ihgsatsnsa prosecution. % all parties
infringing his patent. ! ask how this statement
com ports with the fact of my patent OF December
1851 and how far the threat can nlmidate under
such circumstances? Mr.. Porer'scaim is based
upon movable perforated diaphragm, and was
30 understood blythe Patent Office, as IL appears
from the records of the Patent Office that his
claim was at first refused as interfering with
prior.p patent TO Robert Fouls, of Caaada, for an
eqtn valent conirivance. This claim, as gwen be-
low, and IN which the perforated diaphragm is the
saving clause is what Mr.. Porter calls securing
The statement carries absurdity on its 'front.' and
s al libel on the good sense OF the Patent OHice
If such a claim fright had been granted it would
forbid every coai-kilnc aad charcoal manniactory
IN the, country. .sr. gqttLt9,.4 HE b4
The following copies of correspondence and
extracts from the records ofihe Patent Office will
show the true state of the ease: M
NJ as5h UNrrEB STATES PATENT OFFICE,
aHe = -ae .09hJ l4 aHa I4Angna rs, 1854 Z
SIR. In reply 10 your letter of tls.date, asking
!" if any patent has been granted TO w. ID. Porter,
dated 22d August, 1854, orlat any other time, or
10 any other person or persons, securing 10 him
or them e the ezclasipe rlghtof making gas from
soood " 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. ID. Porters
claims are believed 10 be Mined 10 his appara-
tus; and, further, this office is not aware that a
patent has been granted heretofore tor the ezcll-
siver right Of making gas from acosd II would,
however, be unjusti6able TO expect me 10 make
extended investigation 10 answer your re-
quest s.,.fg aa.ts. 1885
~ | am, respectfully, your obedent servant,
& .t.i:ss G. M AsoN, Commissioners of Patents.
\, W. p. McCoaAELL, Esq, Ns.I
Care of Prof. c. G. Page, Washington, D. c.
TIE United States Pate,a Office To all persons TO
.3sz aohons these presents shall come, greting:
This is 10 certify that the annexed is a true copy
from the files OF this Office oil an extract from
paper filed in the matter of the application Of w.
d.. Porter for letters patent, In accordance with
WHICH application letters patent were issued TO the
said w. D. Porter on the 22d day of August,
eighteen hundred and fIly-four,
In testimony whereoI,' /. Charles Mason, Com
8 missioner Of Patents, have caused the seal
OF the Patent Office 10 he hereunto aihxed
IL. s. this 25th day Of August, IN the year oil our
4 X Lord one thousand eight hundred and hty-
four, and of the Independence of the United
States the seventy-nIntb. &c. MASON /.
Copy Of disclaimer Of ". d. Porter has appliea.
4 tiost for "an improved stW for MAKING soood
gas, flsd August 5, 1854. Letters patent issued,
Y Angast22, 1854.
do not claim as my invention and discovery
the impro in making gas from wood, viz
subJeciing the products OF destructive distlauon
therefrorri 10 high degree of heat, substantially
as has been described and for the purposes sci
forth in the specification OF w. 7, Mcdonnell
TIE Uased States Patent O6ee-TS all persons TO
,ej.on. u.esep presents shall come grceti,s: a \
This is 10 certify that the annexed is true copy
from the records ofthis Office of an extract from
the specification of w. ID. Porter's patent, issued
in the twenty second day of August, eighteen
hundred and ffy-four.
In testimony Whereof ], Charles Mason, Com
l,lf missioner of Patents, have caused the
4 .'iI seal OF the Patent Office 10 be hereunto
affixed this twenty-6fth day of August,
81 n the year of our Lord one thousand
i eight hundred and ffy-four, and OF the
AZ s,eindepeudence Of The United States the
seventy-ninth. c, MASON.
Ez.vaet from Specification Of W., d. Porter on
scAscl letters patslt tcere ISSUED August ~, 1904
- CLAiM.-What claim as my invention and de-
sire 10 secure by letters patent is
a., The construction OF gas apparatus or stl
consisting OF metallic or other ,cyIinder h, The
cones l. aud ID, diaphram plate G., and exit pipe
r. sabstaniiaiy as described in the foregoing sPe-
ciiica,ion, and shown in The accompany draw;
inus.n ~. sa ~. .4 .t.......s.. ..t...,,.
The truth the abaye may be ascertained from
the records OF the Patent Oice, 10 which all have
access. 4 90 IAncV stlr n l1 4r9a hF# 0M#i
s1 sf y. egw WNLsP. MCCONNELL as +
roo ~ 5 by has attorney CIAS. @. PAGE. 81