Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-04-29
WOOD GAs.-CAUTIoN.

| ID E Ii known that i, the subscriber oh
| I'D tanned letters patent IN December, 1891. tor
| an apparatus for the destructive distillation OF
wood, aud the making thereirom OF tar pitch al
| pleasure and gas; aud that in the Judgment OF
| competent persons the invention Of an appar
| lus recently patented by w. ID. Porter cannot be
| used by him or any other person witnout lnfrng
ing my said patent. And, further, that what IS
patented by said Porter rightiully belongs 10 me,
as | expect 10 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 10 be
pateniabe to the first inventor thereof, and which
said w. d. Porter has formally disclaimed, as APP
pears upon the public records OF said Office, OF
which official copy is hereto annexed, and also
a copy of his claims.
In the National Inteuigenoer of the 25th instant
Mr. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the exclusive right to making gas from
wood,o and threatens prosecution TO all parties
infringing his patent. ask how tins statement
comports with the fact of my patent OF December,
1851 and how far the threat can intmidate under
such circumstancese Mr.. Porter's clam is based
upon movable perforated Diaphragm and was
so understood by the Patent Office, as II appears
from the records of the Patent Office that his
claim was al first refused as interfering with a
prior patent TO Robert FOULS, Of Canada, for an
equivalent contrivance. This claim, as gwen be-
low, and in which the perforated diaphragm is the
sav wing clause, is what Mr.. Porter calls securing
The statement carries absurdity on its front, and
is libel on the good sense OF the Patent Ofice
Ii such claim or right had been granted il 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 ease:
UNITEs STATES PATENT OFFICE,
Augua 25 1854.
SIR. In reply TO your letter of this date, asking
. il any patent has been granted 10 w. u. Porter
dated 22d August 1851, or al any other time, or
10 any other person persons, securing TO him
or them {" the exclusive right Of making gas from
mood" 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. Porter's
claims are believed TO be mined TO his appara-
tus; and further, this Office is not aware that
patent has been granted heretofore for the erelu-
size right Of making gas from ioosd IL would,
however be unJustlBable 10 expect ME 10 make
an extended investigation TO answer your re-
quest.
am, respectfully, your obedent servant,
G. Mason, Commissioner of Patents.
w. p. MCDONALD, Esq,
Care of Prof. G. G.. Page, Washington, ID. q.
TIE Unaed States Patent OHce--To all persons TO
schom these presents shall come, grating:
THIS is TO certify that the annexed is a true copy
from the. files OF this office OF an extract rom
ID. Porter for letters patent, in accordance with
which application letters patent were lssuedt TO ths
said w. ID. Porter the 22d day of August,
eighteen hundred and ffy-four.
In testimony Whereof l, Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the seal
OF the Patent Office 10 be hereunto affixed
f.. s. 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 ninth. Y. MASON.
Conn of disclaimer of w ID. Porter IN has appttca'
tlon for an Improved still for making fcood
gas, nfed august 8, 1854. Letters patent ISSUED
AugnSt22, 1854.
II do not claim as my invention and discovery
the improvements in making gas from wood, viz;
subjecting the products of destructive distllaton
thsrefrom TO a high degree of heat substantially
as has been described and for the purposes sci
forth in the specification of w. T. Mcconnell
THe United States Parent OGee--Io all persons to
tchogt these presents shall come grating:
This is 10 certify that the annexed is true copy
from the records this Office of an extract from
the specification Of w. ID. Porters patent, issued
in the twenty second day OF August, eighteen
hundred and fifty-tour
In testimony whereof |, Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the
seal Of the Patent Office TO be hereunio
affixed this twenty.ffth day OF August,
81 n the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and fifty -four, aud OF the
independence OF the United States the
seyentv.ninth &C. Mason.
Euayaci from Specification of w. ID. Porter on
tchich letters patsnt acre issued august y, 1894.
Cl.MM-What claim my invention and de-
sire 10 secure by letters patent is:
THE construction of gas apparatus or still,
consisting OF a metallic or other cylinder Il, the
cones 4 and ID, daphram plate =, and exit pipe
r. substantially as described in the foregoing spe-
ci6catiop, and shown in the accompanying draw
ings.n
The truth ofthe above may be ascertained from
the records Of the Patent Office, 10 which all have
access. ...
VIM r. MCCONNELL,
BY his attorney CHAS. q. PAGE.