Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-05

DE known that i, the subscriber OBJ,
| ID tanned letters patent in December, 1851, for|
AN apparatus for the destructive distation OIL
wood and the making thercfrom of tar pitch all
pleasure and gas and that in the judgment oil
competent persons the invention of an appar-|
|tus recently patented by w. d. Porter cannot bel
used by him or any other person without inffng-|
Ing nv said patent. And, further, that what Isl
patented by said Porter rghtfully belongs to mel
Jas expect to prove ere long before the United
Estates Patent Office; and further that the use of
|said Porter's invention involves also a process|
(which am now claiming before the United States|
Patent Office, and which has been adJndged 70 bel
Ipatentabe to the first inventor thereof and whch|
Said W. ID. Porter has formally disclaimed, as ap-l
|pears upon the public records Of said Office, OF
(which official copy is hereto annexed, and alsoI
IA copy of his claims.
In the National Lstsligenoer of the 25th lnAtantl
IMr. Porter announces that he has secured byl
patent the "exclusive right to making gas from|
wood" and threatens prosecution to all parncs|
Infringing his patent. | ask how this statement
|comports with the fact OF my patent OF December
|l851, and how far the threat can intmdate UNDER
such circumstances? Mr.. Porter's claim is based
lupon a movable perforated diaphragm, and wasI
$50 understood by the Patent Office, il appears|
Iron the records of the Patent Office that hisI
lclam was at first refused as interfering with al
Iprior patent Robert FOULS, OF Canada, for AMI
Equivalent contrvance. This claim, as given be-
low, and in which the perforated diaphragm is the|
|lhe exclusive right to making gas from wood Y
THE statement carries absurdity on its 'front.' and|
lis a libel on the good sense OF the Patent Ohce|
|If such claim right had been granted II would
forbid every coal-kiln and charcoal manufactoryI
I'm the country.
The following copies Of correspondence and
EXTRACTS from the records Of the Patent Office will
show the true state of the ease:
UN1rES STATES PATENT OFFICE,
Ts s AmgmH 25, 1854.
SIR. In reply to your letter of this date, askingI
X if any patent has been granted TO W. u. Porter,
dated 22d August, 1854, or at any other time, or
Ito any other person persons, securing to hlmI
|or them tho szclzlsive right Of making gas from
rood" and whether any such claim was made byI
wv. D. Porter under his application for patent,
(which letters patent were issued bearing tneI
|above date, you are informed that w. ID. PortersI
|caims are believed to be mined to his appara-
|tus; and further, this Office is not aware that 81
patent has been granted heretofore for the encla-
|sive right of making gas from lcosd II would
however, be unjustifable to expect me to makeI
Ian extended investigation to answer your rel
quest. ,.
am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
c. Mason, Commissioner OF Patents.
w. P. McCoNAELL Esq,
Care of Prof. c. G. Page, Washington, d. u
TAs United States Patent O6oe-1o all PERSONS to|
aozom these presents shall come, grating:
This is to certify that the annexed is true copyI
from the files of this Office Of an extract from al
paper filed in the matter of the application of w
10 Porter for letters patent in accordance with
(which application letters patent were issued TO thaI
|said w. D.. Porter the 22d day of August,
eighteen hundred and fifty-four.
In testimony whereof, l, Charles Mason, Com
missioner of Patents, have caused the seal
OF the Patent Office TO be hereunto Affixed
L. 81 this 25th day Of August, in the year OF ourI
Lord one thousand eight hundred and hity-I
four, and ofthe independence Of the United
States the seventy-nlntb. c. MASON.
Com of disclaimer of W. d. Porter I'm has appiica'|
tion for q an improved stiH for making GOOD
gasn filed august s, 1854. Letters patent issned|
Augnst22, 1854.
g | do not claim as my invention and discovery
|ths improvements in making gas from wood, VIZ !
|subiecting the products of destructive distatonI
therefrom to a high degree of heat, substantially
las has been described and for the purposes set
|forth in the specification Of w. P. Mcconnell"
The United States Patent OGee-To all persons I'd
tpl.om these presents shall come greeting:
This is to certify that the annexed is true copyI
|from the records of this Office of extract fromI
|the specification of w. d. Porters patent, issued
lin the twenty second day of August, eighteen
hundred and ffty-four.
missioner Of Patents, have caused the|
seal of the Patent Office to be hereuntoI
:. affixed this twenty-ffth day OF August,
81 n the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and ffy-four, and OF theI
independence of the United States theI
seyenty-ninth c. MASON.
Euraet from Specification Of w. ID. Psrfv onI
schich letters patent acre issued August 22, 1854
| CLArM.--What | claim as my invention and del
|sre to secure by letters patent IS:
"The construction of gas apparatus or still
leo insisting OF a metallic other cylinder b, theI
cones and ID, diaphram plate Q, and exit pipe|
IT, substantially described in the foregoing sPeI
|cifcation, and shown in the accompanying draw
|lngs"
The truth ofthe above may be ascertained from|
he records Of the Patent Office to which all have|
|sccess.
VIM P. MCCONNELL,
BY his attorney CHAS. @, PAGE.