IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SALT
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gardner, of Plaistow, in the County of Essex,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SALT."
Sealed the 25th January 1856, and dated the 11th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gardner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th August 1855.
I, JAMES GARDNER, of Plaistow, in the County of Essex, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SALT" to be as follows:-
My said improvements relate to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
evaporating pans used in the manufacture of salt, for promoting evaporative
effect by utilising the escaping vapour of the heated pans.
I construct my pans with flat or nearly flat bottoms, and make the sides
project above & below, so that they present an appearance like double pans,
one being inverted, while the other is in use. The upper portion of the pan
alone is used for the brine or saline solution to be evaporated, and the lower
portion is applied only to collect the steam arising from any pan placed
underneath it.
Over an evaporating pan of the usual construction set in a brickwork fur-
nace or heated by steam or otherwise, I raise a series of two, three, or more

page_text: pans
of the construction described, separated from each other to any required
distance, and so placed that the steam rising from the lowermost pan shall
ascend to the under part of the next pan above it, which, presenting a cavity,
will collect and detain the steam, thus heating and causing the evaporation of
the liquid therein. I also provide steam pipes to carry off the surplus steam
from the under side of each pan above the lowermost pan in succession
throughout the series of pans thus arranged. I likewise employ means to
carry off the condensed steam from below each pan, whereby I prevent its
falling into the pan next below it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Gardner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GARDNER, of Plaistow, in the County of Essex, Gentleman, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Gardner, Her special licence that I, the said James Gardner, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Gardner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SALT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Gardner,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under ny, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe- and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Gardner, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
12
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page_text: My satu improvements relate to a pecunar. construction and arrangement or
evaporating pans used in the manufacture of salt, for promoting evaporative
effect by utilising the escaping vapour of the heated pans.
And for the better understanding of my said Invention, I will now proceed
to describe the methods I employ for carrying the same into practice, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which the same letters
indicate like parts throughout.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front end section of my improved evaporating pans; Figure 2
is a plan of the same, showing one large pan with four compartments, or four
lesser pans united; and Figure 3 is a front side section.
A, A, indicate the top of my improved pans; A', A, A, A, are four
compartments or pans, with B, B, B, B, four gangways, surrounded externally
with C, C, C, C, four other gangways, for the passage of workmen. From the
extreme edges of the gangways C, proceed D, D, flaps, screens, or walls, to
collect and detain the steam under each pan bottom, the surplus steam passing
upwards through steam pipes E, which may be supplied with regulating valves,
and have their apertures proportioned in size so as not to carry off the steam
too rapidly. F, F, is a perforated or other plate or plates, bars, or wire gauze,
through which the steam rises, and, becoming heated thereby, serves to keep
up the temperature of the upper stratum of stean; below F, F, may be
arranged bars, gutters, or other like means, placed at an angle to carry off to
side channels any condensed steam.
I would here observe that I generally construct my evaporating pans with
flat or nearly bottoms, and make the sides project or dip downwards. The
upper portion of the pan or pans is used for the brine or saline solution to be
evaporated, and the lower or chambered portion is applied only to collect the
steam arising from any pan or pans placed underneath. Over an evaporating
pan of the usual construction set in a brickwork furnace, I raise one, two,
three, or more pans, of the construction already described, one above the other
separated from each other to any desired distance, and so placed that the steam
rising from the surface of the liquid in the lowermost pan shall ascend to the
under part of the next pan above it, which, presenting a cavity or chamber, will
collect and detain the steam or vapour, thus heating and causing the evapora-
tion of the liquid in the pan or pans. I also provide steam pipes, variously
placed, to carry off the surplus steam from the under side of each pan above the
lowermost pan in succession, throughout any series of pans thus arranged. I
likewise employ ribs of metal and other suitable means to carry off the con-

page_text: densed steam from below each pan, whereby I prevent its falling into the pan
next below it; and I sometimes form a steam chamber under each pan bottom
with perforated or other sheet metal, bars, or wires, to assist in keeping up the
temperature of the steam.
Having thus fully described the several details of my said improvements, I
wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to materials, dimensions,
or precise situations of the several parts, or to the number of pans; and I do
declare that what I claim as my Invention is, namely, the peculiar arrange-
ment and adaptation of evaporating pans for utilising the evaporating vapour
in the manufacture of salt, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gardner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
1856.
JAMES GARDNER. (L.S.)