AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPLYING HEAT TO ALKALINE SOLUTIONS AND TO DRYING AND MAKING ALKALINE SALTS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Allen and William Allen, of Wallsend, near
Newcastle-on-Tyne, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPLYING
HEAT TO ALKALINE SOLUTIONS AND TO DRYING AND MAKING ALKALINE SALTS."
Sealed the 26th October 1855, and dated the 25th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Allen and William
Allen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 25th May 1855.
We, JOHN ALLEN and WILLIAM ALLEN, of Wallsend, near Newcastle-on-
Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
APPLYING HEAT TO ALKALINE SOLUTIONS AND TO DRYING AND MAKING ALKALINE
SALTS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of applying the waste heat of coke ovens in boiling
and heating alkaline solutions, and also for drying and making alkaline salts.
For this purpose, when applying the waste heat of coke ovens to boil down
or evaporate sulphate of soda, carbonate of soda, or soda ash, the flame or
heated air may be caused to pass over and in contact with the liquor, or below
the pan or vessel containing it. And when drying alkaline salts or roasting
sulphate of soda, or when making sulphate of soda by roasting ores containing
sulphur with common salt, the waste heat of coke ovens is either conducted
over the matters under process of drying or roasting, or exterior of the retort
or oven containing the alkaline substance to be heated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Allen and William Allen in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ALLEN and WILLIAM ALLEN, of Wallsend, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Allen and William Allen, Her special licence that we, the
said John Allen and William Allen, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Allen and William Allen, our 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPLYING HEAT TO
ALKALINE SOLUTIONS AND TO DRYING AND MAKING ALKALINE SALTS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Allen and William Allen,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us, 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 we, the said John Allen and William Allen, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention is to apply the waste heat of coke ovens in evaporating to
dryness alkaline solutions, and to drying, roasting, carbonating, and making
alkaline salts. The alkaline solutions and salts which we embrace under our
Invention are those of caustic soda, carbonate of soda, or soda ash, and sulphate
of soda.
When applying the waste heat of coke ovens for the purpose of evaporating
to dryness solutions of caustic soda, carbonate of soda, or soda ash, and sul-
phate of soda, we cause the heat and flame caused by the combustion of tho
gas evolved from the coals in the ovens A (see plan of coke ovens and boiling-

page_text: down pan) during the process of charring to pass over the surface of the solu-
tions to be evaporated to dryness in the pan B by means of the draught of a
chimney. In order to keep the heat as uniform as possible, and compensate
for ovens getting cold, we attach five ovens to one pan, and, by charging one
oven with coal every day, keep up a pretty uniform heat. When an oven is
burnt off and ready to have the coke drawn out, it is detached from the pan
by means of the damper C in the flue D between the oven and pan. Although
we prefer this plan for this purpose, we claim the evaporation to dryness of
solutions of caustic soda, carbonate of soda, or soda ash, and sulphate of soda
by applying the waste heat of coke ovens either to the surface in contact with
the liquor or exterior of the pan or vessel containing the solutions to be acted
upon by any number of ovens.
When applying the waste heat of coke ovens for the purpose of drying,
roasting, and carbonating caustic soda, carbonate of soda, or soda ash, or sul-
phate of soda, or when making sulphate of soda, by roasting ores containing
sulphur, whether partially burnt or not, with common salt, we cause the
heat and flame caused by the combustion of the gas evolved from the coal in
the coke ovens A (see plan of roasting furnace and coke ovens attached)
during the process of charring to pass over the surface of the substances to be
dried, roasted, carbonated, or sulphated in the furnace B, by means of the
draught of a chimney. In order to keep the heat as uniform as possible, we
attach three coke ovens to one furnace, and charge them with coal at different
times. When an oven is ready to be drawn, it is detached from the furnace
by the damper C in the flue D leading from the oven into the furnace.
We claim any modification of this plan, whatever be the number of ovens,
or whether the heat be applied exterior of the furnace or retort containing the
substance to be acted upon, or be applied, as in this description, to the surface
and in contact with the substance.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Allen and William Allen, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JOHN SILL, of Wallsend.
JOHN ALLEN.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM ALLEN. (L.B.)