IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Edward Schmersahl, of Miles Platting,
in the County of Lancaster, Analytical and Practical Chemist, and John
Augustus Bouck, of the same Place, Manufacturing Chemist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID, AND
IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME,"
Sealed the 24th July 1855, and dated the 24th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Edward Schmer-
sahl and John Augustus Bouck at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th January 1855.
We, the said AUGUSTUS EDWARD SCHMERSAHL and JOHN AUGUSTUS BOUCK,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME,"
to be as follows:-.
Our Invention relates to the production of sulphuric acid by the direct com-
bination of sulphurous acid gas with oxygen. In order to effect this, we
produce sulphurous acid gas by burning sulphur, or by other means, and.cause
it to pass in combination with air through a heated tube or tubes; in order to
increase the surface of which, we place therein asbestos, a mixture of copper
and chrome oxides, platinum in wire or sheet, prepared coke, prepared pumice
[Price 8d.1

page_text: stone, animal or other charcoal, porous matters produced by calcining mixtures
of china clay with organic matters or other porous substances. The sulphurous
acid gas before entering the tube or tubes passes through a pipe, which dis-
charges it below the level of water, placed within a closed vessel, and through
which water it therefore rises. The requisite amount of air is supplied to
the tube or tubes by passing through a pipe immersed in water contained
within a closed vessel By raising or lowering this pipe, therefore, the resistance
to the passage of air may be modified, so as to regulate the quantity allowed to
pass; by employing a glass vessel for the purpose we are enabled to observe
this by the rising of bubbles. This hydraulic apparatus is a novelty of our
Invention, but we can employ valves or other ordinary regulating apparatus.
To the tube or tubes we connect a pipe, leading from a steam generator or from
a water tank, and allow a small quantity of steam or water to issue therefrom.
The sulphuric acid formed in the tube or tubes falls into a closed vessel, in
which also a portion of the vapour is condensed, but that which still remains
in a gaseous state passes onward through a series of vessels containing water.
The lower parts of these vessels are connected by pipes and cocks, so that as
the liquid becomes concentrated, it may be allowed to pass back to the first
vessel from which it is drawn. This constitutes one perfect apparatus; but
we also employ another in combination therewith, by conducting any gas that
may not be condensed from the last vessel of the series to another heated tube
or tubes, as above described, and connected to a series of vessels similar in
arrangement to those already mentioned. In order to create a current through
the tube or tubes, we connect the last vessel to a chimney, air pump, or other
exhausting apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augustus Edward Schmersahl and John Augustus Bouck
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, AUGUSTUS
EDWARD SCHMERSAHL, of Miles Platting, in the County of Lancaster, Analytical
and Practical Chemist, and JOHN AUGUSTUS BOUCK, of the same Place, Manu-
facturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Eord 'One' thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of

page_text: 3. F
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Augustus Edward Schmersahl and John Augustus Bouck, Her
especial licence that we, the said Augustus Edward Schmersahl and John
Augustus Bouck, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Augustus Edward Schmersahl and John Augustus Bouck,
ourexecutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
"no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the terin therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britainand Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Iuvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC
ACID, AND IN THE APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," upon the condition,
amongst others, that we, the said Augustus Edward Schmersahl and John
Augustus Bouck, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is 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 Augustus Edward Schmersahl and
John Augustus Bouck, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in andbythe following statement and accompanying Drawings
(that is to say)-
Our Invention relates to the production of sulphuric acid by the direct com-
bination of sulphurous acid with oxygen.
The manner in which we effect this will be explained by reference to the
accompanying Drawings. We would, however, here observe that we do not
confine ourselves to the arrangement shewn, as many modifications may be
made without departing from the essential character thereof.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the entire apparatus, and Fig. 2 a top view. a is
the vessel for the burning of sulphur, placed upon brickwork and provided
with a suitable furnace; from the top of this a pipe 6 proceeds through the
stopper of a vessel c, charged with water, beneath the level of which the said
pipe projects; another pipe & leads from the upper part of the vesse! c to a
tube, e, of iron or other suitable material, closed at either end by a flange,
excepting at the parts formed for the reception of the pipes; this tube is set
in brick work, and is capable of being heated by means of an ordinary fire-place
beneath. At fis a vessel of glass, through the stopper of which two pipes g, h,
pass; the former, open at top, dips into a column of water; the latter leads from
the top of the vessel, and at its other end is in connection with the interior of

page_text: the tube e. Ati is a pipe, leading from a steam generator or reservoir of water
to the tube e, and provided with a cock, by which steam or water may be
admitted thereto at pleasure. The tubee contains asbestos; but instead of that
we can use other porous substances; as, for instance, a mixture of copper and
chrome oxides, platinum in wire or sheet, arranged so as to afford minute pas--
sages, coke, prepared pumice stone, animal or other charcoal, porous matters
produced by calcining mixtures of china clay with organic matters, or other
porous substances which will offer a partial obstruction to the passage of the
gasses, and afford an extensive surface. To the other end of the tube e a pipe k
is adapted, which passes beneath water contained in a vessel 7; another aper-
ture of which is furnished with a pipe m, leading to the first of a series of
condensers n', n²,n³,n', the lower parts of which communicate backwards with
each other by means of pipes o¹, 02, 03, 04, capable of being opene.l or closed by
stop-cocks. From the upper part of the last condenser n' a pipe p leads to a
second tube q, similar to that shewn at e, and provided in like manner with
asbestos, or other porous substances. This second tube is connected to a set of
apparatus similar to that already described, corresponding parts being indi-
cated by the same letters of reference with the addition of . To the last
condensing chamber ** is connected a pipe r, leading to a chimney, an air
pump, or other ordinary exhausting apparatus; or in place of this a draft may
be obtained by forcing air into the tubes e, q, by means of a fan, or other suit-
able apparatus, in which case the hydraulic valves f,f, will not be required.
On commencing operations, the several condensing chambers are charged with
water, by means of pipes s, s*, and the fire is lighted beneath the vessel a ;
vapour of sulphurous acid gas will then flow through the pipe b, and from
thence through the water in the vessel c to the heated tube e; at the same
time also atmospheric air will pass through the pipe g, and, rising in bubbles to
the surface of the water, will also proceed to the tube e, and become mixed
with the sulphurous acid gas, in which condition they will be heated and
drawn onward through the asbestos or other matter before mentioned, a small
quantity of stean or water being admitted through the pipei; the result will
be a chemical decomposition of the gases, affording sulphuric acid, which will
flow through the pipe k into the vessel 2. The vapour not condensed at first
will be more or less absorbed by the water in the several chambers n', n², n³, n4,
but as some may remain uncondensed, the pipe p is provided for conveying it
through another tube q, similar to that shewn at e, as before mentioned, from
whence it proceeds onward through the vessels n¹*, n², n³, n**, steam or
water and air being admitted to the said tube from the pipe i*, and vessel f
As the fluid in the condensers becomes concentrated, it is drawn backward

page_text: through thepipes o¹,0³, 0³, 04, 0¹*, 03*, 0³*, 0**, into the vessels 1,1*, from which
it is finally removed. As the process continues, the relative quantities of air
and sulphurous acid gas admitted to the heated tubes may be regulated by
raising or lowering the pipe g, g*, in the water contained in the vessels ff,*
and as these are of glass, the quantity of air passing may be ascertained by
observing the bubbles; an ordinary valve or cock may, however, be employed
for the same purpose. The materials of which the several parts of the appa-
ratus are constructed may be varied, according to desire, providing they be of
suitable nature for resisting the resulting chemical action.
Having thus described the method of carrying our said Invention into effect,
we desire it to be understood that we claim,-
Firstly, the production of sulphuric acid,by causing sulphurous acid gas
pass in combination with atmospheric air through heated tubes.
Secondly, supplying such tubes with asbestos or other substance, as before
mentioned.
Thirdly,causing the sulphurous acid gas to pass through water previouslyto
being combined with atmospheric air.
Fourthly, the general arrangement and construction of the apparatus
described, particularly the hydraulic valve f, g.
In witness whereof, we, the said Augustus Edward Schmersahl and John
Augustus Bouck, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
third day of July, in the year of our LordOne thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
AUG. EDP SCHMERSAHL. (L.S.)
JOHN A. BOUCK.
(L.S.)