IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OXYGEN GAS, AND IN TREATING
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Frederick Parker, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Commission Agent, and Joseph Tanner, of
Birmingham aforesaid, Galvaniser of Iron, for the Invention of " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OXYGEN GAS, AND IN TREATING AND
Sealed the 13th June 1865, and dated the 2nd January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Frederick Parker
and Joseph Tanner at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd January 1865.
We, JOHN FREDERICK PARKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Cominission Agent, and JOSEPH TANNER, of Birmingham aforesaid,Galvaniser
of Iron, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OXYGEN GAS, AND IN TREATING AND ECONOMIZING
THE RESIDUAL PRODUCTS OF THE SAID MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
In manufacturing oxygen gas according to our Invention we take protoxide
of calcium or quicklime and we heat it to a red heat, with access of air, stir-
[Price 8d.]

page_text: ring it continually during the heating. By this treatment any carbonic acid
or moisture that the lime may contain is expelled. We take two parts by
weight of the lime so prepared, and one part by weight of nitrate of soda,
both in powder, and we mix them well together. We expose the mixture to
a bright red heat in a retort or close vessel. A large quantity of gaseous
matter,consisting mainly of oxygen,is evolved,and we pass the gas so evolved
into a condenser supplied with water, by which any nitrous acid formed is
absorbed, and from which condenser the oxygen gas thus purified passes to
the gas holder. We employ the residuum left in the retort for the manu-
facture of a second quantity of oxygen in the following manner:-We take
two parts by weight of the said residuum and mix it with one part by weight
of nitrate of soda, and expose the mixture as before to a bright red heat in a
retort or close vessel, condensing the nitrous acid by water, and passing the
oxygen gas to the gas-holder as before described. We treat and economize
the residuum left in the retort after the manufacture of the second quantity
of oxygen in the following manner: We digest the said residuup in hot
water, stirring it up well from time to time, and after allowing the insoluble
portions to subside we separate the clear liquid by decantation. The said
clear liquid consists of a soluble solution of caustic soda,and by the evaporation
of the water the caustic soda can be obtained ina solidstate. The undissolved
portion consists mainly of carbonate of lime, which we mix with the solution
of nitrous acid obtained by purifying the oxygen as herein-before described.
We thereby obtain a compost useful as a fertilizer for cereals, and which
compost we call-nitro-carbonate of lime.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Frederick Parker and Joseph Tanner in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
FREDERICK PARKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Commission
Agent, and JOSEPH TANNER, of Birmingham aforesaid, Galvaniser of Iron,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Frederick Parker and Joseph Tanner, Her special
licence that we, the said John Frederick l'arker and Joseph Tanner, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Frederick Parker and Joseph Tanner, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OXYGEN GAS, AND IN
TREATING AND ECONOMIZING THE RESIDUAL PRODUCTS OF THE SAID MANUFACTURE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Frederick
Parker and Joseph Tanner, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-*
formed, 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 Frederick Parker and Joseph.
Tanner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-:
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In manufacturing oxygen gas according to our Invention we take protoxide
of calcium or quicklime, and we heat it to a red heat, with access of air,
stirring it continually during the heating. By this treatinent any carbonic
acid or moisture that the lime may contain is expelled. We take two parts
by weight of the lime so prepared, and one part by weight of nitrate of soda,
both in powder, and we mix them well together. We expose the mixture to
a bright red heat in a retort or close vessel. A large quantity of gaseous
matter, consisting mainly of oxygen, is evolved, and we pass the gas so evolved
into a condenser supplied with water, by which any nitrous acid formed is
absorbed, and from which condenser the oxygen gas thus purified passes to
the gas-holder. Instead of passing the gaseous products obtained by heating
the mixture of nitrate of soda and lime into a condenser as last described, the
said gaseous products may be passed through a tube or cylinder, or other
vessel, heated to bright redness. By this treatment, any compounds.of
oxygen and nitrogen which may exist in the said gaseous products are wholly .

page_text: or mainly decomposed, and a larger amount of uncombined oxygen obtained.
The gas may afterwards be passed into a condenser to remove any gas which
is soluble in water. We employ the residuum left in the retort for the manu-
facture of a second quantity of oxygen in the following manner :- We take
two parts by weight of the said residuum and mix it with one part by weight
of nitrate of soda, and expose the mixture as before to a bright red heat in a
retort or close vessel, condensing the nitrous acid by water, and passing the
oxygen gas to the gas-holder as before described. We treat and economize
the residuum left in the retort after the manufacture of the second quantity of
oxygen in the following manner:-We digest the said residuum in hot water,
stirring it up well from time to time, and after allowing the insoluble portions
to subside we separate the clear liquid by decantation. The said clear liquid
consists of a solution of caustic soda, and by the evaporation of the water the
caustic soda can be obtained in a solid state. The undissolved portion con-
sists mainly of lime, which we mix with the solution of nitrous acid obtained
by purifying the oxygen as herein-before described. We thereby obtain a
compost useful as a fertilizer for cereals, and which compost ive call nitro-
carbonate of lime. Or the residuum left in the retort consisting of a mixture
of caustic soda and lime may be used by glass and soap makers. Instead of
mixing the nitrate of soda with twice its weight of lime, and using the
residuum after distillation in mixture with a further quantity of nitrate of
soda as described, the lime and nitrate of soda may be mixed in equal pro-
portions, in which case the residuumis not used a second time. The residuum
in this case resembles that obtained after the manufacture of the second
quantity of oxygen herein-before described. Although we have found in
practice that the proportions of lime and nitrate of soda we have described
answer very well, we do not restrict ourselves to these proportions as they may
be varied without materially affecting the results.
. Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to. be understood that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details herein-described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but we claim as
our Invention,-
Firstly, the improvement or improvements in the manufacture of oxygen
gas herein-before described, that is to say, manufacturing oxygen gas by
heating a mixture of uitrate of soda and quicklime.
Secondly, the improvement or improvements in treating and economizing
the residual products of the said manufacture of oxygen gas herein-before

page_text: described, that is to say, obtaining from the said products caustic soda and a
compost consisting of lime and nitrite of lime.
In witness whereof, we, the said Johu Frederick Parker and Joseph
Tanner, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this. Twenty-eighth
day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-five.
JOHN FREDERICK PARKER. (L.S.)
JOSEPH TANNER.
(L.S.)
Witness,
0 RICHARD SKLRRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.