IMPROVEMENTS IN DECOMPOSING MURIATE OF SODA, APPLICABLE TO THE CONDENSING VAPOURS OF OTHER PROCESSES
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Losn, of Benton Hall, in the County of Northumberland, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of December, in the first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Losh, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority that I, the said William Losh, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Losh, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DECOMPOSING MURIATE OF
SODA, APPLICABLE TO THE CONDENSING VAPOURS OF OTHER PROCESSES;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Losh,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Losh, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the

page_text: Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
In decomposing muriate of soda it is well known that muriatic acid gas is
evolved in large quantities, and becomes a nuisance to the surrounding
neighbourhood, and many attempts have been made to prevent the muriatic
acid gas passing into the atmosphere, amongst others showers or jets of water
caused by perforated plates and otherwise in long flues through which the
acid vapours were passing to the chimney; and some attempts have been made
by using steam in the flues, which, combining with the acid vapours passed
along flues, was expected more readily to condense the acid vapours, but neither
of these processes have been attended with success; and there have been
many other propositions for preventing the prejudicial effects of the acid
vapours so evolved passing into the atmosphere, for which many Patents have
been obtained, but it will not be necessary to speak more at large on these
plans in this my Specification; and I have only called particular attention to
the two first plans, because they may at first appear to have some resemblance
to my Invention, which consists in aiding or producing the requisite draft to
furnaces, in which the decomposition of muriate of soda is being carried on,
by means of small currents or jets of water propelled with sufficient velocity to
produce that effect through an opening or openings in the flue from the furnace,
such currents also tending to and for the most part, if not wholly, to condense
the muriatic acid vapours evolved.
a is
And in order to give the best information in my power, I will describe the
Drawing hereunto annexed, which represents the flue of a furnace in which
muriate of soda is being decomposed. The nature of such furnaces being well
understood, I have not thought it necessary to shew one in the Drawing.
And further, I do not confine myself to any particular form of furnace.
a flue proceeding from the furnace, and 6 is a descending opening in the fluc,
which is smaller at the lower than at the upper part. Part of vapours pass
down the opening f, and the other portion of the vapours pass down the open-
ing b', b', as is indicated by the arrows. c is an earthenware, leaden, or other
suitable pipe, having several small holes, say about one sixteenth of an inch
diameter. Through this pipe water is to be forced by pumping or otherwiso
with great velocity. I use a pressure of one hundred pounds on the squaro
inch for the purpose, but do not confine myself thereto, hence the small jets
from such pipe will pass down the opening b out from the fluc, spreading in
all directions, and by its velocity will carry down the muriatic acid gas and
other vapours, and constantly produce in the flue a a partial vacuum for the
reception and transmission of fresh vapours from the furnace; and in the
rapidity of the descent of the water (carrying down the vapours) the same will

page_text: impinge violently on to the surface of the water in the well d, and be driven
or forced beneath its surface, together with the acid vapours, and the latter
will for the most part be condensed. Should any acid vapours arise from the
well d, they will pass along the flue e, where they will come in contact with a
similar apparatus for producing jets of water, after which the vapours which
are not condensed may in most cases be permitted to pass into a chimney to
the open air, for they will not be found to contain acid vapours to any per-
nicious extent; but if any offensive vapours remain, there should be a greater
quantity of water forced through the jet pipes and with additional velocity,
and, if desired, and particularly where two or more flues of furnaces come into
the same flue, it will be desirable to have three or more such jet pipes and
wells; and a still more perfect purification of the vapours may be obtained
by mixing lime with the water employed. f.f.f. are overflow pipes by which
the water and condensed acid are permitted to flow away into a receiver.
It will be evident that a similar arrangement of flue or flues, whereby a draft
and condensation are simultaneously obtained by the velocity of jets of water,
may be employed to furnaces where other processes evolving deleterious vapours
or gases are carried on, such as at lead works, copper works, and some others.
Having thus explained the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I lay no claim to the
parts separately, but what I claim is the application of the mode herein
described of obtaining a draft, and at the same time condensing muriatic acid
and other vapours by means of jets of water proceeding through an opening or
openings in flues, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Losh, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-eight
WILLIAM (LS.) LOSH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1888, the aforesaid William Losh came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.