IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING OR TREATING ANIMAL CHARCOAL
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Beanes, of No. 24, Argyll Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING
OR TREATING ANIMAL CHARCOAL."
Sealed the 29th July 1864, and dated the 3rd February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Beanes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd February 1864.
I, EDWARD BEANES, of No. 24, Argyll Street, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING OR TREATING ANIMAL CHARCOAL," to be as follows:-
I cause animal charcoal, prepared in the usual manner and made perfectly
dry, to be thoroughly impregnated with dry hydrochloric acid gas, and I allow
the gas to remain in the charcoal until the lime, the carbonate of lime, and
other alkaline and earthy matters which may be contained in the charcoal
have been converted into soluble chlorides. I prefer to keep the charcoal hot
during the time it is being and remains impregnated with the gas, in order to
expel any water which may be formed in the charcoal during the process, and
which if not got rid of might cause the formation of liquid hydrochloric acid,
which would act injuriously upon the charcoal. I then expel the excess of

page_text: gas as much as practicable by heat, or by passing through the charcoal a
current of hot or cold air, or by any other convenient means; I then dissolve
out the chloride of calcium and other soluble chlorides; after being thoroughly
washed the charcoal is dried, and is then fit for use. Animal charcoal which
has been used, or has become deteriorated in its properties, may be subjected
to the same process, but I prefer that such charcoal should first be washed to
remove its soluble impurities, then dried, and after treatment with the hydro-
chloric acid gas, and the removal of the soluble chlorides, as before described,
re-burned. Charcoal which has been used and re-burnt may also be submitted
to the above process. The object with which I apply dry hydrochloric acid
gas to the charcoal is to convert the lime and other earthy and alkaline
matters in the charcoal into soluble salts without producing any important
action upon the phosphate of lime contained in the charcoal, and I expel the
excess of the gas remaining in the charcoal at the end of that process in the
dry way before washing, for the purpose of avoiding the production of liquid
hydrochloric acid which might injure the charcoal. Hydrochloric acid gas I
believe to be the most convenient gas for effecting the object before mentioned,
but chlorine in a gaseous state may be used in a similar manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Beanes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
BEANES, of 24, Argyle Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Beanes, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Beanes,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Beanes, 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
PREPARING OR TREATING ANIMAL CHARCOAL," upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said Edward Beanes, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, 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 Edward Beanes, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
that is to say:--
My said Invention consists, firstly, in improving the properties of animal
charcoal used for filtering and other purposes, by subjecting it to the treatment
herein-after described. I cause animal charcoal, prepared in the usual manner
and made perfectly dry, to be thoroughly impregnated with dry hydrochloric
acid gas, and I allow the gas to remain in the charcoal until the lime, the
carbonate of lime, and other alkaline and earthy matters which may be
contained in the charcoal have been converted into soluble chlorides. I
prefer to keep the charcoal hot when necessary during the time it is being
impregnated with the gas, in order to expel any water which may be formed
in the charcoal during the process, because the water if not got rid of might
cause the formation of liquid hydrochloric acid, which would act injuriously
upon the charcoal. But in operating upon large quantities of dry charcoal
the impregnation of it with the gas will cause sufficient heat to be evolved for
effecting that object. I then expel the excess of gas as much as practicable
by heat, or by passing through the charcoal a current of hot or cold air, or by
any other convenient means, I then dissolve out the chloride of calcium and
other soluble chlorides. After being thoroughly washed the charcoal (which
may or may not be dried) is then fit for use. Animal charcoal which has
been used, or has become deteriorated in its properties may be subjected to
the same process, and may be re-burnt in the usual way, either before or
after being submitted to the process. The object with which I apply dry
hydrochloric acid gas to the charcoal is to convert the lime and other earthy
and alkaline matters in the charcoal into soluble salts without producing any
important action upon the phosphate of lime contained in the charcoal, and I
expel the excess of the gas, if any, remaining unneutralized in the charcoal at
the end of that process in the dry way before washing, for the purpose of
avoiding the production of liquid bydrochloric acid, and which might injure
the charcoal. Hydrochloric acid gas I believe to be the most convenient gas

page_text: for effecting the object above mentioned, but chlorine in a gaseous state may
be used in a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Beanes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
EDW. BEANES. (L.S.)