IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANU- FACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF CARBONATE OR BICARBONATE OF SODA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugo Müller, of Dusseldorf, Rhenish Prussia,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF CARBONATE OR BICARBONATE OF SODA, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.”
Sealed the 28th May 1875, and dated the 28th December 1874.
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugo Müller at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th December 1874.
I, HUGO MÜLLER, of Dusseldorf, Rhenish Prussia, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF CARBONATE OR BICARBONATE OF SODA, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
-
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for the manufacture of
carbonate and bicarbonate of soda by the so-called ammonia process, the
said apparatus being also applicable for use in other chemical processes
in which it is required to bring fluids in intimate contact with gaseous
matters.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a horizontal cylindrical or nearly cylindrical
vessel closed at both ends, and preferably constructed in two halves,
fitted together the ono upon the other, the lower half being cast or other-
wiso formed in one with a suitable base plate. Within this vessel is a
partition plate extending from one end to the other, and from near the
bottom to near the top of the vessel, the plate being curved concentri-
cally with the side of the vessel, between which and the partition plate
a passage is thus formed, up which any liquid contained in the vessel is
forced by a centrifugal pump located at the lower part of the vessel.
This passage terminates near the upper part of the vessel in an outlet
provided with a perforated distributor, whence the liquid is showered
down into a longitudinal trough-like receptacle placed beneath. This
trough is constructed of perforated sheet metal and lined inside with
cloth, which is turned over the upper edges. This trough is hung by its
upper edges in a corresponding frame fixed within the vessel and forming
a sort of continuation of the division plate before mentioned. Tho
perforated trough is introduced and removed from the vessel through an
aperture in one end thereof, closed by a suitable cover or lid secured by
wedges or screw, and provided with packing to mako a tight joint. To
facilitate the introduction and withdrawal of this trough two longitudinal
guide bars are provided within the vessel, the said bars being journaled
at the extremities in the end plate of the vessel so as to be capable of
partial rotary movement. The bars, which are flat, are geared together
and operated by a winch handle, by means of which they may be turned
edgewise so as to form a pair of guides, upon which the trough may be
supported and slid into its frame. When in place the guide bars aro
turned flatwise so as to allow the trough to drop into its seat in tho
frame. A portion of the liquid pouring down into this trough-liko
receptacle passes through the lining and perforated bottom, leaving
behind all separated solid matters, while the remainder overflowing the
top of the trough enters a channel and passes out through another
perforated distributor, whenco it falls in a shower into the body of the
vessel, and descending to the lower part is again raised by the pump, a
continuous circulation of the liquid being thus established.
Adjacent to the two perforated distributors or roses are longitudinal ;
pipes slit or perforated, by which the gases are introduced in the
apparatus. By this means the gases are brought in contact with the
liquid when the latter is in a finely divided state, or condition very

page_text: favorable for the reaction or absorption it is desired to produce. The
residue of these gaseous matters finally leaves the apparatus through a
channel in the upper half of the vessel leading to a sort of longitudinal
dome, through which runs a pipe, slit or perforated, for the gases to
escape by.
To manufacture bicarbonate or monocarbonate of soda in this
apparatus the vessel is about half filled with a purified saturated solution
of common salt, which is supplied from a tank through a pipo leading
to the above-mentioned domo. Ammonia and carbonic acid gases are
then introduced through the two perforated pipes near the first and
second distributors respectively.
Instead of pure carbonic acid gas I may employ the gaseous mixture,
properly cooled, resulting from any coal fire, or by preference from a limo
kiln. For this purpose the eduction pipe is put in communication with
a suitable exhauster. By the combined reaction of these gases upon the
solution of chloride of sodium bicarbonate of soda in the shape of a
coarse crystalline powder is formed, which accumulates in the trough
receptacle, and is finally removed with the latter, the supply of the gases
having been previously cut off and the pump stopped. The exhausted
fluid is then drawn off through an outlet tube at the bottom of the
vessel, and the apparatus is ready to be refilled to repeat the process.
The washing and drying of the bicarbonate of soda, and its eventual
transformation into monocarbonate, is effected by any known method, as
well as the regeneration of ammonia from the obtained solution of
chloride of ammonium. With regard to the first of these operations I
may merely state that the solution resulting from it may be used for
purifying the common salt.
For the purpose of working more economically, especially of reducing
to a minimum the loss of ammonia, I combine several, say four or six,
of the afore-described apparatus in a series connected by tubes, so that
the gascous matters are passed from one apparatus to the other through
the whole series in succession before passing to the exhauster. Each
individual apparatus is also connected directly by branch pipes with the
pipes through which the gases are supplied and exhausted, so that each
of the connections can be cut off separately by the turning of a cock
to restrict the admission of fresh gases, especially that of ammonia, to
the first one or more of the series, the succeeding apparatus merely

page_text: continuing or completing the absorption of ammonia and carbonic acid
which has passed through the former, until after emptying and re-
plenishing the latter their relative positions are reversed.
Each apparatus may be fed with the solution of salt from a tube in
common, and when the reaction is finished the remaining fluid, chiefly
containing the chlorides of sodium and ammonium and a little bi-
carbonate of soda, can be drawn off from each of them into a common
receptacle.
Should the gases on quitting the exhauster still contain any consider-
able quantity of ammonia they should be led through a vertical cylinder
filled with coke, through which a thin shower of diluted muriatic acid is
continually trickling down.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hugh Müller in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUGO
MÜLLER, of Dusseldorf, Rhenish Prussia, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Hugo Müller, Her special licence,
that I, the said Hugo Müller, my executors,. administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Hugo Müller, my exccutors,
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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS
TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF CARBONATE OR BICARBONATE
OF SODA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Hugo Müller, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said

page_text: In Figures 1 and 2 the pump c is located outside the vessel a, and is
connected with the top and bottom thereof by pipes & and e respectively,
but in Figure 3 the pump is contained in the lower part of the vessel a.
In this case the liquid in the vessel passes directly to the pump, which
raises it again through a passage d' formed on the inside of the vessel a.
I however prefer the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2. In either
case this return tube or passage conveys the liquid on to a perforated
distributor or rose f extending along the upper part of the vessel a,
whence the liquid is showered down into a longitudinal trough-liko
receptacle or strainer g placed beneath. This strainer is constructed of
perforated sheet metal, and lined inside with cloth, which is turned over
the upper edges. This trough is preferably of semi-cylindrical form, and
is hung by its upper edges in a corresponding frame h fixed within the
-vessel a, as shown. This trough is introduced and removed from the
vessel a through an aperture in one end thereof closed by a suitable
cover or lid i secured by wedges or screw, and provided with packing to
make a tight joint. To facilitate the introduction and withdrawal of this
strainer into or from its frame / two longitudinal guide bars k, k, are
provided within the vessel a. These bars are of flat form, and aro
journaled at the extremities in the end plates of the vessel, and aro
geared together by toothed segments so as to be partially rotated by a
winch handle m in order to turn them edgewise to form a pair of guides,
upon which the trough may be supported and slid into its frame h, as
shown in Figure 1. When in place the guide bars are turned flatwiso
so as to allow the trough to drop on to its seat in the frame h. A portion
of the liquid passes through the strainer g, which retains any solid
compounds that may be formed, the remainder of the liquid overflowing
the top of the trough into a channel n, and through another perforated
distributor o, whence it falls in a shower into the body of the vessel a,
and descending to the lower part is again raised by the pump, a con-
tinuous circulation of the liquid being thus established. To facilitato
cleansing the perforated distributors and o they are hinged at one sido
to the frame, and connected thereto at the opposite side by any suitablo
arrangement, such as key bolts capable of being readily disconnected to
allow the perforated plate to hang downwards, access being had through
the aperture closed by the cover i, before mentioned. P and q are longi-
tudinal pipes slit or perforated, and extending from end to end of a
vessel a, by which the gases are introduced and brought in contact with
the liquid whilst the latter is falling in the form of rain, a condition very

page_text: favorable for the reaction or absorption required. The residue of these
gaseous matters finally leaves the apparatus through a channel r in the
upper half of the vessel a leading to a sort of longitudinal domc 8,
through which runs a pipe t slit or perforated on the under side for the
gases to escape by.
In employing this apparatus for the manufacture of bicarbonate or
monocarbonate of soda the vessel a is about half filled with a purified
saturated solution of common salt, which is supplied from a tank through
a pipe u. The strainer g having been inserted, and the aperture closed
by cover i, and the pump c put in motion by a belt, ammonia and
carbonic acid gases are then introduced through the two perforated pipes
p and q respectively. For this purpose the pipe t is put in communi-
cation with an air pump, fan, or other suitable exhauster.
Instead of pure carbonic acid gas I may employ the gaseous mixture
properly cooled resulting from any coal fire, or by preference from a
lime kiln. By the combined reaction of the gases upon the solution of
chloride of sodium bicarbonate of soda in the shape of a coarse crystalline
powder is formed, which accumulates in the strainer g, and is finally
removed with the latter, the supply of the gases having been previously
cut off and the pump stopped. The liquid in the vessel is then drawn
off through an outlet tube at bottom, and the apparatus is ready to bo
refilled to repeat the process. wo is one of a number of short pipes to
allow any unabsorbed gases to pass from the upper to the lower part of
the apparatus, and thence to the exhauster.
It is important that the circulating liquid should be kept cool, and it
is therefore necessary to provide a means of carrying off the heat
generated by the absorption of ammonia and carbonic acid. To this end
the pipe d, through which the liquid is returned by the pump to the
vessel a, is enclosed in à casing, as shown, through which cold water is
constantly flowing, as indicated by the arrows. To increase the cooling
surface this pipe d may be made of any suitable form or may be replaced
by a number of small tubes.
The wasbing and drying of the bicarbonate of soda and its eventual
transformation into monocarbonate is effected by any known method, as
well as the regeneration of ammonia from the solution of chloride of
ammonium obtained. With regard to the first of these operations I
may merely state that the solution resulting from it may be used for
purifying the common salt.

page_text: -
For the purpose of working more economically, and especially of
reducing to a minimum the loss of ammonia, I combine soveral, say
four or six of the aforo described apparatus, in a sort of circuit, as shown
in Figuro 4, the several apparatus being connected by tubes, so that the
gascous matters are passed from one apparatus to the other through tho
whole series in succession before passing to the exhauster. Thus the
gascous matters leaving the first apparatus of the series by the tube
enter the next succeeding apparatus by the pipe p, and so on throughout
the scries. Each individual apparatus is also connected directly by
branch pipes with the pipes through which tho gases are supplied and
exhausted, the said branch pipes being provided with cocks, so that each
of these connections can be cut off in order to shut any one of tho
apparatus out of the circuit whilst emptying and refilling it, and in order
to restrict the admission of fresh gases (especially of ammonia) to the
first one or more of the series, the succeeding apparatus merely con-
tinuing or completing the absorption of the ammonia and carbonic acid
which has passed unabsorbed through the first of the series. This will
be the first to require emptying and replenishing, after which the order
in which the gases are passed through the set of apparatus is changed,
the last becoming the first and the first second, and so on.
To guard against loss of ammonia some of the cocks, especially those
on the branch pipes feeding that gas and those on the pipes leading to
the exhauster, may be linked together by any suitable arrangement of
levers and rods or by other convenient means, so that it is impossible to
open the cock for emptying the apparatus before the others are closed,
and vice versa.
Each apparatus may be fed with the solution of salt from a tube in
common, and when the reaction is terminated the remaining fluid, chiefly
containing the chlorides of sodium and ammonium and a little bi-
carbonate of soda, can be drawn off from each of them into a common
receptacle.
Should the gases on quitting the exhauster still contain any consider-
able quantity of ammonia they should be led through a tower filled with
coke, through which a thin shower of diluted sulphuric acid is allowed
to continually trickle.
The apparatus of this Invention may also be used in various other
manufacturing processes; for instanco, for evaporating and concentrating

page_text: liquids and separating their solidifiable constituents. In using the
apparatus for this purpose the hot gases from a fire or heated atmospheric
air would be supplied through pipes p, q, the liquid being supplied
through pipe d, as before, and the strainer being dispensed with.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The apparatus herein described, consisting of the vessel a, con-
structed as described, and provided with perforated or slit inlet pipes p
and q, distributors f and o, strainer 9, exhaust pipe t, and fluid circu-
lating pipes and pump c, the whole combined and arranged substantially
as and for the purposes specified.
Second. The combination of a number of the said apparatus into a
set or series provided with cocks for regulating their working, substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The guid bars k, substantially as and for the purpose specified
in combination with trough-like strainer g and frame h.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugo Müller, have set my hand and
seal to this my Specification, this Twenty-first day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
H. MÜLLER. (L.S.)