THE REMOVAL OF CHLORINE FROM SUBSTANCES AND FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eben Norton Horsford, of the State of Massachusetts,
in the United States of America, for the Invention of "THE REMOVAL
OF CHLORINE FROM SUBSTANCES AND FABRICS."
Sealed the 7th July 1854, and dated the 9th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eben Norton: Horsford
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th May 1854. .
I, EBEN NORTON HORSFORD, of the State of Massachusetts, in the United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE
REMOVAL OF CHLORINE FROM SUBSTANCES AND FABRICS" to be as follows:-
In effecting the removal of chlorine from substances and fabrics according
to this Invention, a preparation of sulphurous acid is made, which has the
advantage of being comparatively cheap, easy of transportation, utterly without
odor, as easily handled as gypsum, but very sparingly soluble in water, and yet
of such nature that in the presence of bleaching salt (chloride of lime) it will
immediately act as an energetic reducing agent, and after its action remain an
entirely neutral and harmless compound.
This article is (by preference) prepared in the following manner :-A
horizontal wooden trunk is divided through the lower half into compartments
of equal size by partitions rising from the bottom thereof, and loosely fitting
into these compartments are paddles, connected by arnis to a rotating shaft

page_text: extending from end to end of the trunk. The ends of the trunk are partially
closed, sufficient space being left at one end for the admission of sulphurous
acid vapor (obtained from burning sulphur), and at the other to keep up a
draft communication. Through a faucet on the top, near the end communi-
cating with the draft, milk of lime is supplied to the trunk from a tub, in
which it is kept in agitation; 'and through another faucet, near the other
extreme of the trunk, the lime saturated with sulphurous acid escapes. It
will be the care of the person in charge to see that the milk of lime where it
issues shall have a neutral or acid reaction, this being the evidence of perfect
saturation.
As the saturated lime milk issues from the trunk it is filtered, and when
dried it is fit for use.
The article so prepared may, for removing chlorine from bleached half stuff
in paper manufacture, be added directly to the contents of the engine (in
small quantities repeatedly stirred up with water) until the presence of free
clilorine is no longer perceptible by the usual tests. For removing chlorine
from bleached cotton or linen fabrics, they should be passed as they come
from the chemic through water slightly acidulated, and containing the "anti-
chloride of lime" in suspension; and for neutralizing chlorine generally, the
article from which it is desired to remove the chlorine should be passed
through slightly acidulated water containing the "anti-chloride of-lime-in
suspension.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Eben Norton Horsford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDEN
NORTON HORSFORD, of the State of Massachusetts, in the United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Eben Norton Horsford, Her special license that I, the said Eben
Norton Horsford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Eben Norton Horsford, 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

page_text: lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "THE REMOVAL OF CHLORINE FROM SUBSTANCES AND FABRICS,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Eben Norton Horsford, by an in-
strument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Eben Norton Horsford, 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):-
It is well known that sulphurous acid is an agent which on coming in
contact with chlorine or hypochlorous acid in water is instantly converted
into sulphuric acid. This property has been taken advantage of to neutralize
the surplus chlorine in bleached substances and fabrics. Various preparations
of sulphurous acid have been used, all of which are more or less inconvenient
and objectionable. The bi-sulphite of soda has been employed for this purpose;
but this article must be retained in the liquid form, is comparatively expensive,
inconvenient of transportation, and offensive to use.
I have devised a preparation of sulphurous acid, which has the advantage of
being comparatively cheap, easy of transportation, utterly without odour, as
easily handled as gypsum, but very sparingly soluble in water, and yet of such
nature, that in the presence of bleaching salt (chlorine of lime) it will imme-
diately act as an energetic reducing agent, and after its action remain an
entirely neutral and harmless compound.
This article may be prepared by various methods; I prefer the following,
by which, with the arrangement described below, a ton in a day of ten hours
may be readily made:-
A horizontal wooden trunk, of one and a half feet square area and sixteen
feet long, is divided through the lower half into equal spaces of ten inches in
length, by partitions rising from the bottom to a height of eight inches.
Loosely fitting into these spaces will be paddles, connected by arms to a shaft
extending from end to end of the trunk. This shaft will be revolved by power
applied at either extremity. The ends of the trunk, except for the reception
of sulphurous acid vapor-near the top at one end, and communication from
-near the top-at-the-other-end with a draft, will be closed. Through a faucet
on the top, near the end communicating with the draft, milk of lime, will bę

page_text: permitted to enter from a tub, in which it is kept in agitation; and through
another faucet near the other extremity of the trunk, the lime saturated with
sulphurous acid will be permitted to pass out. It will be the care of the
person in charge to see-that-thetmilk of lime when it issues shall have a
neutral or acid reaction, this being the evidence of perfect saturation.
A surface of burning sulphur of three and a half feet by two feet will be
adequate to the supply of the requisite quantity of sulphurous acid; this
quantity for a ton will be five hundred and thirty-three pounds:
As the saturated lime milk issues from the trunk it may be received on
cloth filters, or in: baskets with cloth lining, which will permit the water to
drain readily; the contents of these filters or baskets may then be emptied: on
plane surfaces to dry, and after drying they may be packed in barrels or boxes
for convenient transportation. I do not: propose to restrict. myself to any
particular method of preparation.
-The article so prepared, and which I denominate "anti-chloride of lime,"
may, for removing. chlorine from bleached half stuff in paper manufacture, be
added directly to the contents of the engine (in small quantities, repeatedly
stirred up with water), until the presence of free chlorine is no longer per-
ceptible by the usual tests. For removing chlorine from bleached cotton or
linen fabrics, the fabrics should be passed as they come from the "chemic
through water slightly acidulated, and containing. the "anti-chloride_of_lime"
in suspension; and for neutralizing chlorine generally, the article from. which
it is desired to remove the chlorine should, be passed through slightly acidu-
lated water containing the "anti-chloride of lime" in suspension.
"
Having now described my Invention for "the Removal of Chlorine from
Substances and Fabrics," I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim, the process of neutralizing chlorine by
means of the substance herein described, and called "anti-chloride of lime."
In witness whereof, I, the said Eben Norton Horsford, have hereunto set
-my-hand-and-seal, the Eighth-day of August,-in-the-year-of-our-Lord-
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
.
Witnesses,
C. H. REICHARDSON.
GEO. A. MARINER.
E. N. HORSFORD. (L.S.)