CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF SAL-AMMONIAC
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Richards, of Oldbury, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer, and Joseph Richards, of Oldbury aforesaid,
Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SAL-AMMONIAC."
Sealed the 19th January 1866, and dated the 26th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Richards and
Joseph Richards at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 26th July 1865.
We, WILLIAM RICHARDS, of Oldbury, in the County of Worcester,
Engineer, and JOSEPH RICHARDS, of Oldbury aforesaid, Engineer, do bereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SAL-AMMONIAC," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to condense the whole of the gases which
arise during the operation of sublimation by the employment of the means
herein-after set forth.
According to the most usual method of manufacturing sal-ammoniac a hole

page_text: or other suitable outlet is provided at the top of the dome of the subliming
pot, through which much of the gases are allowed to escape, consequently
the gases evolved during sublimation are only partly condensed, the remainder
by escaping into the outer air become lost, and thus much valuable product is
wasted. Several means having for their object the complete condensation of
the gases have been tried, but so far as our experience has gone with only
partial success.
Now according to our Invention we propose to construct the subliming pot
in the usual manner, or nearly so, but we place upon the top of the dome a
pipe which is to convey the surplus gases to a tank or condenser containing
water or other liquid; one end of the pipe being affixed to the top of the
dome as already mentioned, the other end is carried to a suitable distance
into the water or other liquid contained in the tank or condenser. In this
manner a sealed joint will be formed so that no gas can escape, and the
surplus gases by their well-known affinity to water will be absorbed thereby,
and so much valuable product which is now lost will be saved. To prevent
the occurence of any accident by reason of an unusual pressure of gas, there
may be a safety valve placed upon the condenser.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Richards and Joseph Richards in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
RICHARDS, of Oldbury, in the County of Worcester, Engineer, and JOSEPII
RICHARDS, of Oldbury aforesaid, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Richards and Joseph Richards, Her special licence
that we, the said William Richards and Joseph Richards, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Richards
and Joseph Richards, 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

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SAL-AMMONIAC," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Richards and Joseph
Richards, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said William Richards and Joseph
Richards, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 (that is to say)
-
The object of our Invention is to condense the whole of the gases which
arise during the operation of sublimation by the employment of the means
herein-after set forth.
According to the most usual method of manufacturing sal-ammoniac a hole
or other suitable outlet is provided at the top of the dome of the subliming
pot, through which much of the gases are allowed to escape, consequently the
gases evolved during sublimation are only partly condensed, the remainder by
escaping into the outer air become lost, and thus much valuable product is
wasted, besides which the gases so evolved are a serious nuisance to the
Several means
neighbourhood in which the manufacture is carried on.
having for their object the complete condensation of the gases have been
tried, but so far as our experience has gone with only partial success.
Now according to our Invention we propose to construct the subliming pot
in the usual manner, or nearly so, but we place upon the top of the dome a
pipe which is to convey the surplus gases to a tank or condenser containing
water, ammoniacal liquor, or other suitable fluid; one end of the pipe being
affixed to the top of the dome as already mentioned, the other end is carried
to a suitable distance into the water or other fluid contained in the tank or
condenser. In this manner a sealed joint will be formed so that no gas can
escape, and the surplus gases by their well-known affinity to water will be
absorbed thereby, and so much valuable product which is now lost will be
saved. To prevent the occurence of any accident by reason of an unusual
pressure of there may
gas,
be a safety valve placed upon the condenser. The
proper height of the water or other fluid contained in the condenser is
regulated by a syphon, as herein-after explained; and though but one tank

page_text: or condenser has been spoken of, there may be a series of condensers if
required, each one being connected to the other. The number of these con-
densers would of course be regulated by the quantity of gas required to be
absorbed, the object of our Invention being to save the whole of the gases
evolved during sublimation. The pipe which forms the connection between
the subliming pot and the condenser may be attached to the top of the dome
in any suitable manner, but we prefer so to affix it that upon that end of
the said pipe may be placed a removable lid or lids, and to place the pipe at
such an angle as will be most convenient for the introduction of a boring
apparatus, by means of which the incrustations which otherwise would soon
close the passage may be easily removed. Since the pots in which the chloride
of ammonia is sublimed are generally made of iron the product sal-ammoniac
would be likely to become discolored or stained by contact therewith, we
propose therefore to coat the interior of the dome and all other necessary parts
of the apparatus herein-before described with a lining of carbon, or carbon
and silica, or carbon and fire-clay, or some other suitable preparation, by means
of which the product may be kept free from metallic impurities.
That our Invention may be better understood we have annexed Drawings
referring thereto, which we now proceed to describe.
b
Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section. a is the
subliming pot set in brickwork f, as usual; 9 is the furnace door; 6 is the
dome of the subliming pot having a short pipe or mouth-piece c attached to
it, from which is led a pipe e communicating with the condenser h. The
cover d when removed 'gives access to the pipe e, which is placed for that
purpose at the angle shewn. A second condenser i is shewn, into which a
pipe is led from the condenser h. k, k, shews the water, ammoniacal
liquor, or other fluid contained within the condensers, and the pipes e and 1 dip
below the surface of the fluid in each case. Although two condensers only
are shewn, the series may be extended as may be found necessary in order
to condense the whole of the gases evolved during sublimation.
Each con-
denser is provided with a syphon m, by means of which any surplus fluid
may escape.
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-before described and illustrated
in the Drawings, as these may be varied or modified without departing from
the nature of our said Invention; but we desire to claim as the Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, the

page_text: improved mode or manner of manufacturing sal-ammoniac substantially as
herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Richards and Joseph
Richards, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth
day of January, in the year of our Lord 1866.
Witness,
G. R. HOLLAND,
Patent Office,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM RICHARDS. (L.S.)
JOSEPH RICHARDS.
(L.S.)