IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE AND IN. THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jolin Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE AND IN. THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication from abroad by Henri Prosper
Ollivier Lissagaray, of Pantin, near Paris, in the Republic of
France.
Sealed the 25th January 1876, and dated the 23rd August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd August 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from abroad by
Henri Prosper Ollivier Lissagaray, of Pantin, near Paris, in the Republic
of France, to be as follows:-
in Hoved
PHOCO
for converting blood

page_text: into manure, and to apparatus to be employed in carrying out such
process, and it is based,-
1st. On the coagulation of the blood under special conditions herein-
after described imparting peculiar properties to the coagulum.
2ndly. On the spontaneous or mechanical separation of the greater
part of the water of the serum, by virtue of the properties possessed by
the coagulum resulting from the special mode of coagulation.
3rdly. On the desiccation of the coagulum by the action of hot air in
the improved apparatus.
The process of coagulation consists in the direct employment of high-
pressure steam which is blown into or caused to bubble through the
serum, under such conditions that its presence causes, independently of
its heat, which is sufficient to produce ebullition in the liquid, a
mechanical action which stirs the liquid in proportion as the coagulation.
takes place, and divides the coagulum into particles from which the
water may be easily separated. It is desirable to assist this mechanical
action by agitating the blood during the operation.
The steam may be made to act upon the blood in the same casks in
which it is brought to the works, or if desired in vessels constructed for
the purpose.
An essential feature of this part of the Invention consists in the
simultaneous employment of mechanical action and heating effect
produced by the steam acting under high pressure directly upon the
wass of blood which is to be coagulated.
When the water separates from the coagulum its final separation
should be effected as rapidly as possible, which operation is carried out
in the following manner :-The coagulated blood, still retaining a certain
degree of heat, is drawn off by a pump, and poured over a filter or
strainer composed of a sheet or cloth stretched upon a covered area of
undulating or corrugated sheet metal inclining in the direction of the
channels or corrugations.
The clear liquid produced from the blood and the water of the steam
which is condensed during the coagulation passes through the sheet or
cloth, and flowing along the channels formed by the corrugated metal is
collected in a trough or gutter surrounding the filter and drained off.

page_text: The blood then presents a granulated appearance, and retains a con-
siderable quantity of clear liquid by the simple action of capillary
attraction. The products spread out on the filter are then to be wrapped
in cloths of strong material, which are arranged in a pile between the
tables of a hydraulic press (care being taken to separate them by plates
of sheet metal), and subjected to considerable pressure, whereby cakes of
blood are obtained containing only a minimum quantity of water.
A centrifugal machine or hydro-extractor may be substituted for the
hydraulic press, and a similar result obtained.
The fibrine of the blood obtained by heating, mixed again with pure
serum, and treated under the same conditions gives similar results.
The coagulated blood having been allowed to drain is subjected to
the action of a drying wheel, in order to effect its complete desiccation.
The drying wheel is composed of a flattened drum or cylinder con-
structed with sheet metal sides, and a periphery of wire gauze or
similar perforated or reticulated material, which drum or cylinder is
mounted on a shaft rotating on suitable bearings, and is divided
internally by four partitions radiating from the centre into four com-
partments for containing the coagulated blood. The heated gases for
effecting the desiccation enter the drum at the centre through a cone of
wire gauze or similar perforated or reticulated material, the axis of
which corresponds with the axis of the drum, and the apex points
inwards or towards the side opposite to that on which the base of the
cone is formed, and the said gases when cooled and saturated with
moisture by passing through the coagulumn pass off at the periphery of
the drum into an outer case of sheet metal in which the drum is enclosed,
whence they are discharged into a chimney by suitable channels or
conduits. A trap door is provided at the upper and at the lower part of
the outer case within which the drum revolves, and each compartment
of the drum is provided with a corresponding door, which when brought
opposite the upper or lower door in the outer case admits of the charging
or discharging of the contents of the compartments. '
The hot gases for effecting the desiccation of the coagulated blood in
the compartments of the revolving drum may be furnished by a special
furnace or obtained from the furnace of the generators for supplying the
works with steam, and the pipe or conduit by which they are introduced
into the cone in the centre of the drum is connected with a fan or

page_text: blower for regulating the draft worked by superheated steam. Thermo-
meters are also provided for the purpose of indicating the temperature of
the gases at the moment of entering and leaving the drum. The
thermometers or pyrometers at the entry to the drum should indicate
that the temperature is sufficient to melt lead, but not to melt zinc, the
heat being regulated by the admission of cold air as required by a
suitable aperture in the fluc.
Two or more drums may be employed in combination with a single set
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her
special license, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from abroad by
Henri Prosper Ollivier Lissagaray, of Pantin, near Paris, in the Republic
of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said

page_text: 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
The said Invention relates to an improved process for converting
blood into manure, and to 'apparatus to be employed in carrying out
such process; and it consists,―
First. Of a peculiar mode of effecting the coagulation of the blood,
whereby special properties are imparted to the coagulum.
Secondly. In obtaining the spontaneous or mechanical separation of
the greater portion of the water of the serum by virtue of the properties
possessed by the coagulum as resulting from the special mode of
coagulation.
Thirdly. In the effecting the desiccation of the coagulum under the
action of heated air or gases in the improved apparatus herein-after
described.
The process of coagulation consists in the direct employment of high-
pressure steam, which is directed into or caused to bubble through the
serum in such a manner that its presence causes, independently of its
heat, which is sufficient to produce ebullition in the liquid, a'mechanical
action which agitates the liquid in proportion as the coagulation pro-
ceeds, and divides the coagulum into particles from which the water
may be readily separated; the essential feature of this part of the In-
vention consisting in the spontaneous employment of such mechanical
action and heating effect produced by the steam acting under high
pressure directly upon the mass of blood which is to be coagulated. It
is desirable to promote this mechanical action by agitating the blood by
auxiliary means during the operation.
The steam may be caused to act upon the blood either in the casks in
which it is brought to the works or in vessels constructed for the
purpose, as desired.

page_text: The weight of steam at 5 temperatures required for effecting the
|coagulation varies from about 10 lbs. to 13.lbs. for every 100 lbs. of
blood to be operated upon. The operation is to be continued until the
coagulum assumes a greenish yellow colour (which colour it loses,
rapidly becoming red again, if allowed to cool), and until the water
separated from it is limpid. When these effects are observed the water
should be completely separated as soon as possible, as if allowed to
remain it would rapidly dissolve a portion of the coagulum.
In order to effect the separation of the water from the coagulum, the
coagulated blood, which is then at a temperature of, say, from 70° to 75°
centigrade, is drawn off by a pump and directed on to a filter or strainer
composed of a sheet or cloth stretched upon a covered area of fluted or
corrugated sheet metal inclined in the direction of the channels or
corrugations.
The clear liquid separated from the blood and the water of conden-
sation from the steam employed in effecting the coagulation pass through
the sheet or cloth, and flowing along the channels formed by the fluted
or corrugated metal are collected in a trough or gutter surrounding the
filter or strainer, and drained off. The blood, which then presents a gra-
nulated appearance, still retains under the action of capillary attraction
a considerable quantity of clear liquid, which it is requisite to separate
from it. For this purpose the granulated product which is distributed
over the filter is collected and wrapped in cloths of strong material, a
suitable number of which parcels are arranged in a pile with intervening
metal plates between the tables of a hydraulic press, and subjected to
considerable pressure, whereby cakes of blood are obtained containing
only a minimum quantity of water.
A centrifugal drying machine may be substituted for the hydraulic
press, and a similar result will be obtained.
The fibrine of the blood obtained by beating mixed again with pure
serum. and treated under the same conditions yields results similar to
those herein, before described.
The coagulated blood, after having been strained or filtered and

page_text: This apparatus is shown in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
Figure 1 being a transverse section, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section.
thereof. A is a drum or cylinder consisting of sides a, a, of sheet metal
and a periphery 6 of wire gauze or other suitable perforated or reticulated
material, which drum or cylinder is mounted on a shaft c, supported in
bearings d, d, and carrying driving pulleys e, e, for receiving motion.
from any suitable prime mover. The interior of the drum A is divided
by four radial partitions finto four compartments B for containing the
coagulated blood, which is introduced therein in the manner herein before
described, and there subjected to the action of heated air or gases.
The drum is enclosed in an outer case C of sheet metal, provided on its
upper and under side respectively with doors D, D¹, and the compart-
ments of the drum are each furnished with a door E for the introduction
of the coagulated blood and for the discharge of the same in its desic-
cated condition.
The heated gases for effecting the desiccation (which may be furnished
either with a special furnace F as shown in the Drawings, are obtained
from the furnace of the steam generators for supplying the works with
steam) are conducted by flues or passages G, G¹, to a cone H of wire
gauze or similar perforated or reticulated material, through which they
are caused to pass into the centre of the drum A communicating with
the several compartments B. In operating with this apparatus the.
compartments B are charged with the coagulated blood through the
door D in the case C, by bringing the several doors E successively
beneath the same, after which the door D is closed, and the door D'
being also maintained closed as also the damper H¹ (which is open
when the fire is lighted), the draught is effected or promoted by means
of a fan or blower, or by a suction apparatus or exhauster situate at I,
and actuated by superheated steam. The heated gases are then supplied
through the flues or passages G, G¹, into the interior of the drum, the
temperature of which gases is regulated by the admission of cold air
at K in accordance with the indications of two pyrometers L, L',
provided. near the entrance of the cone H. These pyrometers operate
the one at the melting point of lead, and the other at the melting point
of zinc, the two points being respectively the approximate minimum
and maximum temperatures at which the apparatus should be maintained,
that is to say, during the normal working of the apparatus, the
pyrometer L should denote by its lower elevation that lead contained in

page_text: its tube I is melted, whilst the other L' by its greater elevation indicates
that zinc contained in its tube.g it not yet. melted. The heated gases-
thus introduced into the drum come in contact with the blood which is
in a state of agitation by reason of the revolution of the drum, and
effect its desiccation, and after becoming saturated with moisture and
cooled by passing through the blood, such gases escape at the periphery b
of the drum into the case C, whence they are conducted away by flucs
or passages M, M', to the chimney N. A thermometer L2 is provided
for indicating the temperature of the gases as they leave the apparatus,
so as to enable the operation to be regulated with greater precision.
When the discharged gases no longer carry off aqueous vapours the
operation is completed. The apparatus is then stopped and a truck is
drawn along the railway O beneath the drum for the reception of the
contents of the several compartments, which are successively discharged
through the doors E of the drum, and the door D' in the case. Or the
contents of the drum may be discharged into the pit P, and subsequently
removed therefrom..
$
The duration of the operation for a charge of, say 4 cwt., is about one
hour, and the motive power expended is equivalent to about two horse
power of steam. If the heated gases are supplied by the waste heat a
from the generators of the works the expense is reduced to that of the
motive power expended.
Two or more drums may be employed in connection with the same set
of flues G, M', suitable dampers being provided in the passages G¹, M,
for regulating the introduction and escape of the gases.
The dried product may be employed as a manure, either alone or
mixed with other substances.
9
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider a
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the berein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. Effecting the coagulation of blood by the employment of steam
at an elevated pressure, which is directed into or caused to pass through
the blood, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Secondly. The mode or method of effecting the separation of the
water from the coagulum by first draining the coagulum by conducting

page_text: the coagulated blood onto a filter or strainer arranged as herein set forth,
and then subjecting the drained product to the action of a hydraulic
press or of a centrifugal drying machine, substantially as herein-before
described.
Thirdly. The peculiar construction of drying apparatus consisting of
the partitioned drum or cylinder revolving within the casing or chamber,
and arranged as herein set forth in connection with the flues or passages
communicating with the interior of the drum or cylinder, and with such
casing or chamber, so as to operate substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the accom-
panying Drawing.
Fourthly. Effecting the desiccation of the coagulum by subjecting the
same to the action of heated air or gases whilst it is in a state of
motion in a revolving drum or cylinder, substantially as herein-befere
described.
Fifthly. The employment of the before-mentioned dried product as a
manure, either alone or in combination with other substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January,
in the year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)