IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF PRUSSIATE OF POTASH."
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Watson the younger, of Leeds, in the
County of York, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF PRUSSIATE
OF POTASH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Watson
the younger at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 6th January 1853.
I, WILLIAM WATSON the younger, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF
PRUSSIATE OF POTASH" to be as follows:-
My improvements in apparatus for the manufacturing of prussiate of
potash consist in so arranging and combining apparatus with the iron
pots or vessels in which animal matter is combined with fused potash,
for the manufacturing of prussiate of potash, that such pots may be
more readily emptied than by the ordinary method; such combination
of apparatus also affording increased facilities of introducing the ma-
terials into such pots, and confining the gases evolved, so as to prevent.
them becoming a nuisance, or partly condensing such gases and

page_text: obtaining useful products therefrom. In the ordinary method of
making prussiate of potash the iron pot in which the fused potash and
animal matter is combined is covered with a moveable lid, and the
potash and animal matter kept in motion by an agitator until the
combination is supposed to be complete, when the lid is removed, the
agitator withdrawn, and the incandescent materials are taken out by
means of a ladle. Now, instead of emptying such pots in such manner,
I propose to empty them by pressure, either by confining gases which
may be generated in such pots, so as to force or press the semi-fluid con
tents up through a tube immersed therein into an open vessel or other
convenient receptacle, or I propose to connect a vessel with such
immersed tube, and by forming a vacuum in such vessel to force or
draw the incandescent and semi-fluid contents of the pot into such
vessel, thereby in either case rendering it unnecessary to remove the
lid or withdraw the agitator, and so affording facilities for connecting
with such pots suitable apparatus and machinery for supplying the
animal matter to such pots, and attaching to them pipes to confine or
conduct away gases evolved during the process, and applying some of
them to useful purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Watson the younger in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM WATSON the younger, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing.date the Sixth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand. eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Willian Watson, Her special licence that. I, the,
said William Watson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Watson, my executors, admininistrators, and

page_text: assigns, should at any timeagree 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 APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURING OF PRUSSIATE OF POTASH," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Watson, by an instrument 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 William Watson, 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 thereof (that is to say):
My improvements in apparatus for the manufacturing of prussiate
of potash consist in so arranging and combining apparatus with the iron
pots or vessels in which animal matter is combined with fused potash,
for the manufacturing of prussiate of potash, that such pots may be
more readily emptied than by the ordinary method; such combination of
apparatus also affording increased facilities of introducing the materials
into such pots, and confining the gases evolved, so as to prevent then
becoming a nuisance, or partly condensing such gases and obtaining
useful products therefrom. In the ordinary method of making prussiate of
potash the iron pot in which the fused potash and animal matter is com-
bined is covered with a moveable lid, and the potash and animal matter
kept in motion by an agitator until the combination is supposed to be
complete, when the lid is removed, the agitator withdrawn, and the
incandescent materials are taken out by means of a ladle. Now,
instead of emptying such pots in such manner, I propose to empty then
by pressure, cither by confining gases which may be generated in such
pots so as to force or press the semi-fluid contents up through a tube
immersed therein into an open vessel or other convenient recepticle;
or I propose to connect a vessel with such immersed tube, and by

page_text: forming a vacuum in such vessel to force or draw the incandescent and
semi-fluid contents of the pot into such vessel, thereby in either case
rendering it unnecessary to remove the lid or withdraw the agitator,
and so affording facilities for connecting with such pots suitable apparatus
and machinery for supplying the animal matter to such pots, and attach-
ing to them pipes to confine or conduct away gases evolved during the
process, and applying some of them to useful purposes.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed more fully to describe the
same, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figures 1, and 2, show two sections of apparatus constructed accord-
ing to my Invention, differing however from each other in sonic of the
details, but acting similarly to each other. A, in Figures 1, and 2,
represents a pan set in a furnace of brickwork. The vessel A, has a
moveable cover B, through which passes the shaft of an agitator C, for
stirring the contents of the pan. When it is desired to convey the
gases in a particular direction, the cover may have attached thereto a
pipe G, for conveying away the generated gases, otherwise the gases get
away under the cover, which does not fit tight; a hopper may also be
added for charging the apparatus, or part of the cover may be moved
for such purpose. D, is a tube or passage descending to the lower part
of the vessel A. F, F, are two vessels of about equal dimensions, the
edges of which are ground together so as to be air-tight. The lower
vessel F, has a small conical shaped pipe E, on the under side, fitting
air-tight into the tube or passage D; and the upper vessel F, has a
small aperture in the top of it, into which is fitted a pipe E, communi-
cating with an air pump or exhausting apparatus, having moveable
joints by which it can be turned in different directions, and attached to
or detached from the vessel F, as may be required. Opposite to the
orifice in the upper vessel F, is placed a thin plate of iron I, to intercept
the passage of any solid matter into the pipe H. For more conveniently
operating, the pipe H, is provided with a stop cock M, the use of which

page_text: will be hereafter described. Now the mode of operation is this:-
When the materials in the vessel A, have been sufficiently mixed
together, and are ready for removal, as is well understood, the receiving
vessels F, F, are placed one upon the other, as shewn in the Drawing; "
the small conical tube E, on the under side of the lower vessel F, being
inserted into the tube or passage D, answering the purpose of supporting
such vessels, as well as making an air-tight connection. The tube H,
is then, by means of its moveable joints, brought towards the upper
vessel F, and inserted into the orifice in the top of it. The apparatus
being thus arranged, and the air pump in action, the stop cock M, is
opened, when, in consequence of the air being exhausted from the vessels
F, F, and the external pressure of the atmosphere acting upon the
surface of the semi-fluid matter in the vessel A, it is forced up the
tube or passage D, into the vessels F, F; and in order to prevent its
returning, the action of the air pump or exhausting apparatus is to be
continued a few minutes until the matters solidify by cooling, when the
vessels F, F, with their contents, may be removed.
It is necessary to state that instead of the materials being drawn
through a tube or passage made in the side of the vessel A, as shewn
in Figure 1, a separate and moveable tube D', as shewn in Figure 2, may
be used, which, descending to the lower part of the vessel A, and being
connected, with the vessels F, F, (in a manner similar to that which has
been already described,) will be found to answer the same purpose, and
may be used to advantage, when, by the action of the licat and the
materials in operation, the vessel A, has undergone some alteration in
shape or form. The pipe D, may be removed when not required to
remove the materials.
Instead of employing the ordinary pressure of the atmosphere to
remove the contents from the vessel A, as described, the cover of the
vessel A, may be closed air-tight at the time required to remove the
materials, and the gases and vapors generated in the process will create a
pressure upon the surface of the contents, in which case the shaft of the
agitator should have a flange to rest and fit air-tight upon the cover, and
the pipe which conveys away the gases, as well as the opening through
which the animal matter is introduced, is to be closed air-tight; or in
'

page_text: place of the pressure. being caused by generated vapors or gases, a
pressure of atmosphere may be obtained by force, or by other vapours
obtained from external sources..
-Having thus described the nature of my said. Invention, and the manner
of performing the same; I would have it.understood that I do not
confine myself to. the details herein described; but what I claiin is, the
mode herein described of emptying or taking out the materials in the
manufacture of prussiate of potash from the vessels. in which such
materials have been subjected to the action of heat by tubes or passages
communicating with such vessels, whereby such materials are forced out
through such tubes or. passages by the pressure of air, gases, or vapours.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Watson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
WILLIAM WATSON, J. (L.S.),