IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SULPHUR, SULPHIDE OF HYDROGEN, PYRITES, AND OTHER COMPOUNDS OF PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hargreaves, of Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, Analytical Chemist, and Thomas Robinson, of the same
Place, Iron Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
SULPHUR, SULPHIDE OF HYDROGEN, PYRITES, AND OTHER COMPOUNDS OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hargreaves and
Thomas Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 6th January 1870.
We, JAMES HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster,
Analytical Chemist, and THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Iron
Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TREATING SULPHUR, SULPHIDE OF HYDROGEN, PYRITES, AND OTHER
COMPOUNDS OF SULPHUR, AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREPROM," to be as
follows:-
In carrying our said improvements into effect we proceed as follows,
that is to say, we produce sulphurous acid by the combustion of sulphur
or by the combustion of the compounds of sulphur aforesaid, or any of
them. To the said sulphurous acid we add atmospheric air in sufficient
quantity to convert the said sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid, and

page_text: we also add water or the vapour thereof. The said mixture of sulphurous
acid, atmospheric air, and water vapour is then drawn or forced through
or amongst chloride of sodium or chloride of potassium or either of
them. Sulphate of soda or sulphate of potassa is or are formed by the
decomposition of the said chloride of sodium or chloride of potassium.
The hydrochloric acid liberated from the said chlorides or either of
them is condensed by any suitable means. To render more rapid the
conversion of the said sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid we add nitric
acid or nitric oxide to the said mixture of sulphurous acid, atmospheric
air, and water vapour, or we add nitric acid or a nitrate to the
said chlorides or cither of them. We use air pumps, steam jets,
centrifugal fans, or other suitable means to force or draw the said
mixture of sulphurous acid, atmospheric air, and water vapour through
or amongst the said chlorides or either of them, and to force atmospheric
air through or amongst the said sulphur or compounds thereof to assist
the combustion of the said sulphur or compounds thereof, or any
of them. We superheat the air used to effect the combustion of the
said sulphur or compounds thereof, and also superheat the air and water
vapour used to mix with the said sulphurous acid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Analytical
Chemist, and THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Iron Founder, 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 seventy, in the thirty-
third fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, a
give and grant unto us, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson,
Her special license that we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson, 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,

page_text: دو
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
SULPHUR, SULPHIDE OF HYDRCGEN, PYRITES, AND OTHER COMPOUNDS OF Sulphur,
AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM,' upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their, or one of our or their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be perforined, 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 James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 :-
In carrying our said improvements into effect we proceed as follows,
that is to say, we produce sulphurous acid by the combustion of sulphur
or by the combustion of the compounds of sulphur aforesaid or any of
them. To the sulphurous acid aforesaid we add atmospheric air in
sufficient quantity to convert the sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid.
We also add water or the vapour thereof to the aforesaid mixture of
sulphurous acid and atmospheric air. The said mixture of sulphurous
acid, atmospheric air, and water vapour is then drawn or forced through
or amongst chloride of sodium or chloride of potassium, or either of them.
Sulphate of soda or sulphate of potassa is or are formed by the
decomposition of the said chloride of sodium or chloride of potassium.
In carrying this part of our said Invention into effect we prefer to
maintain the temperature of the aforesaid mixture of sulphurous acid,
atmospheric air, and water vapour when being drawn or forced through
or amongst the said chloride of sodium or chloride of potassium or either
of them, at a temperature slightly below the melting points of the chloride.
of sodium or chloride of potassium, or either of them, which are being
subjected to the action of the said mixture of sulphurous acid,
atmospheric air, and water vapour, but we do not confine ourselves to
the aforesaid temperature. The conversion of chloride of sodium into
sulphate of soda and of chloride of potassium into sulphate of potassa
takes place at lower temperature but not so rapidly. The hydrochloric

page_text: acid liberated from the said chlorides or either of them is condensed by
any suitable means. When we wish to produce a more rapid conversion
of the said sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid we add nitric acid or
nitric oxide to the said mixture of sulphurous acid, atmospheric air, and
water vapour, or we add nitric acid or a nitrate to the said chlorides
or either of them. We prefer to add nitrate of soda when making
sulphate of soda and nitrate of potassa when making sulphate of potassa.
We use air pumps, steam jets, or centrifugal fans, or other suitable
means to force or draw the said mixture of sulphurous acid, atmospheric
air, and water vapour through or amongst the said chlorides or either
of them, and the same instruments or means to force or draw atmospheric
air through or amongst burning sulphur, pyrites, or other compounds
of sulphur to effect the combustion of the said sulphur or compounds
thereof or any of them. We superheat the air which is used to effect
the combustion of sulphur or compounds thereof, and produce sulphurous
acid as aforesaid, and also superheat the air and water vapour which
we use to mix with the said sulphurous acid.
And now, having described our said Invention, and set forth the
means whereby the same is to be carried into effect, we claim, the
production of sulphate of soda and sulphate of potassa by treating
sulphur, sulphide of hydrogen, pyrites, and other compounds of sulphur
which are capable of producing or yielding sulphurous acid substantially
by the means and in the manner herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Fourth
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy.
In the presence of
ROB. A. Moss,
Clerk to J. T. King,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JAMES HARGREAVES. (L.S.)
THOS. ROBINSON.
(L.S.)