IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Howard, of Wretton House, in the
County of Norfolk, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS."
Sealed the 4th January 1876, and dated the 27th July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Howard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th July 1875.
I, THOMAS HOWARD, of Wretton House, in the County of Norfolk,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the employment of certain ferruginous ores
which occur in or near the coprolite districts, such for example as those
of Norfolk, and more especially those which are found in the neighbour-
hood of West Dereham and Wretton in that county, for effecting the
purification of impure coal gas, and consists in the employment by
preference of the hydrated oies, such ores being firstly reduced to a

page_text: state of division, and if necessary livigated; the ferruginous ore or ores
may then be employed in a manner similar to that now adopted for
effecting the purification of gas by means of oxide of iron, and be mixed
with sawdust or other material so as to render the mixture permeable to
the gas, as is well understood. The impure gas having been allowed
to pass through the mixture until it is exhausted or ceases to remove
the sulphuretted compounds from the gas the mixture may be revivified
by exposure to the air in the manner now generally adopted
filed by the said' Thomas Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HOWARD, of Wietton House, in the County of Norfolk, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by fer:
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the 39th year of Her reign, did, for Heiself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Howard, Her special license,
that I, the said Thomas Howard, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, on such others as I, the said Thomas Howard, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the term
there expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and
vend, with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS,
IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
1, the said Thomas Howard, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Howard, 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 -
My said Invention relates to the employment of certain ferruginous
ores which occur in or near the coprolite districts, such for example as
those of Norfolk, and more especially those which are found in the
neighbourhood of West Dereham and Wretton in that county, for
effecting the purification of impure coal gas, and consists in the
employment by preference of the hydrated ores, such ores being first
reduced to a state of division, and if necessary levigated; the ferruginous
ore or ores may then be employed in a manner similar to that now
adopted for effecting the purification of gas by means of oxide of iron,
and may if necessary be mixed with sawdust or other material so as to
render the mixture permeable to the gas, as is well understood. The
impure gas having been allowed to pass through the mixture until it is
exhausted or ceases to remove the sulphuretted compounds from the gas
the mixture may be revivified by exposure to the air in the manner now
generally adopted.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carned into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the employ-
ment for effecting the purification of coal gas of the peculiar ore or
ores of iron containing oxide of iron which occur in the localities herein-
before referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Howard, have to this
my Specification set my hand and scal, the Twenty-fifth day
of January, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
THOMAS HOWARD. (L.S.)