IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE
Year: 1841

page_text: LEE, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourth day of August, in the fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Lee, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Lee, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Lee, my exors, adiñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Lee, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Lee, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of three retorts or ovens; Figure 2 is a
plan of the troughs constituting the lower parts of the ovens or retorts;
Figure 3 is a transverse section taken from front to back of one of the
retorts or ovens, and Figure 4 is part of a front view in elevation of two of
the retorts or ovens. In each of these Figures the same letters indicate
similar parts. a, a, a, are three stone troughs or vessels in which the chlorine
is to be generated. These troughs are made of a stone which will not be
materially acted on by the process. The stone used by me is such as is now
used in the construction of condensers and flues of alkali works, and is well
known, or such trough may be made of fire clay moulded to the form, and
burned. These troughs are supported by brick, enclosed by walls of brick 6,
and covered by arches c, through which the heat requisite for the process is
transmitted, forming separate ovens, chambers or generators. A door e for
the introduction of materials at one end of the generator is provided, made
air-tight when at work by any of the usual luting, and at the other end
there is a pipe f, of lead or earthenware, for conveying away the chlorine
produced, which is to be received and treated as heretofore when. other
arrangements of chambers have been used. The heat necessary for the
operation is communicated to the materials in the chambers or ovens a
through the medium of the arches c, c, by the heat of the fire passing over
them, as is shewn, the flame and heat of the fire being carried over the arches
c along a horizontal flue g. In order to secure the arches c, c, being tight, I
cover them with a flux composed of four parts of fire clay, two parts of
ground fire brick, and one part of common salt, decreasing or increasing the
common salt as the flux is required to bear a greater or less heat. The process
is commenced by introducing a quantity of manganese in lumps into the
troughs or ovens a, a, a; the doors are then to be closed and luted; a quantity
of muriatic acid is gradually introduced through a glass or earthenware pipe
h, h, h, fixed through the wall passing into the troughs. Heat being applied
as above described, chlorine is generated until the muriatic acid becomes

page_text: nearly saturated, when the door may be removed and the liquid muriate of
manganese drawn off by a syphon; the door is again to be closed, and a
fresh portion of muriatic acid added, and so on until the whole of the
manganese is decomposed, when the troughs a, a, a, may be cleansed of the
residuum, and the process again commenced as above described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details of the ovens, retorts, or chambers a, a, a,
above described, so long as the peculiar character of the Invention of simply
heating downwards be retained; and although I prefer to depend simply in the
use of heat transmitted downwards through a cover or arch c as above
described, yet as the use of troughs (for the bottoms of chambers of ovens),
each made of one piece of stone or moulded fire clay, will admit of fire heat
being applied below and at the sides, I do not confine my Invention to the
mode of transmitting the heat when such troughs are used; but what I
claim is,
First, the mode above described of manufacturing chlorine by the use of
retorts or ovens, which are so arranged as to have the heat requisite for the
process-transmitted-downwards through the coverings or arches of the retorts
or ovens, as above described.
And secondly, I claim the mode of constructing the troughs or bottoms of
ovens or chambers for evolving chlorine when fire heat is used below or at the
sides or top, each of one piece of stone or moulded fire clay, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lee, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
Inrolled the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.