IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURE
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henry Staples Wildsmithi, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Inven-
tion of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURE
ANT
Sealed the 2nd June 1874, and dated the 5th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henry Staples
Wildsmith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th December 1873.
I, JAMES HENRY STAPLES WILDSMITH, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL
MANURE, AND IN UTILIZING RESIDUAL PRODUCTS OF THE SAID MANUFACTURE, PARTS.
OF WHICH. IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL
BONE," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is principally to produce a manure having

page_text: phosphate of lime and gelatinous matter, the said manure being in a
finely divided or mealy state and more active as a fertilizer than bone
manure.
In making artificial manure according to my Invention I proceed as
follows: I take apatite, coprolite, or other mineral phosphate of lime
reduced to powder or small lumps, and place the same in a closed vat
together with a little water.
In a distillatory apparatus heated by a furnace I put common salt
and sulphuric acid, and conduct the hydrochloric acid gas produced into
the vat containing the mineral phosphate.
.
By the action of the hydrochloric acid a concentrated solution of the
phosphate is obtained, which solution is run off from the undissolved
earthy matter into a tank where a concentrated solution of gelatine is
added to it in the proportion of 35 parts of gelatine to 100 parts of
dissolved phosphate of lime. A stream of ammonical gas produced in
the ordinary way is passed into the tank containing the solution. This
gas neutralizing the hydrochloric acid precipitates the phosphate of
lime which takes down with it the gelatine and produces a solution of
muriate of ammonia. The whole is passed to a filter by which the
phosphate of lime and gelatine are separated from the solution of muriate
of ammonia.
The phosphate of lime combined with gelatine is a manure or compost
of excellent quality, and the residual products, namely, salt cake and
solution of muriate of ammonia are commercially valuable. The former
may be converted into carbonate of soda and from the latter by
evaporation and sublimation muriate of ammonia in the solid form
may be produced.
Instead of neutralizing the hydrochloric acid solution and precipitating
the phosphate of lime by means of ammonia other alkalies or quicklime
may be used for that purpose.
The manure made according to my Invention may for special purposes
be mixed with sulphated, urinary, excrementitious, or other nitrogenous
matters by which admixture a manure analogous to sulphated guano is
produced.
The precipitated phosphate of lime mixed with gelatinous matter may
by pressure be solidified so as to produce a solid having great

page_text: resemblance to bone. The said mixture of phosphate of lime and
gelatine may be pressed or shaped in moulds, and in this way made into
a great variety of useful articles. Or the said mixture after solidification
whether in sheets or blocks may be shaped by carving, filing, or other
mechanical processes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Henry Staples Wildsmith in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HENRY STAPLES WILDSMITH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Henry Staples Wildsmith, Her
special license that I, the said James Henry Staples Wildsmith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Henry Staples Wildsmith, my 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL
MANURE, AND IN UTILIZING RESIDUAL PRODUCTS OF THE SAID MANUFACTURE,
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF
ARTIFICIAL BONE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Henry Staples Wildsmith, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 James Henry Staples Wildsmith,
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 :-
The object of my Invention is principally to produce a manure having
the same composition as ordinary bone, that is, consisting essentially of
phosphate of lime and gelatinous matter, the said manure being in a
finely divided or mealy state and more active as a fertilizer than bone
manure.
In making artificial manure according to my Invention I proceed as
follows: I take bone, apatite, coprolite, or other mineral phosphate of
lime reduced to powder or small lumps, and place the same in a closed
vat together with a little water.
In a distillatory apparatus or rotort heated by a furnace I put chlorido
of sodium or common salt and sulphuric acid, and conduct the
hydrochloric acid gas produced into the vat containing the mineral or
other phosphate of lime. The hydrochloric acid gas is condensed by the
water, and the hydrochloric acid solution thus obtained dissolves the
phosphate of lime.
A second or third charge of chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid may
be worked in the distillatory apparatus or retort, and the hydrochloric
acid gas conducted into the closed tank or vat into which additional
portions of phosphate of lime may be introduced from time to time. In
this way I obtain a highly concentrated solution of phosphate of lime in
hydrochloric acid. This solution is run off from the undissolved earthy
matter into a second or precipitating tank where a concentrated solution
of gelatine is added to it, which if artificial bone is to be made must be
tolerably pure, and in the proportion of 30 to 35 parts by weight of
gelatine to 50 parts by weight of dissolved phosphate of lime. This
precipitating tank is connected by a suitable condenser and pipes with a
boiler or boilers from which ammonia is distilled in the usual way from
gas water, urine, or salt of ammonia, the process being conducted as in
the ordinary manufacture of solution of ammonia.
The ammonaical gas neutralizing the hydrochloric acid precipitates the
phosphate of lime, which takes down with it the gelatine and produces at
the same time a solution of muriate of ammonia. The whole is passed to
a third or filtering tank by which the phosphate of lime and gelatine are

page_text: separated from the solution of muriate of ammonia. This filtering tank
has a perforated false bottom on which is placed some fine cocoa nut
matting to form a filter.
The phosphate of lime combined with gelatine when thus separated
from the solution of muriate of ammonia is a manure or compost of
excellent quality, and the residual products, namely, salt cake obtained
by the reaction of chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid, and solution of
muriate of ammonia are commercially valuable. The former may be
converted into carbonate of soda and from the latter by evaporation and
sublimation muriate of ammonia in the solid form may be produced.
Instead of neutralizing the hydrochloric acid solution and precipitating
the phosphate of lime my means of ammonia, other alkalies or quicklime
may be used for that purpose when the precipitated phosphate of lime
is to be used as artificial manure.
The solution of muriate of ammonia may be conveniently evaporated
by being passed into a fourth tank fitted with steam pipes. By steam
passed into the said pipes the solution of muriate of ammonia may be.
heated, and evaporated, and crystallized muriate of ammonia obtained
therefrom. The crystals when collected, drained, and dried are fit for
the market. The sublimation of the muriate of ammonia when the salt
is required in the sublimed form is conducted in the usual way.
When the preciptated phosphate of lime is to be used as a manure,
the solution of gelatine herein-before described as added to the solution
of phosphate of lime in hydrochloric acid may be of inferior quality, a
solution of pure gelatine being necessary only when artificial bone is to
be manufactured.
When the precipitated phosphate of lime is to be used for making
artificial bone, I wash it thoroughly after precipitation so as to free it
from all trace of muriate of ammonia, but when the precipitated
phosphate of lime is to be used as artificial manure I wash it only
partially so as to leave mixed with the precipitated phosphate of lime.
three or four per centum of muriate of ammonia in addition to the
organic matters contained in the bone or other phosphate of lime
dissolved in the hydrochloric acid.
The whole of the phosphate of lime contained in artificial manure.
made according to my Invention is readily soluble in soil, and in order

page_text: to render it available for all kinds of crops and to assimilate it in
composition to guano I mix it with potash, magnesia, and other salts,
and also dried human excreta. These substances are mixed with the
mealy precipitated phosphate of lime while it is in a moist state. After
the materials have been thoroughly incorporated and the mixture dried
it is ready for the market.
When the mixture of precipitated phosphate of lime and gelatine is to
be made into artificial bone, I add to the stiff pulpy precipitated glycerine
in the proportion of five parts by weight of glycerine to one hundred
parts by weight of the dried precipitate, thoroughly incorporating the
same therewith. The mixture is allowed to stand for several days
and is then fashioned into the required forms by dies and pressure,
hydraulic pressure being used by preference. Or the mixture may be
pressed into sheets or blocks which may be shaped by carving, filing,
and other mechanical processes..
The furnaces, boilers, distillatory apparatus and tanks or vats which I
use in carrying my Invention into effect resemble those commonly
employed for analogous purposes, and I therefore do not think it
necessary to describe the same:
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but
I claim as my Invention of improvements in the manufacture of
artificial manure, and in utilizing residual products of the said manu-
facture, parts of which improvements are also applicable to the
manufacture of artificial bone,—
First. Manufacturing artificial manure by dissolving mineral or other
phosphate of lime and precipitating the same in a finely divided or mealy
state, and mixing the said mealy precipitate when required with dried
excreta and other materials for the purpose and substantially as herein-
before described.
Secondly. Utilizing in the manner herein-before described the residual
2

page_text: Thirdly. Manufacturing artificial bone by combining precipitated
phosphate of lime with gelatine and glycerine, and treating and
compressing the same substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Henry Staples Wildsmith,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
JAMES HENRY STAPLES WILDSMITH. (L.S.)
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.