IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURES."
Year: 1870

page_text: .
LETTERS PATENT to David Forbes, of No. 11, York Place, Portman
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Royal Society,
Consulting Mining and Metallurgical Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURES.""
Sealed the 1st March 1870, and dated the 3rd January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Forbes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd January 1870.
I, DAVID FORBES, of No. 11, York Place, Portman Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Royal Society, Consulting Mining
and Metallurgical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURES,'
to be as follows:-
"
"
This Invention relates to the manufacture of artificial manures by
treating in the manner herein-after described such natural products as.

page_text: :
the phosphates of alumina which are found to exist in some of the West
India Islands and elsewhere, and which contain a considerable amount
of phosphoric acid in combination with alumina, so as to bring the
phosphoric acid contained in these substances into a state more soluble
in water, and thus render it suitable for being manufactured into an
artificial manure for the purpose of agriculture. In order to effect this
object the crude phosphatic substance is ground to powder; the
powdered material is then mixed with caustic soda or carbonate of
soda, or a mixture of both caustic soda and carbonate of soda, using
any of these substances in the proportion varying from one-half up
to one and a half times the weight of the natural phosphate itself,
according as it is more or less rich in phosphoric acid and the amount.
of that acid which it is desired to bring into the soluble condition.
After being mixed together the whole is placed in a kiln or other
suitable open or closed furnace and heated for some time to redness,
after which the product may be drawn from the furnace and employed
for the purposes of agriculture either alone or in combination with
other manures. The details of the process may be varied; instead of
mixing the ingredients previous to heating the crude phosphatic material
may be place alone in the furnace and heated until all volatile matter
has been driven off, after which the caustic soda or carbonate of soda
or mixture of both caustic soda and carbonate of soda can be added, and
after being incorporated with the previously burnt phosphatic material
the whole is then treated as before mentioned.
In some cases the mixture of the crude phosphatic material with
caustic soda or carbonate of soda or a mixture of both caustic and
carbonate of soda may be rendered moist or semi-liquid by adding water
and the water would assist in making the soda compounds penetrate
and act more energetically on the phosphatic material, after which the
whole is heated first to dryness and then as before stated. When
convenient the phosphates may be added in the requisite proportions
to soda ash liquor during the ordinary process of manufacturing soda
ash, and in such a case the manufacture of the artificial manure may be
conducted with great economy.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Forbes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd July 1870.
'
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
FORBES, of No. 11, York Place, Portman Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Royal Society, Consulting. Mining and
Metallurgical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Third day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said David Forbes, Her special licence
that I, the said David Forbes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said David Forbes, 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, exercise, 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 MANURES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said David Forbes, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Forbes, 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 :-
->
This Invention relates to the manufacture of artificial manures by
treating in the manner herein-after described such natural products as
the phosphates of alumina which are found to exist in some of the West
India Islands and elsewhere, and which contain a considerable amount
of phosphoric acid in combination with alumina.

page_text: The object of the Invention is to bring the phosphoric acid contained
in the phosphates above referred to into such a state that it becomes
sufficiently soluble in water, and thereby the phosphates are in the
manner herein-after described rendered suitable for being manufactured
into an artificial manure for the purposes of agriculture. In order to
effect this object the crude phosphoric substance is ground to powder;
the powdered material is then mixed with caustic soda or carbonate of
soda or a mixture of both caustic soda and carbonate of soda or soda.
ash. The materials or mixtures above mentioned or their equivalents
are used in proportions varying from one-half up to one and a half
times the weight of the natural phosphate itself according as it is more
or less rich in phosphoric acid, and the amount of that acid which it is
desired to bring into the required soluble condition. The materials
after being mixed together are placed in a kiln or other suitable
open or closed furnace and are heated for some time to redness, after
which the resulting product may be drawn from the furnace and
afterwards be applied for the purposes of agriculture either alone or in
combination with other manures. The details of the process may be
varied; for instance, instead of the ingredients being mixed previous to
heating the crude phosphatic material may be placed alone in the
furnace and heated until all volatile matter has been driven off, after
which the caustic soda or carbonate of soda, or mixture of both caustic
soda and carbonate of soda, or soda ash, or their equivalents can be
added, and after being incorporated with the previously burnt phosphatic
material the whole is then treated as before mentioned.
In some cases the mixture of the crude phosphatic material with
caustic soda or carbonate of soda or a mixture of both caustic and
carbonate of soda may be rendered moist or semi-liquid by adding water,
and the water would assist in making the soda compounds penetrate and
act more energetically on the phosphatic material, after which the
whole is heated first to dryness and then as before stated. When
convenient the phosphates may be added in the requisite proportions to
soda ash liquor during the ordinary process of manufacturing soda ash,
and in such a case the manufacture of the artificial manures may be
conducted with great economy.
In some cases also the phosphates above mentioned may be reduced
to a state more or less soluble by simply grinding the phosphates and
soda compounds and mixing them together in the requisite proportions,

page_text: after which they may, without applying heat, be allowed to rest until
the mass appears to have become partly crystallized.
Having now described my Invention and the manner of performing it
I claim, treating the phosphates herein-before mentioned by mixing
them when pulverized with soda compounds, substantially in the
manner and for purpose herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Forbes, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.