IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS MANU- FACTURE OF WHITE LEAD AND VINEGAR
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS MANU-
FACTURE OF WHITE LEAD AND VINEGAR."-A communication from abroad
by Robert Rowland, residing in the City of New York, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 28th February 1862, and dated the 18th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th October 1861.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS
MANUFACTURE OF WHITE LEAD AND VINEGAR," to be as follows:-
These improvements have reference to the simultaneous manufacture of
white lead and vinegar where a lead corroding room is placed above the room
containing the tubs wherein the formation of vinegar is being carried on, the
acetic acid escaping from the vinegar tubs being caused to rise into the lead

page_text: corroding room, and to assist in the conversion of metallic lead into carbonate
of lead.
One part of the present Invention consists in certain means for compelling
all the acetic acid that escapes from the vinegar to pass into the corroding
room instead of only partially, as was heretofore the case. For this purpose the
vinegar tubs are extended upwards through the floor which separates the
vinegar room from the corroding room, and are fitted closely to the said floor.
In the corroding room the vinegar tubs are fitted with covers having a number
of openings, through which a corresponding number of pipes are inserted,
reaching down to and fitted into the sieve bottom of the vinegar tubs, thus
establishing a communication from below the sieve bottom to the corroding
room. The covers have also openings to convey the acetic acid which escapes
through the sieve bottom into the corroding room.
Another part of this Invention consists in certain means of controlling the
supply of acetic acid to the corroding room, which means serve at the same
time to prevent the white lead from falling through the floor of the corroding
room into the vinegar during the operation of removal from and supplying new
lead to the corroding room. For this purpose the before-mentioned openings
in the covers of the vinegar tubs are provided severally with sliding valves,
by which they can be altogether or partially closed.
Another part of this Invention consists in the employment of a steam pipe
in the corroding room for keeping the same at a desirable temperature, with
provision for the admission of the steam into the said room, so that the moisture
of the same shall assist in converting the metallic lead into carbonate of lead,
as also that it shall serve to lay the dust produced in the corroding room by
the removal of the white lead, which dust is so injurious to the health of the
labourers, and much of which would otherwise escape and be lost.
Another part of this Invention consists in constructing the walls and roof
of the corroding room as far as practicable or to a great extent of glass, mica,
or other translucent and impervious material, for the admission of light to the
room, to aid in the decomposing action of the acids, and to prevent the absorp-
tion of the gases.
The principles of the conversion of metallic lead into the carbonate of lead
in this improved apparatus are as follows:-Basic acetate of lead becomes
decomposed by carbonic acid in such a way that most neutral acetate of lead
and basic hydrated carbonate of lead become formed. If further neutral
acetate of lead and oxygen come under a high temperature in contact with
metallic lead, the latter becomes disposed for oxydating and for producing

page_text: again the basic combination, which, by the addition of carbonic acid, again
forms carbonate of lead. It requires therefore that metallic lead be exposed to
the mutual influence of acetic acid, carbonic acid; oxygen, moisture, and heat,
to convert in such a manner, by the medium of a proportionally small quantity
of acetic acid, a large quantity of metallic lead into carbonate of lead.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Denton Abel, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS MANUFACTURE OF WHITE LEAD
AND VINEGAR," (a communication to me from abroad by Robert Rowland,
residing in the City of New York, in the United States of America,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Denton
Abel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
scertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
vas 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
late of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, do hereby
eclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
These improvements have reference to the simultaneous manufacture of
white lead and vinegar where a lead corroding room is placed above the room
containing the tubs wherein the formation of vinegar is being carried on, the
acetic acid escaping from the vinegar tubs being caused to rise into the lead
corroding room, and to assist in the conversion of metallic lead into carbonate
of lead.
One part of the present Invention consists in certain means for compelling
the whole of the acetic acid that escapes from the vinegar to pass into the
corroding room instead of only partially, as was heretofore the case. For this
purpose the vinegar tubs are extended upwards through the floor which
separates the vinegar room from the corroding room, and are fitted closely
to the said floor. In the corroding room the vinegar tubs are fitted with
covers having a number of openings, through which a corresponding number
of pipes are inserted, reaching down to and fitted into the sieve bottom of the
vinegar tubs, thus establishing a communication from below the sieve bottom
to the corroding room.
Another part of this Invention consists in certain means of controlling the
supply of acetic acid to the corroding room, which means serve at the same
time to prevent the white lead from falling through the floor of the corroding
room into the vinegar during the operation of removal from and supplying new
lead to the corroding room. For this purpose the before-mentioned openings
in the covers of the vinegar tubs are provided severally with sliding valves, by
which they can be altogether or partially closed.
Another part of this Invention consists in the employment of a steam pipe
in the corroding room for keeping the same at a desirable temperature, with
provision for the admission of the steam into the said room, so that the
moisture of the same shall assist in converting the metallic lead into carbonate
of lead, as also that it shall serve to lay the dust produced in the corroding
room by the removal of the white lead, which dust is so injurious to the health
of the labourers, and much of which would otherwise escape and be lost.
Another part of this Invention consists in constructing the walls and roof of
the corroding room as far as practicable or to a great extent, of glass, mica, or
other translucent and impervious material for the admission of light to the
room, to accelerate the decomposing action of the acids, and to prevent the
absorption of the gases.
The principles of the conversion of metallic lead into the carbonate of lead

page_text: in this improved apparatus are as follows:-Basic acetate of lead becomes
decomposed by carbonic acid in such a way that most neutral acetate of lead
and basic hydrated carbonate of lead become formed. If further neutral
acetate of lead and oxygen come under a high temperature in contact with
metallic lead, the latter becomes disposed for oxydating and for producing
again the basic combination, which, by the addition of carbonic acid, again
forms carbonate of lead; it requires therefore that metallic lead be exposed to
the mutual influence of acetic acid, carbonic acid, oxygen, moisture, and heat,
to convert in such a manner, by the medium of a proportionally small
quantity of acetic acid, a large quantity of metallic lead into carbonate
of lead.
.
In order that this Invention may be more easily understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the best means I am
acquainted with of performing the same.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawing shows a sectional elevation of the
improved white lead and vinegar factory; Figure 2 shows a vertical section of
one of the vinegar tubs and of the floor of the lead corroding room above the
tubs; Figure 3 shows a plan of one of the covers of the vinegar tubs and a
portion of the surrounding floor. Similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A represents the vinegar room, and B the lead corroding room; C is the
floor which separates them; D, D, are the vinegar tubs, which are extended
through the floor C, to which they fit closely, and these tubs are fitted with
covers E, E, in which are a number of openings a, a, a, a, through which a corre-
sponding number of pipes b, b, b, b, fitted into the sieve bottom F of the vinegar
tubs, establish a communication from below the sieve bottom to the corroding
room B. Each cover E, E, has also an opening c and perforated tube b', to
convey to the corroding chamber the acetic acid which escapes through the
sieve bottom. The openings a, a, a, a, c, and pipes b, b, b, b, b', serve to admit into
the corroding room the whole of the acetic acid that is unavoidably escaping
during the manufacture of vinegar. The said openings are severally provided
with sliding valves d, d, d, d, d', which serve to close them, for the purpose of
preventing the white lead from falling into the tubs during its removal from
the corroding room or during the placing of new lead in the same, and by
closing these valves more or less, the supply of acetic acid to the corroding
room may be regulated, the surplus in this case having a proper means of
escape provided for it below the floor C; e, e, are pipes for the admission of
carbonic acid from a suitable generating apparatus to the corroding chamber B;

page_text: f is a steam pipe running through the corroding room for the purpose of
keeping up a uniform temperature of from:150 to 170 degrees (Fah.) in the
said room during the corroding process. This pipe fis provided with a
branch or with branches j, that can be opened by a cock or by cocks g, or their
equivalents, for the purpose of admitting to the said room, when necessary,
sufficient steam to supply the corroding room with a desirable amount of
moisture in case of that supplied from the vinegar tubs failing or being
insufficient. These cocks also serve to admit steam to lay (by its conden-
sation) the dust produced in the corroding chamber by the removal of the
white lead. The laying of the dust in this way also permits of the valves
d, d, d, d, d', being re-opened without delay to recommence the corroding
operation. The cock or cocks g may be so arranged as to be capable of being
opened from the outside of the corroding chamber or in any other convenient
manner; G, G, G, is the metallic lead placed upon the racks H, H, I, for
the purpose of being converted into white lead.
In Figure 1 the sides N and roof M of the corroding room are represented
as being composed almost entirely of glass or mica, but they may be constructed
with windows in such a way as to admit of the largest possible or a very large
amount of light to the room. The greater the quantity of light that is
admitted to the chamber the more readily is the carbonic acid decomposed,
and the carbonate of lead formed. Another advantage of making the walls of
the above specified materials will be to save a great deal of gas, as wooden
walls would absorb a very considerable portion of it. As in the herein-before
described arrangement, the white lead (carbonate of lead) is protected against
any impurity and likewise against any pernicious influence of injurious gas, it
must surpass every article of the kind as regards its whiteness, and as by this
before-described process almost all the usually remaining unconverted acetate
of lead can be converted into carbonate of lead, from thirty to thirty-three per
centum more weight of white lead is gained over the weight of the metallic
lead.
By the improvements herein-before described it is rendered unnecessary to
manufacture so much vinegar as was required heretofore, as the manu-
facture of thirty-six barrels of vinegar will be sufficient to corrode six tons
of lead.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim is,-
Firstly, fitting the tops of vinegar vats (when said vats are placed in a room

page_text: below the corroding room) to the floor of the corroding room, substantially as
herein-before described, in combination with covers provided with openings and
valves, or any equivalent means for regulating the supply of acid, or altogether
closing up the communication between the interior of the vats and the corroding
room whenever necessary, all substantially as herein-before described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, the employment of a steam pipe or pipes in the lead corroding
room, substantially and for the purposes herein-before described.
Thirdly, the construction of the walls and roof of the lead corroding room
either wholly or partially of glass, mica, or other suitable translucent and
impervious material, substantially and for the purposes as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL. (L.S.)