A METHOD FOR SMELTING AND PURIFYING FOSSIL COAL, IRON STONE, IRON ORE, AND OTHER METALLIC ORES, AND THE CALX THEREOF, BY STEAM, AIR, AND FIRE, AND IMPREC- NATING THE SAME AND THE MATRIX THEREOF WITH INFLAMMABLE AIR, PRODUCING THEREBY A TOUGH METAL
Year: 1792

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BARBER, of Attleborough, in the Parish of Nuneaton, in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-second day of December, in the thirty-third year of His
reign, did give and grant unto me, the said John Barber, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, His especial licence that I, the said John Barber,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A METHOD
FOR SMELTING AND PURIFYING FOSSIL COAL, IRON STONE, IRON ORE, AND OTHER
METALLIC ORES, AND THE CALX THEREOF, BY STEAM, AIR, AND FIRE, AND IMPREC-
NATING THE SAME AND THE MATRIX THEREOF WITH INFLAMMABLE AIR, PRODUCING
THEREBY A TOUGH METAL;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said John Barber, under my hand and seal, to cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and to ascertain
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing, to
be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar,
month next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as by the said recited Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said John
Barber, do hereby declare that my said Invention of a Method for Smelting

page_text: and Purifying Fossil Coal, Iron Stone, Iron Ore, and other Metallic Ores,
and the Calx thereof, by Steam, Air, and Fire, and Impregnating the same
and the Matrix thereof with Inflammable Air, producing thereby a Tough
Metal, is described, and is to be performed in the manner following, that is to
say:
Take a quantity of iron stones or iron ores, with a quantity of fossil coals,
put them in a furnace or any proper building, into which admit fire, and
convey steam from a boiler or boilers, by a pipe or pipes, through an aperture
or apertures made or left in the hearth. Observe, the pipe or pipes which
convey the steam should not project into the furnace, but fall so far short
thereof as to permit the steam to carry a quantity of atmospheric air in with
it, by which means there will in general be a sufficiently purified calx pro-
duced; but in case the calx so produced is not, upon trial, found sufficiently
purified, it must undergo the like operation of purifying by means of steam,
coals, and fire, and so on, until it is effectually purified, as steam, conjointly
with coals and fire, will eventually purify iron stones, iron ores, and the calxes
thereof, and may, in some instances, smelt them at the same time. The puri-
fication may be facilitated by having a laver of water placed at the bottom of
the furnace or building to receive the hot calx as it falls or is drawn out. In
some cases, injecting amongst your stones, ores, and coals a proper portion of
sal ammoniac or other menstruum with the steam, whilst they are purifying,
will be found beneficial. Gold, platina, silver, copper, lead, and tin ores must
be reduced to a calx, in the manner above specified, and the effects will be
the same.
When the calxes are thus properly prepared, take a quantity of
them, and also a quantity of fossil coals or purified coals, put them into a
smelting furnace, in the hearth of which admit fire, and likewise make or
leave an aperture or apertures to admit and inject inflammable air from a
retort or retorts, by a pipe or pipes, either singly or conjointly with air
blast. Observe, limestone, charcoal, and other materials which abound with
inflammable air, by adding them in proper quantities with your purified calxes,
may have a similar effect to the inflammable air being admitted or injected;
and, in case the retort should be out of order, may be applied as a substitute..
The proportionate quantities of each of the materials necessary to be mixed
can only be attained by experience. This process will produce a tough metal.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barber, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.
JON (L.S.) BARBER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixteenth day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John Barber came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute
in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of January, in the year above written.