IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM AND ALUMINOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Aitken and Robert McAlley, both of
Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM AND ALUMINOUS
SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Aitken and
Robert McAlley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 18th May 1871.
We, HENRY AITKEN and ROBERT MALLEY, both of Falkirk, in the
County of Stirling, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM AND
ALUMINOUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention, which relates to an improved mode of manufacturing
or obtaining alum and aluminous substances from shales or clays,
consists in coking or carbonizing the materials from which alum may
be extracted, in contradistinction to roasting or calcining them.

page_text: The coking or carbonizing of the substances is effected by submitting
them to the action of heat in retorts after the usual manner of coking
coal, or any of the other modes which are used for coking or carbonizing
coal, ironstone, or wood, may be employed.
With certain descriptions of clay or shale it may be advisable before
coking to mix or grind up with them coal, moss, or earth mould, oil,
tar, or other carbonaceous matter, shale, or the coke of certain kinds
of coal after having been used in the manufacture of gas or oil by
distillation, may be further utilized by extracting alumina from them
by the process constituting this Invention.
In coking or carbonizing the shales and other substances in con-
nection with the manufacture of alum the volatile matters, namely,
hydrocarbons, which may be utilized at once in carbonizing or assisting
to carbonize the shale, or they may be condensed along with the sulphur,
ammonia, and other matters and kept for after use.
So soon as the coking process is completed the shales or other
substances whilst hot may be put at once into acid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Aitken and Robert M*Alley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 16th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
AITKEN and ROBERT MALLEY, both of Falkirk, in the County of
Stirling, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 35th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Henry Aitken and Robert McAlley, Her special
license that we, the said Henry Aitken and Robert M°Alley, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we the said
Henry Aitken and Robert McAlley, our executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
:

page_text: 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 ALUM AND ALUMINOUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Henry Aitken and Robert M°Alley, by an instrument
in writing under our 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 we, the said Henry Aitken and Robert
M Alley, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our said Invention, which relates to improvements in manufacturing
or obtaining alum and aluminous substances from shales or clays,
consists in coking or carbonizing the materials from which alum may
be extracted, in contradistinction to roasting or calcining them.
The coking or carbonizing of the substances is effected by submitting
them to the action of heat in retorts after the usual manner of coking
coal, or any of the other modes which are or may be used for coking
or carbonizing coal, ironstone, or wood may be employed.
With certain classes of clay or shale which are poor in carbon it may
be advisable before coking to mix or grind up with them coal, moss,
(peat) or earth mould, oil, tar, or other carbonaceous matter, shale,
or the coke of certain kinds of coal after having been used in the
manufacture of gas or oil by distillation may be further utilized by
being either admixed with clay or shale and coked or carbonized there-
with by the process constituting this Invention, or such coke may be
used alone, that is, without such admixture, by being submitted to a
further coking or carbonization.
In coking or carbonizing the shales and other substances in con-
nection with the manufacture of alum the volatile matters, namely,
hydrocarbons, may be utilized at once in carbonizing or assisting to
carbonize the shale by being burned beneath the retorts, or they may
be condensed along with the sulphur, ammonia, and other matters and
kent for after use.

page_text: So soon as the coking process is completed the shales or other sub-
stances whilst hot may be put at once into acid, and the obtainment of
alum therefrom is completed by any of the processes at present known
or used for that purpose.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, we would observe that what we
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
coking or carbonizing of shales, clays, and certain classes of coal before
extracting the alumina from them, in contradistiction to using them for
that purpose raw or calcined.
In witness whereof we, the said Heny Aitken and Robert M°Alley,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of
November One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.