A CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF GRINDING OR COMMINUTING CAUSTIC SODA
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt of Sutton in the County of Surrey, for an
Invention of "A CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS
OF GRINDING OR COMMINUTING CAUSTIC SODA communicated to me from
abroad by Francis Parkinson Harned of Camden in the County of Camden
and State of New Jersey United States of America.
PROVISIONAL specificatioN left by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office
of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1883.
SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey. "A CERTAIN NEW AND
USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF GRINDING OR COMMINUTING CAUSTIC
"
SODA [communicated to me from abroad by Francis Parkinson Harned of
Camden in the County of Camden and State of New Jersey United States of
America.]
The difficulty heretofore attending the preparation of granulated caustic soda for
the market, which difficulty has arisen from the rapid deliquesence of the soda
upon exposure to the atmosphere has led to the adoption of a process of grinding
it hot or in heated apparatus or in a highly heated atmosphere; such process being
described in Letters Patent of the United States N° 243,939 granted under date of
July 5th 1881 to William J. Menzies, Assignor of one half interest to George T.
Lewis, in which Patent reference is made to English Letters Patent N° 4274, issued
under date of October 21* 1879, The use of heat in connection with such process
is however expensive and otherwise undesirable, and it is the object of this
invention to simply the process of grinding or comminuting caustic soda at the
ordinary temperature by counteracting and restraining the tendency of the soda to
deliquesce during its necessary exposure to the atmosphere, to which end the
present invention consists in the addition to the caustic soda, of dry soda ash or
carbonate of soda, which will absorb the moisture attracted by the caustic soda
and restrain its deliquescence.

page_text: I break up the mass of caustic soda or caustic alkali in the ordinary way as it
comes from the breaker I throw over the broken mass a small quantity of dry soda
I then feed this mixture of
ash or carbonate of soda of good color and high test.
caustic soda or caustic alkali and soda ash or carbonate of soda through a mill
preferably of the kind known as a disintegrator, which comminutes or reduces it, 5
and I then bolt the ground mixture in the usual manner.
The quantity of the soda ash or carbonate of soda requisite for the purpose will
not exceed from one to two per cent of the mass of caustic soda or caustic alkali ;
and this quantity is sufficient to effectually counteract and restrain the deliquescence
of the caustic soda during the grinding and bolting stages of the process while it is 1
not in any degree practically detrimental to the product.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Sydney Pitt in the Patent Office on the 1st April 1884.
"
SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey "A CERTAIN NEW AND
USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF GRINDING OR COMMINUTING CAUSTIC
SODA A communication to me from abroad by Francis Parkinson Harned of
Camden in the County of Camden and State of New Jersey United States of
America.
The difficulty heretofore attending the preparation of granulated caustic soda for
the market, which difficulty has arisen from the rapid deliquescence of the soda
upon exposure to the atmosphere has led to the adoption of a process of grinding
it hot or in heated apparatus or in a highly heated atmosphere; such process being
described in Letters Patent of the United States No 243,939 granted under date of
July 5th 1881 to William. J. Menzies Assignor of one half interest to George T.
Lewis in which Patent reference is made to English Letters Patent N° 4274 issued
under date of October 21** 1879. The use of heat in connection with such process
is however expensive and otherwise undesirable and it is the object of this
invention to simplify the process of grinding or comminuting caustic soda at the
ordinary temperature by counteracting and restraining the tendency of the soda
to deliquesce during its necessary exposure to the atmosphere to which end the
present invention consists in the addition to the caustic soda of dry soda ash or
carbonate of soda which will absorb the moisture attracted by the caustic soda and
restrain its deliquescence.
I break up the mass of caustic soda or caustic alkali in the ordinary way and as
it comes from the breaker I throw over the broken mass a small quantity of dry
soda ash or carbonate of soda of good color and high test. I then feed this
mixture of caustic soda or caustic alkali and soda ash or carbonate of soda through
a mill preferably of the kind known as a "disintegrator" which comminutes or
reduces it and I then bolt the ground mixture in the usual manner.
The quantity of the soda ash or carbonate of soda requisite for the purpose will
not exceed from one to two per cent of the mass of caustic soda or caustic alkali
and this quantity is sufficient to effectually counteract and restrain the deliquescence
of the caustic soda during the grinding and bolting stages of the process while it
is not in any degree practically detrimental to the product.
Having thus described the nature and object of the improvement what I claim
as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
The hereinbefore described improvement in the process of grinding or com-
minuting caustic soda or caustic alkali at ordinary temperatures which improvement
consists in adding to the broken mass of caustic soda carbonate of soda or soda ash
and grinding and bolting the mixture substantially as and for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof I the said Sydney Pitt have hereunto set my hand and seal
this thirty first day March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty four.