the Furincation of Liquids and Gases.
Year: 1886

page_text: the Furincation of Liquids and Gases.
I FRANK CANDY of No. 6 Leigh Road in the County of Middlesex Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF FILTERING MEDIA FOR USE IN THE PURIFICATION OF LIQUIDS
AND GASES" to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the prepar-
ation from ironstone of a filtering medium which is capable of use as a substitute
for animal charcoal and which being free from phosphates is superior to animal
charcoal for purposes where the presence of phosphates is objectionable.
According to my said Invention I take ironstone having combined carbon in its
constitution and I place the said ironstone in a suitable vessel or kiln or chamber
and heat the vessel or kiln or chamber without allowing free access of air to the
interior thereof and when vapour ceases to pass off from the ironstone and the gases
have been nearly or quite driven off I close the said vessel or kiln or chamber and
cool it and its contents or allow them to cool. When the ironstone thus treated is
cool the manufacture is completed and I then remove the ironstone from the vessel
or kiln or chamber in which it has been carbonized and disintegrate it if necessary.
Dated this airth day of tahun 1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: the Purification of Liquids and Gases.
I FRANK CANDY of No. 6 Leigh Road in the County of Middlesex Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the same is to
be or may be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the prepar-
ation from ironstone of the character hereinafter described of a filtering medium
which is capable of use as a substitute for animal charcoal and which being free
from phosphates is superior to animal charcoal for purposes where the presence of
phosphates is objectionable.
According to my said Invention I take the ironstone and I place the said
ironstone in a suitable vessel or kiln or chamber and beat the vessel or kiln or
chamber without allowing free access of air to the interior thereof and when
vapour ceases to pass off from the ironstone and the gases have been nearly or
quite driven off I close the said vessel or kiln or chamber and cool it and its
contents or allow them to cool. When the ironstone thus trented is cool or has
cooled below redness the manufacture is completed and I then remove the ironstone
from the vessel or kiln or chamber in which it has been carbonized and disintegrate
it if necessary.
aB
The ironstone which I use is an argillaceous carbonate of iron commonly known
clay ironstone" I have used those kinds of argillaceous carbonate of iron or
clay ironstone which are found in the coal measures in South Wales and are known
as the "Nodular vein" and the "Peacock vein" and have found them well suited
for the purposes of my invention.
The clay or shale or rock which adheres to the ironstone at the outer portions of
the veins should be separated from the ironstone before treating it as herein
proposed. This may be done by mechanical means or by "weathering."
Before placing the ironstone in the apparatus in which it is to be treated I
reduce the pieces of ironstone to such a size as will admit of the apparatus selected
for use being conveniently charged and to admit of the proper action thereof in the
case of apparatus in which the matter under treatment is subjected to mechanical
action as well as to the action of beat. The amount or degree of heat to which the
ironstone is subjected must be sufficient to produce carbonization but must not be
sufficient to produce fusion.
Any kind of retorts or other carbonizing apparatus used in dry distillation
processes may be used for carbonizing the ironstone provided they do not admit of
access of air or moisture to the matter under treatment to such an extent as to
produce appreciable oxydation. Any slight accidental access of air or steam due
to slight leakage of the joints of the apparatus such as may be caused by
contraction and expansion will not injure the matter under treatment but access of
air should be avoided as far as practicable. Apparatus such as is used for the
revivification of animal charcoal may be used for the purpose and I prefer that

page_text: form of the said apparatus which consists of revolving carbonizing cylinders having
coolers communicating with them. Where ordinary carbonizing apparatus is used
it is important that no air or moisture be allowed to enter the apparatus before the
carbonized ironstone has cooled below redness and for this reason the vents of the
apparatus provided for the escape of vapour and gases from the matter under
treatment while it is being heated should be closed just before or as soon as the
gases have ceased to pass off from the ironstone. The carbonized matter when
properly prepared will be black or nearly so or greyish black. Redness or
yellowness of the said matter is an indication that it has become oxydised to some
extent and this should be avoided. The time for closing the vents of the
apparatus may be ascertained by igniting the jets of gas issuing therefrom and
watching the flame of issuing gas the flickering of which flame indicates the time
when the vents should be closed. The cooling of the ironstone after carbonization
must be conducted with the same care as the cooling of animal charcoal after the
process of revivification in order to prevent oxidation. In using revolving
cylinders the operation of carbonizing the ironstone is the same as in the case of
animal charcoal.
The ironstone prepared as herein before described has great oxidizing power and
may be used in the purification of water and other liquids and of gases in the
same way as other materials ordinarily used for the same purposes. When used in
revolving purifiers of the kind described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to William Anderson No. 5496 dated the 23rd day of November 1883 I
prefer fragments of about the size which will pass through a sieve of half inch mesh.
Where the ironstone has not been broken to the size required for use before
carbonizing it-I further break it to the required size after it has been carbonized
and cooled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I would observe that I am
aware that it has been proposed to prepare a material for use in the purification of
liquids by mixing carbonate of iron with carbonaceous matter and carbonizing the
mixture and I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to the carbonization
of carbonate of iron when in artificial admixture with any organic or other matter
the object of my invention being to produce a material which will be free from the
objections which attend the use of such carbonized mixtures the principal of which
objections is that the added matters are liable to impart colour odour and flavour
to the water under treatment but I claim as my said Invention
The manufacture as described of materials prepared for use as filtering media for
the purification of water and other liquids and of gases by subjecting an argillaceous
carbonate of iron in the natural state to the action of sufficient heat and under the
conditions necessary to produce carbonization and cooling the said matter without
allowing oxidation thereof.