IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE CONCENTRATION OF SULPHURIC ACID
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bowen, of Morriston, Swansea, in the County of
Glamorgan, Chemical Manufacturer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THE CONCENTRATION OF SULPHURIC ACID."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bowen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st April 1876.
THOMAS BOWEN, of Morriston, Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, Chemical
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE CONCENTRATION OF
SULPHURIC ACID."
The Invention relates to means for effecting the desired concentration of sulphuric
acid in passing it continuously through a series of glass retorts. For this purpose
each retort, in addition to the discharge pipe for the escape of the vapour from its
head, is provided with an inlet and an outlet passage. The inlet passage of the
first retort receives a syphon from the reservoir of acid to be concentrated.
Both ends of this pipe are turned up, one within the liquid in the reservoir, the
other in the retort. The outlet passage from this retort is provided with another
syphon pipe, the ends of which are turned upwards, one in the acid liquor in the
retort, the other in a vessel acting as a connector, and in which one end of another
syphon pipe is placed to convey the acid from the first retort into another retort
through the inlet passage thereof, both ends of this pipe also being turned up, and
so on; the acid may be conducted through successive retorts for concentration, and
thence into a receiver provided with a float acting as a specific gravity regulator,
which, as well as the plug or valve to the pipe from the reservoir, are suspended by
connected levers regulated by weight to the specific gravity desired. From this
receiver the acid is conducted by a syphon pipe to the cooler. By these means the
supply to the retorts, as well as the discharge therefrom, are regulated by the
specific gravity attained with only a slight, say a few inches, fall from the reservoir
to the cooler.
The retorts rest on sand in pots or pans heated as desired, or the heat to them
may be otherwise attained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Bowen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th October
1876.
THOMAS BOWEN, of Morriston, Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, Chemical
Manufacturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE CONCENTRATION OF
SULPHURIC ACID.".
The Invention relates to means for effecting the desired concentration of sulphuric
acid in passing it continuously through a series of glass retorts.
For this purpose
each retort, in addition to the discharge pipe for the escape of the vapour from its
head, is provided with an inlet and an outlet passage. The inlet passage of the
first retort receives a syphon from the reservoir of acid to be concentrated. Both
ends of this pipe are turned up, one within the liquid in the reservoir, the other in
the retort. The outlet passage from this retort is provided with another syphon
pipe, the ends of which are turned upwards, one in the acid liquor in the retort, the
other in a vessel acting as a connector, and in which one end of another syphon
pipe is placed to convey the acid from the first retort into another retort, through
the inlet passage thereof, both ends of this pipe also being turned up, and so on,
the acid may be conducted through successive retorts for concentration and thence
into a receiver provided with a float acting as a specific gravity regulator, which, as
well as the plug or valve to the pipe from the reservoir, are suspended by connected
levers regulated by weight to the specific gravity desired. From this receiver the
acid is conducted by a syphon pipe to the cooler. By these means the supply to
the retorts, as well as the discharge therefrom, are regulated by the specific gravity
attained with only a slight, say a few inches, fall from the reservoir to the cooler.
The retorts rest on sand in pots or pans heated as desired, or the heat to them
may be otherwise attained.
In order that the Invention may be more fully understood I will, by the aid of
the accompany Drawings, proceed to describe more in detail means pursued by me
in effecting the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews by a longitudinal view, partly in section, and Figure 2 by a
transverse sectional view an arrangement of apparatus according to my Invention.
In each of the views the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
a, b, and c represent three glass retorts, each of which is supported in sand on a
tripod d, in a heating chamber e, and each of these chambers e is heated by the
passage therethrough of the heat from side flues from a fire-place f, care being taken
by the circulation of such heat in passages under the floor of such chambers e to
prevent the too direct action of the heat of the fire on the glass retorts a, b, c ;
a¹, b, c, are discharge pipes opening at one end into the necks of their respective
retorts, and at their other ends into the conducting pipe g for the escape of the
vapour generated in the respective retorts, and its being conducted away by the
passage g to a leaden condensing chamber connected to the chimney stack for draft,
the distillate being returned to evaporating pans or other suitable receiver. Each
retort a, b, and c is not only provided with a neck at its head a, b, or c² to receive
a discharge pipe a¹, b', or c¹, but each retort is also formed with an inlet passage h
and an outlet passage i; the inlet passage of the first retort a is for the purpose
of receiving a syphon pipe j, one end of which dips into and is there turned up in
the lower part of a reservoir / kept supplied above that end of the pipe j with the
acid to be concentrated; the other end of this pipe j within the retort a is also
turned up.
The outlet passage i of this retort a is provided with a syphon pipe l,
the ends of which are also turned up as in the case of the ends of the pipe j; one
turned-up end of this syphon pipe is in the acid liquor in the retort a, and the
other in a vessel m, also containing acid; this vessel m also receives one turned up
end of another syphon pipe n which passes through the inlet passage h of the

page_text: second retort b, and at its other end is turned up in the acid liquor contained in that
retort b; the vessel m thereby serves as a connector to connect the two retorts a
and b, and in like manner the acid from the retort b is conducted by a corresponding
syphon pipe o from the retort 6 to another vessel p acting as a connector between the
retort b and the retort c by one end of the syphon pipe q dipping below the acid
liquor in this vessel p, and the other in the acid contained in the retort c, and so on;
other number of such retorts connected together may be employed. From the last
of the series of retorts employed the acid therein is conducted by a syphon pipe
into another connecting vessels, and thence by a syphon pipe t to a receiver u,
which is provided with a float v acting as a specific gravity regulator; the float v
is suspended by a connection v¹ from one end of the bell-crank lever w which turns
upon a fulcrum at w', and at its other end is connected to one end of a connecting
rod x, the other end of which is connected to one end y¹ of the three-legged lever y
which is supported to rock on a fulcrum y, and at another of its ends supports by
the connecting rod ys the plug or valve for regulating the passage from the
vessel through the pipe j into the retort a; z is a scale supported by the rod z¹
from another arm of the lever y for the receipt of weight readily adjustable to
regulate the position of the float and the plug h¹ to the specific gravity desired.
It will however be understood that other lever arrangements may be employed. From
the receiver u the acid is conducted by a syphon pipe A into a glass cone B coated
on the outside with lead and connected to another leaden cone C with holes C¹ near
the bottom and resting in the cooler D which is provided with a coil of leaden
piping leading from the weak acid chamber to the evaporating pans by which the
ot acid is cooled and the weak acid discharged hot into the evaporating pans.
Thus it will be seen that the supply to the respective retorts as well as the discharge
therefrom are capable of regulation to the degree of specific gravity desired to be
attained.
The vessels m, p, and s are provided with covers to prevent the escape of the
vapour therefrom into the room, and these covers are for convenience of application
formed in two or more parts, each having a pipe E passing from it to a flue to
conduct away the gases generated in those vessels.
The section, Figure 2, shews two sets of apparatus in operation arranged side by
side within one reservoir resting on the heated flue of the two sets.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise arrangements of apparatus, as shewn and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I do
claim is, the arranging or combining parts forining apparatus for the concentration
of sulphuric acid by its continuous passage through a succession of glass retorts
connected together, and whereby the flow of the acid is regulated by specific gravity
as desired, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bowen, have hereunto set my band
and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
THOMAS BOWEN. (L.S.)