CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATING SEA WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SALT
Year: 1839

page_text: LAW'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LAW, of Downham Road, Kingsland, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, and bearing date at West-
minster, the Twentieth day of March, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward
Law, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
the said Edward Law, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others, as I, the said Edward Law, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Ber-
wick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATING
SEA WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SALT;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Edward Law, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next and .immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Law, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: My said Invention is chiefly applicable to the evaporation of sea water and
other fluids containing a large portion of water, as the weaker salt springs, for
instance, and which at the present low price of salt renders them inapplicable to
the manufacture of that article.
Now, my improvements consist in the application of machinery, by means of
which I can evaporate the water in a cheaper and more speedy manner than
has hitherto been effected; this I perform by exposing the sea water or other
fluids on an extensive surface to the action of a brisk current of atmospheric
air by means of horizontal machines, which can be easily turned and put into
rapid circulation, or by means of the currents of air so produced. In either
of these ways I am able to evaporate a much greater quantity of water at a
smaller expence, and in a lesser time than could be effected by any of the
usual methods, and thereby to make salt from sea water and, the weaker salt
springs with economy and despatch. I can likewise evaporate other fluids
containing large quantities of water with great advantage, by the use and
application of similar means; and I do hereby claim this method of evaporat-
ing water or other fluids as a new principle, and likewise all its various
applications. As, however, it is desirable to afford examples of methods of
carrying my said Invention into effect, I shall proceed to do so by referring to
the Figures contained in the Drawings, which as aforesaid are annexed to this
Specification. In Drawing No. 1, Figure 1, A, A, represents an upright shaft
or axis, carrying ten frames B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, as shewn in the
horizontal plan of it, Figure 2; upon these frames, sheets or wings of strong
canvas or other suitable materials are affixed, as shewn on one side of Figure 1
at C, C. The sea water or other fluids is dispersed all over the surfaces of the
wings, by means of pipes D, D, Figure 1, and D, D, D, D, D, D, D, D, D, D,
Figure 2, with holes on their under sides, which proceed from a central funnel
E, which is supplied by means of a pipe F with a regulating cock, which
descends from a pipe G, G, connected with the tank or upper reservoir of sea-
water or other fluid. The lower or bottom hardened steel pivot H, Figure 1,
of this upright shaft A, A, is made flat underneath, and rests or is supported
upon a convex or somewhat rounded surface of hardened steel, which is
mounted in a cast-iron chair or oil reservoir, and which likewise has a cylindrical.
hole in its cover accurately fitted to the cylindrical bottom pivot, and by this
contrivance it turns with very little friction indeed, and is constantly lubricated
with the oil contained in the cast-iron chair. In order to prevent the entrance
of the sea water or other fluid into the oil vessel, it is furnished with a hood
or cover in the manner shewn. The upper or top pivot I of the upright
shaft A, A, is formed by means of a hardened steel cylindrical stem, which

page_text: descends from the under side of the beam J, J, to which it is affixed by means
of screws into a cast-iron oil cup K, mounted upon the upper end of the shaft
A, A, and having a cylindrical hole in its cover, which is accurately fitted to the
cylindrical stem I. Oil being put into the cup, the upper pivot thus formed is
constantly lubricated, and indeed it is continually surrounded with oil. A swift
motion may be given to this upright set of frames, either by means of a band
and pulley as shewn, and which must be actuated by any of the well-known
first movers of machinery, or by toothed wheelwork, or in any other fit and
proper manner. I thus expose the sea water or other fluid whilst descending
the wings C, C, &c. in a widely diffused state to a rapid current of air pro-
duced by their swift circular movemont, and thereby effect a quick evaporation
of the water contained therein. Nor is this all, for having thus created a
rapid current of air by the swift revolutions of the upright machine and its
wings, I can avail myself thereof by placing around it upright frames, sup-
porting hurdles, or frames covered with strong canvas or other suitable
materials, and arranged in the zig-zag manner shewn at Figure 1, in Drawing
No. 2, at P, P, P, P, P, P, and thus the sea water or other fluid thrown off
by the centrifugal action from the wings in a partly concentrated state, will be
aagain exposed to the action of a rapid current of air and become still more
concentrated. I can likewise pour fresh supplies of sea water or other fluids
down these fixed frames of hurdles or frames covered with canvas or other
suitable materials, with a very considerable evaporating effect produced as
above, in addition to the sea water or other fluid thrown off the revolving
wings of the machine. I can likewise evaporate sea water and other fluids in
the manner shown in Figures 3 and 4 of Drawing No. 1, where the upright shaft
or axis A, A, is shown as mounted in the manner of that shown in Figures 1
and 2; but instead of being furnished with frames and wings it has several
metal circular cupped discs L, L, L, L, L, L, L, Figure 3, and L, Figure 4,
affixed upon it from top to bottom, and which are also supported between
upright standards M, M, M, M, and upon arms N, N, at the bottom of
the shaft or axis A, A. The outward rims of the discs L, L, are turned
inwards, as shown. Holes are made in all these discs at correspondent
distances apart in each, as shown in Figure 4., and through these holes
cords, lines, or ropes are passed from bottom to top, and either in a circular
order, as is generally shown, or in radial lines as in those shown at O, in
Figure 4. These cords, lines, or ropes must be well secured above and
below. The sea water or other fluid to be evaporated is delivered into the
uppermost disc L, Figure 3, by the pipes P, P, which descend from the main
pipe G, G, and enter an horizontal pipe Q, which has holes made along
it,.

page_text: and disperses the sea water or other fluid all over the upper disc, when it is
rapidly turned beneath it; and it passes through the holes made in all the discs
and down all the cords, lines, or ropes to the bottom, all the while exposed to
the evaporating action of the atmospheric air in its passage, and which is
greatly increased by the rapid movement of the cords, lines, or ropes through
it, and passes off below in a greatly concentrated state. This machine does
not, indeed, produce a rapid circulation of the air surrounding it in an equal
degree with the machine described in the reference to Figures 1 and 2; but
then it can be moved with less power than is requisite to actuate that machine.
In either of the machines, should the sea water or other fluid not be suffi-
ciently concentrated on passing down them once, it will be received in the
channel R and conveyed to a reservoir, from whence it may be raised by a
pump or otherwise to an upper reservoir, and then again be subjected to the
evaporating action of the machines as often as is found necessary to bring it
to a proper state of concentration to be conveyed into the boilers or evaporating
pans of the salt works.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and several modes
of carrying the same into effect, I hereby declare that my improvements
consist in exposing sea water or other fluids in a state of extended diffusion to
the action of currents of atmospheric air, produced by mechanical action, and
in the methods herein shown and described.
i
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Law, have hereunto set my hand.
and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One