or Apparatus Employed therein.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1888
Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
or Apparatus Employed therein.
I NORMAN KELSEY MORRIS, of Denver, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado,
one of the United States of America, Physician do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a novel method for producing lead carbonate or white
lead.
Prior to my inventiou metallic lead has been converted into the carbonate by means
of acetic acid and carbonic acid gas, the acetic acid being contained in pots located in
a chamber into which carbonic acid gas is introduced, a predetermined or desired
quantity of carbonic acid gas being admitted into the chamber to produce the corrosion
or conversion of the metallic lead.
Also carbonic acid gas has been passed through vats containing acetic acid before
being admitted into the converting chamber.
With the methods referred to a considerable length of time is required to effect
the formation of the carbonate, it often requiring as long as one hundred to one
bundred and twenty days to convert any considerable quantity of lead.
In accordance with my invention, 1 make use of carbonic acid gas and acetic acid
but maintain the latter in the form of vapor, and cause the said gas and vapor to
be circulated through the corroding chamber, they being forced into the said chamber
preferably at one side and withdrawn from the opposite side and again forced into
the chamber.
The metallic lead in the corroding chamber will preferably be in the form of a fine
wire or sponge placed upon shelves or racks located therein.
The acetic acid may be supplied from outside the chamber by means of a pipe or
pipes, which lead from a suitable tank or source of supply, to pots or shallow trays or
receptacles located in the corroding chamber, the said acid being converted into a ..
vapor within the chamber by the heat of the said chamber, the latter being heated
preferably by a system of steam pipes located below the floor.
The said floor is composed preferably of tile set in soluble glass or silicate of soda,
or other material unaffected by acids.
H

page_text: The circulation of gas and vapor may be accomplished by means of a single blower
connected to the carbonic acid gas supply.
The particular features of my invention will be pointed out in the claim at the end
of this specification.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of one form of apparatus by which to practice my
invention, it, being partially broken out to show the racks or shelves to support the
lead and the shallow trays or receptacles for the acetic acid, and
Fig. 2, is a section of Fig. 1, on the line x-x looking down, the floor being
omitted and also part of the shelves or racks supporting the lead.
The converting or corroding chamber or room A may have its walls made of wood
or other suitable material, the said chamber being preferably air tight and having a
door A¹ by which access may be had to it.
The chamber A has a floor a preferably made of tile laid in soluble glass or silicate
of soda, or it may be of any other material not affected by acids.
The chamber A contains within it as shown a series of superimposed racks or
shelves a extended across the said chamber, they being shown as supported by the
sides thereof.
The shelves or racks a¹ support the metallic lead to be converted into the carbonate,
the said lead being preferably in the form of a sponge, or as herein shown, in the
form of a fine wire a².
The lead wire a² is converted into the carbonate by means of acetic acid and carbonic
acid gas, the acetic acid being changed to vapor by heat supplied as will be described.
The acetic acid is supplied to the chamber A as herein shown by a pipe b connected to
a tank B which may be located upon the chamber as shown, or it may be in any other
desired place, or the said acid may be forced in by a pump, not shown, but which may
be connected to the pipe b in well known manner.
The pipe 6 is provided, as shown, with branch pipes 61, 62, leading to opposite sides
of the chamber, each branch pipe 61, 62 being provided as shown with extension pipes
or nozzles 6³ located above and so as to empty the acetic acid preferably into shallow
trays or receptacles 64 extended across the chamber A.
The carbonic acid gas is taken, as shown, from a resevoir or gasometer or kiln B¹,
see Fig. 2, by a blower B2 of any suitable or well known construction, the said blower
as herein shown, drawing the gas from the resevoir B' through the pipe c,
communicating with the pipe c' connected to the eye of the blower and also to a pipe c²
having branch pipes ca extended into the chamber A, the said gas being drawn
through the blower and forced into a pipe d² extended across the chamber A and
connected to a pipe d', having branch pipes d extended into the said chamber.
The carbonic acid gas and the vapor of acetic acid are caused to circulate through
the chamber A by the blower B², which exhausts the mixed gas and vapor out of
the said chamber through the branch pipes c³ of the pipe c² and through the pipe c¹
connecting the pipe with the eye of the blower B².
The rotation of the blower is regulated so that but a mild circulation and not a
current of the carbonic acid gas, and acetic acid vapor is maintained through the
chamber.
The acetic acid in the trays or receptacles 6 is vaporized by heat supplied
preferably by steam pipes d³ located below the floor a and connected with a suitable
source of supply, but instead I may employ any other suitable means of heat such as
a furnace.
The acetic acid pipe b and the carbonic acid gas pipe c are provided with valves or
cocks d¹, ds, respectively.
In the operation of the apparatus herein shown, the cock d¹ is closed when a
sufficient quantity of acetic acid has been admitted to the chamber, the cock de opened
and the blower started, and when a sufficient quantity of gas has been forced into the
chamber A the cock d' is closed sufficiently to regulate the supply of carbonic acid
gas, as fast as it is absorbed by the lead.
The heat of the chamber vaporizes the acetic acid, so that as the blower continues
to operate, a circulation of carbonic acid gas and acetic acid vapor is maintained

page_text: through the chamber A, whereby the lead is converted into the carbonate in the
comparatively short time of four or five days, any acetic acid which may be
condensed in the chamber A being immediately vaporized when it comes in contact
with the floor A.
I have herein shown only one chamber, but it is evident I may cause the mixture
of gas and vapor to be passed through any desired number of chambers.
Further I do not desire to limit myself to the precise arrangement shown as I
may employ a separate blower at each side of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. That improvement in the art or method of manufacturing white lead, which
consists in maintaining a circulation of carbonic acid gas and acetic acid vapor through
a chamber containing metallic lead, substantially as described.
2. That improvement in the art or method of manufacturing white lead, which
consists in introducing carbonic acid gas and acetic acid into the converting chamber,
and vaporizing the acetic acid therein, and maintaining a circulation of carbonic acid
gas and acetic acid vapor through the converting chamber to corrode or convert
metallic lead, substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for the manufacture of white lead, a converting chamber to
contain lead and provided with an acid resisting floor, a receptacle for acetic acid in
said chamber, and means substantially. as described to vaporize the acetic acid within
said chamber and maintain it vaporized, combined with a source of supply of carbonic
acid gas, inlet and outlet pipes for the said chamber, and with a fan or blower
connected to the said chamber to circulate carbonic acid gas and acetic acid vapor
through the converting chamber, substantially as described."
Did the 18th dow of September 1888
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.