AN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PRUSSIATE OF POTASH
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Schinz, of Camden, New Jersey, in the
United States of America, Chemist, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS
Sealed the 13th July 1858 in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Schinz, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1858.
I, CHARLES SCHINZ, of Camden, New Jersey, in the United States of
America, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PRUSSIATE OF POTASH," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an apparatus for manufacturing prussiate of potash
in which the formation of cyanuret of potassium is effected by the contact of
potash, or its compounds, in a state of reduction with nitrogenous gases, or
with the products of dry distillation of nitrogenous matters without contact
with the air, and which is constructed in the following manner:-At the upper
part of the improved apparatus is a feeding cylinder of iron furnished with a
close fitting cover, and supported on a base plate of iron. This base plate
has in it a circular hole corresponding to the interior of the cylinder. Beneath
the base plate is tightly fixed an iron frame, in which moves a slide which
also has a circular hole that may either be brought beneath or withdrawn from
the hole in the base plate. This slide has motion imparted to it when
necessary by means of a rod worked by a rack, pinion, and hand wheel.
Beneath the iron frame is formed a flue which communicates by means of a
circular grate with a vertical retort immediately below the circular holes

page_text: before mentioned. The circular grate is movable, in order that it may be
cleaned when requisite. The furnace is situated below the flue, and from the
flue, beyond the walls of the furnace, are led out two gas pipes, one at each
end. The vertical retort is formed of a sheet iron tube, and is surrounded
by sand placed in a space left for the purpose, in order to admit of the
expansion and contraction of the retort. The fire-place surrounds the lower
part of the retort, and has a cylinder of fire-clay interposed between it and
the sand. The fire-place is also lined with fire-brick. The retort is supported
by a second flue similar to but larger than the first, and within which also
a circular fire-grate is placed. This flue communicates by means of the grate
with a vertical cylinder placed immediately beneath the retort, but larger than
it in diameter. This cylinder holds the matters which descend into it while
they cool, and being air-tight preserves them from contact with the atmosphere.
It is supported by a rectangular box, in which moves a flanged cylindrical
slide furnished with a plate, and so worked by a rod, rack, pinion, and hand-
wheel that it may open or close a passage into a receiver placed on one side
of and not immediately beneath the central passage of the apparatus. This
receiver runs on wheels, and has at the top a flange which fits tightly against
the slide box. It also contains a cylindrical sieve of iron wire, which
may be
moved by handles into the receiver when empty and out of it when full. The
receiver with the rails upon which it runs is lifted bodily by means of suitable
apparatus, so as to bring its flange up tightly against the slide box.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The feeder is filled with
pieces of charcoal or coke of about the sizes of wallnuts, with which are mixed
some dry potash and iron filings or oxide of iron. The cover is then placed
on the feeder and the first slide so moved by the hand wheel, &c., as to allow
the charge to drop into the retort. The diameters of the feeder, the retort,
and the cooling cylinder being successively larger, the materials assume a
conical form within the grates, which contributes to a regular inflow and
outflow of the gases, and prevents the obstruction of the grates by the contact
of the materials. The gas pipes being connected with that part of the
apparatus from which the nitrogenous gases issue, these gases find their way
to the materials in the retort. The liberation of potassium takes place in that
part of the retort only which is surrounded by the fire, but as its volatility
gives it a tendency to ascend, it rises and meets the nitrogenous gases, and is
taken up combining with the cyanogen. By these means the chemical action
is enhanced, and a volatilisation of the potassium prevented. The gases pass off
through the lower grate and flue and suitable pipes, but not until having passed
through sufficient materials to effect the full absorption of the nitrogen which

page_text: is available in them for the formation of cyanogen. If the contents of the
retort are too powdery the passing off of the gases may be aided by leading
the delivery pipes to an exhauster. After the operation has proceeded
sufficiently long to saturate a part of the formed potassium with cyanogen the
emptying slide is moved under the retort, and a portion of the produce drops;
into it; the slide is then forced forward by the hand wheel, &c., and the
contents fall into the receiver. An equal quantity of fresh materials is then
supplied to the feeder, and so on. Although the feeding is thus intermittent
is continuous all the time the nitrogenous
gases are supplied. A modified form of the apparatus before described, from
which the lower flue and grate are omitted, may be used for the distillation of
the nitrogenous matters..
the manufacture of the prussiate
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Charles Schinz in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
SCHINZ, of Camden, New Jersey, in the United States of America, Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Schinz, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Schinz,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said:
Charles Schinz, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN APPARATUS FOR
MANUFACTURING PRUSSLATE OF POTASH," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Charles Schinz, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Schinz, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of an apparatus for manufacturing prussiate of potash,
in which the formation of cyanuret of potassium is effected by the contact of
potash or its compounds in a state of reduction with nitrogenous gases, or with
the products of dry distillation of nitrogenous matters without contact with the
air, and which is constructed in the following manner :-Figure 1 of the Draw-
ings annexed is a sectional elevation of the apparatus. At the upper part of the
improved apparatus is a feeding cylinder a of iron, furnished with a close
fitting cover b, and supported on a base plate of iron c. This base plate has
in it a circular hole, corresponding to the interior of the cylinder. Beneath
the base plate is tightly fixed an iron frame d, in which moves a slide e, shown
in horizontal section in Figure 2, taken through the line A, B, of Figure 1,
which slide also has a circular hole e', that may either be brought beneath or
withdrawn from the hole in the base plate. This slide has motion imparted
to it when necessary by means of a rod f worked by a rack f¹, pinion f¹¹, and
hand wheel. Beneath the iron frame is formed a flue g, which communi-
cates by means of a circular grate g¹ with a vertical retort h immediately
below the circular holes before mentioned. Figure 3 is a horizontal section
through the line C, D, of Figure 1. The circular grate g¹ is moveable, in
order that it may be cleaned when requisite. The furnace is situated below
the flue g, and from that flue beyond the walls i, i, of the furnace are led out two
gas pipes ¹, 2, one at each end. The vertical; retort his formed of a sheet-
iron tube, and is surrounded by sand placed in a space j left for the purpose,
in order to admit of the expansion and contraction of the retort. The fire-
place surrounds the lower part of the retort, and has a cylinder of fire clay k
interposed between it and the sand. The fire-place is also lined with fire.
brick. The retort h is supported by a second flue l, similar to but larger
than the first, within which also a circular fire grate is placed, and which is
also furnished with gas pipes at its ends. This flue communicates by means
of the grate with a vertical cylinder m placed immediately beneath the
retort h, but larger than it in diameter. This. cylinder m holds the matters
which descend into it while they cool, and being air-tight preserves them from.
contact with the atmosphere. It is supported by a rectangular box n in which
moves a flanged cylindrical slide o furnished with a plate o¹, and so worked by
a rod p, rack p', pinion p", and hand wheel p, that it may open or close a
ひ

page_text: passage into a receiver q placed on one side of, and not immediately beneath
the central passage of the apparatus. Figure 4 is a horizontal section through
the line E, F, of Figure 1. This receiver runs on wheels q', q', and has at
the top a flange, which fits tightly against the slide box n. It also contains a
cylindrical sieve of iron wire r, which may be moved by handles into the
receiver 9 when empty, and out of it when full. The receiver q with the
rails upon which it runs is lifted bodily by means of any suitable apparatus,
so as to bring its flange up tightly against the slide box n.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The feeder a is filled with
pieces of charcoal or coke about the sizes of wallnuts, with which are mixed
some dry potash and iron filings or oxide of iron. The cover b. is then placed
on the feeder, and the first slide e so moved by the hand wheel f¹, the pinion.
f", the rack f, and the rod f, as to allow the charge to drop into the retort h.
The diameters of the feeder, the retort, and the cooling cylinder being suc-
cessively larger, the materials assume a conical form within the grates, which
contributes to a regular inflow and outflow of the gases, and prevents the
obstruction of the grates by the contact of the materials. The gas pipes being
connected with that part of the apparatus from which the nitrogenous gases
issue, these gases find their way to the materials in the retort. The liberation
of potassium.takes place in that part of the retort only which is surrounded
by the fire, but as its volatility gives it a tendency to ascend it rises and
meets the nitrogenous gases, and is taken up combining with the cyanogen.
By these means the chemical action is enhanced, and a volatilisation of the
potassium prevented. The gases pass off through the lower grate and flue
and suitable pipes, but not until having passed through sufficient materials to.
effect the full absorption of the nitrogen, which is available in them for the.
formation of cyanogen. If the contents of the retort are too powdery, the
passing off of the gases may be aided by leading the delivery pipes to an.
exhauster like that used in gasworks. After the operation has proceeded
sufficiently long to saturate a part of the formed potassium with cyanogen,
the emptying slide o is moved under the retort, and a portion of the produce
drops into it; the slide is then forced forward by the hand wheel p, the
pinion p", the rack p¹, and the rod p, and the contents fall into the receiver q;
an equal quantity of fresh materials is then supplied to the feeder a, and so
on. Although the feeding is thus intermittent, the manufacture of the
prussiate is continuous all the time the nitrogenous gases are supplied. A
modified form of the apparatus before described, from which the lower flue
and grate are omitted, may be used for the distillation of the nitrogenous
matters.

page_text: The advantages attending the use of the apparatus before described are,
first, a saving of fuel arising partly from the heating up of the materials by
a portion of the heat, which would otherwise be lost, before it comes to the
place where they are exposed to direct heat; secondly, a saving of potash or
its compounds by the opposition which the peculiar disposition of the appa-
ratus offers to its or their volatilisation; thirdly, a saving of nitrogenous
matters resulting from the extended contact of the combining substances, and
from the working of them in a closed space; fourthly, an increase of produce
resulting from the causes just enumerated, and from the fact that the raw
produce is sheltered from the air until it is sufficiently cool to prevent the
combustion of the cyanogen and its formation into cyanic acid, and also from
the fact that all compounds of sulphur and phosphorous are excluded from the
nitrogenous gases; fifthly, an economy of manual labour resulting from the
continuity of the operation and from the employment of the mechanical means
described.
And having now described the nature of my said. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the construction of an apparatus for manufacturing prussiate of
potash, as herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
Secondly, the method of and arrangements for feeding the retort without
affording access to the air, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the employment of circular grates, as herein-before described, by
which the influx and eflux of the gases is rendered regular.
Fourthly, the method of and arrangements for removing certain portions of
the treated materials without affording access to the air, as herein-before
described.
Fifthly, the employment of apparatus similar to that before described for
the distillation of nitrogenous materials.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Schinz, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight.
CHARLES SCHINZ. (L.S.)