COMPOST OR MANURE." IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Culverhouse, of 72, English Street,
Hull, for the Invention of
COMPOST OR MANURE."
IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING
Sealed the 20th February 1854, and dated the 24th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Culverhouse
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th August 1853.
I, GEORGE CULVERHOUSE, of 72, English Street, Hull, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFAC-
TURING COMPOST OR MANURE" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the employment of a boiler and
apparatus for boiling bones and matters under pressure in the manufac-
ture of compost or manure. The upper part of the boiler is separate,
so as to be lifted up off the lower part. The upper part is by prefer-
ence hemispherical, and is capable of being readily and securely fixed
to the lower part, and there is a valve to the upper part to regulate the
pressure at which the boiling shall take place. In order to facilitate the

page_text: discharging of the contents of the boiler there is placed into the boiler
a cradle or apparatus of the form of the lower part of the boiler, which
I prefer to be framed and covered with wire work or with perforated
metal, and there is a tap to draw off the fluid part of the charge of the
boiler
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Culverhouse in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 20th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE CULVERIOUSE, of 72, English Street, Hull, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said George-Culverhouse, Her special
licence that I, the said George Culverhouse, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Culverhouse,
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING COMPOST OR MANURE," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Culverhouse, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Culverhouse, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):

page_text: This Invention has for its object the employment of a boiler and
apparatus for boiling bones and matters under pressure in the manufac-
ture of compost or manure. The upper part.of the boiler is separate,
so as to be lifted up off the lower part. The upper part is by prefer-
ence hemispherical, and is capable of being readily and securely fixed
to the lower part, and there is a valve to the upper part to regulate the
pressure at which the boiling shall take place. In order to facilitate the
discharging of the contents of the boiler there is placed into the boiler
a cradle or apparatus of the form of the lower part of the boiler, which
I prefer to be framed and covered with wire work or with. perforated
metal, and there is a tap to draw off the fluid part of the charge of the
boiler.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the means of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows the section of the apparatus used by me in carrying
out my Invention. Figure 2, shows a section of the cradle into which
the bones or animal matters to be boiled are put, and by a suitable crane
or tackle lifted into the boiler. Figure 3, shows an underside view of
the cradle, the bottom of which is perforated. a, a, is the boiler, by
preference of cast iron, which has a cock b, some height from the bottom
to draw off the fluid matters; at the same time there will be at all times
sufficient fluid left in the boiler to prevent the burning of the boiler.
c, is the fire place. d, is the cover to the boiler, which is screwed and
clamped down by the screw clamps d'. At the upper part of the cover
is a weighted valve, the stem of which passes through a stuffing box, as
shewn; by this arrangement the matters may be boiled under pressure.
e, a pipe, into which any ammonia which may come over will flow, and
by which it may be conducted into a suitable vessel containing dilute
sulphuric acid. f, is a cradle or vessel perforated at the sides and bottom.
Into this cradle or vessel the bones and animal matters to be boiled are
to be put; the cradle is then to be lifted into its place in the boiler, and
the cover of the boiler is to be fixed as above explained. The boiler
being first supplied with a solution of alkali or very dilute acid to about

page_text: two thirds of its contents. The quantity of alkali I generally employ is
at the rate of about 60 lbs. of potash or soda for each 400 cwt. of bones
or animal matters, or of both combined, and as much water as will, as
before stated, fill about two thirds the contents of the boiler, and these
matters are to be boiled for about four hours at a temperature of 800°
to 400° degrees of Fahrenheit. The cradle is then to be removed
from the boiler, and the contents removed, dried and ground. The
gelatine and alkaline compound is also to be drawn off and spread out
evenly and dried, and then ground, and these products are to be used
in mixing composts or manures suitable for wheat and such like crops.
Or in place of solutions of alkali very dilute sulphuric acid is to be
used, in which case much, and in some cases all, of the bones and
matters will be reduced and flow off through the cock, and when dry
and ground will be more suited for making manure for turnips.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is the mode herein described of manufacturing compost or
manure.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Culverhouse, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM TONGUE.
GEORGE CULVERHOUSE. (L.S.)