IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFIC
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Symons of Totnes in the County of Devon,
Manure Merchant for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Symons of Totnes in the County of Devon,
Manure Merchant for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION
OF ILLUMINATING AND OTHER GAS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE AS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Symons at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1882.
HENRY SYMONS of Totnes in the County of Devon, Manure Merchant
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF ILLUMINATING AND OTHER GAS, AND
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE AS A RESULTANT THEREFROM.'
"
This invention relates to improvements in the purification of gas, especially
illuminating gas, and to the manufacture of a valuable manure as a resultant from
such improved method of purification..
In carrying my invention into effect I use super phosphates in combination with
charcoal, preferably Peat charcoal, or pulverized Peat, and sulphate of magnesia or
other compound containing a sufficient percentage of magnesia, the object being to
abstract the ammonia from the gas and increase its illuminating properties.
To this end I take phosphate of lime, charcoal or pulverized Peat, and sulphate of
magnesia or other suitable compound of magnesia, in suitable proportions, and treat
with sulphuric acid in the proportion roughly speaking of one-third acid, to two-
thirds phosphate of lime, vegetable charcoal or pulverized Peat, and sulphate of
magnesia, or magnesian compound, the quantity of acid varying according to the
amount of lime contained in the phosphate.
The above is a convenient method of preparing the mixture, but it may be made by
the addition of the vegetable charcoal or pulverized Peat, and sulphate of magnesia
or other suitable magnesian compound, to ordinary super-phosphate of Lime.
I then fill a purifier with the compound and pass the gas through it as it comes
from the works.
The magnesia has the property of taking up and fixing the ammonia, and in
this it is assisted by the presence of the acid in the super-phosphate.

page_text: The charcoal and magnesia have also the valuable property of drying the gas
and the charcoal, especially Peat charcoal, or pulverized peat keeps the mass porous
and allows a free passage of the gas. It also absorbs some of the ammonia.
I have found the sulphate of magnesia to be a convenient form in which to
obtain the magnesia, but I may use the purified double sulphate of potash and
magnesia in the proportion of, say, 1 to 2 cwt to the ton.
When the compound in the purifier is highly charged with the ammonia, which
will cause most of the soluble phosphates to become insoluble, the mixture should
be removed and treated with a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to render the
greater part of the phosphates again soluble; by which means the mixture is
converted into a valuable fertilizer and may be used either alone or in combination
with other ingredients to suit different soils and crops.
In preparing say 1 ton of the mixture I propose to use the following pro-
portions-
About 7 cwt Sulphuric acid.
7 cwt coprolite, animal charcoal, bone-ash, or phosphate of lime; pre-
ferably a mixture of each.
From 3 to 6 cwt Peat charcoal or pulverized peat, and
1 to 2 cwt Sulphate of magnesia, purified double sulphate of potash
and magnesia, or other compound containing a suitable proportion of
magnesia.
I am aware that a mixture of sawdust and acid has been used in the purification
of gas, but it only purifies incompletely and the presence of so much acid injures
the illuminating quality of the gas.
Acid super-phosphates, and super phoshates freed from acid have also been used
for this purpose, but these become mixed during use into a pasty 'mass, which
renders the passage of the gas difficult, and they are not so efficient in purifying
and drying the gas, as when the peat charcoal and sulphate of magnesia are
combined with the super phosphates.
As a modification of the above described process I may omit either the super-
phosphates, or the magnesia from the purifying compound until after the purifi-
cation of the gas, or I may pass the gas through a mixture of peat charcoal
pulverized peat or other vegetable charcoal and sulphuric acid, adding to the
mixture after the purification of the gas the super-phosphates and sulphate of
magnesia, or the super phosphates and the purified double sulphate of Potash and
magnesia.
Gas purified according to my process will have its illuminating properties
increased from at least one-and-a-half to two candles and a valuable fertilizing
compound will result.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Symons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd March
1883.
.
HENRY SYMONS of Totnes in the County of Devon Manure Merchant"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF ILLUMINATING AND OTHER GAS AND
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE AS A RESULTANT THEREFROM
"
This Invention relates to improvements in the purification of gas, especially
illuminating gas, and to the manufacture of a valuable manure as a resultant from
such improved method of purification.
In carrying my invention into effect, I use super-phosphates in combination with
charcoal, preferably.peat charcoal or pulverized peat, and sulphate of magnesia or
other compound containing a sufficient percentage of magnesia, in or about the
proportions hereafter mentioned, the object being to abstract the ammonia from the
gas and increase its illuminating properties.
These materials I treat with sulphuric acid in the proportion, roughly speaking,
of one third acid to two thirds of the mixture of materials above named, the
quantity of acid varying according to the amount of lime contained in the
phosphate.
The above is a convenient method of preparing the mixture, but it may be made
by the addition of the vegetable charcoal or pulverized peat and sulphate of
magnesia to ordinary super-phosphate of lime.
I then fill a purifier with the compound, and pass the gas through it as it comes.
from the works.
The sulphate of magnesia has the property of taking up and fixing the ammonia,
and in this it is assisted by the presence of the acids in the super-phosphate.
The charcoal and sulphate of magnesia have also the valuable property of drying
the gas, and the charcoal, especially peat charcoal or charred or pulverized peat,
keeps the mass porous, and allows a free passage of the gas.
When the compound in the purifier has become highly charged with ammonia,
which will cause most of the soluble phosphates to become insoluble, the mixture
should be removed and treated with a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to
render the phosphates again soluble; by which means the mixture is converted into
a valuable fertilizer, and may be used either alone or in combination with other
ingredients (such as the double sulphate of potash and magnesia, Phosphate of
lime, or any suitable salt of Potash) to suit different soils and crops. This
compound I propose to name "Phospho-ammonia Manure."
In preparing say one ton of the purifying mixture, I propose to use the above
mentioned materials in the following proportions :-
About 7 cwt sulphuric acid. About 8 cwt animal charcoal, bone ash, or phosphate
of lime, preferably a mixture of these.
About 2 to 3 cwt peat charcoal, or charred or pulverized peat.-After mixing
these materials together, I add thereto about 2 to 3 cwt of ground vegetable
charcoal, or charred or pulverized peat, or a mixture of these, and about 1 cwt
sulphate of magnesia.
Or I may use about 14 cwt super phosphate of lime, 4 to 5 cwt vegetable charcoal,
or charred or pulverized peat or a mixture of these, and 1 cwt sulphate of
magnesia
As a modification of the above described process, I may omit the magnesia from
the purifying compound, retaining the relative proportions above mentioned for the
remaining ingredients.

page_text: Gas purified according to my process will have its illuminating properties
increased from at least one to two candles, and a valuable fertilizing compound will
result.
I am aware that mixtures of charcoal and acid and also peat, sawdust, and acid
have used in the purification of gas, but they only purify incompletely, and the
presence of so much acid injures the illuminating quality of the gas.
Acid superphosphates, and superphosphates free from acid, have also been used
for this purpose, but these become mixed during use into a pasty mass, which
renders the passage of the gas difficult, and they are not so efficient in purifying
and drying the gas as when the peat charcoal and sulphate of magnesia are
combined with the superphosphate.
I am also aware that combinations of superphosphate of lime, charcoal, Peat,
Bisulphate of potassa, and sulphate of Magnesia have been used in conjunction
with chloride of Sodium, but these have failed to give satisfactory results, owing to
the chloride of sodium a potassa, and the large proportion of charcoal, tending to
destroy the illuminating properties of the gas.,
Having now setforth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
purification of illuminating and other gas and in the manufacture of manure as a
resultant therefrom," and having explained in what manner the same may be carried
into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim :-
The improved method of purifying gas above described, and consisting essentially
in the use of superphosphates in combination with vegetable charcoal, preferably
peat charcoal, or charred or pulverized peat, with or without sulphate or other
compound of magnesia, and in or about the proportions above mentioned, whereby
the gas is purified, and its illuminating properties are enhanced, and as a resultant
a valuable manure is produced.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Symons have hereunto set my hand
and seal the twenty second day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.