IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING CAMPHOR, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Atkinson, of Aldersgate Street, in the City of
London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING CAMPHOR, AND
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Atkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1881.
GEORGE ATKINSON, of Aldersgate Street, in the City of London. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REFINING CAMPHOR, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.'
"
According to this Invention I manufacture or produce camphor in the form of
cakes, tablets, squares, or bars, or other pieces of a flat form, all as hereinafter
described.
i
For this purpose the camphor as imported, and having been first dried, if
required, or the refuse camphor from previous refinings, is placed in a shallow
vessel made of iron or other suitable material, and constructed of any suitable form
or dimensions. This vessel is covered with a kind of lid or lids, consisting of strips
or pieces of glass or other material cut to the form and dimensions suitable for the
cakes or pieces required. These pieces of glass are joined, or have their joints or
interstices covered or held together by means of gummed or pasted strips or pieces
of paper, calico, or other suitable material.
Heat being applied to this apparatus by means of a sand bath heated by a coal
or gas furnace or other heating appliance, or by means of gas applied directly to
the apparatus, the camphor enclosed in the apparatus will sublime upon the bottom
of the glass lid or lids to the desired thickness. The glass pieces or lids may have
the name and mark of the manufacturer, and the tablets will thus also be marked
therewith.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th October 1881.
GEORGE ATKINSON, of Aldersgate Street, in the City of London.
MENTS IN REFINING CAMPHOR, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
"IMPROVE
According to this Invention I manufacture or produce camphor in the form of
tablets, squares, or bars, or other pieces of a flat form, all as hereinafter
described.
For this purpose the camphor as imported, and having been first dried, if required,
or the refuse camphor from previous refinings, is placed in a shallow vessel made of
iron or other suitable material, and constructed of any suitable form or dimensions.
This vessel is covered with a kind of lid or lids, consisting of strips or pieces of
glass or other material cut to the form and dimensions suitable for the tablets,
cakes, or pieces required. These pieces of glass are joined or have their joints or
interstices covered or held together by means of gummed or pasted strips or pieces
of paper, calico, or other suitable material.
Heat being applied to this apparatus by means of a sand bath heated by a coal
or gas furnace or other heating appliance, or by means of gas applied directly to
the apparatus, the camphor enclosed in the apparatus will sublime upon the bottom
of the glass lid or lids to the desired thickness. The glass pieces or lids may have
the name and mark of the manufacturer, and the tablets will thus also be marked
therewith.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown a convenient means for carrying
this Invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus adapted to be heated by means of
gas jets; Figure 2 is an end view of same; and Figures 3 and 4 are respectively
longitudinal and transverse section through same.
A is the bath or vessel, by preference made of thin sheet iron, into which the
camphor or refuse camphor is placed. It is covered at top with a number of strips
or pieces B of glass (or it may be iron or other metal having a smooth or polished
surface). These strips are accurately made, so that they fit closely against each
other without causing any appreciable loss of camphor by the fumes of same
escaping between them, more especially as the camphor in the course of the process
soon fills the very slight interstices between them; they rest on a ledge on the
inside of the baths, and in order to prevent escape of camphor at these places I
paste strips C of paper or calico all along or around, so as to unite the strips B and
the upstanding edges of the bath A. If the pieces B do not fit accurately against
each other I may paste strips of paper over each of their joints.
The bath A rests with outer flanges in a box or heat chamber D, which again
rests on a table E or stand. F is a gas supply pipe, which by an upper prolon
gation F and side branches F2, F2, supply gas to a pipe G, which is fitted with a
number of jets. The heat from the gas flames is made to act upon the lowermost
part of the bath A, and I find that in this way the camphor which melts and sinks
to the bottom is powerfully acted upon without any bubbling up on to the upper
layer of refined camphor. Air for the combustion may enter by a few holes, and
the products of combustion may escape by other holes through the box D at or
near the top. "Bunsen burners or other suitable heating appliances may be used
instead of the appliances here shown, but I will remark that the means here shown
have been found very suitable.
"
When the heat is applied the camphorwill sublime and deposit upon theunderside
of the glass strips or lids B to the desired thickness. In order to watch this and

page_text: also the state of the jets and heat under the bath, I provide sight holes H, glazed
with mica, for instance, two at one end, as shown.
The bath A has handles I to lift it out of the box by. When the camphor
deposited on the lids B has become set I remove the lids, and then break off the
camphor tablets therefrom. If the lids have a trade or other mark embossed on
their underside the tablets will contain an impression thereof; or such impression
may be made in them afterwards by pressing them against a hot metallic plate
having the mark embossed thereon.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, and the
mode in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I declare that I claim,-
First. The manufacture of camphor tablets in the manner substantially as here
set forth.
Second. The construction of apparatus for the manufacture of camphor tablets
substantially as set forth, and specially the construction of the baths A, having a
cover consisting of a number of pieces B, and adapted to be heated so that the
camphor sublimes onto the under surface of the said pieces, as shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Atkinson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-one.
GEORGE ATKINSON. L.S.