AN IM- PROVEMENT IN PURIFYING ALKALINE LEES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Johnson, of Runcorn, Cheshire, in the
County of Chester, Soap Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN PURIFYING ALKALINE LEES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th January 1857.
I, THOMAS JOHNSON, of Runcorn, Cheshire, in the County of Chester,
Soap Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN PURIFYING ALKALINE LEES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in purifying alkaline lees,
and consists in applying atmospheric air in numerous streams forced by an air
pump or blowing apparatus through and amongst such lees.
10 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th July 1857.
10 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JOHNSON, of Runcorn, Cheshire, in the County of Chester, Soap Manufacturer,

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Johnson, Her Special licence that I, the said Thomas Johnson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Johnson, 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 IMPROVEMENT IN
PURIFYING ALKALINE LEES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Johnson, Thomas Johnson, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Johnson, 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 state-
ment thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in purifying alkaline lees,
and consists in applying atmospheric air in numerous streams forced by an air
pump or blowing apparatus through and amongst such lees.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The arrangement of apparatus which it is preferred to use in carrying out
my Invention is as follows:-A double-acting air pump, about five feet long
and two feet diameter, is employed, and although the piston may be caused to
move from end to end of the cylinder, it is preferred to work with a three-feet
stroke, and at the rate of about forty strokes per minute. The air pump has
valves applied, as is well understood, in such manner that air may be received
into and forced out from the cylinder or barrel alternately at each end. The
air forced out of the air pump alternately at the two ends is received by a
suitable pipe, and is conducted thereby to the vessels in which the impure
alkaline lees are contained. The air being thus condensed is divided into
numerous streams, which are allowed to rise up through the alkaline liquor.
This dividing of the air into streams is preferred to be done by means of a coil

page_text: of perforated pipe at the bottom of each of the vessels used, such division of
the air into numerous streams may, however, be accomplished by any other
convenient means; so long as the streams are made to pass up through the
impure alkaline liquid contained in suitable vessels, and the form of air pump
or air-forcing apparatus may also be varied. The size of vessel which it is
preferred to employ is seven feet diameter and four feet deep, in each of which
is placed about eight hundred to a thousand gallons of the impure alkaline
liquor. The size of the pump above mentioned is suitable for supplying air
to about ten of such vessels, and the purifying process is accomplished in
from two to three hours, according to the state of impurity, and the degree of
purification the manufacturer may wish to obtain. I would remark that the
apparatus above described is similar to what has before been resorted to for
introducing streams of air into fluids, I do not, therefore, make any claim
to such apparatus ; and I would further remark that it has long been well
known that atmospheric air when brought into contact with impure alkaline
lees will purify the same, I do not, therefore, claim generally to use atmo-
spheric air for purifying alkaline lees.
In carrying out my Invention I have found it advantageous to have the
lees heated by a coil of steam pipe, and I use steam at a pressure of 30 lbs.
to 50 lbs. on the square inch for this purpose. Where the reduction of the
strength of the lees is not objectionable, then I prefer that the coil of steam
pipe should be perforated, so as to emit streams of free steam through the
lees under process of purification by my process. What I claim is, the
application of atmospheric air in numerous streams forced by an air pump or
blowing apparatus through and amongst such lees.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven
Witness,
JOSEPH PRITCHARD, Agent,
Runcorn.
THOMAS JOHNSON. (L.S.)