IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHO-CYANIDE OF AMMONIUM, AND OTHER SULPHO- CYANIDER
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Spence, of Newton Heath, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHO-CYANIDE OF AMMONIUM, AND OTHER SULPHO-
CYANIDER."
Sealed the 8th August 1864, and dated the 9th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1864.
I, PETER SPENCE, of Newton Heath, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHO-CYANIDE OF AMMONIUM AND
OTHER SULPHO-CYANIDES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the use of the ammoniacal liquor produced in gas-
works for the purpose of obtaining sulpho-cyanide of ammonium, and other
sulpho-cyanides.
In carrying my Invention into effect I propose to drive off the volatile salts
of ammonia, and then to crystallize the chloride of ammonium. The mother
liquor is then diluted, so as to precipitate extraneous matters, and the clear
solution is taken for use. To this is added a mixed solution of sulphate of
copper and iron, by which sulpho-cyanide of copper is produced, which, being
treated with a solution of sulphide of ammonium the copper is separated, and
sulpho-cyanide of ammonium is formed, which may be crystallized by steam

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
SPENCE, of Newton Heath, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Peter Spence, Her special license that I, the said Peter
Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Peter Spence, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHO-CYANIDE OF AMMONIUM AND
OTHER SULPHO-CYANIDES," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the
said Peter Spence, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Peter Spence, 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 (that is to say):
:-
gas-
My Invention consists in the use of the ammonical liquor produced in
works for the purpose of obtaining sulpho-cyanide of ammonium, and other
sulpho-cyanides.
In carrying my Invention into effect I proceed as follows:-I take the
above-mentioned ammonical liquor and boil it in a close vessel or still to
drive off all the volatile ammonia or salts of ammonia, I then take the residual

page_text: liquor and boil it down in open vessels until of the requisite strength to
crystalize, and I then allow it to cool, upon which it deposits crystals of dark
or impure muriate of ammonia; I then take the mother liquor from these
crystals and dilute it with four times its volume of water. It now deposits a
quantity of tarry matter; I then draw off the clear solution from this deposit,
and to it I add in solution a mixture of sulphate of copper and proto-sulphate
of iron in about equal quantities, the strength is not important. A greyish
white precipitate of sulpho-cyanide of copper is produced, which I wash by
repeated quantities of water until all the soluble matter is removed. In order
to convert this sulpho-cyanide of copper into sulpho-cyanide of ammonium, I
take a solution of sulphide of ammonium and add it to the sulpho-cyanide of
copper until it becomes black, frequently stirring the mixture; I then allow
it to settle, and draw off the clear solution, which I then evaporate by steam
heat until it is of sufficient specific gravity to yield crystals on cooling. The
heat of the solution should not exceed 212° F.; these crystals I dissolve and
re-crystalize when they are pure sulpho-cyanide of ammonium. In order to
produce sulpho-cyanides of potash and soda I simply use sulphides of those
alkalis instead of sulphide of ammonium, as above described.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which it may be carried into effect, I desire it to be under-
stood that I do not limit myself to the exact operations above described, but
claim as secured to me, under the above in part recited Letters Patent, the
production of sulpho-cyanide of ammonium and other sulpho-cyanides by the
use of ammonical liquor of gasworks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
PETER SPENCE. (L.8.)