CERTAIN APPARATUS FOR THE CONCENTRATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF ALUMINOUS AND OTHER SALINE AND CRYSTALIZABLE SOLUTIONS, PART OF WHICH APPARATUS MAY BE APPLIED TO THE GENERAL PURPOSES OF EVAFO- BATION, DISTILLATION, INSPISSATION, AND DESICCATION, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE GENERATION OF STEAM
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAS
CHRISTOPHER GAMBLE, of Liffeybank, in the County of Dublin, Chemist, do
send greeting
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
hath, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eleventh day
of February, and in the year of our Loid One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-six, and in the seventh year of His reign, did give and grant unto me,
the said Josias Christopher Gamble, my executois, administrators, and assigns,
Iis especial licence, full power, sole puvilege and authonty, that I, the said
Josias Christopher Gamble, my executors, administrators, and assigns, during
the term of fourteen years therem expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the said United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland called England, His Domumon of Wales, and Town of
Berwick upon Tweed, and also in all is said Majesty's Colonies and Planta-
tions abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN APPARATUS FOR THE CONCENTRATION AND
CRYSTALLIZATION OF ALUMINOUS AND OTHER SALINE AND CRYSTALIZABLE SOLUTIONS,
PART OF WHICH APPARATUS MAY BE APPLIED TO THE GENERAL PURPOSES OF EVAFO-
BATION, DISTILLATION, INSPISSATION, AND DESICCATION, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE
GENERATION OF STEAM," in which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said Josias Christopher Gamble, under my hand and seal, to
cause a particular desciption of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being theic-
unto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I do hereby
declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is performed, is particularly described in manner following, and by the
Drawings hereunto annexed, viz.—
The apparatus I employ for the purposes of evaporation, distillation, inspis-
sation, and desiccation is represented in the accompanying Drawing by Fig. 1st.
A, the boiler, consisting of two metallic vessels placed the one within the other.
The flanches B, B, at top are formed to correspond, and are made air-tight by
screws and cement in the usual way. The inner is seperated from the outer
vessel by a space of two or three inches at botton and sides The outer vessel
has a stroop at the bottom for drawing off the contents of the intermediate
space. The boiler is set over a furnace in the usual way, which it is unne-
cessary here to describe C is a curved pipe, from one to two inches in
diameter more or less, according to the dimensions of the apparatus; the
curve rises about eighteen inches, and its legs stand distant from each other
about two feet D, an air pipe proceeding from the most elevated part of the
curved pipe, about one iuch in diameter, provided with a stop-cock at E, and
rising as high as the reservoir F One leg of the curved pipe is attache<l
at B to the flanch of the inner compartment of the vessel A. The other leg
is attached to the side of the reservoir F; and thus a constant communication
is maintained between the chamber of vessel A and the reservou 1. I shall
in future denominate the space between the outer and inner compartments of
vessel A, the chamber; the fluid it contains, the medial fluid; and the liquid
to be operated on, the boiling liquid In using this apparatus, I pour into the
reservoir F any liquid the boiling point of which is thirty-five degrees or more
higher than the liquid to be boiled. As soon as said liquid rises as high as
the dotted line G, H, it passes through the curved tube, fills the chamber
between the two compartments of the boiler A, and expels the air therefiom
through the air pipe D As soon as the chamber is filled, and the medial
liquid remains stationary at the line G, H, that is, above the level of the
curved pipe, the interior of the vessel A may be filled with the boiling liquid,
and the fine lighted in the furnace As soon as the medial liquid is raised
about thirty degrees higher than the boiling point of the boiling liquid, the
latter will commenco boiling, while the medial fluid will not itself boil.
I have uniformly remarked the important fact that any fluid medium forming

page_text: But
a stratum of two or three inches in diameter, as represented in the above
apparatus, cannot have its temperature raised higher than from thirty to
thirty-two degrees higher than the liquid in the interior boiler. In other
words, I find the conducting power of the medial liquid, the inner vessel, and
the boiling fluid so great that the heat is expended in evaporating the boiling
liquid as fast as it is communicated by the fire to the medial fluid. To form
a distillatory apparatus, the interior compartment of vessel A may be con-
structed with a dome and eduction pipe, as represented by the dotted lines in
Fig 1st, or it may take any other form required, the species of metal being
always adapted to the objects in view, one reservoir will suffice, or any number
of boilers, when communicating by a main pipe with their curved tubes
its capacity must at least equal one-eighth the capacity of all the chambers of
said boilers, in order to leave 100.n for the expansion of the medial fluid when
heated, though I prefer the above form of apparatus for the purpose of evapo-
ration, distillation, &c I give it various modifications as circumstances may
requie I sometimes give it the form of a flat parallelogram, A, B, Fig. 2d.
In this form I make it of hammered iron or copper The chamber c, c, is two
or thice inches in depth, and has its top and bottom strengthened by strong
ivets, as represented in the Figure The boiling compartiment D, D, is from
eight to twelve inches in depth The curved pipe is attached to the most
elevated corner of the upper compartment of the chamber, and resembles in
all other respects, as well as does the reservoir, the curved pipe and reservoir
of Fig 1st The apparatus I prefer for generating steam is formed of three
cylindrical vessels open at one end, and closed and semi-globular at the other,
as represented by Fig 3d The middle vessel B. B, is introduced into the
outmost vessel A, A, and retained in its cential position by means of a small
iron roller as is seen by the end view, Fig. 4th At the open end they are
closed by a circular rim with double flanches D, D. secured with screws and
cement in the usual way The outmost and middle vessels being firmly
secured. the inmost vessel E. E, is introduced into the middle vessel B, B, and
retained its position by a roller similar to that before mentioned The
inmost vessel has a rim F, F, projecting three inches all round beyond its
circumference, this rim is fitted and joined to the middle cylinder, and by
its projection ajusts the dimensions of the chamber G, G. The curved pipe
of communication between the chamber G and the reservoir is attached to
the middle cylinder at F The middle and inmost cylinders must extend six
inches beyond the outmost, to leave space for their junction as well as the
Junction of the cuivel pipe with the chaniber A buck arch is constructed
little below its centre, and
within the most cylinder springing from a

page_text: extending to within a foot of the faither end
The fire is placed in front of
and below this arch The flame passes below the arch till it reaches the lower
end of the cylinder, it then rises and returns above the arch, and enters the
chimney. K, L, a pipe to clear off any sediment that may fall from the
water to the bottom of the outer cylinder. M, a similar pipe for cleaning the
top of the middle cylinder The outmost vessel, though called a cylinder, 15
not strictly so. It is made smaller at its semi-globular end, in order to receive
a number of stout cylindrical hoops like those used in shocing strong cart
wheels These are diven firmly on the cylinder, and add greatly to its power
of resisting pressure. At the cucular end of the boiler may be placed the
steam and feeding pipes as at N, O. The advantages of this apparatus 1
conceive to be these First, the form of the outward cylinder, and the
strong hoops of malleable non by which it is surrounded, give it great
power of resisting the force of high pressure steam. Second, the lengthened
encuit given to the flame by means of the returning flue greatly deconomizes
heat. Thud, the medial fluid being capable of heating the water in the boiler
within thirty degrees of its own temperature, gives us the command of very
high pressure steam If fixed oil, for instance, were the medial fluid, the water
in the boiler might be safely raised to four hundred degices of temperature,
which would put under our command a power not hitherto successfully cm-
ployed by the steam engine. Fourth, with this apparatus we can work m
perfect security, and dispence with the use of valves. Let the outer cylinder
be made of sufficient strength to resist the force of steam raised to the
temperature of the boiling point of the medial fluid, and it is evident an explo-
sion can never happen, because the boiling water, receiving it heat from the
medium, never can become hotter than that nicdium. And as the mediums,
not being confined by pressure, can never be raised above its boiling point, so
the boiling water can never exceed, or even reach, that boiling point Thus,
notwithstanding the vastly encreasing force of ligh pressuic steam, it will be
always in our power, by means of the strong hoops of malleable ion above
icferred to, to give to the outer boiler a power of resistance greater than the force
of steam applied to it. The middle cylinder, from its form and position. will
When the medial fluid
always be superior to any force it can have to bear.
consists of animal or vegetable oil, it will be advisable to confine its tempera-
ture considerably below its boiling point, say to about four hundred degrees of
Farnh', to guard against its decomposition For the same reason, the middle
Should the
cylinder should be kept completely covered with boiling water
medial fluid at any time boil into the reservoir, it is an indication of the engine
rising too high a temperature, and, consequently, of the excessive force of the

page_text: steam
I sometimes construct boilers of an outer and an inner, and dispence
with the middle cylinder and the medial fluid The flame is made to circulate
by means of the brick aich; the junction at the mouth is formed in the same
manner as the outer and middle cylinders of Fig 34, and the outside vessel is
hooped round in a similar way But, as the heat is not applied to the boiling
hquid by means of a fluid medium, the customary safety valves are thereby
The curved tube in all the Figures represents the form
But a tube answering
rendered necessary
I prefer for connecting the chamber with the reservoir
the same purpose might proceed from the bottom or side of the chamber, and
connect itself with the reservoi In this case it would be necessary to give
the tube an inclination downwards to prevent the hot fluid from the chamber
passing into the reservoir, an event that never should occur. It must also
have an air pipe at the most elevated part of the chamber, see Fig 6 A, onc
form of communicating tube between the chamber and reservoir, B, another
form, C, the air pipe I do not claim as my Invention the doubled vessels with
their chambers, Fig 1, 2d, and 6th, such vessels having been used for high
pressure steam, and various other purposes But I do claim the Invention of
the communicating tube and reservon, by which such vessels can be more
advantageously applied than hitherto to useful practice. Neither do claim
the use of any particular medial liquid for low heats, as the distillation of either
o alcohol, the inspissation of extracts or dying of powders. I recommend
water, or a satured solution of common salt When higher heat is required,
many other salts will be found answerable. But for boiling any liquid whose
boiling point does not exceed two hundred and twenty-five degrees, I prefer a
strong solution of munate of lime, the boiling point of which may be carried
fiom two hundred and fifty to three hundied, according to its density. For
higher heats, as the boiling of sugar, or for high pressure steam, not exceeding
thuty pounds to the square inch, I would recommend essential oils, especially
oil of coal tar, on account of its great cheapness Where still higher heats are
requisite, the fixed animal and vegetable oils must be employed. In evaporating
alum and many saline solutions, it will be requisite to line the boiler with lead,
or such metal or substance as will resist the action of the boiling liquid
this case it will also be requisite to have a much greater difference between
the boiling point of the medial fluid and that of the boiling liquid
From fifty
to sixty degrees of difference I found necessary The vessel I employ for ciys-
tallization of alum and other saline and crystalline substances, Fig 7th A, B,
a vessel of cast on or other suitable metal, wider at the mouth than the
bottom, said vessel may be fixed on or below the ground on a solid foundation,
from which foundation it must be separated about four inches by three or more
In

page_text: pillars. C, C, a brick wall surrounding the vessel, and leaving a space all
round its side to admit the circulation of steam; D, a steam pipe passing from
a steam boiler through the buck wall, and to the centre of the bottom of the
vessel, E, a staff resting on the centre of the bottom of the vessel, and rising
above it, having a ring on its upper end, and a laige knob at its base. The
staff is placed on the bottom of the vessel before the crystalling liquid is poured
in
When the crystalline mass is ready for withdrawing, a chain from a crane
is attached to the 1mg of the staff, steam is admitted round the vessel for five
or ten minutes more or less, according to its quantity, and when the upper part
of the crystal in contact with the metallic vessel is observed in a slight degree
to liquify, the ciane is turned, and the entire mass of crystals is elevated and
removed to a proper place for bicaking up the crystals, and receiving the mother
wateis Where crystals less solid than alum are made a broad plate instead
of a knob may be attached to the staff. In large manufactories, where many
crystallizing vessels are required, I place the crane in the centre, and form one
or two circles of the crystallizing vessels around I leave a breach in the circle,
where the alum, &c may be bioken up, and a channel formed to convey the
liquor to the resei voi For alumn and many other salts the crystallizing vessels
and staff must be lined with lead, or some material as will resist the action of
the liquor. The case surrounding the vessel may be made of wood or other
suitable material, instead of the brick wall, and may be made fixed or moveable
at pleasure. Reference to Fig 3 H, I, the brick arch, causing the heat
to cuculate in the direction of the anows before it passes to the chimney, K,
Fig 5, a cross section of the same aich.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josias Christopher Gamble have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thu tyeth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six
Signed, sealed, and delivered by Josias
Christopher Gamble, in the pie-
sence of
BABTIST GAMBLE.
JUS C (L.S) GAMBLE
FRS. McCORMICK.
Babtist Gamble, of Liffy Bank, in the County of Dublin, Gent", aged twenty
years and upwards, maketh oath and saith, that he was present, together with
Francis McCormick, of Liffy Street, in the City of Dublin, Gent, and did see
Josias Christopher Ganible, of Liffy Bank aforesaid, Chenust, sign, seal, and
as his act and deed, in due form of law, deliver the Deed Poll or Specification

page_text: her cunto annexed, and saith that the name or character Jos C Gamble, thereto
set and subscibed as the party executing the same, is of the proper hand
writing of the said Josias Christopher Gamble; and that the names or cha-
1acteis Babtist Gamble and Francis McCormick, thereto also set and subscribed
as witnesses to the execution thereof, by the said Josias Chustophe Gamble,
are of the respective proper hands writing of the said Francis McCormick and
this deponent Babtist Gamble
Sworn before me at my office, Inns Quay, this 30th May, 1826, Heniy
Fude, Clerke & Examiner to Rod Connor, Esq, Master in Chancery. See
6° Geo IV cap 30, Sect XIX.
Lolled the Fuchth das of June the