IM- PROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATION
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Macintosh, of Berners Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATION."
Sealed the 1st April 1853, and dated the 1st October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macintosh at
the office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his petition, on
the 1st October 1852.
I, JOHN MACINTOSH, of Berners Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATION" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of constructing a vessel having numerous
metal surfaces (preferring inclined ones) fixed within it, down which
streams or jets of water or other fluids are caused to pass, and to be
converted into steam by a fire within heating such surfaces, the steam
and products going off together, to be used in an engine, or other
uses, or the fire, may be separated from the interior, and only act to
heat the interior, and the several metal surfaces therein.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Macintosh, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 1st April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN MACINTOSH, of Berners Street, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Macintosh, Her special licence that I, the said
John Macintosh, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Macintosh, 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 EVAPORATION," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Macintosh, 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 sanie 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 John Macintosh, 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 statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists of constructing a vessel having, numerous
metal surfaces, preferring inclined ones, fixed within it, down which
streams or jets of water or other fluids are caused to pass, and to be
converted into steam by fire within, which heats such surfaces; the
steam produced going off together, to be used in an engine or other use;
or the fire may be separated from the interior, and only act to heat the

page_text: interior, and the several metal surfaces therein. And in order that
my said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The drawing shows a section of an apparatus constructed and com-
bined according to my said Invention; a, a, is the exterior of the
evaporating apparatus,. within which are fixed a series of parallel plates
b..b, which may be inclined or vertical; c, is a pipe by which the water
or other fluid is introduced into the evaporating apparatus. The pipe
within the apparatus is perforated with numerous small holes, and is made
into a coil, so as to distribute the jets or drops of the fluid amongst all
the plates, there being three or more surfaces of fine wire cloth.between
the under surfaces of the coil and the upper ends of the plates h, by
which the water or fluid will be very much and finely divided before it
comes to the plates b, by which the evaporation will be quickened; d,
is the bottom of the vessel a, there being openings for air and products
of combustion to pass through, over which a slide valve e, may be
slided, when either of the fires is removed to be replenished, as is shown;
air is forced in by pipes f, f, below the fires; g, is the outlet pipe to the
engine; h, is the safety valve. By this, the combined products from the
fire, heated air, and steam are caused to work the engine. I would
however remark, that I am aware that it has before been proposed to
use similar products, but generated and combined by different arrange-
ments of apparatus to that shown in the drawing. If steam without
the products of combustion is desired, then I either have a close bottom
or a valve large enough to cover all the openings; and in order that
no grit, dust, or other substantive matters may pass, I employ what may
be called a filter at j, composed of asbestos, by which the products
passing from the fire will be filtered. When the apparatus is to be used
for concentrating or evaporating other fluids, the fluid is introduced in
like manner, by the pipe and coil c, and the vessel a, is made with a
close bottom, in order to prevent the products of combustion passing in,
in which case the streams of air, however, are preferred to be introduced,
and this I do in such cases above the bottom of the vessel a; by such
means the air are flowing upwards, in the opposite direction to that in

page_text: which the fluid is coming, together with the heat which pervades the
whole interior of the apparatus,--very quick evaporation will take place;
or the air may be dispensed with, and a partial vacuum obtained in the
vessel; and such fluid so concentrated is to be allowed to flow out freely
at the bottom by suitable outlets.
The saccharine or other fluid that may be evaporated is but a short
time exposed to heat.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood, that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein described, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,
the mode herein described, of combining and arranging apparatus for
evaporating fluids.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macintosh, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of April in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN MACINTOSH. (L.S.)
Witness, JNO. ALCOCK.