Improvements in the Manufacture of Sulphurous Acid and its Compounds-Sulphites and Bisulphites of Lime, Soda, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1892;
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sulphurous Acid and its
Compounds-Sulphites and Bisulphites of Lime, Soda, and
the like.
I, MORRIS PAUL HATSCHEK, of 16 Heslop Road, Balham, in the County of
Surrey, Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect certain improvements in the manufacture
of sulphurous acid and its compounds, viz. :-sulphites and bisulphites of lime, soda,
and the like.
In carrying out my invention I burn sulphur in the funnel or chamber of a stove
to which atmospheric air is admitted. The sulphurous acid gas thereby formed is
continuously drawn off by an air pump, fan, or other suitable exhausting appliance;
or the air may be driven under pressure into the funnel or chamber of the stove.
The gas thus carried away from the stove is conducted to the bottom of a tank,
vat, cask, or other vessel containing cold water (of about 50° Fahr. or less) by
means of a pipe, from which it escapes into the tank through a number of small
holes or perforations.
Instead of burning sulphur for the production of the sulphurous acid gas, the
latter may be obtained by the combustion of sulphuretted hydrogen, or by roasting
pyrites in burners of any suitable description.
The sulphurous acid gas may be cooled on its way from the stove or burner to
the water tank, by passing the same through a tubulous or other condenser or
refrigerator, the temperature being reduced by cold water, brine, ice, or other
ordinary means.
By introducing lime, soda, potash, magnesia and the like, (prepared in the
ordinary manner) into the water to which the sulphurous acid gas is conducted as
aforesaid, the corresponding sulphites and bisulphites are produced.
Dated 10th November 1892.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sulphurous Acid and its
Compounds-Sulphites and Bisulphites of Lime, Soda, and
the like.
I, MORRIS PAUL HATSCHEK, late of 16 Heslop Road, Balham, in the County
of Surrey, but now of 51 Fulham Park Gardens, Fulham, London S:W., Chemical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to effect certain improvements in the manufacture
of sulphurous acid and its compounds, viz. :-sulphites and bisulphites of lime, soda,
and the like.
My invention consists in burning sulphur in the funnel or chamber of a stove, to
which atmospheric air is admitted. Before placing the sulphur in the stove I melt
it in a pan of suitable shape, and ignite the fluid sulphur after introducing it into
the stove. Further portions of sulphur are added during the process of combustion,
preferably in small pieces or in the form of powder. The bottom part of the stove,

page_text: and especially the sulphur pan, is kept at a moderate temperature, say at about
100° Fahr., so as to prevent the liquid sulphur becoming too hot, and developing
sulphur fumes, which would cause the formation of sublimated sulphur, and subse-
quently of other impurities. This is indispensable when a pure product is required,
such as for purposes of brewing &c., and in such cases the sulphur employed should
also be chemically pure, or very nearly so. In order to retain the sulphur in the
pan, in a molten state, the lowering of the temperature is prevented by placing
sand or other nonconducting material under the pan, the necessary temperature
being maintained by the combustion of gas, oil, coal, or other fuel.
To produce a perfectly pure article, free from sulphur as well as from hypo-
sulphites, ammonia, nitric or nitrous acid, and other impurities, the sulphurous acid
gas is drawn off from the sulphur pau through a Woolf's bottle or other suitable
vessel containing concentrated, or somewhat diluted sulphuric acid. It is also passed
through a filter having one or more chamber or chambers fitted with silicate-cotton,
asbestos, or other suitable materials.
By passing the sulphurous acid gas through a column of sulphuric acid, the
water contained in the gas will also be absorbed, and the metallic parts of the
air-pump, blower, or exhauster, through which it passes, will be preserved from
oxidation.
The aforesaid filter may also be connected directly with the sulphur-stove, and
the Woolf's bottle may be placed between the filter and the exhauster or pump;
this arrangement being specially applicable where the outer air contains a large
proportion of dust, soot, or other material of a finely divided nature.
The sulphurous acid gas, arising from the combustion of sulphur under the
aforesaid conditions, and purified by passing through the filter and Woolf's bottle,
is continuously drawn off by an air pump, exhauster, fan, blower, or other suitable
appliance; or by analogous means the air may be driven through the several parts
of the apparatus, under suitable pressure. The sulphurous acid gas is conducted
to a tank, vat, cask, or other suitable vessel containing cold water, by means of a
pipe or hose, from which it escapes into the receiver through a number of small
holes or slots.
manner.
To avoid loss of gas by escaping from the water (by evaporation) two or more
well covered vessels for receiving the same may be connected by pipes, in the usual
The pipe conveying the gas should also be fitted with a non-return
valve, to prevent the gas or liquid flowing back, at the end of the process.
The sulphurous acid gas may be cooled on its way from the stove to the water
tank, by passing the same through a tubulous or other condenser or refrigerator,
the temperature being reduced by cold water, brine, ice, or other ordinary means.
By introducing lime, soda, potash, magnesia, and the like, (prepared in the
ordinary manner) into the water to which the sulphurous acid gas is conducted as
aforesaid, the corresponding sulphites and bisulphites are produced.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawing, illustrating one
form of apparatus suitable for working my invention.
1 is the sulphur stove, which may be formed of cast or wrought iron, earthen-
ware, or other suitable inaterial. 2 is the sulphur tray for containing the molten
sulphur. 3 is an ordinary Bunsen burner, for which any other suitable source of
heat may be substituted. 4 is a swing door having a number of holes formed
therein for the admission of air, and a sliding plate similarly perforated, whereby
the holes in the door may be uncovered, or more or less closed, for the admission
and regulation of air to the fluid sulphur in the tray. 5 is a pipe which conveys
the gas to the Woolf's bottle 6. This bottle may be formed of glass, lead, earthen-
ware, or any other material unaffected by a strong acid. The pipe 5 descends to
nearly the bottom of the bottle, the lower end of the pipe being perforated, as
shown. The bottle 6 is filled to about two thirds with concentrated, or more or less
diluted sulphuric acid. The gas is conducted from the bottle 6 to the filter 8, by
the pipe 7. The filter 8 is shown fitted with two walls or partitions 9 and 10; the

page_text: spaces being filled with silicate-cotton, asbestos, or other suitable filtering material.
The gas passes down from the pipe 7, under the partition 9: then upwards, over
the partition 10, and again downwards to the pipe 11, and exhauster 12, from
whence it is conveyed by the pipe 13 to any suitable receiver or reservoir and
stored ready for use.
The air and gas may be otherwise driven, either under pressure from the stove
end, or by exhaustion as shown, and the form and arrangement of the apparatus
may be varied, without departing from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of sulphurous acid and its compounds as aforesaid, the
application and use of an open stove, working at a moderate temperature, with a
regulated supply of atmospheric air, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawing.
2. In the manufacture of sulphurous acid and its compounds as aforesaid, the
method of purifying the sulphurous acid gas by filtering the same through porous
materials and passing it through a column of sulphuric acid, substantially as herein
before described and illustrated by the drawing.
3. The improvements in the manufacture of sulphurous acid and its compounds,
sulphites and bisulphites of lime, soda, and the like, substantially as herein before
described.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
Dated 25th Jul 1095.
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.