A METHOD OF USING STEAM IN AID OF FIRE IN OBTAINING OF SALTS OF ALL KINDS, AND WHICH MAY LIKEWISE BE USED WITH GREAT ADVANTAGE IN VARIOUS OTHER BRANCHES OF CHEMISTRY
Year: 1783

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM I, ROBERT VAZIE, of Hexham, in the County
of Northumberland, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Turd, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of August, in the twenty-third year of His
reign, did give and grant unto me, the said Robert Vazie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, that I, the said Robert Vazie, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my
and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said
Robert Vazie, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times hereafter during
the term of years therein and herein-after expressed, should and lawfully
might and lawfully might make, use, exercise and vend, my Invention of
"A METHOD OF USING STEAM IN AID OF FIRE IN OBTAINING OF SALTS OF ALL
KINDS, AND WHICH MAY LIKEWISE BE USED WITH GREAT ADVANTAGE IN
VARIOUS OTHER BRANCHES OF CHEMISTRY," within that part of Great Britain
called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said Robert Vazie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or any of them, should in my or their dis-
cretions seem meet, and that I, the said Robert Vazie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the
whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming,

page_text: growing, accruing, and arising of my said Invention, for and during the
term of years therein and herein-after mentioned, to have, hold, exercise,
and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein-before
granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said Robert Vazie, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and
term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next and
immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the
Statute in such case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso in the words or to the effect following; that is to say:
Provided also, that if I, the said Robert Vazie, should not particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
four calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become
void, as in and by the said Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention to be as follows:-
Having erected furnaces, the sea water is run into a cistern, from whence it
runs into a pan made of lead or other metal, and the smoke of the furnaces is
conveyed under this pan, and the water in it thereby heated as it passes from
thence into a pan where it is boil'd, which is about five inches deep (made of
lead or other mettal) and supported by flues and pillars of bricks. The water
in this pan is boiled by furnaces of an extent and number proportioned to its
dimensions. The sea water, as it concentrates to a certain degree, runs
from the boiling pan into a sump or cistern, from whence it is pumped
into another cistern above the level of the following pans, where it remains
in a state of rest 'till all its impurities subside. There are two of these
cisterns which are used alternately. The concentrated water is let run
out of the cisterns into another pan (about six inches deep), which is
fixed about two inches above the boiling pan, where it is further concentrated
by the steam arising from the water in the boiling pan being confined in the
space between these two pans and two other pans after mentioned, and called
the christalizing pans. The steam passes from the boiling pan through
an interior cover (made of boards or metal). If the interior cover is made
with boards, they are fixed at the distance of about one inch one above the
other, a little inclined and grooved on the higher side. The interior cover,

page_text: by receiving the steam when condensed, prevents its return to the boiling pan
and conveys it by its grooves to a convenient outlet. If the interior cover is
made of metal, it is perforated in such a manner as to produce the same
eflect as if made of boards as above. The sea water is then carried to a
higher state of concentration in this pan, from whence it runs into two other
adjoining pans upon the same level in which it is chrystalised alternately, by
means of the steam from the boiling pan being applied thereto in manner
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of November, in the year above
written.