IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF BONE, HORN PITH, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES FOR OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF BONE, HORN PITH, AND SIMILAR
SUBSTANCES FOR OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Nathaniel Brown Rice, of East Saginaw,
County of Saginaw, and State of Michigan, and William Spencer
Driggs, of the .City, County, and State of New York, both in the
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th April 1871.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lanc, in the
5 County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF BONE, HORn
.

page_text: PITH, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES FOR OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM,'
to be as follows:-
12
This Invention relates to a new method of extracting from bone, horn
pith, and similar substances the gelatin contained therein and also the
phosphates and other valuable constituents.
The Invention consists, first, in the application to such substances
of phosphoric acid, so that it will dissolve the mineral constituents and
separate the gelatin for use.
The Invention consists also in such a treatment of the aciduous
solutions thus produced that the acid can again be separated therefrom
for further usc.
The Invention consists also in so carrying on the last-named separating
process that the phosphoric acid originally contained in the bone will
be separated from the mineral matters together with the acid added
for solution.
The Invention consists, furthermore, in a new process of producing
acid phosphates of lime from bone, apatite, or equivalent substances.
by treating the same with phosphoric acid, and also in a new process
of preparing superphosphate of soda, potassa, ammonia, or magnesia.
Finally it consists in a new mode of preparing acid phosphates for
making baking powder from bone or similar matters.
The process for obtaining the valuable constituents of bone, horn pith,
and similar substances is as follows:-To about one thousand pounds
of phosphate of lime as contained in bone, horn pith, or other equivalent
substance placed in a tub or vat is added about thirteen hundred
pounds of terhydrated phosphoric acid more or less diluted, together
with enough more phosphoric acid to fully decompose and saturate
all the carbonates, oxides, or other matter contained in the material
treated that may be rendered soluble by such acid. After standing six
or cight days or long enough for the decomposition to become completo.
the result will be an acid phosphate of lime in solution, and gelatinous
matter. These constituents may be readily separated by decanting or
leaching out the liquid. The gelatinous matter can then be converted
into size, glue, or glue stock, or refined for table or other uses, by any of
the known methods. For regaining the acid two-thirds or more of the
solution are treated with sulphurous or sulphuric acid, which precipitates

page_text: the lime, leaving the acid or acid and acid phosphate, according to the
quantity of sulphurous or sulphurous acid used, in proper condition for
continuing the process. The expense of the process is by such regaining
of the acid greatly reduced.
As the phosphate of lime in bone, horn pith, and similar substances
yields an addition of about 50 per cent. of phosphoric acid to the quantity
actually employed in its decomposition at cach repetition of the process,
about one-third of the solution of acid phosphate of lime is rendered
available and may be used for the following purposes, viz., for a
fertilizer, as may also the sulphate or sulphite of lime precipitated from
the two-thirds used in recovering the phosphoric acid, thus utilizing the
entire constituents of the material treated. Or the said one-third of the
solution may be used for making commercial phosphoric acid or phos-
phorus, or for making the acid phosphate of soda, potassa, ammonia,
or magnesia by adding the sulphate of either of these bases, which will
precipitate the lime as a sulphate, and leave an acid phosphate of the
basc used.
The acid phosphates of lime, soda, potassa, ammonia, and magnesia
are severally or jointly capable of displacing carbonic acid from alkaline
carbonates when in solution or at a high temperature, while they may
be mixed, after being properly prepared, with dry alkaline carbonates
at ordinary temperatures and preserved in that state for an indefinite
length of time, which renders them available as a substitute for cream
of tartar and tartaric acid in the preparation of baking powders
and for other purposes. The process of preparing them for. these
purposes is to evaporate them to crystals or to concentrate them to a
thick paste, then to mix with them a sufficient quantity of flour or
other farinaceous substance to reduce them to the acid strength of cream
of tartar, and then to evaporate or reduce them to a dry powder.
As gelatin and starch are changed by a high degree of heat it is
desirable that any evaporation or drying necessary in manufacturing
glue or in preparing the acid phosphates should be conducted at a low
pressure. This is most readily accomplished in a vacuum.
Instead of using phosphoric acid alone in the foregoing process a
combination of it with any other acid or acids may be used in such
proportions that the mixture will dissolve and separate the material
constituents from the gelatinous matter in bone, horn pith, and similar

page_text: substances. But the simple phosphoric acid is preferable, as its action
on such material is entirely satisfactory, and it may be reclaimed as
aforesaid.
For making commercial phosphoric acid, phosphorus, and the acid
phosphates of lime, soda, potassa, ammonia, and magnesia, calcined 5
bone, apatite, or coprolites may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Molville Clark, Her
special licence, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho said Alexander
Melville Clark, 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 TREATMENT OF BONE, HORN PITH, AND SIMILAR
SUBSTANCES FOR OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM," a communication
to me from abroad by Nathaniel Brown Rice, of East Saginaw, County
of Saginaw, and State of Michigan, and William Spencer Driggs, of
the City, County, and State of New York, both in the United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patcut.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a new method of extracting from bone, horn
pith, and similar substances the gelatin contained therein, and also the
phosphates and other valuable constituents.
The Invention consists, first, in the application to such substances of
phosphoric acid, so that it will dissolve the mineral constituents and
separate the gelatin for use.
The Invention consists also in such a treatment of the aciduous
solutions thus produced that the acid can again be separated therefrom
for further use.
The Invention consists also in so carrying on the last-named
separating process that the phosphoric acid originally contained in the
bone will be separated from the mineral matters together with the acid
added for solution.
The Invention consists, furthermore, in a new process of producing
acid phosphates of lime from bone, apatites, or equivalent substances by
treating the same with phosphoric acid, and also in a new process of
preparing superphosphate of soda, potassia, ammonia, or magnesia.
Finally, it consists in a new mode of preparing acid phosphates for
making baking powder from bone or similar matters.
The process for obtaining the valuable constituents of bone, horn pith,
and similar substances is as follows:-To about one thousand pounds
of phosphate of lime as contained in bone, horn pith, or other equivalent
substance placed in a tub or vat is added about thirteen hundred pounds
of terhydrated phosphoric acid, more or less diluted, together with
enough more phosphoric acid to fully decompose and saturate all the
carbonates, oxides, or other matter contained in the material treated
that may be rendered soluble by such acid. After standing six or eight
days, or long enough for the decomposition to become complete, the
result will be an acid phosphate of lime in solution and gelatinous
matter. These ingredients may be readily separated by decanting or

page_text: leaching out the liquid. The gelatinous matter can then be converted
into size, gluc, or glue stock, or refined for table or other uses by any
of the known methods. For regaining the acid two-thirds or more of
the solution are treated with sulphurous or sulphuric acid, which pre-
cipitates the lime, leaving the acid or acid and acid phosphate, according
to the quantity of sulphurous or sulphuric acid used, in proper condition
for continuing the process. The expense of the process is by such
regaining of the acid greatly reduced.
As the phosphate of lime in bone, horn pith, and similar substances
yields an addition of 50 per cent. of phosphoric acid to the quantity
actually employed in its decomposition at each repetition of the
process about one-third of the solution of acid phosphate of lime is
rendered available and may be used for the following purposes, viz.,
for a fertilizer, as may also the sulphate or sulphite of lime precipitated
from the two-thirds used in recovering the phosphoric acid, thus
utilizing the entire constituents of the material treated. Or the said
one-third of the solution may be used for making commercial phosphoric
acid or phosphorus, or for making the acid phosphate of soda, potassia,
ammonia, or magnesia by adding the sulphate of either of these bases,
which will precipitate the lime as a sulphate and leave an acid phosphate
of the base used.
The acid phosphates of lime, soda, potassia, ammonia, and magnesia
are severally or jointly capable of displacing carbonic acid from alkaline
carbonates in solution or at a high temperature, while they may be
mixed, after being prepared, with dry alkaline carbonates at ordinary
temperatures and preserved in that state for an indefinite length of
time, which renders them valuable as a substitute for cream of tartar
or tartaric acid in the preparation of baking powders and for other
purposes. The process for preparing them for these purposes is to
evaporate them to crystals or to concentrate them to a thick paste,
then to mix with them a sufficient quantity of flour or other farinaceous
substance to reduce them to the acid strength of cream of tartar, and
then to evaporate or reduce them to a dry powder.
As gelatin and starch are changed by a high degree of heat it is
desirable that any evaporation or drying necessary in manufacturing
glue or in preparing the acid phosphates should be conducted at a low
temperature. This is most readily accomplished in a vacuum.

page_text: Instead of using phosphoric acid alone in the foregoing process a
combination of it and any other acid or acids may be used in such
proportions that the mixture will dissolve and separate the mineral
constituents from the gelatinous matter in bone, horn pith, and similar
substances. But the simple phosphoric acid is preferable, as its action
on such material is entirely satisfactory, and it may be regained as
aforesaid.
For making commercial phosphoric acid, phosphorus, and the acid
phosphates of lime, soda, potassia, ammonia, and magnesia, calcined
bone, apatite, or coprolites may be used.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The herein-described process of treating bone, horn pith, or other
substances by means of phosphoric acid for obtaining gelatin, as set
fortli.
2ndly. The hercin-described process of treating bone, horn pith, and
equivalent substances by means of phosphoric acid for the purpose of
obtaining their earthy matter, as set forth.
3rdly. The herein-described process of treating bone, horn pith, and
equivalent substances by means of phosphoric acid for the purpose of
separating and rendering useful all their valuable constituents, as set
forth.
4thly. The hercin-described method of reclaiming the phosphoric acid
from the solution of earthy matter by treating it with sulphurous or
sulphuric acid, as set forth.
5thly. The process of separating the phosphoric acid added to the
bone together with that originally contained in the bone from the carthy
matter at one operation, as set forth.
Gthly. The process for producing acid phosphate of lime by treating
phosphates of lime with phosphoric acid, as specified.
7thly. The herein-described method of preparing acid phosphates of
soda, potassia, ammonia, and magnesia, as set forth.
Sthly. The method of preparing the acid phosphate of lime, soda,
potassia, ammonia, and magnesia as a substitute for cream of tartar

page_text: and tartaric acid in the preparation of baking powder and for other uses,
as set forth.
Othly. The process of treating bone, horn pith, or other substance
containing phosphate of lime and gelatinous matter with a mixture of
phosphoric and any other acid or acids, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I; the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
onc.
Witness,
JAS. O. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)