IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF ALUMINA, AND THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME SO MANUFACTURED IN DYEING, PRINTING, PAPER MAKING, AND SUCH LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Norris, of the Calder Chemical Works,
Sowerby Bridge, in the Parish of Halifax, in the County of York,
Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF ALUMINA, AND THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME
SO MANUFACTURED IN DYEING, PRINTING, PAPER MAKING, AND SUCH LIKE
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 19th January 1858, and dated the 23rd July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Norris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd July 1857.
I, CHARLES NORRIS, of the Calder Chemical Works, Sowerby Bridge, in
the Parish of Halifax, in the County of York, Manufacturing Chemist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF ALUMINA, AND THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME SO
MANUFACTURED IN DYEING, PRINTING, PAPER MAKING, AND SUCH LIKE PURPOSES,"
to be as follows:-
I take china clay and fit it for being acted upon by sulphuric acid, in the
usual manner already well known to manufacturers of sulphate of alumina
and alum from clays, namely, by reducing it to a fine dry powder. 1 tako
any convenient number of hundredweights of such prepared china clay and

page_text: mix it by power or otherwise with the same, or thereabouts, of sulphuric
neid, of a specific gravity 1.750, or thereabouts, according to the quantity of
alumina contained in the china clay. This mixture is thrown on a heap, which
may be increased to an indefinite size, and the action of the acid on the clay
commences spontaneously, and proceeds with violent rapidity until the heap is
formed into a dry crude sulphate of alumina. It is left to cool, and is then
fit for use or sale.
By this expeditious, economical, and simple method I avoid the lengthened
and expensive process of placing the materials in a leaden or other vessel, for
the purpose of applying steam or fire heat and long-continued boiling, all
which are entirely dispensed with, no water being added, and no additional
removal of the mass to cool is requisite. In short, the ground clay and
sulphuric acid are merely mixed together, as described above, thrown on a
heap, and the crude sulphate of alumina is at once produced spontaneously,
thus effecting a great saving of time, as well as of wear and tear, fuel and
labour.
I may here remark, that during the act of mixing the prepared china clay
and sulphuric acid together, it sometimes occurs that the chemical combination
of the ingredients takes place; ordinarily, however, the cooling influence of the
air on the large surface of material exposed prevents the production of suffi-
cient heat necessary to effect this; but on the mixture being thrown on a
heap and in bulk, ample heat is spontaneously generated to produce the crude
sulphate of alumina.
I do not claim as new the preparation of clays for being acted upon by
sulphuric acid, which, besides being generally known, I find described in
Dr. Ure's Dictionary of Arts, &c., published in One thousand eight eight
hundred and forty-three; and also in the Specification of a Patent granted to
William Wiesmann, and sealed on November Sixteenth, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-nine, which Patent is now expired; but what I claim as
my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief has not been
hitherto used within the realm, is,―
Firstly, the production of crude sulphate of alumina by the spontaneous
combination of the alumina contained in china clay with sulphuric acid, in
manner herein described.
And, secondly, the use of crude sulphate of alumina, so produced, in the
various arts and manufactures in which it can be advantageously employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Norris in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
23rd January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, CHARLES
NORRIS, of the Calder Chemical Works, Sowerby Bridge, in the Parish of
Halifax, in the County of York, Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Norris, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Norris, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Norris, 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
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF ALUMINA, AND THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME SO
MANUFACTURED IN DYEING, PRINTING, PAPER MAKING, AND SUCH LIKE PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (ainongst others) that I, the said Charles Norris, 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 same 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 Charles Norris, 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 (that is to say):-
I take china clay and fit it for being acted upon by sulphuric acid, in the
manner already well known to manufacturers of sulphate of alumina and
alum from clays, namely, by reducing it to a fine dry powder. I then take
any convenient number of hundredweights of such prepared china clay, whilst
it is moderately hot, from the usual preparatory apparatus, and mix it by
power or otherwise with about the same weight of sulphuric acid, of specific
gravity about 1.750 when at 60° Fahrenheit, or thereabouts, according to the
quantity of alumina contained in the china clay, the sulphuric acid being at
the time moderately hot from the usual evaporating boilers. One of the said

page_text: materials may be used cold, provided the other be sufficiently hot. This
mixture is thrown or formed into a heap of any convenient size, and the
action of the acid on the clay commences spontaneously, proceeding with
violent rapidity until the heap becomes a dry crude sulphate of alumina, and
when cool, is fit for use or sale, and may be rough ground before being
packed.
During the process of mixing the prepared china clay and sulphuric acid
together, it sometimes occurs that the chemical combination of the materials
takes place, but generally the cooling influence of the air on the large surface
of material exposed prevents the production of sufficient heat to effect this;
but on the mixture being thrown in a heap and in bulk, sufficient heat is
spontaneously generated to produce the crude sulphate of alumina.
If both the ingredients have been allowed to go cold before being mixed
and heaped together, they may shew tardiness in combining, but a red-hot
poker pushed a few inches into the heap will immediately commence the
action, which quickly pervades the whole mass, of whatever number of tons it
may consist. The most convenient quantity to combine in one heap will be
about ten tons.
By this expeditious, economical, and simple method I avoid the lengthened
and expensive process of placing the materials in a leaden or other vessel, for
the purpose of applying steam or fire heat and long-continued boiling, in
order to combine them chemically, all which processes, as well as the neces-
sary complicated apparatus, are entirely dispensed with, no water being added,
and no additional removal of the mass to cool being requisite, the ground
clay and sulphuric acid being merely mixed together, as already described,
and thrown together in a heap, the crude sulphate of alumina being at once
spontaneously produced, thus effecting a great saving of time, as well as of
wear and tear, fuel and labour.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not claim as my Invention the preparation of clays to be
acted on by sulphuric acid, which, besides being generally known, I find
described in Dr. Ure's Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures, published in
One thousand eight hundred and forty-three; and also in the Specification
of a Patent granted to William Wiesmann, dated the Sixteenth day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, which Patent is now
expired; but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my know-
ledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,-
Firstly, the production of crude sulphate of alumina by the spontaneous

page_text: combination of the alumina contained in china clay with sulphuric acid, as
herein described.
And, secondly, the use of crude sulphate of alumina, so produced, in the
various arts and manufactures in which it can be advantageously employed.
In witness whercof, I, the said Charles Norris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
CHARLES NORRIS. (L.B.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Charles Norris, in the presence of
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
123, Chancery Lane, London.