IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING NITROGENOUS MATTERS TO OBTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn of 169 Fleet Street in the
City of London Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING NITROGENOUS MATTERS TO OBTAIN USEFUL
PRODUCTS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Communicated to him
from abroad by Lucien Fouque of Paris France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1882.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING NITROGENOUS
MATTERS TO OBTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
[Communicated to him from abroad by Lucien Fouque of Paris France]
"
The object of this Invention is the treatment of nitrogenous matters so as to
transform them in a few days into inodorous commercial products (ammoniacal
salts and manures) at the same time doing away with the inconveniences usually
attending the treatment of these matters. The process is characterized by the
employment of electric currents to replace the action of fermentation in certain of
these matters and to give to the others certain elements of which they are
deficient.
The process is applicable to all nitrogenous matters even to those which are
very poor in nitrogen; the work is carried on almost automatically with a. very
small expenditure of fuel.
The materials to be treated are in conevala

page_text: 1. TREATMENT OF THE MUSCULAR FLESH OF DEAD HORSES.
The flesh after the skin has been removed is passed into a cutting machine; it is
afterwards put into the preparatory apparatus with 5 times its weight of water to
which is added 1 per cent of hydrochloric acid. This preparatory apparatus is
composed of an annular oval vat. On each side of the short axis of the oval is
placed a pair of fluted cast iron rollers. At right angles to these rollers is placed
a mill with four vanes which serve to give a circular movement to the water in the
vat. The rollers are worked by a pulley and the mill by gearing fixed on the
shaft of the upper rollers. The lower rollers are of a smaller diameter and are
mounted upon movable brackets; the pressure between the large and small rollers
is obtained by a variable adjustment of the small rollers.
The cut up flesh is submitted to the action of these rollers for about 4 hours;
when the muscular juices are by solution and pressure completely absorbed by the
water, the solid part which remains is only fibrin which is carried to filter presses
to be afterwards made into cakes. The water from the filter presses and preparatory
apparatus is then put into cisterns.
These cisterns are of cemented masonry, completely closed and communicating
with each other by syphon pipes. They are 4 in number and of a capacity of
from 15 to 100 cubic metres according to the work to be done. In each cistern there
are from 4 to 10 buoys or floats which submit the water to the electric currents; the
water entering by ono cistern leaves by the other to go to the distilling apparatus.
The buoys or floats are composed each of a block of cork which is traversed by
two small leaden tubes containing platinum wires. These wires are joined to the
positive and negative poles of a series of piles or of any suitable magnetic machine
or other source of electricity. These buoys owing to their construction always
float upon the water, the extremities alone of the platinum wires are immersed to
a depth of about 25 centimetres.
The electric currents acting upon the muscular juices produce instantaneously
the same effect as is produced in a much longer time and with loss of richness by
fermentation. The electric currents thus produce :-
1 A certain physical decomposition of water into hydrogen gas which in its
nascent state combines with the nitrogen to become transformed into ammonia.
2. The oxygen set free serves to oxydize the organic matters.
3. All the matters are promptly transformed and enriched by molecular
displacement.
The water is afterwards treated in a distilling apparatus and according to the
arrangement of the reaction vat either hydrochlorate of ammonia, sulphate of
ammonia or liquid ammonia is obtained.
The liquid goes into a refrigerator whence it flows into a box or receptacle
where it is mixed with lime. This mixture is effected by an agitator with paddles,
the liquid afterwards passes into a column in the interior of which is a vertical
hollow shaft. At the lower part of this shaft is a toothed wheel worked by n
shaft traversing the column from top to bottom. Upon the hollow internal shaft
are arranged a certain number of shelves or compartments provided with rings and
curves or slopes. Steam entering at the lower part of the column rises in the
hollow internal shaft and finally passes to the double bottom of the box in which
the mixture of the matters with the lime takes place.
Rotary movement is imparted by gearing to collectors placed above the shelves or
compartments. A cam opens a drawer or slide at determined intervals and the
desired quantity of lime in powder falls into the box in which the mixture takes
place. On leaving this box the mixture passes into the rings and slopes of the
shelves and reaches the mixer situated at the lower part of the coluinn. The
mixture then contains only neutral waters and lime.
The ammoniacal gas which is disengaged passes through metallic cloths in the
box in which the mixing takes place; these cloths free it from the steam which it
carries with it and deprive it of a portion of its caloric.

page_text: These gases pass afterwards into a washer and a refrigerator, then they are
drawn by a fan and pass into a water refrigerator and finally go to a vat composed
of compartments in which the absorption of the gases is carried on methodically.
This vat is cooled externally by a current of cold water.
If it is wished to manufacture sulphates the vat with its compartments is replaced
by a reaction vat containing sulphuric acid in which the ammoniacal gas combines
directly with the acid.
This apparatus presents an enormous heating surface, the transmission of heat
taking place through thin walls the utilization of the caloric is complete.
The cakes of fibrin which come from the filter press aro placed for an hour in a
bath of acidulated water containing about 10 per cent of hydrochloric acid, then
allowed to drain and afterwards carried to the drying apparatus whence they issue
in small fragments perfectly dry and are reduced afterwards.into powder by any
suitable mill.
This drying apparatus comprises a vertical column provided with a double
bottom and in its centre is arranged a vertical shaft provided with obturator
compartments. Above these compartments is arranged gearing and below them
are sifters. To the gearing are fixed collectors and this gearing receives its motion
from a vertical shaft which extends the whole height of the column. At the upper
part of the column is a toothed mill surmounted by a hopper.
Superheated steam (or gases heated to 300° Centigrade) is let into the doublo
bottom, rises into each compartment where the obturators compel it to touch tho
inner walls of each compartment; it finally issues by the cone placed above the
last compartment.
The cakes of fibrin are thrown into the hopper which conducts them to the mill;
the matter then falls in a pulverized state into a sifter which leads it to the first
compartment. The collectors cause the fragments of fibrin to move from the
centre towards the edges until they fall into the sifter which conducts them into
the compartment below and so on until they fall into the sifter which conducts
them to the compartment at the bottom. According to the setting of the mill the
powder is more or less coarse. On leaving this apparatus the material may be
further ground or be put into sacks after being cooled.
The vapors arising from the drying are carried away by a fan which leads them

page_text: hides. The filter is placed in a reservoir which it completely traverses. At its
lower part is an obturator which allows of the solid matters, which have accumulated
in the interior of the filter, being extracted.
The flow of the mixture of solid and liquid matters is regulated by a float; the
liquid portions alone pass through the bark, and they remain in the reservoir. In s
this latter are arranged rings for introducing the electric currents; these rings are of
platinized copper. The liquid matters are afterwards taken to the distilling
apparatus, and the solid matters to the drying apparatus.

page_text: ww
5. Water with which gas has been purified.
6. Waters of glue factories, tanneries, leather dressers, &c.
I will describe with the aid of the annexed drawings the manner of applying
the invention to each of the matters above named
1. Treatment of the muscular flesh of dead horses. The flesh after the skin
has been removed is passed into a cutting machine; it is afterwards put into a
preparing apparatus with 5 times its weight of water to which is added 1 per
cent of hydrochloric acid. This preparing apparatus which is shown in plan in
Figure 1 and in section through the line A B C in Figure 2 is composed of an
annular oval vat. On each side of the short axis of the oval is placed a pair of
fluted cast iron rollers. At right angles to these rollers is placed a mill with
four vanes which serve to give a circular movement to the water in the v' . The
rollers are worked by a pulley and the mill by gearing fixed on the st 6 of the
upper rollers. The lower rollers aro of smaller diameter and are mounted upon
movable brackets; the pressure between the large and small rollers is obtained by
a variable adjustment of the small rollers. A represents the fast and loose
D is the
pulleys. B B are the large rollers and C C the small rollers.
agitating mill, E the gearing, F the inlet with stopper, G the outlet, I tho
oval vat of wood or metal. The cut up flesh is submitted to the action of
the rollers for about 4 hours; when the muscular juices are by solution and
pressure completely absorbed by the water the solid part which remains is only
fibrin which is carried to filter presses to be afterwards made into cakes.
The liquid from tho filter presses and preparing apparatus is put into cisterns.
These cisterns are of cemented masonry, completely closed and communicating
with each other by syphon pipes. They are in number and of a capacity of
from 15 to 100 cubic metres according to the work to be done. In each cistern
there are from 4 to 10 buoys or floats which submit the water to the electric
currents; the liquid entering by one cistern leaves by another to go to the
distilling apparatus. The buoys or floats (which are shewn in Figures 3 and 4)

page_text: are composed each of a block of cork which is traversed by 2 small leaden tubes
containing platinum wires. These wires are joined to the positive and negative
poles of a series of piles or of any suitable magnetic machine or other source of
electricity. These buoys owing to their construction always float upon the liquid;
only the ends of the platinum wires are immersed to a depth of about 25 centi-
metres. A B represent cork floats; E is the negative pole and D the positive
pole; 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the platinum wires and 5, 6, 7 and 8 the leaden tubes.
The electric currents acting upon the muscular juices produce instantaneously the
saine effect as is produced in a much longer time and with loss of richness by
fermentation. The electric currents thus produce :-
First. A certain physical decomposition of water into hydrogen gas which in its
nascent state combines with the nitrogen to become transformed into ammonia.
Second. The oxygen set free serves to oxydize the organic matters.
Third. All the matters are promptly transformed and enriched by molecular
displacement.
The liquid is afterwards treated in a distilling apparatus represented in sectional
elevation in Figure 5 and in transverse section in Figure 6. Figure 7 represents
a toothed wheel with collector and Figure 8 is a plan of one of the shelves or
compartments hereinafter described. According to the arrangement of the reaction
vat either hydrochlorate of ammonia, sulphate of ammonia or liquid ammonia is
obtained. The liquid is run into a refrigerator AA whence it flows by A' into
a box B B or receptacle where it is mixed with limo from a vessel B* containing
slacked lime. This mixture is effected by an agitator B with paddles. B' is the
shaft of the agitator B, B² a double bottom to the box, B³ metallic cloths
dividing the upper part into compartments. C is a basin, D a cone, H' a cup
placed at a third of the height of the cone to return the condensations over the
shelves. The liquid passes into a column in the interior of which is a vertical
hollow shaft. At the lower part of this shaft is a toothed wheel worked by a
shaft traversing the column from top to bottom. Upon the hollow internal shaft
are arranged a certain number of shelves or compartments provided with rings
and curves or slopes. Steam entering at the lower part of the column rises in the
hollow internal shaft and finally passes to the double bottom of the box B in
which the mixture of the matters with the lime takes place. Rotary movement is
imparted by gearing F G H to collectors placed above the shelves or compart-
ments. A cam opens a drawer or slide at determined intervals and the desired
quantity of lime in powder falls into the box in which the mixture takes place.
On leaving this box the mixture passes into the rings and slopes of the shelves
and reaches the mixer (2) situated at the lower part of the column. The mixture
then contains only neutral waters and line. J is a gauge to shew the level of the
liquid; I emptying cock, K steam inlet, L elbow pipe, L¹ pipe, L² washer, L³ pipe,
L coil, L suction pipe.
The ammoniacal gas which is disengaged passes through the metallic cloths Bs
in the box B; these cloths free it from the steam which it carries with it and
deprive it of a portion of its caloric. The gases pass afterwards into the washer
Land a refrigerator then they are drawn by a fan N and pass into a water
refrigerator M and finally go to a vat P composed of compartments in which the
absorption of the gases is carried on methodically. This vats cooled externally
by a current of cold water. At every turn of the agitator B the came opens the
slide d and a determined quantity of powdered lime fails from the vessel B' into
the preparer and becomes mixed with the liquid. Through A the mixture falls
into thence upon the cone D and next into the first ring 4 and through the
opening to the second, then to the third, and out by the opening 3; the mixture
finally escapes at I.
R, R', R², R³, R* are curved pipes, S an inlet pipe, P a draw off pipe, U a
space supplied with refrigerating water, V a toothed wheel carrying the collectors,
a steam pipe, b escape pipe, foverflow, 9 cleaner, 10 collecting paddles, 11 obturators
of the shelves, 12 communication,

page_text: If it is wished to manufacture sulphates, the vat with its compartments is
replaced by a reaction vat containing sulphuric acid in which the ammoniacal gas
combines directly with the acid. This apparatus presents a very large heating
surface; the transmission of heat taking place through thin walls the utilization
of the caloric is complete.
The cakes of fibrin which come from the filter press are placed for an hour in a
bath of acidulated water containing about 10% of hydrochloric acid, then allowed
to drain and afterwards carried to the drying apparatus whence they issue in
small fragments perfectly dry and are reduced afterwards into powder by any
suitable mill,
This drying apparatus is shewn in Figures 9 and 10 and comprises a vertical
column O provided with a double bottom ³ and in its centre is arranged a
vertical shaft provided with obturator compartments. Above these compartments
is arranged gearing and below them are sifters. To the gearing are fixed collectors
and this gearing receives its motion from a vertical shaft N which extends the
whole height of the column. At the upper part of the column is a toothed mill Q
surmounted by a hopper R. Figure 11 represents in section the collectors and
rollers and Figure 12 is a plan of the same the large toothed wheel being removed.
El is the large toothed wheel carrying the collectors and rollers; N pinion driving
the collectors, C³ tubular connecting piece, D' outlet.
Superheated steam (or gases heated to 300° Centigrade) is let into the double
bottom, rises into each compartment where the obturators compel it to touch the
inner walls of each compartment; it finally issues by the cone placed above the
last compartment.
The cakes of fibrin are thrown into the hopper which conducts them to the
mill; tho matter then falls in a pulverized state into a sifter which leads it to the
first compartment. The collectors cause the fragments of fibrin to move from the
centre towards the edges until they fall into the sifter which conducts them into the
compartment below and so on until they fall into the sifter which conducts them
to the compartment at the bottom. According to the setting of the mill the
powder is more or less coarse. On leaving this apparatus the material may be
further ground or be put into sacks after being cooled.
The vapors arising from the drying are carried away by a fan, which leads them
into a chimney or fireplace.
2. Treatment of unsound or putrid meat. Putrid or unsound meat is treated in
exactly the same manner as the muscular flesh of dead horses.
3. Treatment of blood from slaughter houses. The blood from slaughter houses
deprived of its albumen and in a coagulated condition is put into the preparing
apparatus with 4 times its weight of water and 1 per cent of hydrochloric acid;
it is submitted to the action of this apparatus until it is thoroughly divided and
mixed with the water; this solution is taken to the cisterns to be submitted to the
action of electric currents and thence to the distilling apparatus.
4. Treatment of the contents of cesspools. The solid and liquid matters of
cesspools are placed at once in the cisterns to be submitted to the action of electric
currents.
After their stay in each cistern they are conducted to a filter which separates the
liquid from the solid portions. This filter which is represented in vertical section in
Figure 13 is formed of perforated sheet iron D about 10 centimetres wide filled with
oak bark which has been used for tanning hides. The filter is placed in a reservoir
which it completely traverses. At its lower part is a door B which allows of the
solid matters which have accumulated in the interior of the filter being extracted.
The mixture of solid and liquid matters enters at A and the supply is regulated
by a float A A; the liquid portions alone pass through the bark and they remain
in the reservoir. In this latter are arranged rings F for introducing the electric
currents, these rings are of platinized copper. E is a pipe for drawing off the liquid
and C is an emptying pipe. The liquid matters are afterwards taken to the
distilling apparatus and the solid matters to the drying apparatus.

page_text: 5. Treatment of waters which have been used in purifying gas, in gluc
factories, tanneries, leather dressing, &c. The waters which have been used in
the purification of gas, in the manufacture of glue, in tannerics, and in leather
dressing are conveyed directly into cisterns to be treated by the electric currents
and thence to the distilling apparatus.
Having now described the nature of the said invention as communicated to mo
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
First The apparatus herein termed the preparing apparatus constructed sub-
stantially as described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2 for the treatment of cut up
flesh, blood or other like materials by dilute hydrochloric acid.
Second-The treatment by means of electric currents substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described of liquids obtained from cesspools, waters from gas
works, glue factories or other like sources, or liquids obtained by the action of
dilute hydrochloric acid upon the flesh of dead horses, putrid ment, blood or other
nitrogenous matters.
Third: The arrangement of cisterns in which are placed blocks of cork, leaden
tubes and platinum wires substantially as hereinbefore described for submitting
the liquids herein referred to to the action of the electric currents.
Fourth-The apparatus for distilling such liquids with the object of effecting the
separation of the ammoniacal gas and the recovery of the same constructed and
acting substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 to 8.
Fifth The apparatus substantially as described and shewn in Figures 9 to 12
for grinding and drying cakes of fibrin resulting from the filtration of the matters
obtained from the preparing apparatus.
Sixth The mode of and apparatus for filtering matters obtained from cess-pools
through a layer of oak bark which has been used in tanning hides, the liquid which
passes through the filter being submitted directly to the action of electric currents
substantially as described with reference to Figure 13.
In witness whereof I the said John Clayton Mewburn have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twentieth day of December One thousand eight
hundred and eighty two.
J. C. MEWBURN (L.S.)