AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF MANUFACTURING ASPHALTE, AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrè Bresson, Engineer, 7, Falcon St., City,
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF MANUFACTURING
ASPHALTE, AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME."
Sealed the 22nd December 1871, and dated the 27th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrè Bresson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th September 1871.
I, ANDRE BRESSON, Engineer, 7, Falcon St., City, London, do hereby
5 declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF
MANUFACTURING ASPHALTE, AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME,"
to be as follows:-
The object to be obtained by my system is the composition of a
substitute for the natural bituminous rock. This result I obtain by a

page_text: peculiar manner of saturating with bitumen calcareous stone or carbo-
nate of lime, which I effect by the following process:-
In a cylindrical cauldron or boiler of strong iron (or other suitable
metal) of about 12 feet long and 3 feet diameter, having in the upper
part two or more holes of about a foot diameter each, which are so con-
structed as to close well by means of an hydraulic joint similar to the
hydraulic joint employed in gasometers. This cylinder has a strong iron
beam passing from end to end of its full length, being there supported
on centres or bearings. This beam, manufactured of good iron of about
3 inches square, is furnished with about 12 strong iron beaters firmly
attached at right angles to the aforesaid beam, which being turned by
steam or other power gives a turning motion to the agitators, which con-
tinually stir the bituminous contents of the cauldrons. These cauldrons
are fixed above brick or other furnaces, and are thereby sufficiently
heated for the process I am about to describe. By means of the
openings in the upper part of those boilers or cauldrons I introduce
about sixteen cwts. of bitumen of Trinidad or any bitumen reduced
to powder, to which I add about three cwts. of liquid bitumen, of schiste,
or naptha; I then add by small doses about three tons of calcareous
stone reduced to powder. The openings of the boilers are then closed,
as above described, and by means of a force pump I therein inject about
eighty gallons of petroleum, benzine, naptha, or any other similar
essences or volatile liquids which act as dissolvants to the bitumen. The
fires being then lighted, the agitators are set in motion, and soon the
whole boils and forms a dark pitchy mass. The dissolvants above
mentioned having liquified & saturated the whole mass, escape in the
form of vapor by a tube provided in the upper part of the cauldron, and
being conducted thro' a tubular condenser, in which it becomes liquified,
falls thence into a reservoir, from which it is again pumped up for future
operations. In about twelve hours, when the heat of the mass has
attained 250° centigrade, the asphalte is made and can be at once used·
for paving or be run into moulds to be used as required. Should I need
to give this mass a degree of hardness, I add during tlie fusion about
40 per cent. of pulverised iron ore.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,,
filed by the said Andrè Bresson in the Great Seal Patent Office-
on the 13th February 1872.
1
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDRE
BRESSON, Engineer, 7, Falcon Street, City, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the:
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Andrè Bresson, Her special licence.
that I, the said Andrè Bresson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrè Bresson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF-
MANUFACTURING ASPHALTE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Andrè Bresson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
samo. 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 Andrè Bresson, 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 to be attained by my system is the composition of a
substitute for the natural bituminous rock. This result I attain by a
peculiar manner of saturating. with bitumen calcareous stone or carbo-
nate of lime, which I effect by the following process :-
In a cylindrical cauldron or boiler of strong iron A, A, (or suitable
metal) of about 12 feet long and 3 feet diameter, having in the upper.
part two holes B, B, of about 2 feet diameter, each of which are so

page_text: constructed as to close well by means of an hydraulic joint C, C,
similar to the telescopic joint employed in gasometers. This cylinder"
has a strong iron beam D, D, passing from end to end of its full length,
and these being then supported on centres or bearings E, E. This
beam, manufactured of good strong iron from three to six inches square
but turned at the ends is furnished with about twelve strong iron
beaters F, F, firmly attached at right angles to the aforesaid beam D,
which being terminated outwardly by an helicoidal 'tooth wheel G at
right angles to the beam supporting the beaters. This helicoidal wheel G
is turned with a slow motion by the endless worm H on the shaft I
turned by the pulley J in communication with the steam or other power
gives a turning motion, which continually stirs the bituminous contents
of the cauldrons or cylindrical boilers. These cauldrons are fixed above
brick or other furnaces V, and are thereby sufficiently heated for the
process I am about to describe. By means of the openings B, B, in the
upper part of these boilers or cauldrons A, A, I introduce about 16 cwt.
of bitumen of Trinidad or any bitumen reduced reduced to powder, to
which I add about 3 cwt. of liquid bitumen, of schiste, naphtha, or other
bituminous liquid answering the same purpose. I then add by small
doses about 3 tons of calcareous stone reduced to powder; the openings
of the boilers are then closed, as above described, and by means of a
force pump K I then inject by the tube P about 80 gallons of petroleum,
benzine, naphtha, or any other similar essence or volatile liquid, which
act as dissolvents to the bitumen. The fires being lighted and the
agitators F, F, in motion, soon the whole boils and forms a dark pitchy
mass. The dissolvents above mentioned having liquified and saturated
the whole mass escape in the form of vapour by the tube L provided in
the upper part of the cauldron, and being conducted through a tubular
condenser M, in which it bec mes liquified, falls thence into a reser-
voir N, from which it is again pumped up for future operation. The
reservoir containing about 30 gallons of liquid bitumen having at its
base an hydraulic valve T closing the tube R which empties itself at S
into the boiler A. The rod U.governing the valve T serves to .open it.
During the operation of manufacturing combined with the essences
large quantities of water are evaporated, which pass together by the
tube L through the condenser M, and thence into the reservoir N. The
water being of the greater density, falls to the bottom of the reservoir 'N,
in which is fixed the cock X, by which the same is occasionally drawn

page_text: off. Should I need to give a certain degree of hardness I add during
or before the fusion of the asphalte about 40 per cent. of pulverized
iron ore.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrè Bresson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
BRESSON, ANDRE. (L.S.)