IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR TREATMENT OF SEA- PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIONEED AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Young, of North Frederick Street, in the
City of Dublin, Gentleman, and Charles Finlay Oliphant Glass-
ford, F.C.S., of Galway, in the County of Galway, Ireland, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR TREATMENT OF SEA-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Young and
Charles Finlay Oliphant Glassford at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 28th March 1865.
We, RICHARD YOUNG, of North Frederick Street, in the City of Dublin,
Gentleman, and CHARLES FINLAY OLIPHANT GLASSFORD, F.C.S., of Galway,
in the County of Galway, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR TREATMENT OF SEAWEED,
AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the application of artificial heat to the drying
of seaweed, whereby the seaweed can be utilized and made available during
any and all times of the year, but more especially during the months of
winter, for the production of an ash or kelp, instead of as hitherto, only saved
and burned during the summer months, for the production of kelp.
The method of drying adopted in preference for this purpose is by kilns of
brick or stone work, the flues of which are covered with fire-tiles or slabs;
cast-iron plates, or with flags capable of bearing the temperature required.

page_text: The kilns to be heated by furnaces or steam arranged underneath, having
suitable flues to carry off the smoke or vapours, and so contrived that the heat
is, as equally as possible, distributed over the heating surface. Also the pro-
duction from the dried seaweeds of an ash at such a low temperature that it
will contain a larger proportion of the more valuable constituents of sea-
weeds, such as iodine and salts of potash, than is contained when the dried
weeds are burned into kelp, as is the method hitherto generally employed.
This is best effected by means of a furnace, having a very large surface of
fire-grate or bars whereon the weed, when dried to the proper degree on the
kiln, is placed and slowly burned, the smoke being carried away by means of
flues, and the ashes or kelp raked through the bars into the ash-pit, where it
slowly completes the combustion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Young and Charles Finlay Oliphant Glassford
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
YOUNG, of North Frederick Street, in the City of Dublin, Gentleman, and
CHARLES FINLAY OLIPHANT GLASSFORD, F.R.S., of Galway, in the County of
Galway, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
, us, the said Richard Young and Charles Finlay Oliphant Glassford, Her
special license that we, the said Richard Young and Charles Finlay Oliphant
Glassford, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Richard Young and Charles Finlay Oliphant Glassford, our executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, 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 PREPARATION OR TREAT-
MENT OF SEAWEED, AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Richard Young and Charles Finlay
Oliphant Glassford, our. executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our bands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,.

page_text: 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 we, the said Richard Young and Charles Finlay
Oliphant Glassford, do hereby declare the nature of our 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: -
Our said Invention consists in the application of artificial heat to the drying
of seaweed, whereby the seaweed can be utilized and made available during
any and all times of the year, but more especially during the months of
winter, for the production of an ash or kelp, instead of as hitherto, only saved
and burned during the summer months, for the production of kelp.
The method of drying adopted in preference for this purpose is by kilns of
brick or stone work, the flues of which are covered with fire-tiles or slabs,
cast-iron plates, or with stone flags capable of bearing the temperature
required. The kilns to be heated by furnaces or steam arranged underneath,
having suitable flues to carry off the smoke or vapour, and so contrived
that the heat is, as equally as possible, distributed over the heating surface.
Also in the production from the dried seaweeds of an ash at such a low tem
perature that it will contain a larger proportion of the more valuable con-
stituents of seaweeds, such as iodine and salts of potash, than is contained
when the dried weeds are burned into kelp, as is the method hitherto generally
employed. This is best effected by means of a furnace, having a very large
surface of fire-grate or bars wherein the weed, when dried to the proper
degree on the kiln, is placed and slowly burned, the smoke being carried
away by means of flues, and the ashes or kelp raked through the bars into the
ash-pit, where it slowly completes the combustion.
In carrying out our Invention, in practice, the seaweed (drift or cut as may
be preferred) is collected in heaps, where it is allowed to lay until the water
and superfluous liquor drains from it, and until it has lost a portion of its
moisture by the pressure of the masses of weed. The liquor so obtained is
saved in suitable vessels, and is afterwards treated for the separation of the
saline matter which it contains. The seaweed is then evenly spread upon the
surface of the kilns or drying stoves, which are constructed in the ordinary
way, as for drying damp or wet substances, and is repeatedly turned over by
suitable forks or gripes, so as to allow the steam to escape until it is suffi-
ciently dry for the subsequent burning operation. Care must be taken not to
dry it too much on the kiln, as it is then very liable, when burning or

page_text: charring, to burst continually into flame, which seriously injures the desired
product. It is preferable to dry it only so much, that instead of burning
readily with flame, it only smoulders and burns slowly. The above opera-
tions may be carried on at any season of the year, but it is during the winter
months that it is really advantageous, for then vast quantities of seaweed are
drifted or washed upon the whole of the western coasts after every storm, the
whole of which is lost to the country, except the very small portions collected
and carried away to the land for manure. The vast bulk of this most
valuable seaweed is left to rot upon the shores or is washed away into the sea
by succeeding tides and is entirely lost.
The seaweeds, when suitably dried, either as above described, or by sun;
heat, and exposure to dry air in summer, are to be subsequently burned or
incinerated, so that the whole, or as much as possible of the organic matter is
driven off and the saline portions obtained. This may be accomplished in
various ways. Firstly, the dry weed may be strongly heated on iron plates,
fire-tiles, or any hot surface, until it takes fire and burns slowly or smoulders
into an asb, with the production of a great quantity of smoke and no
flame, taking care to check the production of flame; or, secondly, the dry
weed may be burned or charred in the interior of a capacious fire-place or
oven, having fire-bars set from one inch to two inches apart, and connected
with a chimney by means of a flue, which conveniently carries off the stifling
smoke from the operators, and produces the necessary draught to carry on the
slow combustion or charring which we prefer; this we call the "fixed
burning hearth"; or, thirdly, the dry weed may be incinerated in the open air
during dry weather, or in wet weather under a shed or outhouse on a frame-
work of wrought or cast-iron, having a set of cast or wrought-iron furnace
bars, placed from one inch to two inches apart, and raised from twelve to
eighteen inches more or less, as convenience may dictate, off the ground, on
which grating or hearth the dry weed is spread as on a bed, and there slowly
and carefully burned into an ash; this we call the "portable burning hearth."
As the weed consumes the ash falls through the bars, where it may drop on
to the ground, from which it is removed occasionally, as it collects underneath
to a dry cool place, and spread out so as to cool quickly, when it is ready for
the market or for the subsequent operations of separating the saline ingredients
as is well known.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion, that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent is, the drying or partial drying in the manner
herein-before described of seaweeds by artificial heat and the slowly burning,
incinerating, or charring of such partially dried seaweed by either of the
methods herein-before set forth, so as to produce an ash, ashes, or dry powder,
which contains all the most valuable constituents now wasted by excessive
heat during the production of kelp from the seaweed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Young, on behalf of myself
and the said Charles Finlay Oliphant Glassford, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
Signed & sealed by the said
Richard Young, in presence
of
W. HUMPHREYS BROWNE,
Solicitor,
RICHARD YOUNG. (L.s.)
6, Dawson St., Dublin.