APPA- RATUS FOR CONDENSING OR ABSORBING MURIATIC ACID GAS FROM THE FURNACES PROAL SPKILNS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF SODA
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Senior Atkinson, of Knottingley, in the
County of York, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "APPA-
RATUS FOR CONDENSING OR ABSORBING MURIATIC ACID GAS FROM THE FURNACES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Senior Atkinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th July 1855.
I, EDWIN SENIOR ATKINSON, of Knottingley, in the County of York, Manu-
facturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING OR ABSORBING MURIATIC ACID GAS FROM THE
FURNACES OR KILNS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF SODA" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the use of, and adaptation to the furnaces or kilus
used in the manufacture of sulphate of soda, of certain apparatus placed
between the furnace or kiln and the chimney shaft thereof, for the
purpose of
arresting and inducting the gaseous and other vapours into a condenser con-
taining water, instead of allowing them to pass off direct through the said shaft,
as commonly practised in furnaces or kilns employed in the manufacture of
sulphate of soda, and by which the muriatic acid gas given off during such

page_text: process is suffered to escape, and become lost; and the object and intention of
this Invention is to collect such said gas instead of allowing it to escape, as
heretofore, which may be effected by the following means, that is to say :-
Between the furnace or kiln and the chimney shaft I construct and dispose an
horizontal flue or flues, in connection with which are rotary exhausting fans
leading into a condenser containing water, as aforesaid, and beneath a perforated
false bottom placed therein, and employed for the purpose of compelling the
body of gas as it- rises through the water to be infinitely divided, and the
condensation thereof thereby rendered comparatively perfect. It will appear
obvious, that by the action of the fans, not only will the muriatic acid gas be
caused to enter the condensers, but also the other gaseous vapours. These,
however, or such of them as are not condensed, are allowed to pass off by fl
flues
leading from the top of the condensers to the chimney shaft.
The horizontal flue before mentioned is furnished with dampers of the
ordinary kind for regulating the draft in the furnace or kiln, and also for
shutting off, if necessary, the communication between the said horizontal flue
and the chimney shaft. The muriatic acid gas is thus condensed or absorbed
by mixing with the water, and may be drawn off by a cock, and subjected to
any other known process, either for reducing, strengthening, or purifying the
same, if necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Senior Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
SENIOR ATKINSON, of Knottingley, in the County of York, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edwin Senior Atkinson, Her special licence that I, the said Edwin. Senior
Atkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edwin Senior Atkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns; should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time- and at all times
thereafter cluring the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "APPARATUS
FOR CONDENSING OR ABSORBING MURIATIC ACID GAS FROM THE FURNACES OR KILNS
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF SODA," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edwin Senior Atkinson; my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Edwin Senior Atkinson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and, ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say. :-
My Invention consists in the use and adaptation to furnaces or kilns used in
the manufacture of sulphate of soda, of certain apparatus placed between the
furnace or kiln and the chimney shaft thereof, for the purpose of arresting and
inducting the gaseous and other vapours into a condenser containing water,
instead of allowing them to pass off direct through the said shaft, as commonly
practised in furnaces or kilns employed in the manufacture of sulphate of soda,
and by which the muriatic acid gas given off during such process is suffered to
escape and become lost; and the object and intention of my said Invention is
to collect such said gas instead of allowing it to escape, as heretofore, which
may be effected by the following means, that is to say:-Between the flues of
the furnace or kiln and the chimney shaft I construct and dispose a horizontal
flue or flues, in connection with which are rotary exhausting fan or fans, each
leading into a condenser containing water, as aforesaid, and beneath a per-
forated false bottom placed therein, and employed for the purpose of compelling.
the body of gas as it rises through the water to be infinitely divided, and the
condensation thereof thereby rendered comparatively perfect. It will appear
obvious, that by the action of the. fans, not only will the muriatic acid
gas
be
caused to enter the condensers, but also the other gaseous vapours. These,
however, or such of them as are not condensed, are allowed to pass off by flues
leading from the top of the condensers to the chimney shaft. The horizontal
flue before mentioned is furnished with dampers of the ordinary kind for regu-
lating the draft in the furnace or kiln, and also for shutting off, if necessary,
the communication between the said horizontal flue and the chimney shaft.
The muriatic acid gas is thus condensed or absorbed by mixing with the water,
and may be drawn off by a cock, and subjected to any other known process,
either for reducing, strengthening, or purifying the same, if necessary.

page_text: In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing attached to
these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
Figure 1 is a engru
am vertical section of my
ག-92,
designed for condensing or absorbing muriatic acid gas when the same is
required to be strong; and when such acid is not required to be strong, and
the draught in the furnace or kiln is required to be increased, I then employ
an apparatus of the construction exhibited at Figure 2, which is a longitudinal
and vertical section of the same. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ
similar letters of reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts
appear or can be seen at each of the said Figures respectively.
I now proceed to describe the construction and mode of operating with the
apparatus exhibited at Figure 1, where A, A', marks a portion of the flue of an
ordinary furnace or kiln employed in and for the manufacture of sulphate of
soda, and which said flue has heretofore terminated in a chimney shaft; but by
this Invention the aforesaid flue and chimney are intercepted by an apparatus
of the following construction, and connected therewith in the following manner,
that is to say: From the upright part A' of the flue A, nn ontlet B proceeds
to a chamber or case C, in which there is an exhausting fan D, the axis
whereof is mounted upon standards and works in suitable bearings, the gas and
vapours entering the case C at the end thereof, as exhibited. E, an air-tight
cistern, formed of any suitable materials; G, a perforated false bottom,
securely fixed in the cistern E at a distance of about eighteen inches at one
end and twenty-one at the other from the bottom of said cistern; H, a pipe for
connecting the chamber of the exhausting fan D with the cistern E; K, a
pipe connecting the cistern E with the chimney shaft L; M, a cock for sup-
plying the cistern E with water, care being taken that the level of the water
is below the bottom of the pipe K, for which purpose an ordinary water gnage
may be employed; N, a cistern, containing water which passes through the
perforated bottom thereof, said cistern being placed immediately over the
chimney shaft, which is formed with a bottom at 1, and is charged with coke
for the purpose hereafter stater; O, an outlet for the passage of the condensed
gas from the chimney shaft; and P is a cock for drawing off the condensed gas
from the cistern E; Q, Q, are supporters of the cistern N.

page_text: kilus used in the manufacture of sulphate of soda is inducted by the exhaust-
ing fan D into the cistern E, and in its passage through the water becomes
condensed thereby, the process of condensation being assisted by the perforated
false bottom G, which causes the gas to be infinitely distributed. The uncon-
densed gas passes along the pipe K into the chimney shaft L, where it comes
into contact with the coke therein, which is kept cool and moist by the con-
tinnal dropping of the water from the cistern E thereon, and in this manner
and by these means the gas which has escaped condensation in the cistern E
is condensed in the chimney shaft, and the loss thereof thus prevented. When
it is desired to have the draught in the furnace or kiln greater than could be
produced in the apparatus lastly above described, or to produce acid of less
strength than before, I then dispense with the cistern E at Figure 1, and take
the pipe II direct into the chimney shaft, as exhibited at Figure 2, and condense
the muriatic acid gas therein, in the manner before stated.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of ". Appa-
ratus for Condensing or Absorbing Muriatic Acid Gas from the Furnaces or
Kilns used in the Manufacture of Sulphate of Soda," together with the best
means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I
would remark, in conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention is, the con-
densing or absorbing of the muriatic acid gas evolved from furnaces or kilns
used in the manufacture of sulphate of soda, by the use and employment for
such purpose of apparatus of the construction above particularly described,
set forth, and represented by the illustrative Drawing hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Senior Atkinson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
0 Witness,
WILLIAM P. ATKINSON,
Hill Top, Knottingley.
EDWIN SENIOR ATKINSON. (L.S.)