IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURE
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Richardson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
January 1870.
.
I, JOHN RICHARDSON, of No. 4, Union Street, Pocklington, in the
County of York, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURE,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
artificial manure, and consists in using high-pressure steam for decom-
posing or reducing leather, wool, or other similar material in the heaping
of such material after subjection to steam pressure, so as spontaneously
to generate heat and thereby dispense with the use of drying stoves
and like apparatus, and in the use of leather, wool, or other similar
material prepared by steam as described for converting or reducing fish,
fish refuse, and other animal matter into a dry and portable "guano" or
manure, for which purposes, in carrying out my Invention, I take leather.
shavings, old boots and shoes, wool waste, woollen rags, and other similar
articles; and treat them by means of the following mechanical apparatus, .

page_text: namely: First, a strong wrought-iron vessel, which I make by pre-
ference of cylindrical form with hemispherical ends, which is supported
centrally on trunnions resting in suitable bearings, so that the said vessel
is balanced or nearly balanced on the said trunnions, and may be caused
to rotate either by hand or by mechanical means. This vessel is further
arranged with an opening at one end, at each side of which opening is
a suitable projecting bar or pillar so arranged as to carry a cross piece,
through the centre of which passes a tightening screw which serves to
secure the lid on the said opening, the cross piece, screw, and lid being
so arranged as to be readily removeable out of the way of the opening.
This vessel is also supplied with a suitable cock or valve for admitting
steam through one of its trunnions, likewise a second cock for letting off
the pressure of the steam or for releasing atmospheric air from the
interior of the vessel. Second, an ordinary steam boiler constructed to
be worked at a pressure of 200 lbs. on the square inch, which is con-
nected by a pipe to the valve for admitting steam to the above-named
vessel. And, third, a revolving pan with edge rollers constructed like
an ordinary mortar mill in the usual well-known way.
The process or mode of operation is as follows:-The leather shavings
and other materials above referred to are placed in the wrought-iron
vessel described as the first part of the mechanical apparatuses by means
of the opening provided for that purpose. The vessel being filled (during
which operation it is so placed that the opening is upwards) the opening
is closed by means of the lid and screw above described. Steam is
then raised in the boiler to a pressure of from 170 to 200 lbs. on the
square inch. The valve connecting the boiler with the vessel containing
the leather and other materials is then opened, thereby admitting the
steam to the contents. of. the said vessel, on which the steam is allowed
to act at the above pressure for about 40 to 60 minutes. The leather
and other materials being then decomposed the vessel is turned over and
the materials are poured out and beaped up in a heap not less than
about 6 feet high. They are then allowed to dry by their self-generated
heat, after which they are ready to be ground in the revolving pan above
referred to. After grinding they must be passed through a fine riddle or
sieve. The leather and other materials being reduced by the above
process to a fine powder this powder is mixed with the fish or fish refuse
or other animal matter in the proportion of about one part of the former
to 5 parts of the latter, and a sufficient natural heat is generated to

page_text: convert the whole mass into a dry portable powder, after which the fish
or fish refuse or other animal matter may be separated from the other
powder by riddling if thought desirable. The bones and undissolved or
undecomposed parts may be dissolved by the addition of from 10 to 12
per cent. of sulphuric acid, specific gravity 1740. The powdered leather
and other materials after being separated from the fish or fish refuse by
riddling may be used again for the decomposition of a fresh batch.