IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING SULPHURIC ACID FROM THE REFUSE PICKLE OR 'LIQUOR USED IN WIRE AND GALVANIZING WORKS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Pughsley, of Elautarnam, in the
County of Monmouth, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING SULPHURIC ACID FROM THE REFUSE PICKLE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Pugbsley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th August 1867.
I, WILLIAM JOHN PUGHSLEY, of Llantarnam, in the County of Monmouth,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING SULPHURIC ACID FROM THE REFUSE PICKLE' OR
'LIQUOR USED IN WIRE AND GALVANIZING WORKS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the separation of the oxide of iron and the
water and other extraneous matters from the mixture of sulphuric acid and
water (commonly called "pickle" or "liquior") used at wire and galvanizing
works for the purpose of cleaning, scaling, and making bright wire in wire
works, and for the purpose of preparing sheets, bars, wire, chains, and other
ironwork before receiving a covering of zinc (commonly called "galvanizing "
in so-called galvanizing works) after the said mixture or "pickle" or "liquor "
has been used in such processes, and-bas-become-charged-with-oxide.of..iron
and other matters, thereby converting such used or refuse "pickle or liquor

page_text: into sulpburic acid of sufficient strength to be used again for the purposes before
named.
In carrying out this Invention I proceed as follows:-I place the used or
refuse "pickle" or "liquor" when no longer fit for use in a suitable vessel,
and allow it to remain therein a sufficiently long time to permit of such
impurities as will settle at the bottom of the vessel to do so, the "pickle" or
liquor" will then become clear; I then convey the clear liquid into a leaden
pan placed on iron plates, with such brickwork as is necessary to support and
protect the leaden pan, and by means of heat I concentrate this slowly until
it has attained a specific gravity of about 1.250; after this I run the liquid
into vessels lined with lead, and allow it to remain therein four or five days to
crystallize; these crystals are sulphate of iron (commonly called ",
"copperas");
I remove the crystals and put the "mother liquor" again into a leaden pau
and evaporate as before to a suitable strength; the liquid is then run into
another vessel and allowed to crystallize as before; after this the liquid will
be sulphuric acid of a sufficient strength and purity to be used as "pickle" or
liquor for the purposes above described, which it does as effectually as the
ordinary mixture of sulphuric acid and water, although I prefer (for regularity's
sake) to mix a portion of fresh sulphuric acid and water with the recovered
sulphuric acid, as the latter alone would not be enough to constantly supply
the requirements of the works.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William John Pugbsley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, WILLIAM
JOHN PUGHSLEY, of. Llantarnam, in the County of Monmouth, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William John, Pughsley, Her special licence that I, the said William John
Pughsley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William John Pughsley, my executors, administrators, 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

page_text: make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING SULPHURIC ACID PROM THE REPUSE PICKLE' OR
'LIQUOR USED IN WIRE AND GALVANIZING WORKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William John Pughsley, 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 William John Pughsley, 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 in writing, that is to say:
The object of this Invention is the separation of the oxide of iron and the
water and other extraneous matters from the mixture of sulphuric acid and
water (commonly called "pickle" or "liquor ") used at wire and galvanizing
works for the purpose of cleaning, scaling, and making bright wire in wire
works, and for the purpose of preparing sheets, bars, wire, chains, and other
ironwork before receiving a covering of zinc (commonly called galvanizing in
so-called galvanizing works) after the said mixture or "pickle" or "liquor"
has been used in such processes and has become charged with oxide of iron
and other matters, thereby converting such used or refuse " pickle" or "liquor"
into sulphuric acid of sufficient strength to be used again for the purposes
before named.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Obtaining Sulphuric Acid from the Refuse 'Pickle' or 'Liquor used in Wire
and Galvanizing Works," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, which will be readily understood on reference to the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In carrying out this Invention I proceed as follows:-I place the used or
refuse "pickle" or "liquor" when no longer fit for use in a suitable vessel and
allow it to remain therein a sufficiently long time to permit such impurities as
will settle at the bottom of the vessel to do so, the "pickle" or "liquor" will
then become clear; I then convey the clear liquid into a leaden pan placed on
iron plates, with such brickwork as is necessary to support and protect the
leaden pan, and by means of heat I concentrate this slowly until it has attained-
a specific gravity of about 1.250; after this I run the liquid into vessels

page_text: lined with lead, and allow it to remain therein four or five days to crystallize.
The crystals thus obtained are sulphate of iron (commonly called "copperas");
I remove the crystals, and put the "mother liquor." again into a leaden pan,
and evaporate as before to a suitable strength; the liquid is then run into
another vessel and allowed to crystallize as before; after this the liquid will
be sulphuric acid of a sufficient strength and purity to be used as "pickle" or
"liquor" for the purposes above described, which it does as effectually as the
ordinary mixture of sulphuric acid and water, although I prefer for regularity's
sake to mix a portion of fresh sulphuric acid and water with the recovered
sulphuric acid, as the latter alone would not be enough to constantly supply
the requirements of the works.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improvements in Obtaining Sulphuric Acid from the Refuse Pickle' or
'Liquor' used in Wire and Calvanizing Works," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed. or carried into practical effect,
I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the obtaining of
sulphuric acid from such refuse "pickle" or "liquor," substantially in the
manner and by the process herein-before particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Puglsley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
W. J. PUGHSLEY. (L.S.)