IMPROVE- TUT ATTLE AND PRODUCTS RESULTING THEREFROM.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Beatson, of "the Chemical Works,"
Rotherham, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
TUT
ATTLE AND PRODUCTS RESULTING THEREFROM.
25
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Beatson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th June 1874.
I, WILLIAM BEATSON, of "the Chemical Works," Rotherham, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM AND PRODUCTS RESULTING
THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
My improvements in the manufacture of alum consist,―
1st. In a method of treating muriates (or chlorides) of soda or potash.
Instead of converting these into neutral or nearly neutral sulphates I
add a considerable excess of sulphuric acid so as to produce a bi-sulphate
of soda or potash, which I prefer to run from the iron pan or furnace in

page_text: which it is made in a liquid, or semi-liquid, or pasty state, and I thereby
can entirely decompose all the muriates in such salts which it is difficult
to do when made into simple or neutral sulphates only. The excess of
sulphuric acid in such bi-sulphates of soda or potash combines with the
alumina of the clay or shale, or any similar substance containing
alumina, in a subsequent process by boiling in water or by calcining the
bi-sulphate along with such aluminous compound in a pan or furnace,
and by this means no loss of sulphuric acid takes place. Or if preferred
the muriates of potash or soda can be mixed with the clay or shale, and
the mixture can be treated as before mentioned with an excess of
sulphuric acid in an iron pan or furnace until all the muriatic acid is
expelled. The resulting compound can be afterwards boiled in water
with a further quantity of clay, or shale, or other aluminous material
until a neutral or nearly neutral solution of alum is obtained, which I
crystallize in the ordinary methods, as are well understood.
My second improvement in the manufacture of alum consists in
calcining or burning the clay, or shale, or other aluminous material
employed. Instead of calcining in a reverberatory furnace, or by mixing
with fuel and burning together in heaps or long rows in the open air, I
mix the clay or shale with a certain proportion of fuel or small coal,
which I ignite in a tall upright kiln, this being kept full or nearly so
by constantly adding the proper mixture of shale and small coal at the
top, whilst the calcined clay or shale is drawn out at the bottom.
My third improvement in connection with the manufacture of alum
is making use of the residue of the clay, or shale, or similar substance
after the alumina has been extracted therefrom by sulphuric or other
acids. The residue consists mostly of silica, and I propose to use it for
making soluble silicates by either boiling it or calcining it with caustic
potash, or soda, or the chlorides or carbonates of the same alkalies may
be employed to combine with the silica in a similar manner, assisted if
necessary by the use of steam.
Further, I make hydraulic or other similar cement from the same
residue by grinding it into a fine powder or pulp along with lime, or
magnesian lime, or limestones, or chalk, and the mixture is dried and
calcined to a red heat, and afterwards ground to a fine powder. If
necessary or useful I add to the above mixture a proportion of oxide of
iron, or manganese, or of the alkaline silicates.

page_text: And further, I use the said residue for making bricks or artificial
stone by grinding it along with lime or limestone, and add, if desirable,
certain proportions of the soluble alkaline silicates, oxide of iron, and also
of the chlorides of calcium or magnesium. The bricks, or artificial
stone, or other similar articles into which this compound mixture can be
moulded or cast may be dried and hardened by slow and natural drying,
or by heating in kilns or ovens when necessary.
the 30th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BEATSON, of the Chemical Works, Rotherham, in the County of York,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Beatson, Her
special licence that I, the said William Beatson, my exccutors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Beatson, 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 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM AND PRODUCTS RESULTING THEREPROM,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Beatson,
my executors or administrators, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Beatson, my 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 thereof, that is to say :-
My improvements in the manufacture of alum consist,―
Firstly. In a method of treating muriates (or chlorides) of soda or
potash. Instead of converting these into neutral or nearly neutral
sulphates I add a considerable excess of sulphuric acid so as to produce
a bi-sulphate of soda or potash, which I prefer to run from the iron pan
or furnace in which it is made in a liquid, or semi-liquid, or pasty state,
and I thereby can entirely decompose all the muriates in such salts,
which it is difficult to do when made into simple or neutral sulphates
only. The excess of sulphuric acid in such bi-sulphates of soda or
potash combines with the alumina of the clay, or shale, or any similar
substance containing alumina in a subsequent process by boiling in
water along with a further quantity of sulphuric acid, if necessary, or
by calcining the bi-sulphate along with such aluminous compound in a
pan or furnace, and by this means no loss of sulphuric acid takes place.
Or if preferred the muriates of potash or soda can be mixed with the clay
or shale, and the mixture can be treated as before mentioned with an
excess of sulphuric acid in an iron pan or furnace until all the muriatic
acid is expelled. The resulting compound can be afterwards boiled in
water with a further quantity of clay, or shale, or other aluminous
material, and a further quantity of sulphuric acid, if necessary, until a
neutral or nearly neutral solution of alum is obtained, which I crystallize
in the ordinary methods, as are well understood.
My second improvement in the manufacture of alum consists in
calcining or burning the clay, or shale, or other aluminous material
employed. Instead of calcining in a reverberatory furnace, or by mixing
with fuel, and burning together in heaps or long rows in the open air, I
mix the clay or shale with a certain proportion of fuel or small coal
which I ignite in a tall upright kiln, this being kept full, or nearly so,
by constantly adding the proper mixture of shale and small coal at the
top, whilst the calcined clay or shale is drawn out at the bottom.
My third improvement in connection with the manufacture of alum
is in making use of the residue of the clay, or shale, or similar substance
after the alumina has been extracted therefrom by sulphuric or other

page_text: acids. The residue consists mostly of silica, and I propose to use it for
making soluble silicates by either boiling it or calcining it with caustic
potash or soda, or the chlorides or carbonates of the same alkalies may
be employed to combine with the silica in a similar manner, assisted if
necessary by the use of steam.
Further, I make hydraulic or other similar cement from the same
residue by grinding it into a fine powder or pulp along with lime, or
magnesian lime, or limestones, or chalk, and the mixture is dry and
calcined to a red heat, and afterwards ground to a fine powder.
necessary or useful I add to the above mixture a proportion of oxide of
iron, or manganese, or of the alkaline silicates.
If
And further, I use the said residue for making bricks or artificial
stone by grinding it along with lime or limestone, and add, if desirable,
certain proportions of the soluble alkaline silicates, oxide of iron, and
also of the chlorides of calcium or magnesium. The bricks, or artificial
stone, or other similar articles into which this compound mixture can be
moulded or cast may be dried and hardened by slow and natural drying,
or by heating in kilns or ovens when necessary.
In carrying out my Invention, as above described, I do not confine
myself to any particular forms of utensils or apparatus, nor to any exact
proportions of the different materials employed or utilised, as these can
be considerably varied. For instance, the bi-sulphate of potash or soda
can be boiled along with calcined clay or shale together with sulphuric
acid and water in a lead pan heated directly by fires placed beneath or
around it; or the mixture may be boiled by blowing steam directly
into and below the surface of the liquor by means of a pipe having small
holes in it; or superheated steam, or highly heated air, or other gases
or mixtures of superheated steam and air may be driven or blown
through the liquor or mixture so as to boil it, and which latter methods
I prefer, as thereby the strength of the liquors is better maintained and
less water is added to them.
With reference to my improvements in using the residue of the clay
or shale after boiling in sulphuric acid for the manufacture of bricks or
stone I may said that I am aware that Letters Patent were granted to
Mr. John Cliff many years ago for using such residues for making
bricks, but Mr. Cliff did not mix the residues in question with lime or
any of the materials I have described, and I wish it to be understood that

page_text: I only claim the application of the said shale or clay residues to the
manufacture of bricks or artificial stone when combined with the
materials before mentioned.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention the various improvements in making alum, as herein generally
described, viz.,-
Firstly. The use of the bi-sulphates of potash or soda as produced more
especially from the muriates (or chlorides) of potash or soda by the
addition of a considerable excess of sulphuric acid, in the manner
described.
Secondly. The method of calcining the shale or clay in kilns or ovens,
as described.
Thirdly. The application of the residues of clay or shale from alum
making to the production of alkaline silicates, as set forth.
Fourthly. Also the application of the said residues to the manufacture
of hydraulic or Portland cement by the methods indicated.
Fifthly. Also the application of the said residues to the manufacture
of bricks and artificial stone by mixing them with the materials and
treating them in the methods previously described herein.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Beatson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witnesses,
DAVID SYMINGTON.
JOSEPH HALL.
WILLIAM BEATSON. (L.S.)