IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS · PATENT to Henry Larkin, of Theydon Gernon, in the
County of Essex, and William White, of 30, Thurlow Road,
Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
"
Sealed the 6th June 1871, and dated the 5th January 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Larkin and
William White at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th January 1871.
We, HENRY LARKIN,. of Theydon Gernon, in the County of Essex,
and WILLIAM WHITE, of 30, Thurlow Road, Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-.
-
In a Patent dated Third December One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine, No. 3505, we have described certain improvements in the.
production of potassium and sodium, our subsequent experience has
led us to the adoption of further improvements.

page_text: In the first place when gas is used as a carrier as therein described,
we prefer constructing our retorts and furnace so that the stream of gas
can be introduced into the retort at one end and be allowed to escape
at the other.
'
Secondly. Instead of using the ordinary condenser hitherto adopted
we considerably elongate the same, we also construct it so that it shall
dip in the middle and again taper upwards in order to form a more
contracted vent for the escaping gas. At the lowest portion of the
dip is a tube or passage which passes into a chamber closed from the
atmosphere, or else containing rock, oil, or other suitable material for
the reception of the metal as it distils over. At the extreme end of the
condenser are two openings, one of these openings is for the passage of
the gas, and is so arranged that it may be connected with a tube or
passage through which the gas and any fumes it may carry with it may
bé conducted away to be collected and utilized. The other opening is
fitted with a moveable plug, and is placed in a direct line opposite the
mouth of the retort. The object of this second opening is to provide
a ready means for inserting a rod or scraper for clearing the condenser
in the event of its becoming blocked.
Thirdly. Instead of using powdered coal, coke, or charcoal as our
reducing agent as heretofore, we now use wet macerated peat, and we
greatly prefer the black pasty formation which is usually found near.
the bottom of a peat bog. In fact, the more thoroughly the peat is thus
decomposed the more suitable we find it for our purpose. This rotted
peat is thoroughly mixed with the alkali to be reduced, together with
the other materials, as described in our said' former Specification, until
the whole is dissolved into a uniform pasty mass, it is then dried as
thoroughly as practicable, when it will be ready to be placed in the
retort.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said Henry Larkin and William White in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 5th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
LARKIN, of Theydon Gernon, in the County of Essex, and WILLIAM
WHITE, of 30, Thurlow Road, Hampstead, in the. County of Middlesex, 3
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Henry Larkin and William
White, Her special license that we, the said Henry Larkin and William
White, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Henry Larkin and William White, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry Larkin and
William White, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
scal of one of us or them, 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 White, on behalf of myself
and the said Henry Larkin, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
In a Patent dated 3rd December 1869, No. 3505, we have described
certain improvements in the production of potassium and sodium, our
subsequent experience has led us to the adoption of further improve-
ments.
When gas is used as a carrier as therein described we prefer con-
structing our retorts and furnaces so that the stream of gas can be
introduced into the retort at one end and be allowed to escape at the
other.
Instead of using the ordinary condenser, hitherto adopted, we con-
siderably elongate the same. We also construct it so that it shall dip in
the middle and again taper upwards in order to form a more contracted

page_text: vent for the escaping gas. At the lowest portion of the dip is a tube or
passage which passes into a chamber closed from the atmosphere or clse
containing rock oil or other suitable material, for the reception of the
metal as it distils over. At. the extreme end of the condenser are two
openings, one of these openings is for the passage of the gas, and
is so arranged that it may be connected with a tube or passage through
which the gas and any fumes it may carry with it, may be conducted
away to be collected and utilized. The other opening is fitted with
a moveable plug and is placed in a direct line opposite the mouth of
the retort. The object of this second opening is to provide a ready
'means for inserting a rod or scraper for clearing the condenser in the
event of its becoming blocked.
Instead of using powdered coal, coke, or charcoal, as our reducing
agent as heretofore, we now use wet macerated peat and we greatly
prefer the black pasty formation which is usually found near the bottom
of a peat bog. In fact, the more thoroughly the peat is thus decomposed
the more suitable we find it for our purpose. This rotted peat is
thoroughly mixed with the alkali to be reduced together with the other
materials; as described in our said former Specification, until the whole is
dissolved into a uniform pasty mass, it is then dried as thoroughly as
practicable when it will be ready to be placed in the retort..
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe more in detail the
manner in which we prefer to conduct the manufacture. We mix
together peat (by preference decomposed peat from the bottom of the
peat bog) common crystallized carbonate of soda, and nitrate of soda in
a pot or cauldron in which they are boiled and stirred together. In this
way a semi-fluid mixture is obtained which is poured upon plates heated
by steam or otherwise, and is so dried, avoiding a high temperature
which would be likely to fire the mixture, but still the heat should be
sufficient to drive off the water from the peat and the water of crys-
tallization from the salts. The mixture when the water is driven off
should consist of five parts of peat, four parts of carbonate of soda, and
one part of nitrate of soda. This dry mixture is charged into retorts,
which, as is described in the Specification of the former Patent herein-
before referred to are not fixed in the furnace, but slip into outer muffles
or cases of earthenware, which are kept at a red heat. We now prefer
when gas is supplied to the retort to act as a carrier of the sodium

page_text: vapours to connect the gas pipe at the back of the retort and allow it to
project through a hole at the back of the muffle and furnace.
:
A condenser is adapted to the front of the retort and we have much
improved the construction of the condenser and the method of using it.
One of our condensers is represented in the annexed Drawing. It will
be seen that the mouth by which the condensed sodium is delivered is
closed air-tight by dipping it into rock oil in place of its being left open
as heretofore, and so we prevent the waste which results from the sodium
coming in contact with air. We are able to close the mouth of the
condenser in this manner in consequence of the great extension we have
given to the cooling surface, the condenser represented in the Drawing
being about, three feet long. The mouth is consequently cool enough
to be allowed to dip into the oil. The condenser may be made of sheet
iron, and put together in two halves or parts as heretofore, with the joints
made tight with plaster of Paris, or it may be cast in one piece.
At ait fits truly into a socket in the end of the retort; at 6 is the
delivery mouth for the sodium dipping into oil contained in a vessel c, and
at d is a stopper which can be removed for the insertion of a rod to clear
the passage through the retort, should it ever become choked; e is a pipe
conveying the gases and uncondensed vapour from the condenser into a
large pipe which collects from all the condensers. In this collecting
pipe a considerable quantity of soda condenses and is saved for another
operation.
In place of dipping the mouth of the condenser into rock oil we
sometimes continue the mouth into a close chamber of sufficient capacity
to contain all the sodium resulting from the charge of the retort. This
chamber may form part of the condenser or be fixed to it. It should be
so constructed that it may be readily opened to remove the sodium.
In either case it will be seen that the sodium is collected without
contact with air as the gases generated in the retort or passed into it,
prevent any air entering by the pipe d. The process for the manufacture
of potassium is similar to that for sodium, carbonate and nitrate of
potash being substituted for carbonate and nitrate of soda.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that we
claim,

page_text: First. The use of peat in the manufacture of sodium and potassium,
substantially as described.
Şecond. The collection of the condensed sodium or potassium, without
bringing it in contact with air by means substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William White, have hereunto set 5
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.