IMPROVEMENTS IN VATS OR VESSELS FOR THE VARIOUS CHEMICAL AND MANU- FACTURING OPERATIONS WHICH INVOLVE THE USE OF ACIDS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Campbell Morfit at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th August
1872.
I, CAMPBELL MORFIT, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States,
of America, Chemist, but at present of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VATS OR VESSELS FOR THE VARIOUS CHEMICAL AND MANU-
FACTURING OPERATIONS WHICH INVOLVE THE USE OF ACIDS," to be as follows:-
The object of the present Invention is to provide a convenient and
durable vessel for the various chemical and manufacturing operations
which involve the use of acids, which vessel is alike advantageous for
digesting solids with acids, making solutions and boiling and evaporating
liquors.
It consists of a rectangular cast-iron vessel with its interior surfaces
protected by an indestructible coating of white porcelain or enamel.
In order to have as few joints as possible the bottom and each of the.
sides and ends are cast severally in a single plate of three-quarters of an

page_text: wooden covers, so as to economize the heat of the interior of the vat and
give an even surface to the exterior; these covers or panels are secured
in place by a set screw at the intersection of each rib. The ends of the
front and back plates are flanged so as to afford the means of combining
the several pieces into vat form by means of screw bolts and nuts with-
out intruding the latter into the interior. Sheets of india-rubber are
inserted at the junction of the back and front plates to make the joints
air-tight.
The upper ends of all the plates are cast with a flange so as to form a
rim which extends around the vat and is also enamelled on its surface.
The heating of the vat is done by means of open steam pipes screwed
in from the back and about two inches below the top to clear the cover.
These pipes are bent at the lower ends, which rest on the bottom, and
they are lined and coated throughout with porcelain or enamel so as to
be proof against the action of acid solutions. These open pipes are of
about an inch diameter and are fed with steam through the cock. They
act in the manner of a "blow up" for boiling with free steam and stir-
ring the contents of the vat. A'closed coil resting upon and spread over
the bottom of the vat takes its place when dry heat only is to be employ-
ed.
It is made in two pieces connected together by union joint, the
whole being enamelled on the outside surface. Dry steam is fed to it
through the cock at one end and the condensed steam and water are let
out by means of the cock at the opposite end.
The open pipes and coil are fixed so that all the parts within the vat
may be porcelain or enamel covered. The coupling arrangement consists
of a plate, a flange on the portion of the pipe extending into 'the vat, a
nut on pipe inside, so that on securing the whole together with an inter-
vening washer of india-rubber a tight joint is formed.
To draw off the clear liquor as it may rise clear from settlings there
are seven plug holes in the front of the vat commencing six inches from
the bottom. Each hole is fitted with a tampon formed of an iron rod
handle with a conical plug of india-rubber 'tightly fixed to the end by
means of a screw nut.
.

page_text: A man hole serves for emptying the vat as may be necessary, and a
ventilating tube leading into the chimney carries off any accumulation
of vapours.
The cover made of wrought-iron plate is convex on the interior so as
to reverberate the vapours which condense upon it during digestion oper-
ations. It is suspended on chains and counterbalanced by a weight in
order that it may be raised or lowered easily. It is painted with two or
three coats of stearic pitch paint which gives sufficient protection to the
surface.