IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hargreaves, of Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, Chemist, and Thomas Robinson, of the same Place, Iron
Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hargreaves and
Thomas Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th October 1872.
We, JAMES HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster,
Chemist, and THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Iron Founder, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ALKALIES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," (to be as
follows) :-
Our said improvements consist,—
First. In intimately mixing sulphate of soda and sulphate of potaslı,
or cither of them, with coal or other carbonaceous material and metallic
oxides, and fusing them in a crucible heated from the outside, the said
crucible having an outlet at the bottom to allow the fused crude soda or
potash to flow out when finished.

page_text: Second. In using iron, preferably cast iron, to form the crucibles
aforesaid, or to form the beds and sides of furnaces used in the manu-
facture of crude soda or potash.
The metallic oxide" which we generally prefer to use is oxide of
iron, but oxides of calcium, copper, lead, manganese, and zinc may 5
under some circumstances be substituted with advantage.
indiantad
Second. In using iron, preferably cast iron, to form the crucibles
aforesaid, or to form the beds and sides of furnaces used in the manu-
facture of crude soda or potash.
The "metallic oxide" which we generally prefer to use is oxide of
iron, but oxides of calcium, copper, lead, manganese, and zinc may
under some circumstances be substituted with advantage. ·
The proportions of the materials used are those indicated by their
chemical equivalents, preferably having the coal or other carbonaceous
material and the metallic oxide in excess.
5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, and
THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Iron Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson,
Her special licence that we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ALKALIES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Hargreaves and
Thomas Robinson, our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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

page_text: 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 we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
5 in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said improvements consist,—
-
First. In intimately mixing sulphate of soda and sulphate of potash,
or either of them, with coal or other carbonaceous material and metallic
oxides, and fusing them in a crucible heated from the outside, the said
crucible having an outlet at the bottom to allow the fused crude soda or
potash to flow out when finished.
Second. In using iron, preferably cast iron, to form the crucibles
aforesaid, or to form the beds and sides of furnaces used in the manufac-
ture of crude soda or potash.
The metallic oxide which we generally prefer to use is oxide of iron,
but oxides of calcium, copper, lead, manganese, and zinc may under
some circumstances be substituted with advantage.
The proportions of the materials used are those indicated by their
chemical equivalents, preferably having the coal or other carbonaceous
material and the metallic oxide in excess.
As an illustration showing the manner in which we proceed in
practice, we take four parts of sulphate of soda, or five parts of sulphate
of potash in powder, one and a half to two parts of powdered coal, and
about three parts of peroxide of iron in a minute state of division.
These are well mixed together by any convenient means, and fused.
in the crucible or furnace, or the equivalent of either of these above
mentioned and hereafter referred to by letters and figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a cast-iron crucible constructed in
accordance with our Invention; the setting and flues are shown. a is
the retort with openings bat and near the bottom. These openings are
closed by the plug c; they may also be luted. d, enclosing brickwork;

page_text: e, fire-bars; fire-place; g, flues leading from the fire-place into the
heating chamber h; i, outlet flues for waste gases.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of a reverberatory furnace under
our Invention. Here are the iron sides and bottoms of the furnace
carried by the bearers k; 1, fire-place; m, bridge; n, crown; o, escape
fluc; p, working holes. It will be evident that the shape of the furnace
in plan may be varied, and the bed may be wholly on the same plane
instead of in two, as shown.
The above-described crucible and bed and sides of furnace are made of
iron for the purpose of preventing silicious, aluminous, and other objec
tionable impurities from combining with the alkali; such combinations
are highly objectionable in practical working.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and parti-
cularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry
our improvements into effect, we claim,-
First. Mixing and fusing the substances herein mentioned in the
crucible or furnace, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
And, second. Constructing crucibles and furnaces, substantially as
described for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hargreaves, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
In presence of
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JAMES HARGREAVES. (L.S.)