APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WHITE LEAD
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ludwig Brumleu at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th February 1883.
LUDWIG BRUMLEU of Wrexham in the County of Denbigh
IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WHITE LEAD"
"IMPROVEMENTS
In carrying out my invention I use a box or boxes of from about 15 to 20 feet
long from 5 to 6 feet wide and 1 feet high these are filled with lead in the form
of wire or fine filaments and subacetate of lead; carbonic acid is then introduced.
The carbonic acid is produced in any suitable oven or furnace and preferably
by means of a roots blower is drawn through water to purify it and remove dust
and ashes and thence forced into the solution in the box.
The interior of the box is divided into 3 or 4 compartments by deal boards
extending about half way from the top to the centre leaving the lower part of the
box free so as to form an uninterrupted space. To prevent the lead wire or
filaments from packing together at the bottom of the box it is necessary to fill the
box with a series of laths to keep the filaments or wires of the lead in a suspended
position and always exposed to the action of carbonic acid or acetate of lead.
A row of laths say two inches square are placed crosswise in the box and about
2 or 3 inches from the bottom and about half an inch apart so as to leave free vent
for the white lead to run off but to keep the lead wires in place. A second row of
laths are then placed 3 or 4 inches higher and according to the height of the box a
third row filling it with a kind of net work to expose every piece of lead to the
carbonic acid at the same time permitting its free passage through the box, and
preventing the lead wires from settling at the bottom of the box and there packing
together with white lead to a solid mass accumulating more and more to endanger
and interrupt the whole process. At one end of the box are taps to let the lead
et cetera run off into a receiving tank below the box, so that in case of a stoppage
of the oscillating motion of the box occasioned by a sudden break or by the
slipping or sliding of a belt there is no time lost in emptying the boxes. The

page_text: white lead which is kept floating in the acetate of lead, while the boxes are in
motion will be thus prevented from settling down at the bottom of the box.
For the introduction of carbonic acid an opening is made in one end of the cover
of the box and for the exit of nitrogen or other kinds of gas a similar opening of
about 4 inches wide is made in the other end of the cover; these openings are by
means of rubber hose connected the one with the blower and the other with a
spout leading to the outside of the building. The oven is connected by means of
pipes of sheet iron 7 to 8 inches in diameter with a cask filled from /, to ³/ full
of water; the pipes from the oven reach so far down in the cask that they go into
the water about 2 or 3 inches so that the carbonic acid in passing through the
water is washed and purified. Another pipe of similar size connects the cask with
the blower. This pipe is of copper or such other material as will not discolour the
white lead and is connected to the head of the cask, so as not to come in contact
with the water inside. By the constant influx of hot carbonic acid the water in
the cask will gradually get hot so that steam will be made and introduced into the
boxes and in order to prevent this a constant stream of cold water has to be
introduced; the blower or the air pump will however create a vacuum or a place
free of air above the water which will prevent the hot water from running out unless
the suction occasioned by the blower is counter-balanced by the weight of the
water and it is therefore necessary to have pipes of lead inserted into the cask close
above the bottom, which may be raised in the shape of a goose neck just so high
that the blower being in operation, the hot water will run off in the same rate as
the cold water enters and so keep the height of water inside the cask constantly
the same.
A water gauge may be attached to the cask to show the height of the
water inside at any given time. To fill the boxes with the lead wire, doors_or
openings are left in the coverings of the boxes arranged in such a way that the
box can be hermetically closed. An india rubber hose connects the box with a
vessel containing basic or subacetate of lead by means of which the boxes may be
filled with this liquid. In order to be able to see how far the boxes are filled with
subacetate of lead a small test cock or guage is inserted into one end.
The boxes fastened on solid beams must be placed on a scaffold of strong timbers.
The beams under the box are provided with two shafts let into the wood fitting
into cast iron bearings which again rest on strong timber. The shafts ought to be
pieces of 2 to 24 inch square wrought iron and 2 feet long, rounded off in the
middle to fit into low cast iron bearings or pedestals about 1 foot long 4 inches
wide and 3 inches high with an opening to fit to the shaft.
The apparatus being ready the boxes are loosely filled with fine filaments or
wires of lead then set in motion while subacetate of lead and carbonic acid is
introduced until there is so much of subacetate of lead in the box that the lid or
cover of the box is washed on that side which hangs lowest. The test cock on the
end of the box will begin to run when the right quantity is inside. The intro-
duction of carbonic acid is continued until a sample taken from the test cocks will
make blue litmus paper red.. The contents of the box is then emptied into a
receiving vessel and another quantity of subacetate introduced into the box and so
continued. The white lead is then separated from the liquid, which consisting of a
neutral acetate of lead is made basic again to be used in this way over and over
again while a small quantity of acetic acid is added to replace any acid which may
be lost by evaporation or otherwise.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions, of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ludwig Brumleu in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th August 1883.
LUDWIG BRUMLEU of Wrexham in the county of Denbigh
IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WHITE LEAD."
"IMPROVEMENTS
This invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings descriptive
of my present apparatus. In these
A is a furnace for burning coke and forming carbonic acid. It it lined with fire
bricks and forms a chamber two feet wide broad and deep, and has consequently
eight cubic feet capacity, the whole of which space is kept full of coke by charging
through door B. C is the chimney, D the ash-pit about two feet in height to the
bara. The fire-bars are ordinary wrought iron bars one and a half to two inches
square projecting about six inches beyond the furnace on one side so as to be
easily taken hold of and drawn. They rest at the back of the furnace on an iron
bar, and in front between two iron bars between which they can be easily pulled
out by their projecting ends for cleaning the furnace of ashes. E is a pipe carrying
the gaseous products of combustion to the closed water-tank G. F a damper in
chimney. The shape and details of the furnace are important as unless sufficient
air enters, carbonic oxide which is very deleterious to the process, will be formed,
and unless the bars be well covered, too much air will get in and dilute the gas
unnecessarily. It is obvious however that it is not necessary to the remaining
portion of my invention to use my special apparatus for generating carbonic acid,
as provided the latter is clear of solid ingredients, and undiluted with deleterious
gases or too much of otherwise innocuous gas such as air or nitrogen, it is immaterial
in what manner it is prepared but I prefer and claim my apparatus as superior to
any other I know of.
The pipe E dips down about one or two inches below the surface of the water in
the cistern or cask of water G, consequently the gas has to bubble through the
water to escape, and in this way gets well washed and cool
I is a pipe
leading from the closed cistern G to a Roots blower or other air pumping
apparatus J. K is a pipe leading the gas to the converting chamber, a movable
box or tank L The blower sucks the gases out of the water-tank G, leaving a
partial vacuum, fresh gas then rushes in through the pipe E from the furnace to
supply its place thus causing a draught in the furnace, As the hot gases constantly
bubbling through the water in the tank would soon heat its contents, I cause a
constant circulation of water by running water in through pipe M and syphoning
it out through pipe N. The height of the syphon is regulated so as to keep the
cistern filled with water, leaving a space of from twelve to fifteen inches between
the top of the tank and the surface of the water. The height of the water in the
cistern can be gauged by an ordinary gauge glass 0.
The chamber or tank L for making the white lead is from fifteen to twenty feet
long, six feet wide, and one and a half feet high inside dimensions and is placed
on a scaffolding on rollers in such manner that an oscillating motion can be given
to it. For this purpose the whole is fixed to and supported upon a stout beam
eight to ten inches square and as long as the tank, to this beam is attached one to
one and a half feet from each end and parallel with it a two and a half inch square
bar P, say one foot six long and turned in the middle so as to form a journal.
This journal is supported by a bearing on a cross piece of timber Q suitably
supported and arranged so as to break the force of the shock brought to bear upon
the actuating apparatus, hereafter described, the tank being oscillated to just such
an angle that it shall strike its wooden support or a rubber block thereon at each
stroke

page_text: the strain is taken off the connecting rod.
R is a connecting rod connected with a crank above or below and to the tank
The crank or its
so as to give the oscillating movement as the crank revolves.
connections can have some play so as to allow the tank at the end of each stroke
to strike the wooden support or cushion of rubber, and come to a stand before the
By this means
reverse motion of the connecting rod begins the following stroke.
The tank L is made air-tight and provided with copper inlet pipe T (leading
from pipe K) and exit pipe S, one at each end attached either at the axis of oscil-
The pipe K is
lation or by flexible pipes for the circulation of carbonic acid.
connected to the pumping apparatus J and the pipe S leads to a chimney or to the
Doors are provided at
outside of the building for the escape of the waste gases.
the top of the box or chest to fill it with lead wire. To check the too free passage
of carbonic acid through the chamber L the latter is divided into compartments
These
by deal boards descending to within six to eight inches of the bottom.
oblige the carbonic acid to travel through the lead wires beneath the partitions,
A rubber pipe W connects the tank L with a reservoir containing subacetate of
lead through which the latter is introduced into the tank L. I also provide cocks
or pipe U to let the liquid contents of the chamber run into a receiving vessel
provided for this purpose. To prevent the accumulation of white lead in the
chambers and also the packing together of the soft and pliable lead wire by its
I construct about two
own weight, I have made the following arrangement.
inches above the bottom of the chamber or tank Ľ a second or false bottom V or
platform of lath about two inches square, so close together as not to obstruct the
free passage of the liquid mixed, with white lead contained in the chamber. In
about the middle between this platform and the top of the box I place another
row of laths but four to eight inches apart, serving to hold up the upper portion of
lead wires and preventing its pressing too much on the lower portion. In front of
the box about the middle a small test-cock Y is provided for the purpose of ascer-
taining the quantity of liquor and to test the same, which latter operation is
When the
performed by taking out a portion and trying it by litmus paper.
chamber Lis placed upon its foundation and is in working order, it is filled by filaments
or wires of lead of the thickness of a strong pin, and set in motion; this motion
must not be too quick but just quick enough to give the liquid time to run from
one side to the other during each oscillation the best speed being about twenty to
twenty two oscillations a minute. During the continuous motion a strong basic
solution of lead, in acetic acid (subacetate of lead) and carbonic acid are introduced
into the chamber, the latter until all the basic solution has become neutral which is
indicated by blue litmus paper turning red when moistened by the liquid coming
through the test cock. The introduction of subacetate is continued until the
chambers are so far filled that the liquid during the motion touches the cover of the
chamber. It is very material for the production of good and white white-lead to
have the carbonic acid pure and free from carbon oxide, as the latter produces &
yellowish dirty color. It is therefore very desirable to have the furnace for the
production of carbonic acid constructed exactly as described. Those acquainted
with the formation of white lead will see at once that my apparatus works on the
same principle as the Dutch or German process and differs only in that while in the
Dutch or Gerinan process the subacetate of lead is formed directly in the beds or
chambers, I make it separately, I divide therefore the whole process in two distinct
operations, that is 1st I make the subacetate and use the same in moistening the
metallic lead, and 2nd I give by the use of wires a very great surface of lead to be
operated upon by the carbonic acid in order to form the white lead. The
subacetate of lead may be made by the use of litharge or metallic lead in any
convenient way. In the Dutch or German process the subacetate of lead is formed
directly on the surface of lead by vapours of acetic acid, created by a slow process
in the Dutch process, and by boiling of acetic acid in the German method. The
pots in use for making white lead in the Dutch process are filled with lead and
acetic acid, and embedded in tan and are gradually heated by a slow burning

page_text: process of the tan producing carbonic acid at the same time; in the German
process the fumes of acetic acid rising from boiling acetic acid, will be condensed
on the colder lead and there form the necessary subacetate. In my process, by
each oscillation of the chamber L from one side to the other, the lead wires inside
are moistened with subacetate of lead, the lead oxide of which then directly
combines with the carbonic acid to form white lead, as soon as by the motion of
the chamber it is free from the subacetate which follows the motion of the
chamber. The motion of the chamber has therefore the double object, firstly to
expose the moistened surface of the lead to the action of carbonic acid and then by
being again immersed in the liquid to wash off from the metallic lead the white-
lead formed and thus to keep the lead always clear and free from white lead, to be
operated on by the agents in use. The motion of the chamber accompanied by the
introduction of carbonic acid is continued until the subacetate of lead has become
neutral, as already described, when the liquid contents of the chambers are emptied
into vessels provided for the purpose, where the white-lead will settle to the bottom
to be washed and dried in the usual way while the neutral solution is made basic
again and used repeatedly in the manner described.
Having now described my invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I claim as my invention under the Letters Patent :
1st. The furnace or apparatus for manufacturing carbonic acid gas, substantially as
herein described.
2nd. The washing apparatus for carbonic acid, substantially as described.
3rd. In the process of making white lead, obtaining the carbonic acid cool and
purified from dust by drawing it from a furnace through a body of water
which is kept cool by continual change or equivalent means and supplying said
carbonic acid to the converter by the same pumping device that draws it from
the furnace.
4th. The process of making white-lead which consists of drawing or forcing
carbonic acid from a furnace or other source through a washing device and
then through an oscillating chamber L with double bottom filled with wires
of lead kept wet with a solution of basic acetate of, lead and constructed in
such manner that the carbonic acid shall be forced to pass through the lead
wire substantially as described.
5th. The improvement in supporting the oscillating chamber in which a flat beam
or its equivalent upon which the bearing is supported takes the strain off the
apparatus for rocking and transfers it to a firm support or foundation beneath,
instead of leaving the strain upon the rocking motion or an A frame which
would otherwise naturally be employed to carry the bearing.
In witness whereof I the said Ludwig Brumleu have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty third day of August in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
LUDWIC DRITT RTT Gal