IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF BI-CARBONATE OF SODA
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur William Lovell Reddie of the Office for Patents,
"j
66 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BI-CARBONATE OF SODA Communicated to him from abroad
by Benjamin Talbot Babbitt of the City and State of New York, United
States of America
A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur William Lovell
Reddie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd October
1882.
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF
AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BI-CARBONATE OF SODA." [Commu-
nicated to him from abroad by Benjamin Talbot Babbitt of the City and State of
New York, United States of America]
This invention consists firstly in reducing soda-ash to powder or small particles
and at the same time scattering it by throwing or impelling it against the surface
of a hard body or abutment and exposing it while so scattered to the chemical
action of the carbonic acid gas necessary to convert it into bi-carbonate of soda.
It also consists in the employment for the purpose of throwing or impelling. the
soda ash against the said surface of a blast composed wholly or in part of carbonic
acid gas, whereby the soda ash is at the same time reduced to powder or fine
particles and scattered and subjected to the chemical action of the carbonic
acid gas.
It also consists in the employment of a blast of superheated steam for the
purpose of throwing or impelling the soda ash against the said surface, and thereby
reducing it to powder or fine particles and scattering it and at the same time
inducing or introducing into or through it a current or currents of carbonic
acid gas.
It also consists in an apparatus for the purposes herein above mentioned, composed
of a lower chamber containing the surface against which the soda ash is to be thrown

page_text: or impelled, and an upper chamber communicating with said lower chamber and
provided with an outlet opening for gas protected by a screen.
It also consists in the combination for the manufacture of bi-carbonate of soda
of a chamber containing a surface against which soda-ash is to be thrown or
impelled, a receptacle for soda ash, a conduit leading from the said receptacle to
the said chamber, a furnace or furnace chimney for the supply of carbonic acid gas,
and an injector for impelling the soda ash through the said conduit into the said
chamber and against the said surface, and for at the same time inducing a current
of carbonic acid gas from the said furnace or, chimney through the said conduit
into the said chamber.
The invention further consists in subjecting soda ash for the manufacture of
bi-carbonate of soda to the action of carbonic acid gas in a chamber under a tension
or pressure in excess of the atmospheric pressure, whereby the soda ash is caused to
take up the additional equivalent of carbonic acid necessary to convert it into
bi-carbonate of soda more readily than when it is subjected to carbonic-acid gas of
the atmospheric pressure.
In order to provide for using in a second converting chamber for the manufacture
of bi-carbonate of soda any carbonic acid gas which may escape from a converting
chamber wherein soda ash has been subjected to the action of the said gas under a
pressure or tension greater than that of the atmosphere the invention furthermore
consists in the combination with one closed chamber for containing soda ash, and a
pump or other means for supplying carbonic acid gas into said chamber under a
pressure or tension in excess of that of the atmosphere, of a second chamber containing
an abutment or surface such as has been hereinabove mentioned, a pipe for conducting
soda ash into the said second chamber, a pipe for the escape of the gas from the
first chamber, and an injector between the said pipes, whereby the escaping gas
from the first chamber is caused to serve the purposes of a blast for driving the
soda ash into the second chamber, of pulverizing it against the said abutment or
surface, and scattering it therein, and of converting it into bi-carbonate of soda.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd April 1883.
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF
AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BICARBONATE OF SODA "
Being a
communication to me from abroad by Benjamin Talbot Babbitt of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention consists, firstly, in reducing soda-ash to powder or small particles,
and at the same time scattering it by throwing it or impelling it against the
surface of a hard body or abutment, and exposing it while so scattered, to the
chemical action of the carbonic acid gas necessary to convert it into bi-carbonate
of soda.
It also consists in the employment for the purpose of throwing or impelling the
soda-ash against the said surface, of a blast composed wholly or in part of carbonic
acid gas, whereby the soda-ash is at the same time reduced to powder or fine
particles and scattered, and subjected to the chemical action of the carbonic acid.
It also consists in the employment of a blast of superheated steam, for the purpose
of throwing or impelling the soda-ash against the said surface, and thereby reducing
it to powder or fine particles, and scattering it, and at the same time inducing or
introducing into or through it, a current or currents of carbonic acid gas.
It also consists in an apparatus for the purposes hereinabove mentioned composed
of a chamber containing the surface against which the soda-ash is to be thrown or
impelled; and an upper chamber communicating with said lower chamber and
provided with an outlet opening for gas, protected by a screen.
It also consists in the combination for the manufacture of bi-carbonate of soda,
of a chamber containing a surface against which soda ash is to be thrown or
impelled, a receptacle for said soda-ash a conduit leading from said receptacle to
said chamber, a furnace or furnace chimney for the supply of carbonic acid gas, and
an injector for impelling the soda ash through said conduit into said chamber and
against said surface, and for, at the same time, inducing a current of carbonic acid
gas from the said furnace or chimney through said conduit into said chamber.
The invention further consists in subjecting soda ash for the manufacture of
bi-carbonate of soda, to the action of carbonic acid gas in a chamber, under a tension
or pressure in excess of the atmospheric pressure, whereby the soda-ash is caused to
take up the additional equivalent of carbonic acid necessary to convert it into
bi carbonate of soda, more readily than when it is subjected to carbonic acid gas of
the atmospheric pressure.
In order to provide for using, in a second converting chamber, for the manufacture
of bi-carbonate of soda, any carbonic acid gas which may escape from a converting.
chamber, wherein soda-ash has been subjected to the action of the said gas under a
pressure or tension greater than that of the atmosphere the invention furthermore
consists in the combination with one closed chamber for containing soda-ash and a
pump or other means for supplying carbonic acid gas into said chamber under a
pressure or tension in excess of that of the atmosphere, of a second chamber
containing an abutment or surface, such as has been hereinabove mentioned, a pipe
for conducting soda-ash into said second chamber, a pipe for the escape of the gas
from the first chamber, and an injector between the said pipes, whereby the escaping
gas from the first chamber, is caused to serve the purpose of a blast for driving the
soda ash into the second chamber, of pulverizing against the said abutment or
surface, and scattering it therein, and of converting it into bi-carbonate of soda,

page_text: In the accompanying drawing Fig: 1 represents a sectional elevation of an
apparatus embodying the Invention, and in which a blast or jet of superheated
steam is to be employed to impel the soda ash against a body or abutment in a
closed chamber, and to induce a current of carbonic acid gas from a furnace chimney
into said chamber, and Fig: 2 represents a sectional elevation of an apparatus in
which the carbonic acid gas is first supplied under tension to act upon soda ash in
a closed chamber, and from said chamber is supplied to an injector and serves to
impel the soda-ash against a solid body or abutment to scatter it. Similar letters
of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.
A designates a chamber wherein is supported a body, block, or abutment B, which
may be of metal, stone. or any other suitable material. Adjacent to the chamber A
and communicating there with by an opening a, is a second chamber A' which is itself
provided with an outlet b, for air or gas, protected by a screen c, of cloth or other suit-
able material. C designates a conduit extending into the chamber A opposite the
abutment Band D designates a hopper or receptacle which communicates with the
conduit and is provided with gates or valves de. The hopper or receptacle is to
contain, soda-ash, and when the soda-ash is being delivered therefrom into the
conduit, the gate d, is closed and the gate e, opened; but when the hopper is to be
filled, the gate d is opened, and the gate e closed. E designates an injector extending
into the conduit C, and through which steam or other suitable fluid or gas is allowed
to escape.
37
Referring now particularly to Fig: 1, F designates a furnace chimney, or flue,
and G designates a wash box, which is connected with the chimney by a pipe H
which terminates below the level of the water in the wash box. The wash box is
connected by a pipe I with the conduit C.
☐
For operating the injector E, steam at a pressure of from one to two hundred pounds
may be employed, and the steam may be and is preferably superheated to a
temperature of four hundred to five hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
The soda-ash falls from the hopper or receptacle D into the conduit C, and the
blast of steam impels it against the abutment B with sufficient force to powder and
scatter it and at the same time induces a current of carbonic acid gas from the
chimney F through the wash box G and pipes H I into the conduit Č and thence
into the chamber A. While the soda-ash is in suspension and before it can settle,
it is attacked by the carbonic acid gas which by reason of its intimate contact,
combines quickly with it and forms bi-carbonate of soda.
The moisture of the steam enables the gas to take hold of the soda-ash much
more quickly, and thereby hasten the process, and superheated steam is desirable
because it does not contain too much moisture.
. Only the one chamber A may be used but it is preferred to use the chamber A',
also; as the soda ash is then retained longer in suspension, and the gas has a longer
time to combine with it.
In the apparatus shewn in Fig: 2 steam is not used, but the injector is supplied
with carbonic acid gas through a pipe J. The gas may be supplied under pressure
directly to the pipe J by a pump, but as here shewn the pipe extends from a closed
receiver K into which the gas is forced by a pump L through a pipe f. The
receiver K may be of any size or shape, and is provided with a man-hole g. In it
are placed any number of trays h containing soda-ash. It should be constructed so
as to stand a pressure considerably in excess of the atmosphere.
The receiver K having been charged with the trays h. containing soda-ash the
pump L. is operated and the receiver is charged with gas under a pressure con-
siderably in excess of the atmosphere. The soda-ash readily and rapidly takes
up the additional equivalent of carbonic acid gas, necessary to convert it into
bi-carbonate of soda.
The gas escapes from the receiver K through the pipe J to the injector E and
impels the soda-ash against the abutment B; and subsequently attacks it while
scattered and in suspension.
The soda-ash may be impelled, against the abutment by any other means than is

page_text: here shown, and carbonic acid gas may be introduced into the chamber indepen-
dently of the impelling blast or means.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention as communicated to me
by my Foreign Correspondent and explained in what manner the same may be
carried into practical effect I wish it to be understood that I claim.
First The improvement in the manufacture of bi-carbonate of soda, consisting
in impelling soda-ash against the surface of a hard body or abutment to powder
and scatter it, and in exposing it, while so scattered, to the action of carbonic acid
gas, substantially as herein described.
Secondly In the manufacture of bi-carbonate of soda, the employment of a blast
composed wholly or in part of carbonic acid gas, for the purpose of impelling soda-
ash against a hard body or abutment to powder and scatter it, and for subsequently
acting upon it while scattered, substantially as herein described.
Thirdly In the manufacture of bi-carbonate of soda the employment of a blast
of superheated steam for the purpose of impelling soda-ash against a hard body or
abutment, to powder and scatter it, and at the same time inducing or introducing
into or through it a current or currents of carbonic acid gas substantially as herein
described.
Fourthly The apparatus composed of a lower chamber containing a body or
abutment, against the surface of which soda-ash is to be impelled and an upper
chamber communicating with the said lower chamber and provided with an outlet
opening for gas, protected by a screen, substantially as a for the purpose herein
described.
Fifthly The combination of a chamber containing Jody or abutment a
receptacle for soda-ash a conduit leading from said receptacle to said chamber, a
furnace or furnace chimney, and an injector for impelling soda-ash through said
conduit and against said body or abutment, and for at the same time inducing a
current of carbonic acid gas from said furnace or chimney into said chamber,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Sixthly In the manufacture of bi-carbonate of soda, subjecting soda-ash to the
action of carbonic acid gas in a chamber, under a tension or pressure in excess of
that of the atmosphere, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
Seventhly The combination with a closed chamber for containing soda-ash and
a pump or other means for maintaining in said chamber carbonic acid gas under a
pressure in excess of that of the atmosphere, of a second chamber containing a body
or abutment, a pipe for conducting soda-ash into said second chamber, a pipe for
the escape of gas from the first mentioned chamber, and an injector between said
pipes substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
In witness whereof I the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie have hereunto
set my hand and seal the thirtyfirst day of March in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
ARTHUR W. L. REDDIE (L.S.)