IMPROVEMENTS IN DIGESTORS FOR DISSOLVING QUARTZOSE Rocks
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIGESTORS FOR DISSOLVING QUARTZOSE
Rocks." A communication from abroad by Timothy Hill Lang, of the
City of New York, in the United States of America, Machinist.
Sealed the 10th August 1860, and dated the 22nd February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd February 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIGESTORS FOR DISSOLVING QUARTZOSE
Rocкs," to be as follows:-
The improved digestor, which forms the subject of the present Invention,
consists of a strong iron cylinder capable of sustaining considerable internal
pressure. Through this cylinder passes a hollow shaft which turns in bearings
fixed in the ends of the cylinder. The hollow shaft is provided with arms, to
which a longitudinal scraper is attached, and a reciprocating or vibratory
motion is communicated to the shaft and the scraper connected therewith by
means of a crank or other suitable contrivance. Superheated steam is admitted
into the cylinder through the hollow shaft, and is caused to commingle with the
contents of the vessel, the quartzose mass being kept in motion by means of
the scraper and arms, so as to prevent the siliceous matter from adhering to
the sides of the cylinder.

page_text: For the convenience of charging the apparatus, the cylinder is provided
with a manhole at the top, and a discharge faucet or opening is adapted to
the lower part of the cylinder in order to enable the dissolved siliceous matter
to be run off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, my 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIGESTORS FOR DISSOLVING QUARTZOSE ROCKS," being a
communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Juvention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the. said Invention, and 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The following description and accompanying Drawing will exemplify the
Invention communicated to me by my foreign correspondent.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the improved
digestor, wherein A is a cylindrical vessel (the proportions of which may be
varied) constructed of best boiler iron sufficiently thick to sustain sixty pounds
pressure or more, or a little less. This vessel is set longitudinally in masonry-
work, and firmly secured in position. B is a hollow shaft passing through
the centre of the vessel A, and rotating in a stuffing-box G, and a journal K,
with collars, forelocks, screw, and keys, &c., to aid in supporting the heads of
the cylinder A. There are arms D, D, D, secured to the shaft B for carrying
a scraper E.
This scraper is a strong narrow steel blade, and is intended to
move the silicates from the iron bottom, to which they would otherwise firmly
adhere during the process of solution. To each of the arms D, D, D, is also
attached a hollow pipe communicating with the interior of the shaft B, for the
purpose of communicating jets of superheated steam under and amongst the
charge contained in the digestor. Steam is first taken from a common boiler
and superheated on its passage by any of the usual modes, and conducted into
the hollow shaft B through a coupling pipe F, whence it will pass down the
arms D, D, D, and be discharged in the form of jets. To the shaft B is given
an alternating or rocking movement by means of a lever C keyed thereto, so
that the scraper E moves backwards and forwards. J is the manhole through
which the charge is received into the vessel A, and I is the discharge faucet,
of large dimensions, to run off the liquid flint as soon as the solution shall
have been perfected, which operation requires about two hours from the
time the siliceous charge is put in along with the water at the manhole J.
0, 0, 0, (Fig. 2) are gauge cocks.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in
digestors for dissolving quartzose rocks, as communicated to be from abroad,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim fitting the digestor with a swinging scraper, whose shaft and arms
constitute pipes or passages for the introduction of superheated steam into
and among the charge, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.B.)