IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND BONE-BLACK AND IN APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN Communicated him
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander of 36 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign
Patent Agent for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF AMMONIA AND BONE-BLACK AND IN APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED
THEREIN Communicated to him from abroad by Hamilton Young Castner
and Edwin Bennett Castner both of the City County and State of New York
in the United States of America
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August 1882.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND BONE-BLACK AND IN APPARATUS
OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN A communication to me from abroad by Hamilton
Young Castner and Edwin Bennett Castner both of the City County and State of
New York in the United States of America
"
This Invention relates to the manufacture of Ammonia and Bone-black and
consists in a process and also in certain apparatus hereinafter set forth whereby a
superior article of bone-black is secured and a very large percentage of Ammonia
obtained in a form readily available for future conversion whilst securing final
products free from bone oil and tar. An important feature of the said invention
is the continuity of the process whereby not only is a large percentage of ammonia
secured but a uniform grade of black is produced. The said process consists
essentially in first passing crushed bone continuously through a closed heated
vessel or, carbonizing cylinder thereby charring the bone then conducting it without
exposure to air into an air tight receptacle, in drawing the gaseous products from
the cylinder, combining them with air, passing the combined gases through heated
pipes then over slacked lime and finally cooling the gases and bringing them into
intimate contact with an acid thereby forming salt of ammonia in solution

page_text: .
Different appliances may be employed in carrying out the said process but the
following combinations and arrangements of apparatus will be found to give good
results namely combining with the closed carbonizing cylinder a closed receptacle
secured detachably to the discharge pipe of the said cylinder for excluding air and
preventing combustion. Also combining with the said cylinder and convenient
feed and propelling appliances a discharge pipe having two or more branches each
fitted with a valve so as to direct the flow into a second closed receptacle whilst
the first is being removed cooled and emptied. Also combining in one apparatus
a feed device by which the bone is introduced continuously into the said
carbonizing cylinder, a continuous screw in the cylinder itself whereby the bone is
carried along the said cylinder and discharged, and a pipe for conveying the gases
from the said cylinder to the converting apparatus. There is also combined with
the carbonizing cylinder and cylinders or vessels containing the hot slaked lime
a pipe having an air inlet and formed into coils arranged within a heating chamber
for the purpose of oxidising the bydrocarbons and reducing the nitrogen compounds
to a simple form. With the carbonizing and lime cylinders and the connecting
pipe and heating coil there is also combined an air inlet and an exhaust fan also a
condensing coil and a tank for receiving the condensed liquid also a coke tower or
other suitable absorbing appliances whereby the gas from the coil is brought into
intimate contact with acidulated fluid as will be readily understood
Any hydrate of an alkali will be an equivalent of the lime in the process
described and it will be apparent where it is desired only to manufacture ammonia
that guano hair or other material rich in nitrogen may be used in place of bone.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1883.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND BONE-BLACK AND IN APPARATUS
OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN.' "
A communication to me from abroad by Hamilton
Young Castner and Edwin Bennett Castner both of the City County and State of
New York in the United States of America
The said invention relates to the manufacture of Ammonia and Bone-black and
consists in a process and also in certain apparatus hereinafter fully described
whereby a superior article of bone-black is secured and a very large percentage of
Ammonia obtained in a form readily available for future conversion whilst securing
final products free from bone oil and tar. An important feature is the continuity
of the process whereby not only is a large percentage of Ammonia secured but a
uniform grade of black is produced. The said process consists essentially in first
passing crushed bone continuously through a closed heated vessel or carbonizing
cylinder thereby charring the bone then conducting it without exposure to air into
an air tight receptacle, in drawing the gaseous products from the cylinder combining
them with air passing the combined gases through through heated pipes then over
heated slacked lime and finally cooling the gases and bringing them in intimate
contact with an acid thereby forming salt of ammonia in solution. By this process
the production of the bone-black and the salts of ammonia are rendered continuous
the loss of time labour and heat resulting from intermittent processes are avoided
and a much larger percentage of valuable products is secured.
Different appliances may be employed in carrying out the process, in the
drawing is shown an apparatus which has proved to be the most efficient Figure 1
being a front elevation in part section of the apparatus figure 2 a plan, figure 3 a
longitudinal section of the carbonizing cylinder and feed appliances and figure 4
a rear view of the cylinder its outlets and bone-black receiving vessel.
The outer walls A of the apparatus enclose flues chambers and fire places as
hereinafter described and support three or any desired number of hollow vessels
B, C, C of any suitable shape cylinders being shown each extending from the
front to the back, the cylinders CC¹ being connected together at or near the near
ends. The cylinder B is the carbonizer and is arranged above a fire-place D. The
cylinders C O' are above a fire place D' both fire places communicating through a
flue (xx) with a central chamber X (shown in dotted lines figure 1) from which
the products of the combustion of the coal escape to an uptake F.
As
Above the cylinder B is arranged a receptacle G from which the ground or
broken bone is fed by a feed roll 8 (figure 3) into the cylinder at the front end and
within the cylinder the bone is carried by a revolving screw H (or other suitable
appliance) along the bottom of the cylinder to the rear the heat thoroughly charring
the bone and eliminating the volatile portions which escape through a pipe a.
the access of air to the heated bone-black discharged from the rear end of the
cylinder would cause the instant burning of the bone it is necessary to exclude the
air which is effected by collecting the particles in the closed receptacle T and to
maintain the continuity of the operation without using too large a receptacle the
discharge pipe b is provided with two forks or branches e e each with a coupling to
connect it to the receptacle T and with a switch valve e' by means of which the
black may be directed to either branch so that when a receptacle T. is filled the flow

page_text: may be sent into another receptacle communicating with the other branch while
the first is removed cooled and emptied. In the pipe a receiving the gases from
the cylinder B is an inlet d into which air will be drawn together with the
gases from the cylinder B by an exhaust fan J or other exhaust apparatus as
hereinafter described. The pipe a extends downwards to the bottom of the
chamber X and is then formed into coils Z (dotted lines figures 1 and 2) of any
suitable form so as to expose a large surface to the heat produced from fires Ď
and D¹ for the purpose of oxidizing the hydrocarbons and reducing the nitrogen
compounds to a simple form. The pipe a leading from the coil Z extends to and
connects with the front end of one of the cylinders C, O'. These cylinders are
partially filled with slacked lime which being highly heated combines with the hot
gases flowing from the pipe a forming with portions of said gases a carbonate of
lime, the nitrogenous gases being simultaneously converted into ammonia by the
hydrogen of the decomposing hydrate of lime. The ammoniacal gas together with
part of the products of combustion of the hydrocarbon while in the coil Z pass into
a pipe f which is formed into a worm g and arranged in a tank k through which
cold water constantly flows thus cooling the gas and condensing the water resulting
from the extraction of water from the lime and from the charring of the bone and
the combustion of the volatile products. The lime which has become partially
carbonated may be withdrawn from the cylinders re-slacked and used again
until completely saturated with carbonic acid. Several cylinders C may
be arranged and connected so that one or more may be emptied and
refilled while the gas is directed to the others to avoid interrupting the process.
The gas and liquid from the coil g pass through a pipe h which is connected with
a small tank i to receive the liquid which consists of water holding in solution
carbonate of ammonia formed in the cylinders C C' and the condenser g and
constituting one of the products of the process. The uncondensed ammonia and
other gases passing from the tank i and received by the exhaust fan J (which
exerts a suction on the whole apparatus) is driven into a chamber at the bottom
of a tower L which contains a mass of coke or other suitable material through
which the gas flows upwards while sulphuric or hydrochloric acid of moderately
concentrated strength flows downwards, the ammonia gas being absorbed by the
acid to form sulphate or chloride of ammonia in a solution which is discharged
through a cock m. The gas which has been deprived of ammonia passes out
of the top of the tower. The acid solution which is drawn off at the cock n
is pumped back to flow down the tower again and take more ammonia which
operation is repeated until the acid has become saturated or neutralized. To
ensure a steady uniform flow of the liquor a tank M. is placed at the top of the
tower and a series of hollow nipples n extend upward from the bottom of the tank
to a uniform height the liquor flows into the end of the nipples and is evenly
dispersed over the coke.
The invention is not limited to the use of an absorbing apparatus of the kind
described as various other forms may be employed and other details of the
apparatus may be varied while carrying out the principle of the process.
Any hydrate of an alkali will be an equivalent of the lime in the process
described. It will be apparent where it is desired only to manufacture ammonia
that guano hair or other material rich in nitrogen may be used in place of bone.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First. The improvement in the manufacture of bone-black and ammonia con-
sisting in charring the bone combining air with the volatile portions free from
the bone henting the mixed gases and then passing such gases over hot slacked
lime through a cooler and then into intimate contact with acid substantially as
set forth.

page_text: Second. In the manufacture of ammonia feeding the inaterial continuously
through a hot cylinder and from the latter into a closed vessel and simultaneously
conducting the gases from the cylinder for conversion as set forth.
Third. In the manufacture of ammonia charring the material oxidising the
gases by passing the same with air through heated pipes and decomposing the
nitrogenous gases and forming ammonia by passing the said gases over hot slacked
lime substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the closed carbonizing cylinder of a closed
receptacle T secured detachably to the discharge pipe of the cylinder for the
purposes set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the cylinder its feed and propelling appliances
of a discharge pipe having two or more branches and a valve e¹ for the purposes
specified.
Sixth. The combination of a feed device whereby the bone is introduced con-
tinuously into the cylinder a continuous screw in the cylinder whereby the bone
is carried along the cylinder and discharged and a pipe a for conveying the
gases from the cylinder to the converting apparatus substantially as specified.
Seventh. The combination with the carbonizing and lime cylinders of a pipe a
having an air inlet and formed into coils arranged within a heating chamber for
the purposes set forth.
Eighth. The combination with the carbonizing and lime cylinders and con-
necting pipe and heating coil of an air inlet and an exhauster for the purposes
set forth.
Ninth. The combination with the condensing coil g of the above described
bone-black and ammonia apparatus of a tank i for the purposes specified.
Tenth. The combination of the carbonizing and lime cylinders condensing coil
exhaust and converter and appliances whereby the gas from the coil is brought
into intimate contact with acidulated fluid as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Edwin Powley Alexander have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty third day of February in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.