IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND FIXING NITROGEN IN INERT SUBSTANCES FOR FERTILIZING PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OBTAINING AND FIXING NITROGEN IN INERT SUBSTANCES FOR FERTILIZING
PURPOSES" A. communication from abroad by Claudius César Paday, of Lyons,
Fiance
Scaled the 31d August 1877, and dated the 6th February 1877
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th February 1877
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND FIXING NITROGEN IN INERT
SUBSTANCES FOR FERTILIZING PURPOSES" A communication from abroad by
Claudius César Paday, of Lyons, France
This Invention relates to the production and fixing of nitrogen in varying quan-
tities in neutral substances, which are thus rendered suitable as feitiliscis
It is well known that the nitrogen of the an forms a very considerable if not the
chief feitilising element, and that the absorption of nitrogen assimilated by plants
explains most of the phenomena of vegetation, and that, in a word, manures or
substances used to regenerate the soil simply serve as generators or communicators
of nitrogen, which they yield in a nascent state to the soil or the plants to become
assimilated under the most favorable conditions as it is disengaged Thus manure
serves only for storing nitrogen derived from the air or from the decomposition of
organic matters, which it readily gives up to the soil by contact It is also well
known that the best method of fixing nitrogen in inert substances is by transforming
it into ammonia, and then fixing the ammonia by means of acids or salts with an
excess of acid so as to form double salts, which are readily assumilable when brought
in contact with the soil
The present Invention relates to a system having for object,―
1st The production of ammoniacal salts by abstracting ammonia from the air by
means of porous inert substances, and uniting it with natural acids or salts so as to
form ammoniacal salts, and more particularly nitrates.

page_text: 2nd The enrichment in nitrogen of the nitrates already formed, the quantity of
nitrogen increasing in proportion to the initial production of the salts
The means of production generally employed in this system are,-
1st Porous solid substances or substances of vegetable, mineral, or animal origin
in a minutely subdivided condition
2nd Fossil or other organic substances, solid or liquid, at any degree of decom-
position.
3rd Gaseous matters, such as all, steam, or gases, absorbed or projected into the
solid or liquid mass, which they penetrate in a finely divided condition in order to
multiply the surfaces of contact, and produce the greatest possible surface of contact
of these various elements
The means employed for producing the absorption or penetration of gases or
liquids in the nitrifiable or nitrified mass may vary according to circumstances, and
in the case of liquids may be by force of gravity, while gases and vapors at the
ordinary or other temperature may be introduced and distributed in the mass by
suitable pipes or chaunels
The means of condensing the ammoniacal products in excess which may be dis-
engaged from the nitrifiable or nitrified mass may be by fixing said products in
salifiable neutral matters, upon which is projected an intermittent or continuous jet
of steam, which may or may not contain nitrogen, at a natural or artificial tem-
perature, or said products may be concentrated by being conveyed through pipes or
channels leading to acids or neutral substances
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1877
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND FIXING NITROGEN IN INERT
SUBSTANCES FOR FERTILIZING PURPOSES A communication from abroad by
Claudius César Paday, of Lyons, Fiance
This Invention relates to the production and fixing of nitrogen in varying quan-
tities in neutral substances, which are thus rendered suitable for fertilising
purposes
It is well known that the nitrogen of the air forms a very considerable if not the
chief fertilising element, and that the absorption of this nitrogen assimilated by
plants explains most of the natural phenomena of vegetation, and that, in a word,
manuies or substances used to regenerate the soil simply serve as generators or
vehicles of nitrogen, which they yield in a nascent state to the soil or the plants in
order that it may become assimilated under the most favorable conditions as it is
disengaged Thus manure seives only for storing nitrogen derived from the air or
fiom the decomposition of organic matters, which it readily gives up to the soil by
contact. It is also well known that the best method of fixing nitrogen in ineit sub-
stances is by transforming it into ammonia, and then fixing the aminonia by means
of acids or salts with an excess of acid so as to form double salts, which are readily
assimilable when brought in contact with the soil
The present Invention relates to a system of means having for object,-
1st The production of ammoniacal salts by absorbing ammonia from the air in
poious inert substances, in which it is united with acids or natural salts in order to
form ammoniacal salts, and more particularly nitrates
2nd The emrichment in nitrogen of the nitrates already formed, the quantity of
nitiogen increasing in proportion to the initial production of the salts.
The means of production generally employed in this system ale,-
(1) Porous solid substances or substances of vegetable, mineral, or animal origin
in a minutely subdivided condition

page_text: (2) Fossil or other organic substances, solid or liquid, at every degree of decom-
position
(3) Gaseous substances, such as au, steam, or gases, absorbed or projected into
the solid or liquid mass, which they penetrate in a finely divided condition in order
to multiply the ami faces of contact, and produce the greatest possible surface of
contact of these various elements
The means employed for effecting the absorption or ponetration of the gases or
liquids in the nitishable or nitrified mass vary according to cucumstances, and in
the case of liquids may be by force of gravity, while gases and vapors at the ordinary
or other temperatures may be introduced and distributed in the mass by suitable
pipes or channels.
The means of condensing the ammoniacal products in excess which may be dis-
engaged from the nitrifiable or mitified mass may be by fixing said products in
salifiable neutial matters, upon which is projected an intermittent or continuous jet
of steam, nitrogenised or not, at a natural or artificial temperature, or said products
may be concentrated by being conveyed through pipes or channels leading to acids
or neutral substances
The nitrate of ammonia or its derivatives produced by this Invention may be
applied also, among other purposes, for the production of artificial ice, or for refri-
geiating, for enriching or revivifying combustibles, either directly, or by immersion,
or other means, for the condensation by nitrification of products disengaged in the
phenomenon of rapid combustion, also the application of this condensation or nitii-
fication for the regeneration, either continuous or intermitttent, of all rapid com-
bustions, in hydrotherapeutics concurently with metalloids or metals dissolved
either at the ordinary or other temperature, either alone or combined with other
matters, for the destruction of the phylloxera, either alone or combined with
other inatters, for the conversion of solid or liquid foecal matters as well as all
organic substances into salts, either at the ordinary or other temperature It
or its derivatives may also be employed, with or without the addition of other
matters, for the artificial production of organic matters, for inhalation in certain
cases, for the dissolution and distillation of metalloids, metals, ores, &c, concur-
iently with metalloids or metals, either separate or combined, foi coloring and
piesei ving wood and other substances, also in the formation of nitrates generally,
in a word, for any purpose to which nitiate of ammonia or its derivatives may be
applied, whether combined or not with other matters, such as in the dissolution,
colonization, oi pieservation of substances, the production of force by expansion or
condensation, the production of dynamic electricity for generating lighting gas and
for piducing spontaneous vegetation, whether instantaneous, continuous, or natural,
by the duect employment of the above means or products, whether associated or not
with other bodies, at the ordinary or artificial temperature, either in hot-houses or
the open an, also the employinent of the above means or products in the manu-
facture of nitric acid
The Invention also includes the use of any arrangement of apparatus for the pro-
duction of nitrates, whether closed or open, by the means herein described.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the means of obtaining and fixing nitrogen
in inert substances for fertilising purposes, as specified
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.