AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING LIMESTONE AND APPLYING THE PRODUCTS FOR PURIFYING AND RENDERING WATER PALATABLE, AND FOR IMPARTING A BRISKNESS TO OTHER BEVERAGES, AS ALSO FOR UTILIZING THE SUBSTANCES TO THE VARIOUS PURPOSES OF THE BUILDER
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Davis, of No. 5, Sussex Road, Southsea, in
the-County of Southampton, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING LIMESTONE AND APPLYING THE PRODUCTS FOR
PURIFYING AND RENDERING WATER PALATABLE, AND FOR IMPARTING A
BRISKNESS TO OTHER BEVERAGES, AS ALSO FOR UTILIZING THE SUBSTANCES TO
THE VARIOUS PURPOSES OF THE BUILDER."
Sealed the 3rd November 1866, and dated the 29th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Davis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
August 1866.
I, JAMES DAVIS, of 5, Sussex Road, Southsea, in the County of South-
ampton, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING LIMESTONE AND APPLYING THE PRODUCTS
POR PURIFYING AND RENDERING WATER PALATABLE, AND FOR IMPARTING A BRISK-
NESS TO OTHER BEVERAGES, AS ALSO FOR UTILIZING THE SUBSTANCES TO THE VARIOUS
PURPOSES OF THE BUILDER," to be as follows:-
To effect these improvements I submit the limestones, whether they be
magnesian or otherwise, to heat in retorts, in conjunction with or without the
alkalies, potash and soda, or one of them, sustaining the heat until the

page_text: expulsion of both the free and latent water, together with the carbonic oxide.
gases present in the materials be fully consummated; collecting in receivers
for use the gases set free.
The method I adopt for purifying water is to destroy the vitality of infusoria
and fungi together with animalcula and other insects present in the fluid, and
to free it from decomposing vegetable and animal matter by the addition of
the caustic alkali, so as to separate the substances by subsidency, filtration, or
otherwise; afterwards I force the liberated gases through the caustic fluid in
order to free it from the caustic alkali, which it does by converting the soluble
lime into an insoluble carbonate; again I then run the bright water from
off the deposition into another receptacle, and again give it a further supply
of the gases for the purpose of impregnating the clarified water with a
sufficiency of carbonic acid gas to impart to it a briskness, as also to cause
it to hold in suspension. such mineral constituents as may be needful to
impart to it the characteristics known to belong to good refreshing spring
water.
In like manner I also treat distilled water to cause it to possess the same
healthful characters.
Further, I apply the caustic alkalies in combination with aluminous,
silicious, and ferruginous earths, or one or more of them, for all purposes to
which ordinary lime is used, whether it be in the manufacture of mortar, plaster,
or cement, or castings of any kind in which lime forms a component
part.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Davis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DAVIS, of No. 5, Sussex Road, Southsea, in the County of Southampton,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Davis, Her special licence that I, the said James Davis, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Davis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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, Australia, New Zealand, East India,
West India Islands, Queensland, Victoria, the Canadas, Gibraltar, and Malta,
an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING LIMESTONE, AND
APPLYING THE PRODUCTS FOR PURIFYING AND RENDERING WATER PALATABLE, AND
FOR IMPARTING A BRISKNESS TO OTHER BEVERAGES, AS ALSO FOR UTILIZING THE
SUBSTANCES TO THE VARIOUS PURPOSES OF THE BUILDER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Davis, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 James Davis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following:
statement:
My Invention has for its objects improvements in the preparation of
substances to be used for purifying water and imparting to it and other
beverages a salutary briskness, as also in the production of materials suitable
for ornamental objects and the constructive designs of the architect and
builder.
For the purpose of carrying out my said Invention, I employ first, lime-
stones, magnesian or otherwise, together with or without the carbonates of-
soda and potash or one of them, which substances I reduce to the caustic
state by calcining them in a retort or retorts, made either of metal, mixed
metals, or burnt earths. To effect this object I select limestones, which in
their natural condition are found the least contaminated with adventitious
substances such as aluminous, silicious, and ferruginous earths, choosing for
my purpose those compounded of oxide of calcium, carbonic oxide gas, and
the elements of water associated or not with the oxides of magnesium,
and which are usually denominated limestones or magnesium limestones.
Having made choice of my materials, I then place the stones alone or
combined, and mixed or not, with carbonate or bi-carbonate of soda, or
carbonate or bi-carbonate of potassa, or both, in a retort or retorts made of any
convenient form capable of being heated with fire, but those which I prefer as
answering the best purpose are such as are usually made use of in the produc-

page_text: tion of gas for purposes of illumination, secured and heated in like manner,
and provided with a waste discharge pipe or pipe leading into a chamber or
tank to receive for use the carbonic oxide gas or gases set free; otherwise, I
introduce the materials into a suitably constructed retort fitted with gas
discharge pipe to be put into an ordinary, household grate, otherwise, one
or more of such retorts into a boiler, steam boiler, stove; furnace, or other
convenient situation for being surrounded with fire; else I cause the retort or
retorts to be set in an ordinary limekiln, reverberatory furnace, coke oven, or
furnace or oven of any suitable form, either alone, side by side, or one above
another, and passing through the sides in opposite directions, so as to receive
the materials from the kilns', furnaces', or ovens' exteriors without interfering
with the operations therein progressing; when this is done I apply the
necessary fuel to cause the retort or retorts, together with its or their contents
to become red hot, augmenting the degrees of heat high enough to enable the
whole to assume a white aspect, ultimately sustaining that high temperature
until the expulsion of the whole of the carbonic oxide gases in the raw
material or materials be perfected, the gases discharged to waste or for use,
and the substances converted to the caustic condition.
Secondly, my Invention relates to the use of the caustic lime and the
gases liberated during the conversion of the raw materials to the caustic state,
towards purifying and rendering water palatable, and imparting a briskness
to other beverages. In order therefore to deprive impure water of living
plants, fungi, infusoria, and other vegetation or animals, and to free it from
decomposing animal substances, so as to cause the fluid thereafter to be an
agreeable beverage, I add such quantities of the caustic lime as shall cause
the water to be perceptibly alkaline, which, depriving the fluid of all free
carbon and oxygen gases therein suspended, effectually destroys the vitality of
the vegetable substantives through depriving them of carbonic acid, their
necessary food, and kills all animals therein living through withholding from
them the oxygen needful to their sustenance. Whatever nitrogenous matter
is then contained in solution becoming volatile is dissipated in the form of
ammonia; coagulation of other animal and vegetable products is promoted,
deposition of the substances accelerated, and by subsequent percolation
through gravel, sand, animal or vegetable charcoal, or other porous or fibrous
substances, separately or combined, the solid matter becomes divided, and the
filtered water thereby rendered bright and limpid; but being still unsuitable
as a beverage from its alkaline character I then, in order to deprive it of the
presence of the caustic element or elements, force through the fluid such a
quantity of the carbonic oxide gas or gases given off during the process of

page_text: the limestones calcination as may be needful to convert the whole of the
soluble lime to an insoluble carbonate, and which subsiding and becoming
separated by filtration or otherwise, the water is then discovered to be a per-
fectly wholesome and agreeable drink. Water in this manner rendered pure,
as also distilled water, soda, seltzer, potassa, saline, and other waters, ginger
beer, lemonade, cider, perry, malt liquors, and wines, together with beverages
containing spirit or sugar, or both, of all kinds, may be made to possess
effervescing briskness by having forced into them the same gas or gases for
that purpose. Further, should it be required to convey to the purified water,
as also to distilled water on board ship or elsewhere, the characteristic
essentials of spring water possessed of given mineral or other constituent or
constituents, or all, the same may be done by first introducing into the fluid
such carbonaceous, silicious, aluminous, or ferruginous earths, or one or more
of them, calcined or not, together with one or more saline substances, then
afterwards forcing such an amount of the liberated carbonic oxide gas or
gases through the aqueous fluid as may be sufficient to bring the hard
substances to the state of solution, the object is fully accomplished..
Thirdly, my Invention extends to improvements, 1st, in artistic designs
both ornamental and useful; 2nd, in the method of imparting strength and
durability to mortar, plaster, concrete, and other substances to be used in the
construction of fortifications and redoubts, cased with an outer sheathing of iron
or not, as also in the construction and erection of houses, churches, bridges,
archways, vaults, subterraneous ways, substructures, and superstructures. of all
kinds in which stone, brick, tile, gravel, flint, and sand, or one or more of these
substances form the principle part; and, 3rd, in rendering wood, stone, brick,
tile, and other porous materials used in buildings of every kind impervious to
water, as also indestructible to the natural elements.
For the first object, with aluminous, silicious, and ferruginous substances,
or one or more of them, previously calcined and ground, and in union or not
with caustic potash and soda, or one of them, I mix the caustic lime in
variable portions until the substances are thoroughly incorporated, after which
I add a sufficiency of water to bring the whole to the consistence of mortar,
to be used as such, or to the softer condition so as to be run into moulds for
the reception of various forms and devices. For the perfection of this latter
object I sometimes add to the water from one to five per cent. of sulphuric
acid in order that the moulded objects might the quicker set and become
hard.
For the second object, the caustic materials alone or in combination I mix
with aluminous, silicious, and ferruginous earths, or one or more of them,

page_text: calcined or not, and with water in suitable portions to form mortar, plaster,
concrete, or cement to be used in the construction and repairing of masonry
and brickwork of all descriptions.
.
-
For the third and last object, into an air-tight gas chamber or tank about
half filled with water I place a quantity of the caustic lime in the proportion
of about half a bushel to every hogshead of the water, together with or with-
out the caustic alkalies, soda and potash, or one of them, varying in quantity,
from one to six ounces of either kind, as also with or without one or more of
he silicious, aluminous, or ferruginous substances, calcined or not, in the
which I place wood or stone of any suitable dimensions, and either rough
hewn, sawn, planed, or tooled, as also bricks, tiles, pipes, earthen vessels, or
porous substances of any kinds, and having made the doorway perfectly air-,
tight, I then connect the chamber or tank by means of a pipe leading from
nearly, the bottom of the water to the neck of the retort, and both being pro-,
vided with a safety valve to prevent explosion, I subject the contents of the
chamber, or tank to the dissolving power of the carbonic oxide gas or gases
set at liberty by the action of fire on the limestones in the retort, and which
becoming soluble enter the pores of the wood, stone, brick, tiles, and other
porous substances therein present until they become completely saturated with
the earthy substantives, after which, by opening the door of the chamber or
tank for the free admission of atmospherical air, congelation and partial solidi-
fication of the soluble substances take place, and which eventually assuming
the crystalline form upon being removed from the chamber or tank to the
open air, the substantives operated upon are capable of receiving a very high
polish, as also of resisting the destructive elements fire and water.
Having described the means by which the several parts which constitute
my present Invention are carried into practical operation, I desire it to be
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein given,
provided that the general character of any of the several parts of my Invention
be retained.
"
In witness whereof, I, the said James Davis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the. Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
:
(L.S.) JAMES DAVIS.