IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Deacon, of Appleton House, Widnes,
in the County of Lancaster, Alkali Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE."
Sealed the 25th June 1875, and dated the 3rd May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Deacon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd May 1875.
I, HENRY DEACON, of Appleton House, Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, Alkali Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE," to be
as follows:-
:—
This Invention relates to the manufacture of chlorine by what is
known as Deacon's process, which consists in passing a heated mixture
of hydrochloric acid gas and air over pieces of inert porous substances,
such as burnt clay, which are impregnated with one or more active
chemical substances, which may be sulphate of copper.

page_text: Now my Invention consists in using instead of burnt clay such
porous substances as consist mainly of sesquioxide of iron, as for
example, the residue or "cinder" left after burning iron pyrites. I
impregnate such substances with solutions of sulphate of copper or
other active chemical substance in the same way that the pieces of
burnt clay are impregnated, as described in my former Specification
herein-after referred to. Or if the residue or "cinder" result from
the burning of cupreous pyrites or other mineral containing much
copper or other active chemical substance, the copper, &c., naturally
present may be sufficiently active without further addition; but usually
the cupreous pyrites employed in chemical works yields a residue or
"cinder" in which the copper, &c., is in an inactive condition until
dissolved in water; and when using this kind of residue or " cinder
I add water or dilute acid if necessary to it in order to render the copper
soluble, and also to render it active; and I also add if necessary a
solution of sulphate of copper or other active chemical substance to it
if it does not contain sufficient active chemical substance after calcination
without such addition.
"
I employ the porous substance, consisting mainly of sesquioxide of
iron impregnated as described with an active chemical substance, which
may be sulphate of copper in such apparatus as are described in Specifi-
cations of Inventions for which Letters Patent were granted to me
for "Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Chlorine,"
and numbered and dated respectively as follows:-No. 2469, dated
13 September 1870, No. 3253, dated 7 October 1873, and No. 332,
dated 28 January 1875, or in any other convenient apparatus.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the 38th
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Deacon, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Deacon, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Deacon, my executors, ad-
ministrators, or 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAnu-
FACTURE OF CHLORINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Deacon, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and scal, 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
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the 38th
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Deacon, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Deacon, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Deacon, my executors, ad-
ministrators, or 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CHLORINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Deacon, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and scal, 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 Henry Deacon, 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, that is to say:
―
In the manufacture of chlorine by what is known as Deacon's process,
a heated mixture of hydrochloric acid gas and air are passed over pieces
of inert porous substances, such as burnt clay, which substances are
impregnated with one or more active chemical substances, one of which
may be sulphate of copper, which active chemical substances are
described in the Specifications of former Patents granted to me.
Now one part of this Invention consists in using instead of burnt
clay such porous substances as consist mainly of sesquioxide of iron,
as for example, the residue or "cinder" left after burning iron pyrites.
I impregnate such substances with solutions of sulphate of copper, or
with other active chemical substance or substances in the same way
that the pieces of burnt clay are impregnated, as described in my former

page_text: "
Specifications of Patents granted to me herein-after referred to. Or
if the residue or "cinder" result from the burning of cupreous pyrites
or other mineral containing much copper or other active chemical
substance, the copper naturally present may be sufficiently active
without further addition; but usually the cupreous pyrites employed
in chemical works yield a residue or
66 cinder in which the copper
is in an inactive condition until dissolved in water; and when using
this kind of residue or "cinder" I add water or dilute acid if necessary
to it in order to render the copper soluble, and also to render it active;
and I also add if necessary a solution of sulphate of copper or other
active chemical substance to it if it does not contain sufficient active
chemical substance after calcination.
I employ the porous substance consisting mainly of sesquioxide of
iron impregnated as described with an active chemical substance, which
may be sulphate of copper, in such apparatus as are described in the
Specifications of Inventions for which Letters Patent were granted to
me for "Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Chlorine,"
and numbered and dated respectively as follows:-No. 2469,. dated
13th September 1870, No. 3253, dated 7th October 1873, and No. 332,
dated 28th January 1875, or in any other convenient apparatus.
"
When using the " cinder or residue from the pyrites employed in
chemical works I prefer to reburn it, or to select only such portions
as are thoroughly burned already, because the mass usually contains
enough sulphur or other unburnt substance to raise it to a dangerously
high temperature if used in this Invention without this selection or
reburning; and as far as practically convenient I prefer any well-known
methods to evolve or prepare the hydrochloric acid gas so that it shall
contain only a minimum amount of vapour of water.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
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 herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the employ-
ment in and for the production of chlorine of such porous substances
as consist mainly or essentially of sesquioxide of iron impregnated with

page_text: sulphate of copper or other active chemical substance, in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Deacon, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
HENRY DEACON. (L.S.)