IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR PURIFYING WATER, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PREVENTING IN- CRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR DETERGENT PURPOSES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Smith, of Pera Lodge, Loughborough
Road, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MEANS FOR PURIFYING WATER, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PREVENTING IN-
CRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR DETERGENT PURPOSES.
"
Sealed the 14th August 1874, and dated the 23rd March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur. Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd March 1874.
I, ARTHUR SMITH, of Pera Lodge, Loughborough Road, in the.
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR PURIFYING WATER, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR DETERGENT PURPOSES,'
to be as follows:-

page_text: duced by precipitating a salt of the above bases with silicate of soda,
and washing the precipitate by decantation.
For purifying water a small quantity of one of the above silicates is
added to water, which is then agitated and allowed to subside, whereby
the lime contained in the water will be precipitated. The purified water
may then be run off and used as feed water for boilers, for washing, and
other purposes.
For washing or scouring textile fabrics one of the
colourless silicates, such as that of magnesia or lime, is mixed with hot
water and soap and the goods are washed therein in the usual way. The
use of soda being abolished by this process the most delicate colours and
flannels can be washed without injury.
For preventing incrustation in steam boilers one of the silicates is
mixed with the water in the boiler in any convenient manner, whereby
the impuritics contained in the water will be precipitated in a pul-
verulent form, which precipitate may then be blown out from time to
time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office
the 15th September 1874.
on
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
SMITH, of Pera Lodge, Loughborough Road, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Smith, Her special license that
I, the said Arthur Smith, my exécutors, administrators; and assigns
or such others as I, the said Arthur Smith, my executors, admini-
strators, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR PURIFYING:

page_text: WATER, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND
FOR DETERGENT PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Arthur Smith, 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 Scal Patent Offico within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Smith, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the use for purifying water of the hydrated
silicates of magnesia, lime, baryta, or iron, produced by precipitating a
salt of the above bases with silicate of soda or potash and washing the
precipitate thus produced by decantation.
The proportions used vary with the base to be silicated. As an
example, in producing silicate of magnesia I dissolve about 10 parts by
weight of sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salts) in about 4 parts by
weight of boiling water, and add about 12 parts by weight of silicate
of soda or potash (having a specific gravity about 1750) diluted with its
own weight of boiling water. For convenience of transport the preci-
pitate may be pressed into cakes, or it may be contained in casks or
other vessels in the form of a thick fluid.
To soften and purify water so as to fit it for feeding steam boilers,
washing, or making infusions, I add one of the above named silicates in
the proportion of about 28 or 56 lbs. of the pressed pasté to 1,000
gallons of water, according as there is a less or greater quantity of lime
impurity present; I stir the mixture well together and allow it to settle,
whereupon the clear water may be run off for use. When the limė
present in the water is principally or entirely in the state of sulphate I
prefer to use silicate of baryta, and to add it in slight excess, which
may be tested by the appearance of a faint cloud on adding a soluble
sulphate to the water. The slight excess of baryta is easily removed
by filtration through washed sand and gravel, or by the addition of a
small quantity of one of the other silicates. When lime is present in the
state of carbonate one of the other silicates, by preference the silicate of

page_text: magnesia, may be used instead of the silicate of baryta. For washing
or making infusions I prefer to employ the silicates of lime and
magnesia, using the clear softened water after settlement. In washing
with this liquid a great economy of soap is effected, and soda can be
dispensed with, and when the silicate of magnesia is employed to prepare
the water for washing coloured goods considerable improvement is
effected in the colour of the articles washed therewith. Water treated
as above described is valuable for making infusions, as by its use for this:
purpose, particularly when the extractive matter contains an oil or
resinous ingredient (as in the case of hops), a larger yield of extract is
produced and the bitter principle is extracted in much larger quantity.
than when ordinary water is employed.
.
For preventing incrustation in steam boilers water treated as described
above may be employed to feed the boiler, or when the boiler is fed with.
ordinary water, hydrated silicates of magnesia, iron, or lime may be
introduced into the boiler either singly or mixed, and thus the impu
ritics contained in the water are precipitated in a pulverulent form and
can be removed by blowing-off from time to time.
Instead of preparing the silicate of magnesia before its introduction
into the boiler the sulphate of magnesia and the silicate of soda may be
introduced separately, the silicate of magnesia resulting from their
mutual reaction in the boiler. About 1½ lbs. of the silicate per horse-
power suffices for two or three months.
As a detergent to supersede the use of soda in washing or scouring
textile fabrics a colourless silicate, such as the silicate of magnesia,,
lime, or baryta is mixed with hot water, either with or without soap, and;
the goods are washed in the mixture. For washing coloured goods the.
silicate of magnesia is to be preferred, as flannels and goods having the
most delicate colours may thus be washed without injury, some of the
colours being brightened by the process. For this purpose I take about,
lb. of the pressed paste, reduce it to a pulp with water and add it to
about 12 gallons of hot water, whereby a great saving is effected in soap
and the use of soda can be entirely dispensed with. Any of the silicates,
named above may be used in the form of a thin paste without soap for
scouring and for removing grease and dirt by mechanical friction, and
also for fulling.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The use of the hydrated silicates of magnesia, lime, baryta, or
iron, for purifying water, substantially as herein described.
Second. The use of the silicates above referred to for detergent pur-
poses, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.