IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COAL NAPHTHA, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie
Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, both of Paris, France, Gentlemen,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COAL NAPHTHA, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 12th March 1861, and dated the 14th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Theodule Launay
and Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th September
1860.
We, CHARLES THEODULE LAUNAY and AUGUSTE MARIE ALEXANDRE DOMINÉ
DE VERNEZ, both of Paris, France, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COAL NAPHTHA, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The object of these improvements is the treating of coal naphtha, so as to
make the same more suitable for naphthalising illuminating gas. For this
purpose the crude naphtha or light oil obtained by the distillation of coal
tar is submitted to the repeated action of sulphuric acid, by causing the
same to pass through a series of vessels partly filled with this acid; the
naphtha falling from one vessel into the next, while suitable dipping pipes

page_text: cause the same to enter near the bottom of each vessel, and thus to pass
through the full height of the column of sulphuric acid contained in each
of them between each two succeeding vessels, another vessel provided with
water or with water containing any suitable alkali may be interposed, and the
naphtha caused to pass through; or this sort of washing of the naphtha may
be done after the same has passed through the entire series of vessels contain-
ing sulphuric acid. The naphtha is then passed through a filter, which we
prefer to be composed of small pieces of coke mixed up with clay and chalk,
and proto or perchloride of iron, of zinc, or of any other suitable basis; the
naphtha may further be fined or clarified by means of gelatine, glue, or other
suitable known clarifying medium, and may then be used for naphthalising
illuminating gas. Or to every 100 lb. of the naphtha may be added from to
2 lbs. of benzoic acid, about the same quantity of ether, from 10 to 25 lbs. of
alcohol, and about the same quantity of pyroacetic spirits; this mixture is then
put into a cylindrical revolving or dashing vat provided in the interior with
proper cross blades, which is then hermetically closed, and caused to revolve
with its axis in proper bearings till the ingredients have intimately united to a
homogenous liquid which may then be employed for naphthalising illuminating
gas. Instead of a cylindrical revolving vat we may also use spherical
apparatus formed of two hollow semi-spheres fixed against each other, with a
proper partition plate interposed for separating the sphere into two chambers,
so that by filling one of the chambers with the liquids to be mixed together,
and causing the sphere to revolve on proper trunnions, the liquids will by
means of one or more small perforations of the partition plate fall from
one chamber into the other, and thus ultimately become perfectly mixed
together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie Alexandre
Dominé de Vernez in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th March
1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
THEODULE LAUNAY and AUGUSTE MARIE ALEXANDRE DOMINÉ DE VERNEZ, both
of Paris, France, Gentlemen, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez,
Her special licence that we, the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste
Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste
Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, our executors, administrators, 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COAL NAPHTHA AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said Charles Theodule Launay and
Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, do hereby declare the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of these improvements is the treating of coal naphtha in such
manner as to make the same more suitable for naphthalizing illuminating gas
than the coal naphtha hitherto employed for the said purpose. For this purpose
we submit the raw or crude naphtha or light oil obtained by the distillation of
coal tar, to the repeated action of sulphuric acid, by causing the naphtha to pass
through a series of vessels partly filled with the said acid, the naphtha falling
from one vessel into the next following, while suitable dipping pipes cause the
naphtha to enter near the bottom of each vessel, from where the naphtha, being
of less specific weight than the sulphuric acid, is obliged to rise in this latter,
and traversing each time nearly the full height of the acid, is brought in
repeated contact therewith, and thereby deprived of those parts that make
crude coal naphtha less suitable for the naphthalizing of illuminating gas than
that treated according to our methods; after this, for still more improving the

page_text: naphthalizing property of the naphtha, the same is caused to run through a filter,
which we prefer to be composed of coke broken into pieces of about the size
of a nut, mixed with small pieces of chalk and clay, and some proto or per-
chloride of iron, zinc, or other suitable bases; or, instead of this filtering, the
naphtha may be submitted to distillation, and finally, if required, be clarified by
means of gelatine, glue, or other suitable clarifying materials. The purified
naphtha thus obtained may then be used for naphthalizing illuminating gas.
The apparatus we prefer to make use of for performing the first part of the
above described processes is represented in longitudinal vertical sectional view
in Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawings. The apparatus consists of a series of
vessels, each preceeding vessel being situated at a higher level than the one
next following.
A is the reservoir for holding the raw naphtha to be operated upon, and which,
by means of an outlet pipe a, and cock a¹, falls into a funnel B, the lower end
of which opens near the bottom of the vessel C, so as only to leave the distance
for suitably discharging the naphtha in this vessel C, which latter is partly filled
with sulphuric acid of commerce, by which means the naphtha, in taking its
exit from the lower part of the funnel B, is compelled to rise through the full
height of the acid in the vessel C, which latter, by means of an exit pipe D,
with cock d, carries the naphtha again in a similar manner as has been just
described in respect to the vessel C, into a vessel C, by means of the funnel B',
from this vessel C¹ the naphtha after traversing the sulphuric acid of this vessel,
again by means of the exit pipe D¹ and cock d, falls into a third vessel C³, and
from this in a similar manner in a fourth, a fifth, and so on in as many vessels
as will be found suitable, and finally the naphtha is caused to pass through a
filter E, partly filled with the above-mentioned filtering materials, and the liquid
is collected into any suitable vessel F, from which the same may be drawn off by
a cock for other suitable means; the naphtha after having passed through the
above-described purifying process might, if required, be employed at once for
naphthalizing illuminating gas, but we prefer previously to submit the naphtha
to distillation, and for this purpose we prefer to make use of the distilling
vessel represented in vertical sectional view in Fig. 2 of the annexed Drawings,
the same consists of a strong vessel P, partly imbedded in a suitable furnace P
a convex partition plate e divides the interior of the vessel into an upper
compartment G', and a lower compartment G, the latter serving instead of the
retort or cucurbit of ordinary distilling apparatus; in the centre of the plate e
is an aperture e¹; f is a screw plug for hermetically closing the vessel P ; when
this plug is removed, a funnel may be inserted in the opening and protrude

page_text: through the aperture e¹, and thus allow of filling the lower compartment' to a
suitable height with the naphtha to be distilled, after which the funnel is removed
and the plug f screwed on again; fire being now applied to the vessel, the
naphtha vapours will rise through the aperture e', as shown by the arrows, and
become condensed in the upper compartment G¹, from whence the purified
liquid naphtha thus obtained may be drawn off by means of the cocks g, g. The
lower compartment G of the vessel P is provided with a cock Q for drawing
off therefrom the liquid remaining after distillation.
We also sometimes treat the naphtha intended for naphthalizing illuminating
gas in the following manner:-To every 100 lbs. of naphtha we add from
to 2 lbs. of benzoic acid, about the same quantity of ether, from 10 to 25 lbs.
of alcohol, and about the same quantity of pyroacetic spirits; the said
ingredients must be intimately mixed with the naphtha, which may be done
by any suitable means, but for which purpose we prefer using the one or the
other of the apparatus represented in the Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the Drawings;
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a cylindrical revolving or
dashing vessel H, made of wood, tin plate, or any other suitable material;
this vessel is allowed to revolve by means of its horizontal axis or arbor h, and
winch handle h', in suitable bearings i in standards I. The vessel is provided
with a screw plug k for allowing to fill the same with the naphtha and other
materials to be mixed therewith, and afterwards emptying the vessel, the
interior of which is provided with a suitable quantity of cross blades L, for
projecting the liquid from one blade to the other when the vessel is suitably
turned round by means of the winch handle h', so as to obtain an intimate
mixture of all the said ingredients. Instead of the cylindrical vessel H, Fig. 3, a
spherical vessel, of which the Figs. 4 and 5 represent two cross sections, may be
used for the purpose of intimately mixing with the naphtha the above-mentioned
ingredients, which vessel, by means of its trunnions m, is allowed to revolve
in suitable bearings; the interior of the vessel is divided into two equal com-
partments M and M', by means of a division plate N, provided with one or
more apertures n, for allowing the materials to be mixed together to pass,
while turning the vessel on its trunnions, from one compartment into the
other, and thus become intimately mixed together. The vessel must be
provided with an opening provided with a screw plug o, for filling and emptying
one of the compartments M or M'.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of our Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, we would
observe in conclusion that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to the

page_text: precise details of the mechanical arrangements described, or to the exact
proportions of the various matters to be employed, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the main features of our Invention;
but what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to us by the above in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
1ly, the above described modes of treating coal naphtha for the purpose of
making the same more suitable for naphthalizing illuminating gas.
And, 2dly, the arrangements described in so far as applied to our modes of
treating coal naphtha.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de
Vernez, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh of March,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
A. M. A. DOMINÉ DE VERNEZ. (L.S.)