CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE: PRODUCTION OF SAL AMMONIAC, AND IN THE PURIFICATION OF: GAS, FOR ILLUMINATION
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
THEODORE PHILIPPI, of Belfield Hall, in the County of Lancaster, Calico.
Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing. date.at
Westminster, the Twenty-first day. of July, in the fifth year of. Her. reign,
did; for, Herself, Her heirs and successörs, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick Theodore Phillippi, Her especial licence, 'full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I,, the said Frederick Theodore Phillippi, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and such others. as I, the said: Frederick Theo-
dore, Philippi, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no other, from time to time and at times during the
term of years therein expressed, should, and lawfully might make,' use,
exercise, and vend, within England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE: PRODUCTION OF
SAL AMMONIAC, AND IN THE PURIFICATION OF: GAS, FOR ILLUMINATION," being a
communication from a foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I; the said Frederick Theodore Philippi;
shall cause a particular description of the nature. of my said. Invention; and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be. enrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and.

page_text: immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Frederick Theodore Philippi, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is par-
ticularly described by the following translation of the Inventor's description of
his improvements, as communicated to me, reference being had to the Drawings
annexed, that is to say:-
The object of the process for purifying coal gas is to take from it, by
means of a double chemical decomposition, all the ammoniacal substances
with which it is combined, and at the same time to separate from it a large
quantity of naptha or napthaline, both of which substances render its smell
very disagreeable; the former ammoniacal substances are also deleterious even
while the gas is burning, from its producing sulphurous acid, owing to the
transformation of the hydro-sulphuric acid during combustion, which injures
gildings, paintings, colors, and therefore drapery, corrodes the metal pipes and
every thing with which it comes in contact. Ammonia is found in coal gas,
combined with hydro-sulphuric acid, carbonic acid, sulphurous acid, hydro-
cyanic acid, hydro-sulphocyanic acid, &c., &c., which acids are, however, to a
certain extent uncombined. In subjecting these gases to the action of a saline
metallic solution, for instance, of manganese, iron, zinc, copper, lead, antimony,
&c., the result will be a double decomposition, either a formation of a metallic
sulphuret or carbonate, sulphite, cyanuret, &c., substances which precipitate
form a sediment, and the ammonia will be preserved in combination and in
solution with the acid of the metallic salt that has been employed. The excess
of the hydro-sulphuric acid is only absorbed when some of the solutions men-
tioned above are used, say, that of lead. I consider the sulphate or chloride of
manganese to be the most advantageous metallic substance from its cheapness,
it being the refuse in the preparation of chloride of lime, and the water in
which calcined pyritaceous schistus has been washed. The solutions should
not be acid, for that would cause a decomposition of the hydro-sulphates, car-
bonates, sulphates, and the disengagements of the acids. These solutions are
rendered neutral by using the condensed ammoniacal water from gas works. In
order to obtain the double decomposition, the gas is passed through the solutions
mentioned above, contained in suitable cisterns or apparatus, for much depends
on the proper placing of the apparatus, on account of the precipitate before
mentioned, that the precipitate may not bear too great a proportion to the
solution given. The solution should not be too concentrated; the degree of

page_text: 20° Beaumé will answer the purpose; the solution is brought about to this point
by using the ammoniacal waters. The apparatus consists of three cisterns or
wash boilers, one placed higher than the other, through these the gas passes
and is washed. The cisterns or wash boilers are cylindrical, and made of
wrought or cast iron; the lids should be so much above the level of the liquid,
that the bubbling due to the passages of the gas should not reach it. The lid
should be easily removed, and be closed with a water joint; the pipes for
admitting and letting off the gas are placed at the side, and the remark made
with reference to the distance of the lid is partly applicable to the letting-off
pipes, which might be covered by the precipitate. The lid may also be fixed
and provided with a man-hole for inspecting and cleansing the cistern. The
pipe for admitting the gas descends below the surface two inches at least; the
gas is separated in its passage in order to increase the surfaces of contact, and
this is effected by perforated plates of metal or other like partitions. There is
in each cistern an agitator, which is so constructed as to put in motion all the
deposit, particularly at the bottom and the sides of the apparatus, and when,
the cistern is to be emptied; the pipes and taps for emptying should be large
and capable of being removed when necessary. There is an escape pipe
attached to each cistern to prevent an increase of pressure in case the level of
the liquid should by any cause ascend; the escape pipe conducts the liquid
into the lower cistern, as seen in the Drawing hereafter particularly described.
The gas is allowed to pass through the cisterns until the liquid in the first,
instead of being precipitated by the means of a hydro-sulphate, contains an excess
of ammonia, as in the ammoniacal or condensed waters. To find out this
point of saturation, a small quantity of the solution is drawn from the cistern
by a little tap; the liquid of the first cistern being saturated, it is drawn off';
the second cistern is emptied into the first; the third into the second, and
the third has a fresh supply of the solution introduced. The cisterns are con-
nected by pipes, and they are made in such a manner as to allow of being
cleaned. The solution from the first cistern is received in a vat, in which it
forms a deposit; the liquid part is withdrawn, acted upon by a little sulphuric,
hydrochloric, or other acid, according to the nature of the salt which saturates
the ammonia, and then it is evaporated to chrystalize. This process is also
applicable for removing the ammoniacal substances which are disengaged
during the distillation of bones or other animal substances, and 'all such as
produce ammonia by the action of heat. Naphtha, or naphthaline, which is
found in distilling coal, is naturally volatile, and becomes more so in the pre-
sence of ammonia; there is a sort of affinity between ammonia and naphtha,
which is destroyed when the ammonia is absorbed; the naphtha or naphthalino

page_text: then floats on the liquid; or else it remains in the precipitate: In applying the
process of purifying to gas; the temperature should not be too high, the gas
should have been' cooled, and a great part of the tar and' ammoniacal water
should be condensed. This part of the Invention is further illustrated by
the Drawings attached; Fig. 1 being a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan
view, of the apparatus."
DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING GAS.
a, a, a, cylindrical or wash cisterns; b, b, b, pipes which admit the gas to
each cistern; c, c, c, agitators, which are provided with arms t, t, t'; 'the shafts
of these agitators pass through stuffing boxes at the top of the cistern a;
d, d, d, escape or overflow pipes, provided with slides and stuffing boxes, by
means of which they can be cleaned without losing any gas, and without
stopping the apparatus'; e, e, c, pipes with funnels for receiving the liquid
which runs from the overflow pipes or from the pump for supplying the appa-
ratus; r,,, taps for letting off the liquid; they are placed in the pipes k, sce
Fig. 2 s, a pipe by which the gas is drawn off. In Fig. 2, v, v, v, are man-
holes for entering the vats or cisterns; taps for trying the quality of the gas;
k, k, k, pipes by which the cisterns are emptied from one to the other. These
pipes are inclined from one cistern to the other to assist in the emptying of
the cisterns, they are also provided with stuffing boxes...
PART SECOND: Ammoniacal waters (besides the uses. specified above)
may also be advantageously employed for obtaining ammoniacal substances in
the following manner:-These waters are acted upon by lime in a common
distilling apparatus, heated either by steam or otherwise by means of a
worm or injection; the alcali or ammonia set at liberty by the heat escapes
into a second boiler, similar to the first one, through a connecting pipe.
The condensing of the ammoniacal. vapours heats the second boiler, in
which there is lime and ammoniacal waters. The vapours emitted by
the second boiler pass into a good sized vessel or a third boiler, in which
there is a solution of lime, which absorbs the remaining parts of the acid
which have not been taken up by the two first. boilers. After the third
boiler there is a leaden worm in which the vapours circulate; the worm is
surrounded by cold ammoniacal water. The worm descends into leaden
vessel in which is deposited á solution of alcali, which at first is very strong,
but becomes weaker as the distillation goes on. This alcali should be with-
drawn before it descends below the 220th degree, but as a part of the ammonia
in gaseous state, there are two other vessels prepared after the first one, thic
whole of which forms or is similar to one of "Woolf's apparatus." The

page_text: solution of lime of the second vessel,,and, which is not saturated after one
distillation, is put into the second boiler, that the lime and ammonia, which are
dissolved in the liquid may be used. This alcali may be sufficiently: pure for
commerce, but if it should be changed into, salt sulphate or hydrochlorate, it
must be poured into sulphuric. or hydrochloric acid by. means of a pipe, in
which small holes are bored horizontally, but. it is necessary in this case, to
collect the vapours in a second vessel. also containing acid. It is, even more
advantageous to introduce the alkali into the acid in proportion, as it comes
from the worm of the still. The action of the acid on the alcali liberates
a certain quantity of. empyreumatic oil, which is partly carbonized and
which discolors the liquor. This may be avoided by, allowing the liquor
to repose or to dry up before it is evaporated to chrystallize: If the alcali.is
not pure enough for commerce, it is distilled again on lime, potasb, or soda.
For obtaining the hydrochlorate one may introduce some hydrochloric acid gas
before it is condensed into the mixture; and instead of using water to condense,
use the alkali in question and it will saturate. One may also, by advoiding
evaporation, introduce into a leaden: chamber some: alcaline vapours of hydro-
chloric acid; the connection is formed and the salt deposits itself against the
sides in the form of powder. In substituting the hydrochloric acid gas, by
carbonic acid, which may be obtained by any process, carbonate of ammonia is
formed. Instead of the alcali thus obtained one may at once make use of the
ammoniacal waters for condensing the hydrochloric acid gas, and thus produce
hydrochlorate. These remarks about the ammoniacal condensing waters for
gas are also applicable to all liquids containing ammoniacal or volatile salts, &c.
With regard to the distilling apparatus before mentioned, it must be remem-
bered, that the liquid from the second boiler is removed into the first one
when its liquid has lost its ammonia, that is, the warm liquid that surrounds
the worm, which is received into the second boiler, having been expelled by
the cold liquid which enters at the bottom of the refrigerator; also, that this
refrigerator is hermetically sealed, and its upper side or lid is furnished with a
pipe which enters the acid about a quarter of an inch, that it may absorb
the ammonia which would be disengaged with the vapours owing to the higli
temperature of the upper parts.
Fig. 3 in the Drawing is a sectional elevation of the apparatus for distilling
ammoniacal liquids. a, a, a, sheet-iron boilers with flat boilers, the first of
which is placed over a fire-place, or it is heated by the injection of steam; the
second boiler a is heated by the remainder of the flames and the smoke; b, b, b,
agitators, which may be constructed with rakes to keep the lime in motion and
to prevent any sediment; (one may also employ the means generally known to

page_text: prevent incrustation). c, c, c, the man-holes; d, d, d, shafts of the agitators,
passing through stuffing boxes; e, e, e, lids supported by screws, for the pur-
pose of putting the lime into the boilers; 1, 1, 1, leaden pipes for conducting
the vapours from the lower to the upper boilers; i, i, i, pipes for emptying the
boilers; they are provided with taps or valves; (the same remark may be
made to the pipes i, as was made to the connecting pipes for the cisterns in
the apparatus for purifying gas); the pipe i may be omitted, and a common
emptying pipe for letting off the contents of the boilers substituted; k, a pipe
or worm placed in a refrigerator z, z, which is closed hermetically; it conducts
the heated vapours from the ammoniacal liquids into the acid.
m, the
reservoir for the ammoniacal liquors, from whence they are conducted to the
bottom of the refrigerator by the tap n, and the funnel and pipe p; h, a pipe
with a tap, for conducting the hot liquors into the boiler a; o, a leaden vessel,
provided with a tap v, placed a little above the level of the bottom and of the
escape pipe r; this vessel, in which is deposited the condensed ammonia, is in
communication with the vessels o and o, by means of the pipes w, forming
altogether one of "Woolf's apparatus," in which the ammoniacal gas that
escapes is dissolved; x, a tap, for drawing off when necessary the liquid
contained in the refrigerator.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Theodore Philippi, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
Jans NOISY I NIT
Extray in Chancery.
REDERICK I
(L.S.)
PPI.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twentieth day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Frederick Theodore Philippi came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of January, in the year above written.