Improvements in the Manufacture of Anhydrous Chloride of Magnesium, and the Apparatus used therein.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Apr., 1892—Accepted, 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Anhydrous Chloride of
Magnesium, and the Apparatus used therein.
I, THOMAS HUGH BELL, of Middlesbrough, in the County of York, Iron Master,
(a communication to me from abroad by Théophile Schloesing, of 67 Quai d'Orsay,
Paris, in the Republic of France,) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The process of extraction of chlorine by means of chloride of magnesium for
which my communicator took out a Patent of date August 31st 1887 No. 11821
consists chiefly in the following operations:
1. Concentration of a sclution of chloride of magnesium so as to form a hydrated
chloride of magnesium solidified in form of grains called herein "chloride of
magnesium in grains."
2. Complete dehydration of the chloride in grains by means of heat in the
presence of a current of hydrochloric acid gas coming from the partial decomposition
of the chloride itself or from any other source.
3. Extraction of the chlorine from the anhydrous chloride of magnesium by
means of heat and a current of air.
Since then he has made certain improvements and developments of this process
which form the object of the present application for a Patent.
In the first place when the solution of chloride of magnesium concentrated
first of all in a boiler begins to become pasty it is transferred to a circular cast
iron pan flat at the bottom with a vertical rim upon which is fixed a cast iron
cover slightly domed in shape. The pan rests on a masonry support abutting
against or near to a furnace. The gases issuing from this furnace penetrate
into the pan by holes pierced at the top of the rim, pass across the pan (coming
in contact with its contents) and leave by holes on the opposite side from those
above mentioned and then pass into a common flue. A vertical axle passing
through the cover carries onc or more horizontal arms turning above the
substance that is being treated in the pan. These arms are armed with teeth
which reach almost to the bottom of the pan. They form a kind of rake having
the function of renewing the surfaces exposed to contact with the gases from the
furnace and of breaking up the substance during its solidification. To complete
such breaking up and to ensure the formation of the grains other teeth are fixed
on the bottom of the pan between which pass those of the movable arms.
These passages produce some resistance and it is advisable to avoid its occuring
simultaneously and therefore the fixed teeth should be arranged on
line if the movable teeth are arranged along the radius or vice versa so that the
passage of one tooth between two others takes place successively. In addition
to the above there are on the edge of the pan one or more doors to discharge
it. The charge takes place by a hopper fixed on the cover. Several of these
apparatus may be placed in a series and can be traversed by the gases from
the same furnace.
a curved
To effect the complete dehydration of the chloride in grains it is placed in
fixed horizontal cast iron cylinders closed by cast iron plates in the interior of
which move at a very slow pace spiral blades of steel. Each contains preferably
three such equidistant spiral blades carried on arms fixed upon an axle which
traverses the cylinder and receives from without a slow movement of rotation so
that a substance more or less in powder introduced at one extremity of the

page_text: cylinder is carried by the spiral blades and elevated until it slips and tumbles a
little farther so as to be picked up again and so on until it arrives at the
extremity of the cylinder. In order to economise.fuel and to simplify the
arrangement of pipes or flues and to assure the regular working of the solid
matters under the gases several cylinders (three for example) are preferably
fixed in the same apparatus being placed one over the other so that their axes
are in the same vertical plane. Granulated chlorine turned into the top of the
highest cylinder by means of a distributor passes through it from end to end
and falls from the tail into the next cylinder passes through this and falls into
the top of the third cylinder through which it passes and then goes into some
convenient receptacle. At the same time the hydrochloric acid gas is made to
enter the lower end of the third cylinder then to pass into the second cylinder
then into the first in order to return to the condenser proceeding always in a
direction opposite to that taken by the chlorine. The communication between
one cylinder and the next may be effected by large tubes placed on the corre-
sponding ends of the cylinders and embracing one another like the male and
female ends of conduit pipes. These same tubes afford a passage way both to
the solid matters and to the gas. To facilitate inspection of the joints the
cylinders may be carried below the masonry in such a manner that the tubes
are easily got at. The cylinders are divided by brick arches for the purpose
of directing the gas from the furnaces along each of them. The temperature
ought not to exceed that of a dull red heat.
Dated this 6th day of July 1891.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Anhydrous Chloride of
Magnesium, and the Apparatus used therein.
I, THOMAS HUGH BELL, of Middlesbrough, in the County of York, Iron Master
(a communication to me from abroad by Theophile Schloesing, of 67 Quai d'Orsay,
Paris, in the Republic of France) do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The process of extraction of chlorine by means of chloride of magnesium for
which my communicator took out a Patent of date August 31st 1887, No. 11821
consists chiefly in the following operations:-
-:
1. Concentration of a solution of chloride of magnesium so as to form a hydrated
chloride of magnesium solidified in form of grains called herein "chloride of
magnesium in grains."
2. Complete dehydration of the chloride in grains by means of heat in the
presence of a current of hydrochloric acid gas coming from the partial decom-
position of the chloride itself or from any other source.
3. Extraction of the chlorine from the anhydrous chloride of magnesium by
means of heat and a current of air.
Since then he has made certain improvements and developments of this process
which form the object of the present application for a Patent.
In the first place when the solution of chloride of magnesium concentrated first
of all in a boiler begins to become pasty it is transferred to a circular cast iron
pan a flat at the bottom with a vertical rim a¹ upon which is fixed a cast iron
cover a slightly domed in shape. This apparatus is shown in vertical section at
Figure 1 and in horizontal section at Figure 2. The pan a rests on a masonry
support babutting against or near to a furnace c. The gases issuing from this
furnace penetrate into the pan by holes & pierced at the top of the rim pass across

page_text: the pan (coming in contact with its contents) and leave by holes on the opposite
side from those above mentioned and then pass into a common flue e. A vertical
axle passing through the cover carries one or more horizontal arms f¹ turning
above the substance that is being treated in the pan. These arms are armed with
teeth which reach almost to the bottom of the pan. They form a kind of rake
having the function of renewing the surfaces exposed to contact with the gases
from the furnace and of breaking up the substance during its solidification. To
complete such breaking up and to ensure the formation of the grains other teeth g
are fixed on the bottom of the pan between which pass those of the movable arms.
These passages produce some resistance and it is advisable to avoid its occurring
simultaneously and therefore the fixed teeth should be arranged on a curved line if.
the movable teeth are arranged along the radius or vic: versa so that the passage of
one tooth between two others takes place successively. In addition to the above
there are on the edge of the pan one or more doors to discharge it. The
charge takes place by a hopper j fixed on the cover. Several of these apparatus
may be placed in a series and can be traversed by the gases from the same
furnace.
To effect the complete dehydration of the chloride in grains it is placed in fixed
horizontal cast iron cylinders closed by cast iron plates, in the interior of which
move at a very slow pace spiral blades of steel. This apparatus is shown in front
elevation at Figure 3 and in vertical section at Figure 4. Each cylinder k contains
preferably three such equidistant spiral blades carried on arms fixed upon au
axle m which traverses the cylinder and receives from without a slow movement of
rotation so that a substance more or less in powder introduced at one extremity
of the cylinder is carried by the spiral blades and elevated until it slips and tumbles
a little farther so as to be picked up again and so on until it arrives at the
extremity of the cylinder.
In order to economise fuel and to simplify the arrangement of pipes or flues and
to assure the regular working of the solid matters under the gases several
cylinders (three for example) are preferably fixed in the same apparatus being
placed one over the other so that their axes are in the same vertical plane.
Granulated chloride turned into the top of the highest cylinder by means of a
distributor passes through it from end to end and falls from the tail into the next
cylinder passes through this and falls into the top of the third cylinder through
which it passes and then goes into some convenient receptacle. At the same time
the hydrochloric acid gas is made to enter the lower end of the third cylinder then
to pass into the second cylinder then into the first in order to return to the condenser
proceeding always in a direction opposite to that taken by the chloride. The
communication between one cylinder and the next may be effected by large tubes n
placed on the corresponding ends of the cylinders k and embracing one another
like the male and female ends of conduit pipes. These same tubes afford a passage
way both to the solid matters and to the gas. To facilitate inspection of the joints
the cylinders may be carried through the masonry in such a manner that the tubes
are easily got at. The cylinders are separated by brick arches o for the purpose
of directing the gas from the furnaces p along each of them, openings 9 being
formed in the arches. The temperature ought not to exceed that of a dull red
heat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The production of chloride of magnesium in grains by submitting the chloride
in a pasty state to contact with heated furnace gases, whilst it is constantly stirred
substantially as described.
2. The production of anhydrous chloride of magnesium from chloride of
magnesium in grains by causing the latter to pass through heated cylinders or

page_text: retorts and to meet a stream of hydrochloric acid gas passed through the
cylinders or retorts in the opposite direction substantially as described.
3. The apparatus substantially as described and shown at Figures 1 and 2.
4. The apparatus substantially as described and shown at Figures 3 and 4.
Dated this 25th day of March 1892.
T. HUGH BELL.