Obtaining Oxygen Gas and Applying it to Ma- nufacturing Acids and Chlorine, Oxydating Metallic Solutions and Ageing and Raising Coloring Matters.
Year: 1852

page_text: Obtaining Oxygen Gas, and Applying it to Ma-
nufacturing Acids and Chlorine, Oxydating
Metallic Solutions, and Ageing and Raising
Coloring Matters.
LETTERS PATENT to John Swindells, of Pollard Street, Manchester,
Gentleman, and William Nicholson, of Manchester, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING OXYGEN GAS,
AND APPLYING IT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ACIDS AND
CHLORINE, FOR OXYDATING METALLIC SOLUTIONS, AND FOR AGEING AND
RAISING VARIOUS COLOURING MATTERS."
Sealed the 12th January 1853, and dated the 14th October 1852.

page_text: GAS, AND APPLYING IT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ACIDS AND CHLO-
RINE, FOR OXYDATING METALLIC SOLUTIONS, AND FOR AGEING AND RAISING
VARIOUS COLOURING MATTERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention applies to the apparatus made use of in producing
and applying oxygen gas on a scale suitable to be made use of in the
arts and manufactures. We use a series of earthenware retorts set in
a furnace similar to those now in use for the production of coal gas,
except that these retorts have openings at both ends, one of which is
connected with a gasometer to receive, the oxygen produced, and the
other to charge the retorts, and also to convey atmospheric air at an
elevated temperature or steam as required in the manufacture of the
oxygen gas or the deutoxide of barium, which deutoxide is made use
of for the production of deutoxide of hydrogen. In producing oxalic acid
the method now pursued is to operate on saccharine matter by nitric
acid; the improved method is to use oxygen gas in conjunction with
nitric acid or other acids. In producing acetic acid or vinegar we apply
oxygen gas to the fermenting sacharine substances instead of or in con-
junction with the atmospheric medium, and so effect the purpose at once.
In producing nitric acid we pass nitrogen and oxygen gases through
a combining, medium at a red heat. In producing chlorine we make
use of oxygen gas, either in conjunction with the present method, or
by the use of nitric acid, or by passing hydrochloric and oxygen gases
thro' tubes heated to redness. In producing sulphuric acid we pass
thro' sulphurious and oxygen gases through tubes heated to redness.
In the process of aging or raising dyed fabrics at present is to expose
them to the atmosphere for several days, or pass them thro' a solution
of chlorate of potass. Our improvements consist in exposing them to
a stream of oxygen gas, or to pass them into deutoxide of hydrogen
produced by dissolving the, deutoxide of barium in water, and removing
the barytes therefrom by sulphuric acid. In the process of oxidizing
metallic solutions we pass streams of oxygen gas through the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Swindells and William Nicholson in the
Great Seal Patent Office, on the 14th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN SWINDELLS, of Pollard Street, Manchester, Gentleman, and
WILLIAM NICHOLSON, of Manchester, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, One
thousand eight liundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said John Swindells and William Nicholson, Her special
license that we, the said John Swindells and William Nicholson,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said John Swindells and William Nicholson, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the terin'
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
OBTAINING OXYGEN GAS, AND APPLYING IT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS
ACIDS AND CHLORINE, FOR OXYDATING METALLIC SOLUTIONS, AND FOR AGEING
AND RAISING VARIOUS COLORING MATTERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Swindells and William Nicholson, by
an instrument in writing under our hands and scals, 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 John Swindells and William
Nicholson, 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, that is to say:
Our Invention consists, firstly, in a method of obtaining oxygen gas,
whereby we are enabled to produce that article with sufficient economy

page_text: for manufacturing and other purposes in which considerable quantities
are required. Secondly, in the application of oxygen gas produced by
artificial means, either alone or mixed with atmospheric air, to the pur
poses of producing certain chemical compounds, and also for ageing
and raising coloring matters employed in dyeing and printing. The
substances we produce by this part of our Invention are, oxalic acid,
acetic acid, nitric acid, and chlorine, sulphuric acid, and highly oxidized
solutions of metals. Our method of producing oxygen gas is as follows:
Into a number of earthenware retorts, or of iron lined with earthen-
ware, fixed in a furnace similar to retorts for producing coal gas, and
connected with a gasometer to receive the gas as it is produced, we in-
troduce a quantity of barytes, commonly called protoxide of barium,
either alone or mixed with as much powdered silica, lime, magnesia, or
alumina, or silicate of alumina, or a mixture of of all or any of these sub-
stances, in order to keep the barytes from acting on the retorts, and
also to keep the barytes in an open or porous state to prevent it from
fusing. We prefer to operate on a mixture of barytes with all or any
of these substances, so that the barytes amount to at least fifty per cent.
of the mixture; we then put as much barytes or the barium mixture
into the retorts as shall cover the bottom thereof, about two or three
inches deep, and pass a stream of atmospheric air over the same, the
mixture being kept at a dull red heat; we use both hot or cold air as the
temperature may require; if the retorts become too hot by passing
the heated air through them we then change to cold air, and so regulate
the temperature until the protoxide of barium is converted into the
deutoxide, commonly called the peroxide of barium. When this has
been effected we open the communication with the gasometer; and
then raise the temperature of the retorts by increasing the firing, and
at the same time allow a moderate quantity of steam, either at a low
or elevated temperature, to pass into the retort, until the oxygen gas
and some small quantity of carbonic acid gas arising from the use of
common air, together with vapour of water, is passed into the gasometer;
the steam is condensed into water, and the carbonic acid present is
removed by lime added to the water in the gasometer.
The second part of our Invention is conducted as follows:-To produce

page_text: oxalic acid we make use of nitric acid and saccharine or starchy matters,
according to the usual and well known practice, but we pass streams of
oxygen gas, either pure or mixed with a portion of atmospheric air,
through the mixture of nitric acid and other matter, and so by conversion
of the nitric oxide evolved reproduce continually the nitric acid until the
operation is complete; or we pass the oxygen gas along with the com-
pounds of mitrogen and oxygen produced in the manufacture of oxalic
acid as usually conducted, and by its agency recover the nitric acid so
employed in the manufacture. In manufacturing acetic acid or common
vinegar we employ oxygen gas, either pure or mixed with atmospheric
air, to any fermented saccharine solution; by passing streams thereof
through the solutions according to any known methods now employed
for passing atmospheric air in the speedy production of vinegar. In
producing nitric or nitrous acid we pass nitrogen or any gaseous matter
containing the same, in conjunction with oxygen gas, in their atomic
proportions, or, in preference, with an excess of oxygen, through earthen-
ware pipes heated to full redness, and filled with any porous substance
that will stand the heat and action of the acid vapour produced; by
this process we produce deutoxide of nitrogen, which is converted into
nitric acid by being brought into contact with oxygen gas and the
vapour of water. In producing chlorine we pass oxygen gas, either
pure or mixed with atmospheric air, through the chloride of manganese
or iron at a red heat; the products are peroxides of the metals and
chlorine gas. In producing chlorine from hydrochloric acid we add to
any given quantity of this acid one half its weight of common nitric
acid, and then heat the same so as to produce chlorine and nitro-
chloric acid, which is brought into contact with oxygen gas either
in the same vessels or in an intermediate one, in which case, with
the vapour of water, where the nitrochloric acid or compound of
nitrous and hydrochloric acids' are decomposed, any nitrous gas is con-
verted into nitric acid for renewed operations, and chlorine gas, which
is conveyed with requisite pipes for its intended use; or chlorine gas
may be produced by passing oxygen gas into mixtures or solutions
of hydrochloric acids and the oxides of manganese and iron in a
liquid state, or by passing the same through heated earthenware

page_text: tubes; but we prefer the two first processes. We produce sulphuric
acid by passing sulphurous acid gas with oxygen gas, either pure or
mixed with atmospheric air and the vapour of water, through red hot
earthenware pipes filled with any porous substance that will stand
acid action, and condense the acid so produced in any convenient
lead or earthenware apparatus, adding the vapour of water, if re-
quired. In producing highly oxydized solutions of various metals, as
the persulphate of iron, for instance, we pass oxygen gas through the
solution by any of the commonly practised methods, and so peroxidise
them, cither with the conjunction of nitric acid or without the same.
We also make use of oxygen gas, either pure or mixed with common
air, in order to age or peroxidise the mordaunts made use of in printing
or dyeing textile materials or fabrics. We also employ oxygen gas,
either pure or mixed with atmospheric air, for the purpose of "raising"
the colors employed for dyeing or printing, either during the process of
manufacturing such colours or after they are applied to the fabrics; in
the latter case by passing the goods through a vessel or room into which
the
gas is admitted, or we impregnate water with pure oxygen gas (we
prefer distilled water for this purpose), and this water we employ for
the above purposes.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire
it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details
of operation described, as the same may be varied in many instances
by all competent persons, without departing from the spirit of our
Invention; and although in the first part of our Invention we have
described a method of manufacturing oxygen gas is large quantities, yet
we do not confine ourselves to the use of the gas so produced for the
purposes of the second part of our Invention, for the operations thereof
may be carried on by aid of oxygen gas produced by any other suitable
method; that which we claim as secured to us under the above in
part recited Letters Patent being, firstly, obtaining oxygen gas by aid
of the compounds above mentioned, and also the use of earthenware
retorts, or retorts of other substances lined with earthenware, as applied
to the manufacture of oxygen gas. Secondly, the employment of oxygen

page_text: gas, produced by artificial means, for producing the substances set forth
under the second part of our Invention, and also for ageing and raising
colouring matters.
In witness whereof, wc, the said John Swindells and William
Nicholson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thir-
teenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN SWINDELLS.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM NICHOLSON. (L.S.)