CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN MANUFACTURING SALT, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SALT
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ELLINS, of Droitwitch, in the County of Worcester, Salt Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by Petition, humbly represent unto Her present most
Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, that I had invented "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MANUFACTURING SALT, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SALT,"
and Her said Majesty being willing to give encouragement to all arts and
inventions which may be for the public good, was graciously pleased, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of March
(One thousand eight hundred and forty-five), in the eighth year of Her reign,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, to give and grant unto me, the said
George Ellins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I or they, by myself or them-
selves, or by my or their deputies, servants, or agents, or such others as I or
they should agree with, and no others, during the term of fourteen years
from the date of the said Letters Patent, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within that part of Her said
Majesty's Dominions called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, shall seem meet, and as that I or they shall enjoy the whole
profit and advantage arising by reason of the said Invention during the said
A

page_text: term of fourteen years; and for that end Her said Majesty requires and
strictly commands all her subjects whatsoever, within England, Wales, and
Berwick-upon-Tweed aforesaid, that they shall not, neither directly nor
indirectly, make, use, or put in practice my said Invention, or any part
thereof, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same, nor make
any addition thereto or subtraction therefrom, whereby to pretend himself or
themselves to be the inventor or inventors thereof. And whereas the said
Letters Patent contain a proviso obliging me, the said George Ellins, particu-
larly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
band and seal, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said 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
George Ellins, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described and
ascertained in manner following, and by the aid of the two Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:
Part of my said improvements in manufacturing salt and in apparatus
therefor has for object to perform the evaporation from brine by heat, and the
crystallization of salt from such brine, with less liability to incrustations on the
bottom of the vessel (usually termed salt pan) wherein the operations of
evaporation and crystallization are performed. The vessel or salt pan that is
to be used for containing the brine which is to be operated upon is to have a
double bottom, with an enclosed space between the two bottoms, which space
is to receive and contain fresh water, which water being heated by fire,
or by the heat of flame, smoke, or heated gas proceeding from fire, and
applied beneath the lowermost of the two bottoms, or the said water being
otherwise heated (or steam may be applied instead of such water), the heat of
such water (or of such steam) will be transmitted through the uppermost of the
two bottoms to the brine contained in the vessel or salt pan (and which brine
is resting upon the said uppermost bottom), so as to give heat to such brine
in order to cause evaporation of water and crystallization of salt therefrom.
And thus far is no part of my Invention, such mode of applying heat to brine
baving been frequently proposed and sometimes practised to a limited extent;
but my improvement thereon consists in forming the said uppermost bottom of
the vessel or salt pan wherein the brine is contained in the manner herein-after
described, so that the said uppermost bottom will present a very extended
heating surface, with which surface the brine will be in contact at the upper-.

page_text: most and exterior side of the metal plate whereof such bottom is constructed,.
and the heated water (or steam), which is contained within the space between
the two bottoms, will be in contact with the undermost and interior side of the
same metal plate, and in consequence of the extended heating surface, the
transmission of heat from the said heated water (or steam) through the
substance or thickness of the said metal plate to the said brine will be more,
effectually performed than could be the case with a less extended surface of
the said uppermost bottom of the vessel or salt pan wherein the evaporation
from brine and the crystalization of salt therefrom is to be performed.
Figure 1, Sheet I., of the Drawing hereunto annexed is a longitudinal,
vertical section of a vessel or salt pan which is constructed according to this
part of my said 'improvements; and Figure 2 a transverse vertical section of
the same vessel. The same letters of reference denote the same parts in both
Figures. A, A, is the lowermost of the two bottoms, and B, B, Figure 1, are.
upright or nearly upright ends joined to the bottom A, A; and there are also
upright or nearly upright sides D, D, Figure 2, corresponding to the ends
B, B, in height, and also united to the bottom A, A, so as to form a lower and
exterior vessel B, A, A, B, Figure 1, or D, A, A, D, Figure 2, which is to
contain the heated water (or steam); b, 1, 2, and 3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, and
9, 10, 6, is the uppermost bottom, which has upright or nearly upright ends b
and b, Figure 1, and there are also upright or nearly upright sides d, d,
Figure 2, corresponding to the sides 6 and in height, and also united to the
said upperniost bottom, so as to form an upper and interior vessel 6, 1, 2, and
3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, and 9, 10, b, for the reception of the brine which is to be
operated upon, which last-mentioned. vessel is placed and fixed within the
first-mentioned lower and exterior vessel B, A, A, B; and the upper edges of
the ends B, B, and of the corresponding sides D, D, of the lower and exterior
vessel are closely joined and united to the upper edges: of the upright ends
b, e, b, e, and of the corresponding sides d, d, of the upper and interior vessel
all around all the aforesaid edges B, b, c, and D, d, respectively, so as to form,
an enclosed space between the said two bottoms (or rather between the said,
two vessels) for the reception of the heated water (or steam), from which heat.
is to be transmitted through the substance or thickness of the metal plate,,
whereof the uppermost bottom b, 1, 2, and 3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, and 9, 10, 6, is;
constructed. And whereas the parts or portions 2, 3, and 5, 6, and 8, 9, of the,
said uppermost bottom are upright (or nearly upright), they form so maný,
additions to the parts or portions 1 and 4 and 7 and 10 of the same, bottom,
which are horizontal (or nearly horizontal); and by such additions the heating
surface which the said uppermost bottom exposes to contact with the brine,

page_text: and with the heated water (or steam), is greatly extended beyond what would
be the case if the said uppermost bottom were flat in continuation from 1 to 10,
or if the whole of the said bottom were continued from 1 to 10 with one
concave or convex curvature. And the said parts or portions 2, 3, and 5, 6,
and 8, 9, which are vertical (or nearly so), do not reach up to so high a level
as the upper edges of the sides B, b, and D, d, nor to so high a level as the
surface of the brine, in order that there may be a free communication for the
brine contained in every part of the upper and interior vessel to be at liberty
to flow freely to every other part of the same vessel by passing over the upper
edges of the portions 2, 3, and 5, 6, and 8, 9. The manner of putting the
metal plates together so as to form the said vessel or salt pan. Figures 1 and
2, may be varied, and may be left to the skill and discretion of the workman
who is to construct the same. In the Drawing, Figures 1 and 2, the exterior
sides B, B, and D, D, are shewn to be united to the lower bottom A, A, by
what is termed angle iron and rows of rivetting. The portion b, 1, 2,
Figure 1, is formed of one plate or sheet of metal bended across the length of
the plate, to make it assume the form shewn in Figure 1; the portion 3, 4, 5
is formed of another such plate; the portion 6, 7, 8, of another; and the
portion 9, 10, b, is formed of another such plate; all those plates being bended
in a similar manner. The upper edges of the parts 2, 3, and 5, 6, and 8, 9, of
the several plates apply one to another, and are firmly united by rivets passing
through both the said upper edges where they so apply. The upper edges of
the parts b, b, are united by rows of rivets to the lower edges of pieces e, e, of
metal plates, the upper edges of which reach up high enough to apply
to and be joined to the upper edges of the ends B, B, by means of rows
of rivets. The vertical transverse section, Figure 2, shews how the aforesai:l
bended plates are joined one to another by rivetting to form a continuation of
such bended plates all across the width of the upper and interior vessel, and
joining to each of the sides d, d, thereof with angle iron and rows of rivetting,
as is clearly shewn in the Drawing. The upper edges of the said sides d, d,
reach up high enough to apply to and be joined to the upper edges of the
sides D, D, by means of rows of rivets. The salt which chrystalized in the
brine contained in the upper and interior vessel will deposit itself at the
bottoms of the several spaces b, 1, 2, and 3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, and 9, 10, b,
and such salt can be drawn along in each of those spaces by rakes adapted to
the spaces, so as to gather the salt towards each of the sides d, d, where it can
be taken up out of the brine in the usual manner practised by salt makers.
Note, the Drawing represents a small vessel or salt pan, for explanation, or
rather a portion of a vessel or salt pan, with only four spaces b, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

page_text: 7, 8, and 9, 10, 6, Figure 1, (and the same of Figure 4,) but it is to be
understood that there are to be as many more of those spaces as will extend
to the length that the vessel or salt pan is intended to be; from B to B,
Figure 1, which may, if desired, be as much as thirty-six or forty feet, see the
horizontal plan, Figure 3, in which case there will be twenty-four or twenty-
six such spaces instead of only four. The width of the vessel or salt pan in
the other direction from D to D, Figure 2, may be from fifteen to eighteen
feet; the operation of raking being performed by men standing on each side
D, d, D, d, and raking to collect the salt from the middle part (and one half
of the width) to each of the sides d, d. And in order to give strength to the
two bottoms of the said vessel or salt pan they are to be firmly connected
together by upright stays f, f, f, Figures 1 and 2, applied in the usual manner
of the internal stays within steam boilers, so as to attach to all the lowest parts
of the upper bottom at 1, 4, 7, and 10, Figure 1, and to attach to the lower
bottom A, A, immediately beneath those lowest parts. And if the vessel or salt
pan is eighteen feet wide across from D to D, in the direction seen in Figure ?,
there should be three such stays attached to each of the lowest parts in order
to give very firm support to the two bottoms, and cause the downward pressure
of the included water (or steam) on one bottom to be counteracted by the
upward pressure beneath the other bottom. Iron is the metal which will on
account of its cheapness be preferred for the construction of the said vessel
or salt pan.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section (corresponding to
Figure 1), but Figure 4 represents a somewhat different vessel or salt pan,
whereof the metal plates forming the upper bottom are bended first up and
then down again at 11, 12, 13, 14, being those parts or portions of the bottom
which in Figure 1 are horizontal, or nearly horizontal, videlicet, the portions
1 and 4 and 7 and 10, Figure 1. The said parts 11, 12, 13, 14, Figure 4, which
are so bended up and down again do not rise so high as the upper edges of the
parts 2, 3, and 5, 6, and 8, 9, and the rakes before mentioned must be formed
to suit the parts which are so bended up and down again, in order that the
salt may be raked in the same manner as already mentioned respecting
Figure 1. The heating surface of the uppermost bottom in Figure 4 is con-
siderably greater than in Figure 1. The vessel or salt pan, Figure 1 or
Figure 4, may be heated by fire applied in furnaces and upon fire grates disposed
beneath the bottom A, A, at one end B of that bottom, in the same manner as
salt pans are commonly set and heated, the flame, heated air, or gas and
smoke proceeding from such fire passes beneath the remainder of the bottom
A, A, in a direction towards the other end B thereof.
The space
between the two bottoms may be kept filled or nearly filled with water,

page_text: excess.
and to allow for expansion and contraction of such water, a pipe or pipes may
be joined to the lower parts of the ends B, B, (or the sides D, D,) at any
convenient place or places in those ends or sides, in order to connect the said
space with a cistern or cisterns, which, being opened or loosely covered, will
receive so much water out of the said space as may be requisite to allow for
expansion, and will allow as much water to return when contraction takes
place. And to permit the escape of any excess of steam which may be
formed from the water in the said space, adequate safety valves must be
provided, for which purpose other pipes may be joined to the upper parts of
the said ends B, B. or the sides D, D, to ascend to any convenient places for
safety valves to be applied on the upper ends of such ascending pipes for
discharging any excess of steam, the said safety valves being loaded so as to
retain the steam to any desired pressure before allowing the escape of the said
And note, the aforesaid water cistern or cisterns must be placed so
high up as that the said desired pressure to which the safety valves are to be
loaded will not cause the water to be forced up in the said cistern above the
upper edges thereof, so as to cause overflowing, and the load on the safety
valves must be regulated so as to avoid such overflowing; or instead of
applying fire directly to the bottom A, A, of the said vessel or salt pan,
Figure 1 or Figure 4, the space between the double bottoms thereof may be
kept constantly supplied with heated water by circulation thereof through a
distinct hot water boiler, which may be set over a suitable furnace, so as to
be heated by fire, in order to heat the water contained in the boiler, which
must be connected with the vessel or salt pan by two hot water pipes, one
proceeding from the uppermost part of the boiler to the nearest end of the
said space between the double bottoms, in order to introduce hot water into
that end, and the other pipe returning from the farthest end of the same space
to the lowermost part of the boiler, for the purpose of conveying back the
water after it has become somewhat cooled by the transmission of part of its
heat through the uppermost bottom to the brine; wherefore the water will per
form a continual circulation through the boiler and through the space between
the double bottoms, the said water receiving heat when it is in the boiler, and
giving out part of that heat when it is in the said space. And if the said hot
water boiler is situated at a lower level than the vessel or salt pan the said
circulation of the hot water will be more effectual. Or the said space between
the double bottoms may be supplied with steam from a suitable steam boiler
instead of hot water, that steam being conveyed by a pipe or pipes from the
steam boiler to the said space, which space (as well as the steam boiler) must
be provided with adequate safety valves, as already explained, to allow of the

page_text: escape of excess of steam, and with a return or drain pipe or pipes from the
lowest part or parts of the said space for carrying away the water arising from
the condensation of the steam within the space, which water being hot may be
used for replenishing the steam boiler. The aforesaid manner of applying fire
to give heat to the lowermost bottom of a vessel or salt pan, such as Figures 1
and 4, forms no part of my Invention, neither is the aforesaid mode of sup-
plying a circulation of hot water (or of steam) to the space between the
double bottoms any part of my Invention, but this part of my improvements is
the formation of the uppermost of the two bottoms, in the manner herein-
before described, and represented at Figures 1 and 4, so as to obtain an
increased heating surface. And as to the lowermost bottom A, A, in case of
the same being exposed to a direct action of fire beneath it, (or to the action
of flame, smoke, or heated gas proceeding from fire,) the metal plates whereof
the said lowermost bottom A, A, is constructed may in such case be bended
into flutes or waves up and down alternately, in the manner represented by the
dotted lines at g, g, Figure 4, instead of being flat plates, in order by means of
such flutes or waves to expose an increased surface for receiving the action of
the fire or flame, heated gas or smoke, the current of which should proceed in
the direction of the lengthway of such flutes or waves in preference to pro-
ceeding crossways thereof. And note, I make no claim to the exclusive use
of such fluted or waved form of the lowermost bottom which is exposed to the
action of the fire, flame, heated gas, or smoke, except when used in combina-
tion with an uppermost bottom, which is constructed in the manner herein-
before described, and represented in Figures 1 and 4.
Another part of my said improvements is for heating the brine which is to
be supplied to such a vessel or salt pan as Figures 1, 2, 3, or Figure 4. The
said brine is for that purpose caused to run in a continual stream through a
long horizontal course of pipe or pipes, which is or are disposed within the
space between the two bottoms of such vessel or salt pan, as shewn at 15, 15,
in Figures 1 and 4, the said pipe or pipes 15, 15, being surrounded by the
heated water (or steam) contained within the said space, and thereby heat will
be communicated to the brine during all the time that it is flowing through
the said long course of horizontal pipe or pipes, which making several zigzag
folds backwards and forwards alternately within the said space, the brine,
although cold when it first enters into one end of the said long horizontal course
of pipe or pipes, will become hot when it passes out from the other end thereof.
The stream of brine through the said pipe or pipes may be supplied from an
elevated reservoir containing cold brine, and a descending pipe or pipes there-
from may join to one end 19 of the aforesaid long course of horizontal pipe

page_text: or pipes which is disposed within the space between the two bottoms, and the
other end 20 of the same long horizontal course of pipe or pipes may join to
an ascending pipe or pipes which may turn down over the edge of the vessel
or salt pan, so as to supply the same with a continual stream of heated brine,
the flow of which stream may be regulated by a plug at the elevated brine
reservoir aforesaid, or by a cock in the aforesaid descending pipe from
that reservoir.
manner.
The horizontal plan, Figure 3, represents part of the upper and interior
vessel removed in order to shew the manner in which the long course of
horizontal pipe or pipes 15, 15, may be disposed in zigzag folds 15, 16, 17, 18,
extending backwards and forwards nearly all the length of the space between
the two bottoms so as to prolong the course of the said pipes within the heated
water (or steam). The end 19 of the said pipe or pipes passes through the
upright end B of the lower and exterior vessel B, A, A, B, being securely
fastened in that upright end B by a suitable flange joint, and the other end
20 of the same pipe may pass through the same upright end B in like
The pipe may be made of wrought iron welded in the manner of
the tubes used for gas or for forming internal flues within steam boilers, the
lengths of pipe being united by screwed socket joints, and there may be two
small pipes disposed side by side within the space between the two bottoins,
both pipes making like zigzag folds therein, as shewn in Figure 3, in order to
expose more surface to the heated water (or steam) and to the brine, than
would be exposed by one larger pipe having the same area of passage through
it as the two small pipes. The two pipes may join into one pipe at each
end, 19 and 20, where those ends pass through the upright end B, as afore-
said. Suitable manholes must be provided in the sides B, B, and D, D, to
permit of access to the pipes. The zigzag folds of the said pipes must be
disposed so as to avoid interference with the upright stays (such as f, f,
Figure 1) within the space between the two bottoms, by which stays those
bottoms are connected together for strength, as already explained. And in
order that the brine may be more effectually heated before it is introduced
into the said vessel or salt pan, Figure 1 or 4, the aforesaid ascending pipe
which is joined to the end 20 of the long course of zigzag pipe, instead of
turning down into the vessel or salt pan, as herein-before stated, in order to
supply the same with a continual stream of heated brine, that ascending pipe
may convey the heated brine up into a wide and shallow trough of iron plate,
which is laid over some horizontal part of the flue or passage which conveys
the heated air, gas, or smoke from the furnaces and space beneath the lower
bottom A, A, of the vessel or salt pan (or else beneath the water or steam

page_text: boiler herein-before described), to the elevated chimney stack, by which the
draft or current of air is produced for causing the fires to burn.. The sides
and lower part of the said flue may be built of brickwork, with the said shallow
trough lodged upon those sides, so as to cover the space or passage between
them with the bottom of that trough in order that it may receive heat from
the heated air, gas, or smoke which is passing beneath it, and so that the
heated brine which is to flow along in that trough may be further heated in so
flowing. The said trough may have a partition along the middle of its width,
so as to divide the width of the trough laterally into two passages, and the
heated brine being poured out by the aforesaid ascending pipe (which is joined
to the end 20), Figure 3, into one end of the said shallow trough, at one side
of the partition therein, the said brine will flow along one half of the width of
the trough to the other end of the trough, and there passing around the end of
the partion, the heated brine will return along the other half of the width of
the trough to the same end of the trough at which it entered, and then the
heated brine, having acquired more heat by so flowing along the said trough,
may enter into the vessel or salt pan, Figures 1 or 4, in order to supply the
same with a continual stream of heated brine. The said shallow trough must
be placed high enough for the brine to run down into the vessel or salt in
such a stream. And the said shallow trough may be covered over with a
close cover in order to avoid loss of heat by the brine. Or otherwise, in
addition to the means aforesaid of heating the brine instead of allowing it to
enter into the vessel or salt pan as aforesaid, the heated brine may, after
having flowed along the said shallow trough, be allowed to run down with a
fall into a boiler having fire beneath it, and a cover over it, in order that the
brine may be brought therein to a boiling temperature, and from that boiler
the boiling brine may run out into the said vessel or salt pan, Figure 1 or 4, in
order to supply the same with a continual stream of heated brine, which being
at a boiling temperature, will not interrupt or materially impede the boiling of
the brine previously contained in the vessel or salt pan.
anין
And note, I do not claim either of the two aforesaid modes of beating brine by
running the same along a shallow trough situated over the flue, and by further
heating of the samo brine in a boiler heated by fire, as any part of: my Invention,
when those modes are used either separately or in combination one with the
other; but I do claim the other mode herein-before described of heating the
brine by causing it to flow through a long course of pipe or pipes disposed within
the space between the two bottoms of a vessel or pan such Figure 1 or 4. And I
also claim the use of the said last-mentioned mode in combination with either
or both of the aforesaid modes of further heating the same brine by running

page_text: along a shallow trough situated over the flue, and by a boiler heated by
fire.
Another part of my said improvements is for keeping up heat in the atmo-
sphere immediately over the surface of brine which is undergoing evaporation
in a vessel or salt pan, and that I perform by means of a flat shallow steam
vessel made of metal plate, so as to be closed on all sides suitably for con-
taining steam, which vessel is to be suspended horizontally over the surface of
the brine at the height of about nine inches or a foot above that surface, so
that the steam which is ascending therefrom will come in contact with the
said steam vessel, and the interior thereof being constantly supplied with
steam so as to keep its surfaces hot, it will communicate some heat to the
steam which is ascending from the surface of the brine, so as to render that
steam hotter and lighter than it would otherwise be, and thereby enable the
same to rise and pass away more freely through the roof of the building with
less liability to be condensed into water. The said steam vessel must not be
so large as to extend over the whole surface of the brine in the salt pan, but
must leave a sufficient space uncovered all around the sides and ends of the
salt pan in order to permit the steam from the brine to ascend freely. And
instead of one such steam vessel in case the boiling pan is long, then there
must be several such vessels disposed side by side in a row in the same hori-
zontal plane to extend along nearly all the length of the salt pan, but leaving
narrow spaces uncovered between each one of the steam vessels and the next
in order to permit of the ascent of steam between the several steam vessels,
as well as all around the sides and ends of the salt pan, as already mentioned.
And such flat steam vessel or vessels may be supplied with steam from the
space between the two bottoms of the vessel or salt pan, Figure 1 or 4, by
connecting the said flat steam vessel or vessels with those ascending pipes
herein-before mentioned as ascending from the upper part of the said
space to any convenient place for safety valves to be applied for the
discharge of excess of steam; and each of the said vessels must be provided
with suitable drain pipes for carrying away the water that will result from con-
densation of the steam within the said vessels, and the connections between
the said flat steam vessels; and the said ascending steam pipes must be such
as will allow the said steam vessels to be removed as much as may be neces-
sary for permitting the raking of the salt in the vessel or salt pan to be
conveniently performed. The steam vessels may for that purpose be raised
upwards to a sufficient height for raking beneath them, their weight being
balanced by means of balance weights applied to chains, by which (and with
suitable rods or links) the vessels may be suspended in their intended horizontal

page_text: position over the brine; those chains passing over pullies at the roof of the
building, and having a vessel suspended from one end of each such chain, and the
balance weight suspended from the other end thereof. The aforesaid connec
tions with. the ascending steam pipes may be made by means of flexible
jointed pipes, such as are commonly in use for supplying the moveable burners
of gas lights, and the same of the aforesaid drain pipes; such, jointed pipes
will yield to the motion of raising up and letting down the flat steam vessels
as much as will be required. "
Another part of my said improvements is to compel heated air to pass along
through a pipe or pipes disposed horizontally over a vessel or salt pan, such
as Figure 1 or 4, at some height above the surface of the brine therein,
and to discharge the said heated air through a branch or branches ascending
vertically from the said horizontal air pipe or pipes, so as to force a current- or
.currents of heated air to amount upwards vertically beneath, the entrance or
entrances into a vertical funnel or funnels, through which the steam arising
from the brine is to ascend in order to make its escape into the open air. The
.said vertical funnel or funnels being situated at the highest part or parts of a
close cover, wherewith the whole of the said vessel or salt; pan is covered over,
and with sides extending up all round from the sides and ends of the said
vessel or salt pan, in order to reach up to and join all around to the said cover,
so as by means of such sides and cover to enclose a space like a chamber over
the surface of the brine, within which space the steam arising therefrom will
ascend and make its escape upwards through the said vertical, funnel cr
funnels,into the open air, the heated air, which is impelled through the said
horizontal air pipe, will communicate some heat to the steam, and the said
cover over (together with the sides around) the vessel or salt pan will prevent
the atmospheric air from intermixing with and cooling the steam, which will in
consequence be lighter than the steam over an ordinary salt pan which is
open to the atmospheric air; the said current, or currents of heated.air which
are discharged as aforesaid from the vertical branch or branches of, the said
horizontal air pipe, and forced to mount upwards beneath the entrance or
entrances into the vertical funnel or funnels aforesaid at the highest part or
parts of the cover, will prevent any atmospheric air from descending the said
funnel or funnels, and will enable the steam arising from from the brine in the
5 vessel or salt pan to ascend through the said funnel- or funnels and make its
escape into the open air with celerity. The heated air, which is to be impelled
through the horizontal, air pipe or pipes as aforesaid may be 'so impelled by
any suitable blowing machinery which is commonly used, for blowing air into
furnaces, such for instance, as a blowing cylinder with a moveable, piston, and

page_text: four valves, similar to a large double acting pump, or else a revolving fanner,
such as is now most commonly used by iron founders, and the air may be
heated by causing a suitable portion of the length of the air pipe or pipes to
pass within the flue or passage, whereby the heated air and gas or smoke is
conveyed away from the fireplace or places beneath the vessel or salt pan,
Figure 1 or 4, (or else beneath the boiler by which such vessel or salt pan is
supplied with heated water or with steam, as herein-before stated, for heating the
brine contained in such vessel or salt pan,) and which said flue or passage con-
veys such heated air and gas or smoke into the vertical chimney stack through
which it is to ascend and escape.
And the metal of so much of the length of the
air pipe or pipes as thus passes within the said flue or passage is heated by
the said heated air and gas or smoke acting on the exterior surface of that
metal, and will communicate heat to the air which is impelled (by action of
the machinery aforesaid) through the interior of the said heated portion of the
pipe or pipes, and the air which is thus become heated is impelled onward
through the continuation of the pipe or pipes which is or are disposed hori-
zontally over the vessel or salt pan, as already explained. And, finally the
heated air is discharged through the vertical branch or branches of the said
horizontal air pipe or pipes in a vertical current or currents of heated air
beneath the entrance or entrances into the lowest part or parts of the aforesaid
funnel or funnels; and the said vertical branch or branches of the air pipe or
pipes is or are so much smaller than the said entrance or entrances as to leave
sufficient space vacant all around between the exterior of the said branch or
branches and the interior of the said entrance or entrances, for allowing the
steam arising from the brine to pass up into the said entrances, and ascend
within the vertical funnel or funnels, to make its escape into the open air.
The blowing machinery by which the air is to be impelled through the afore-
said air pipe or pipes, may be applied at the commencing extremity of the said
pipe or pipes, before that portion thereof which passes, as already explained,
within the flue for the purpose of being heated. In such cases the atmo-
spheric air will be taken in at its natural temperature by the blowing
machinery, and will by action thereof be forced through, all the length of the
pipe or pipes, and that air will becoine heated in passing through the portion
aforesaid of the pipe or pipes which is within the flue, so as to become the
heated air which (as already stated) is impelled onwards through the horizontal
air pipe or pipes over the vessel or salt pan and beneath the cover over the same,
and which said heated air is finally discharged through the vertical branch or
branches of the said horizontal air pipe, as is already explained. Or if more
convenient, the blowing machinery may be applied in the course of the said

page_text: air pipe or pipes beyond the aforesaid portion or portions thereof which is or
are within the flue, so as to intervene between the said portion or portions and
the continuation of the pipe or pipes which is or are disposed horizontally over
the vessel or salt pan, as already described; in such case the air will not come
to the blowing machinery until after the air has become heated, but the
said machinery will draw the atmospheric air through the said portion or
portions of the pipe or pipes which is or are within the flue, and will then
force the same air after it has become heated to proceed onwards through the
continuation of the pipe or pipes over the vessel or salt pan, and finally to be
discharged in a vertical current or currents of heated air, as already described,
through the aforesaid vertical branch or branches of the said pipe or pipes. The
sides which (as before mentioned) extend up all round from the sides and
ends of the vessel or salt pan to reach up to and join to the cover all round,
must be constructed in portions which are removeable when required, one or
more such portions at a time, in order to give access to the vessel or salt pan
for the purpose of raking the salt therein. The said moveable portions of the
sides may be hung by hinges, so as to open and shut in the manner of
doors or flaps, or may be reinoveable in any other convenient manner by
being easily opened and closed, and so as to fit tight when they are closed.
The cover over the vessel or salt pan must rise in the manner of a dome
ceiling or roof, with the aforesaid vertical funnel or funnels extending from the
highest part or parts thereof. The said sides and cover may be made of wood.
Figuro 5, Sheet II., is a vertical section, wherein B, A, A, B, is the vessel
or salt pan containing the brine. r, r, is the close cover over the same; and
s. 5, the sides, whereof portions are removeable (as already explained), and
which sides, together with the cover, inclose the space B, s, r, r, s, B, like a
chamber over the surface of the brine. t, t, t, are three vertical funnels for the
escape of steam from the highest part of the cover r, r, into the open air.
30, 30, is the horizontal air pipe for conveying the heated air from the blowing
machinery into the enclosed space over the vessel or salt pan; and 31, 31, 31,
are the vertical branches through which the heated air is discharged in vertical
currents beneath the lower parts of the entrances into each of the vertical
funnels t, t, t, the number of such vertical funnels, as t, t, t, and branches
31, 31, 31, beneath them, may be according to the size of the vessel or silt
pan. For a small size, one such funnel and branch 31 may suffice, the
cover r, r, being in that case formed to rise in all directions like a dome
ceiling towards that one funnel. Or, in case of a larger vessel or salt pan,
there may be two or three funnels, such as t, t. with as many branches 31, 31,
in a row, as in the Figure; the cover r, r, being in that case formed to rise.

page_text: like a roof, with the funnels t, t, at the ridge or highest part thereof. Or, in
case of a very large vessel or salt pan, there may be two such pipes as 30, 30,
side by side, for heated air, each with two or three branches, such as 31, 31,
disposed beneath as many vertical funnels, such as t, t, which will then stand
in two rows; and the cover r, r, may in such case be formed to rise like a
double roof, with the funnels at the two ridges or highest parts thereof. One
blowing machine may impel the heated air along both such pipes, or each such
pipe may be supplied by a separate blowing machine.
Another part of my said improvements is for the purpose of heating brine
before it is introduced into the vessels or salt pans wherein the operations of
evaporation and crystallization of such brine are to be performed. It is usual,
in some salt works, to provide what is called a back pan, situated on a higher
level, and at the end of or beyond each of the large pans called boiling pans,
beneath which fires are applied for evaporating and erytalizing; and the
flame, smoke, and heated gas proceeding from the said fires, after having
passed beneath all the length of the said boiling pan, are then conducted
onwards beneath such back pan, in order to heat the brine contained therein,
and which being on a higher level, can, when required, be let down into the
boiling pan. Now, in case of two such boiling paus being used, each with its
back pan beyond it and above it as aforesaid, and as usual, this part of my
improvements is to add two other back pans, to be heated as aforesaid by
flame, smoke, and heated gas, so as to have four back pans for the two boiling
pans; and I introduce the cold brine from an elevated cistern or reservoir by
a suitable pipe and regulating cock, with a small continual stream, into the
lower part of one of the said additional back pans, where it will become
warmed, and will then overflow by a suitable pipe into the other of those
additional back pans, in order to become more heated therein, and will then
overflow into the back pan belonging to one of the boiling pans, so as to
become still more heated therein, and will then overflow again into the back pan
belonging to the other of the two boiling pans, so as to become still more heated
therein; and from thence the heated brine will overflow into the two boiling
pans in small continual streams, for the due supply of those pans with heated
brine. The four back pans must for the above purpose be situated at some-
what different levels. Thus, the first of the additional back pans into which the
cold brine is first introduced, as aforesaid, must be the highest; and the next
back pan into which the brine overflows (being the second in succession)
must be so much lower than the first as will cause the brine to overflow
readily from the first into the second; then the next back pan, which belongs
to one of the boiling pans (being the third in succession), must be as much

page_text: lower than the second; and, lastly, the back pan belonging to the other of the
boiling pans (being the fourth in succession), must be as much lower still than
the third. The pipes by which the several back pans are to be connected one
with the other for allowing the aforesaid overflowing of the brine to take place,
must be of the nature of overflow pipes, each of which must join to the highest
part of the uppermost of the two back pans, which are to be connected by that
pipe, in order that the said pipe may receive the overflow of the said upper-
most pan (but no more than that overflow), leaving the said pan always full"
of brine; and the said pipe then descends in the space between the two
back pans and below the floor (in order to avoid interrupting the passage
between those pans), and then the said pipe joins to the lower part of the other
back pan, so as to introduce the brine into it near to the bottom thereof; and
when the brine becomes more heated in the said back pan into which it is
introduced, it will rise therein and overflow therefrom by the overflow pipe
thereof, which connects with the next back pan in succession, in the same
manner as already described, so that each overflow pipe conveys away the.
brine which overflows from the uppermost part of the back pan to which that
pipe belongs; and the same pipe delivers the said overflow of brine into the
next back pan in succession near to the lowest part thereof. All the four
back pans are kept continually full, and the brine in overflowing from one to'
the next in succession becomes more and more heated in each back pan in
snecession, until it is hot enough to be introduced into the boiling pans. And
note, although the said boiling pans may be so supplied with a continual
stream of heated brine, as already mentioned, nevertheless, if that supply is '
not quite sufficient for keeping the brine in the boiling pans to a proper depth,
they may, when the depth is too little, be replenished occasionally, as may be
required, by letting down into them as much brine out of their back pans as
they may require. The said four back pans may be covered over with either
iron or wooden covers to avoid loss of heat from the brine contained in them,
arisc
suflicient apertures being left for the escape of any steam which may
from such brine when it is in the last (or two last) in succession of the four
back pans, and is become heated in manner already explained. And the said
covers of the said-last (or two last) of the four back pans may be constructed
with a rise, in the manner of a roof, and have gutters within such covers'
5 beneath the lowest parts of the several slopes of each part of such covers, for'
the purpose of collecting all drippings of water which may result from conden-
sation of steam arising from the heated brine, and for preventing such water
from returning into and intermixing with the brine.
Another part of my said improvements is for the same purpose as tho

page_text: part herein-before lastly described, but is applicable to cases when there
are other additional vessels or salt pans situated on a higher level than
the aforesaid boiling pans and their back pans, as is sometimes practised
in salt works, and are called upper pans, then for the purpose of heating
brine before it is introduced into such elevated vessels or salt pans, there
is to be the same arragement of four back pans to two boiling pans, as
herein-before last described, and likewise the brine which is to be heated
for the supply of the said two boiling pans is to overflow successively
from one of the said four back pans to the next in succession, and
finally into the said two boiling pans, for the supply thereof with continual
streams of heated brine, all as herein-before last described. But whereas
such overflowing of heated brine cannot be made to supply such elevated
vessels or salt pans as aforesaid (if any such are used). This part of my
said improvements now about to be described is to dispose a long course of
pipe or pipes in zigzag folds within the said four back pans, so as that such
pipe or pipes shall be immersed beneath the brine contained in those four
back pans, in order to participate in the heat which the brine will acquire in
each of those back pans, and in overflowing through all the four, from one
to the next in succession, as herein-before lastly described. And the cold
brine for the supply of the said elevated vessels or salt pans is to be introduced
into one end of the said long course of pipe or pipes from the elevated cistern
or reservoir, by a suitable descending pipe joined to the said end, with a cock
in such descending pipe for regulating the flow of brine, which will pass in a
continued stream through all the length of the said long course of pipe or pipes,
and through the zigzag folds thereof, which are immersed beneath the brine
contained within all the aforesaid four back pans, the said end of the long
course of pipe or pipes into which the cold brine is so introduced being that
end thereof which makes its zigzag folds within the first in succession of the
four back pans, viz., the same back pan into which the cold brine is first
introduced (as already described), in reference to the part of my improvements
berein-before lastly described). And the brine which is flowing through the
said long course of pipe or pipes becomes heated in so flowing, and the
extreme end of the said long course of pipe or pipes joins to an ascending
pipe, which conveys the heated brine up into the elevated vessels or salt pans
aforesaid in continued streams for the supply thereof with heated brine.
The said vessels or pans being considerably less elevated than the elevated
cistern or reservoir already mentioned, from which the cold brine is supplied,
the brine will rise up and run into the said vessels or pans, after having
descended from the said cistern or reservoir and flowed through all the long

page_text: course of pipe or pipes, and all the zigzag folds thereof, and become heated
in so flowing. The said zigzag folds of pipe or pipes should be arranged
within each of the four back pans, so as in all cases to be immersed beneath
the surface of the brine contained in each; and the said zigzag folds may be
disposed within each of the said back pans in a very similar manner to that
already described in reference to Figure 3, respecting the long course of pipe
or pipes for brine, which may be disposed in zigzag folds within the space
between the two bottoms of a vessel or salt pan, such as Figure 1 or 4; and,
as already explained, there may be two such pipes running side by side, and
making like zigzag folds within each of the back pans aforesaid, in order to
expose more heating surface than would be exposed by one larger pipe having
the same area of passage through it as two smaller pipes would have. The said
zigzag folds of pipe or pipes within each of the four back pans being united
by a continuance of the pipe or pipes from the said zigzag folds in one back
pan to those in the next back pan in succession, and so on through all the
four back pans, there will be a long continuous course of pipe or pipes for
the flow of the brine in a continual stream or streams from the elevated cistern
or reservoir of cold brine, then down into and throughout all the zigzag
folds of pipe or pipes in all the four back pans in succession, so that the brine
will become heated in so flowing, and then the heated brine ascending again
to the elevated vessels or salt pans will supply them with continual streams of
heated brine. And note, respecting the vessel or salt pan, Figures 1 or 4.
herein-before described, the same may be heated by the direct action of fire or
fires applied beneath the lowermost bottom A, A, Figure 1 thereof (as already
explained), that bottom being flat or else formed into flutes or waves, as already
explained, and represented by the dotted lines 9, 9, Figure 4. And also, in
addition to so heating, by the direct action of fire or fires, the hot water that
is contained within the space between the two bottoins of such a vessel or
salt pan, may be hot water introduced by circulation from a distinct hot-water
boiler, in the manner already explained, so as to combine both those said modes
of heating the brine that is contained within such a vessel or salt pan as
Figures 1 or 4, if required.
Having now described my said improvements, I, the said George Ellins,
do hereby declare that the new Invention, whereof the exclusive use is granted
to me by the aforesaid Letters Patent, consists,
Firstly, in the formation of the uppermost of the two bottoms of a double-
bottomed vessel or salt pan, in the manner described, and represented in
Figure 1 or 4, in order to obtain an extended heating surface for the more
ellectual transmission of heat from the hot water (or the steam) which is
B

page_text: contained in the space between the two bottoms to the brine which is resting
upon the said uppermost bottom. Also in the combination of such an upper-
most bottom with a lowermost bottom formed in flutes or waves, as herein-
before described, and represented by the dotted lines g, g, Figure 4, such
combination being applicable in case of fire being applied beneath such
lowermost bottom, and water in the space between the two bottoms. Also in
the combination herein-before described of heating such a vessel or salt pan
as herein-before described, and represented in Figure 1 or 4 by two of the
modes herein before explained of heating the same, that is to say, both heating
by fire applied, as herein-before explained, beneath the lowermost bottom,
(whether it be a flat bottom, as represented by A, A, Figure 1, or else formed
into flutes or curves, as represented by dotted lines at 7, 9, Figure 4), and
also heating the same vessels or salt pan by circulation of the hot water that
is contained within the space between the two bottoms of such vessel or salt
pan through a distinct hot water boiler, and through the said space, by a
continual circulation of such hot water as herein-before explained, so as to
obtain the concurrent effect of both those modes of heating.
Secondly, in the mode herein-beforo described of heating the brine, where-
with a vessel or salt pan, such as herein-before described, and represented in
Figure 1 or 4, is to be supplied by causing the brine to flow in a continual
stream or streams through a long course of pipe or pipes disposed in the
space between the two bottoms of such vessel in the manner herein-before
described, and represented at 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, in Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4. Also in the combination of that said mode of heating the brine with
the mode of further heating the same brine, as herein-before explained, by
running it along a shallow trough of metal disposed over the flue, and also
(or else) with the other mode of further heating (or of still further heating)
the same brine, as herein-before explained, by passing it through a boiler heated
by fire.
Thirdly, in the mode herein-before described of applying a flat steam vessel
or vessels over the surface of the brine in a vessel or salt pan so as to commu-
nicate heat to the steam arising from such brine, in order to render that steam
lighter and less liable to condensation.
Fourthly, in the mode herein-before described of forcing heated air by any
suitable blowing machinery through a pipe or pipes disposed horizontally over
a vessel or salt pan which is covered and enclosed on all sides, in order that
such heated air may be discharged in a vertical current or currents through
a vertical branch or branches of such horizontal air pipe or pipes beneath the
lowest part or parts of the entrance or entrances into a vertical furnace or

page_text: furnaces which is or are provided at the highest part or parts of the said
cover over the vessel or salt pan, for the escape of the steam arising from
the brine. And note, the flat vessel or vessels already described and claimed
under the head of Thirdly, may be used in combination with this mode of forcing
heated air in a vertical current or currents.
Fifthly, in the mode herein-before described of heating brine for the supply
of vessels or salt pans with small continual streams of heated brine by
providing four back pans to two boiling pans, and causing the cold brine to
overflow from one such back pan into another in succession, so as to become
more and more heated within each back pan, until sufficiently heated for
supplying the boiling pans.
And, lastly, in the mode herein-before described of heating brine for the
supply of elevated vessels or salt pans called upper pans by causing such brine
to flow in a small continued stream or streams through a long course of
pipe or pipes disposed in zigzag folds within the aforesaid four backed pans,
so as to be immersed beneath the brine contained in those back pans, in order
that such pipe or pipes may participate in the heat of that brine, and may
give heat to the brine which is caused to flow through the said long course of
pipe or pipes for the supply of the said upper pans.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Ellins, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 30th day of August, One thousand eight hundred and