IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hargreaves, of Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, Chemist, and Thomas Robinson, of the same Place, Iron
Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SULPHATES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hargreaves and
Thomas Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th June 1874.
WC, JAMES HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster,
Chemist, and THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Iron Founder, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be
as follows:.
Our Invention relates to novel means and appliances whereby the
production of sulphates of soda and potassá, or either of them, by our
direct action process is facilitated and cheapened.

page_text: First. As means for preventing the loss of heat by radiation from the
sulphurous acid flues we lower the arch or covering connection between
the chambers so as to allow the connecting tube between the two
sulphurous acid flues to be laid in the solid brickwork of the said arch
or covering connection, and we prefer when so laying the said connecting
tube and conveying the heated gases therethrough to place it under the
circulating pipe at one end of the sulphate chambers.
Second. As means for keeping cool the bearings of rotary exhausting
apparatus used in the manufacture of sulphates by our said direct action
process of manufacture we so place the bearings that they are kept from
close contact with the sides of the said exhausting apparatus. For this
purpose we employ hollow brackets, and through the said hollow brackets
we cause a stream of water to flow. To further assist in keeping the said
bearings cool we cause a stream of oil or other lubricant to flow upon
the said bearings. The said oil or other lubricant is allowed to flow into
suitablo apparatus, and when cool is again pumped up and allowed to
run through the said bearings.
Third. When we heat a chloride with the products of combustion
before turning the sulphurous acid upon it we instead of using the
syphon to take the said products of combustion into the chambers provide
an annular space round one of the feed holes, and cause by means of a
circular cover the products of combustion to flow through the said
annular space and down through the feed hole. By reversing the
current of gas we cause the remaining sulphurous acid and steam to pass
through the said feed hole and annular opening previous to discharging
a chamber.
Fourth. As means for making the walls impermeable to gas when
brick chambers are used we build into the walls of the said chambers
sheets of iron or other metal riveted, bolted, or otherwise secured
together. We prefer to place the said sheets between two brick walls
for the sides, between two courses of bricks for the bottoms, and between
two brick arches for the tops of the said chambers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson in the
Great Scal Patent Office on the 10th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, and
THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Iron Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson,
Her special license that we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson, our exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Hargreaves and
Thomas Robinson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, 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, reference being had
to the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings and to the figures
and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
―:
Our Invention relates to novel means and appliances whereby the
production of sulphates of soda and potassa, or either of them, by our
direct action process is facilitated and cheapened,

page_text: First. As means for preventing loss of heat by radiation from the
sulphurous acid flues we lower the lower the arch or covering connection
between the chamber so as to allow the connecting tube between the two
sulphurous acid flues to be laid in the solid brickwork of the said arch or
covering connection, and we prefer when so laying the said connecting
tube and conveying the heated gases therethrough to place it under the
circulating pipe at one end of the sulphate chambers.
Second. As means for keeping cool the bearings of rotary exhausting
apparatus used in the manufacture of sulphates by our said direct action
process of manufacture we so place the bearings that they are kept from
close contact with the sides of the said exhausting apparatus. For this
purpose we employ hollow brackets, and through the said hollow brackets
we cause a stream of water to flow. To further assist in keeping the
said bearings cool we cause a stream of oil or other lubricant to flow
upon the said bearings. The said oil or other lubricant is allowed to
flow into suitable apparatus, and when cool is again pumped up, and
allowed to run through the said bearings.
Third. When we heat a chloride with the products of combustion
before turning the sulphurous acid upon it we instead of using the
syphon to take the said products of combustion into the chambers
provide an annular space round one of the feed holes, and cause by means
of a circular cover the products of combustion to flow through the said
annular space and down through the feed hole. By reversing the current
of gas we cause the remaining sulphurous acid and steam to pass
through the said feed hole and annular opening previous to discharging
a chamber.
Fourth. As means for making the walls impermeable to gas when
brick chambers are used we build into the walls of the said chambers
sheets of iron or other metal revitted, bolted, or otherwise secured
together. We prefer to place the said sheets between two brick walls
for the sides, between two courses of bricks for the bottoms, and between
two brick arches for the tops of the said chambers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The first part of our Invention is illustrated by Fig. 1, a view in
vertical section, showing part of a converting chamber and half the
arch and connection between two series of such converting chambers.
a, arch or covering connection between the two series of chambers;

page_text: such arch or connection is made sufficiently low to allow of the con-
necting tube between the sulphurous acid flues being laid in the solid
brickwork or masonry of the arch or covering connection a. The cir-
culating pipe at the end of the series of chambers is not shown, but in
the modification delineated it would stand immediately above b. The
arrangement of the converting chambers c, ways d, flues e, and other
parts are substantially the same as in our two series arrangement of
converting chambers.
The second part of our Invention is illustrated by Fig. 2, which is a
view in side elevation and section of a Root's rotary exhausting apparatus
modified in accordance with this part of our improvements. Here e are
hollow brackets attached to the framework of the exhausting apparatus.
A stream of water or other liquid is caused to flow through the hollow
brackets in the direction indicated by the arrows. fare bearings supported
by e in such manner as to be at a distance from the ends or sides of the said
exhausting apparatus. A stream of oil or other lubricant is allowed to
flow through f. g, tray to collect such oil, which is afterwards pumped
up, and when cool used again. The heat of the gases passing through
the exhausting apparatus is but slightly if at all imparted to the
bearings.
hare
The third part of our Invention is shown by Fig. 3, a view in vertical
section, of part of the top and sides of a converting chamber.
products of combustion flues; i, feed hole; j, annular space; k, cover
or cap. In heating a charge before conversion the products of com-
bustion travel in the direction shown by the arrows. In driving off the
sulphurous acid and other gases after sulphate has been formed the
direction of the current is reversed.
The fourth part of our Invention is shown by Fig. 4, a view in vertical
section of part of bottom, sides, and top of a converting chamber formed
of bricks, and modified under this part of our Invention. j, sheets of
iron; k, l, m, brick courses, walls, and arches.
Having now described the nature of our said improvements and par-
ticularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry
them into effect, we claim,-
First. Lowering the arch or covering connection between two series of
chambers, and laying the connecting tube between the sulphurous acid

page_text: In witness whereof, I, the said James Hargreaves, have hereunto 1
set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
In the presence of
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JAMES HARGREAVES. (L.S.)