IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Deacon, of Appleton House, Widnes, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE.'
3
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Deacon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1873.
I, HENRY DEACON, of Appleton House, Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE," to be as
follows:-
In the production of chlorine by means of heated hydrochloric acid,
and of atmospheric air brought into contact at an elevated temperature
with what I have termed a decomposing material, videlicit, porous brick
clay, or other inert matter impregnated with sulphate of copper, or with

page_text: a mixture of sulphate of copper and sulphate of soda or otherwise, a
further amount of heat is emitted during such decomposition, and the
object of this Invention is to utilize and make available this emitted heat
in assisting the preliminary heating of the gases which I effect in the
following manner :-One arrangement for this purpose may consist in
placing a metallic vessel containing the decomposing or what I call
active materials, which vessel I designate as a "decomposer" within
another metallic vessel which is capable of being heated from the out-
side, and which external vessel I call a "heater," and which holds the
inner vessel or decomposer" in what may be termed an air bath.
Suitable pipes and connections are provided for the conveyance of
the gases into the outer vessel or "heater" through which they pass
and where they are heated, and are thence passed through the inner
vessel or "decomposer" where decomposition is effected, and in con-
sequence heat is evolved, chlorine being produced which is conducted to
an outlet from whence it and the other gases are conveyed and utilized
as desired. All the heat evolved in the decomposer during the
decomposition of the hydrochloric acid, except that which is carried
away by the current of gases is thus compelled to radiate from the
"decomposer," and assist in heating the gases surrounding it, such gases
being thus heated on their passage to the "decomposer."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Deacon in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
DEACON, of Appleton House, Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Deacon, Her special license that I,
the said Henry Deacon, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Henry Deacon, my executors, adminis->

page_text: trators, or 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 APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Deacon, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Henry Deacon, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
In the production of chlorine by means of heated hydrochloric acid,
and of atmospheric air brought into contact at an elevated temperature
with what I have termed a decomposing material, videlicet, porous brick
clay, or other inert matter impregnated with sulphate of copper, or with
a mixture of sulphate of copper and sulphate of soda or otherwise, a
further amount of heat is emitted during such decomposition, and the
object of this Invention is to utilize and make available this emitted heat
in assisting the preliminary heating of the gases, which I effect in the
following manner :-One arrangement for this purpose may consist in
placing a metallic vessel containing the decomposing or what I call
active materials, which vessel I designate as a 'decomposer," within
another metallic vessel which is capable of being heated from the out-
side, and which external vessel I call a "heater," and which holds the
inner vessel or "decomposer " in what may be termed an air bath.
Suitable pipes and connections are provided for the conveyance of the
gases into the outer vessel or "heater" through which they pass, and
where they are heated and are thence passed through the inner vessel or
"decomposer," where decomposition is effected and in consequence heat
is evolved, chlorine being produced which is conducted to an outlet from
whence it and the other gases are conveyed and utilized as desired.
66

page_text: now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of an apparatus for the
manufacture of chlorine, arranged according to my Invention; Figure 2
is a horizontal section of the heater and decomposer, and Figure 3 is.a
transverse section taken along the line 1, 2, (Figure 1).
A is the the outer vessel or "heater" which is composed of metal and
is surrounded by a flue or chamber a through which circulate the
products of combustion from the furnaces or fire-places B, B, on their
passage to the main chimney flue C, as shewn by the arrows indicated in
Within the
full lines, and thus impart their heat to the vessel A.
"heater" A there is placed the inner vessel or "decomposer " D also
formed of metal, and containing the impregnated substances which are
supported on shelves or false bottoms b, b, composed of a perforated or
reticulated material for the purpose of admitting of the passage of the
hydrochloric acid gas therethrough. The "decomposer" D is thus
enveloped in the hot air which is contained in the space or chamber
comprised between it and the sides and ends of the "heater" A, into
which space or chamber the hydrochloric acid gas obtained from a salt
cake furnace E or other convenient source is introduced through a pipe
F, and whence the gases pass into and through the "decomposer" (as
shewn by the dotted arrows) where the decomposition is effected, and
the chlorine produced is conducted away with the other gases by the
pipe G for utilization as desired. The apparatus is completely enclosed
in brickwork H, as shewn. All the heat evolved in the "decomposer'
during the decomposition of the hydrochloric acid except that which is
carried away by the current of gases is thus compelled to radiate from
the "decomposer" and assist in heating the gases surrounding it, such
gases being thus heated on their passage to the "decomposer."
"
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the method of

page_text: utilizing the heat which is evolved during and from the decomposition
of heated hydrochloric acid gas by means of atmospheric air in con-
junction with what I have termed decomposing materials for the
preliminary heating of the before-mentioned gases on their passage to
the decomposer, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
utilizing the heat which is evolved during and from the decomposition
of heated hydrochloric acid gas by means of atmospheric air in con-
junction with what I have termed decomposing materials for the
preliminary heating of the before-mentioned gases on their passage to
the decomposer, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Deacon, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of March
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.