IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRUSSIATES OF POTASH OR SODA, AND IN RECOVERING A USEFUL: MATERIAL THEREPROM
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Crowther, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PRUSSIATES OF POTASH OR SODA, AND IN RECOVERING A USEFUL:
MATERIAL THEREPROM."
Sealed the 26th July 1859; and dated the 27th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Crowther at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th January 1859.
I, WILLIAM CROWTHER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Manufacturing
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRUSSIATES OF POTASH OR SODA, AND IN RECOVERING
A USEFUL MATERIAL THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in treating any of those animal substances from which
prussiates of potash or soda may be made with potash or soda in solution, and
then submitting the whole to the necessary heat. I propose, however, if
needful, to add subsequently another quantity of animal matter.
Secondly, my Invention specially refers to the manufacture of prussiate of
potash or soda from woollen or other such refuse manufacturing material, and
consists in treating it as above described for the manufacture of prussiate of
potash or soda, and thereby separating it from cotton which may be prese
which cotton I recover to be applied to any useful purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Crowther in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CROWTHER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Manufacturing Chemist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Crowther, Her special license that I, the said William
Crowther, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Crowther, my executors, 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 PRUSSIATES OF POTASH OR SODA, AND IN
RECOVERING A USEFUL MATERIAL THEREPROM," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said William Crowther, by an instrument 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 William Crowther, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
According to the usual method of manufacturing prussiates of potash or
soda, the animal matter employed for that purpose is mixed with the alkali in
a state of fusion: whereas, according to my Invention, the horn, wool, or other
suitable substance is first treated with a hot solution of potash or soda, by
which it is dissolved; this liquid is then evaporated to dryness in a furnace
or other suitable apparatus, after which the product is placed in the usual
pot, and submitted to the required temperature for fusion. During the
evaporation above mentioned, I sometimes add a fresh quantity of animal

page_text: matter to the solution, and continue to do so until no further solution thereof
will take place.
Secondly, my Invention specially refers to the manufacture of prussiates of
potash or soda from woollen and other such manufacturing material in which
cotton or other vegetable fibrous substances may be mixed, and consists in
treating it with a hot solution of alkali, as above described, whereby the animal
matter becomes dissolved, leaving the cotton or other vegetable substance in a
solid form; this having been allowed to settle, the clear liquor is ran off,
evaporated, as above mentioned, and subsequently fused in the ordinary
manner. The cotton or other vegetable substance remains therefore in a
separated state, and may be washed and applied to paper making and other
manufacturing purposes.
In describing the first part of my Invention I mentioned that I sometimes
added a further quantity of animal matter after the solution was effected, and
the same remark applies to this process. I would, however, observe, that in
this instance it is desirable, that the material added should be horn or other
such unmixed animal matter, so as to be completely soluble.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be understood
that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, dissolving animal matter in alkalis before fusion.
Secondly, in combination with the process mentioned in my first claim,
recovering cotton or other vegetable material from the animal substance.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Crowther, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
W. CROWTHER. (L.S.)