IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WASTE OR REFUse ANIMAL OR NITROGENOUS MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING FERTILIZING SUBSTANCES OR ARTIFICIAL MANURES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Crookes, of Mornington Road, Regent's
Park, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman; F.R.S., for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WASTE OR REFUse
ANIMAL OR NITROGENOUS MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING FERTILIZING
SUBSTANCES OR ARTIFICIAL MANURES."
Scaled the 14th July 1874, and dated the 2nd April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Crookes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
2nd April 1874.
I, WILLIAM CROOKES, of Mornington Road, Regent's Park, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, F.R.S., do licreby declare the nature.
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WASTE OR
REFUSE ANIMAL OR NITROGENOUS MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING
FERTILIZING SUBSTANCES OR ARTIFICIAL MANURES," to be as follows:-
In carrying out my Invention I take fish, flesh, or other putrescible
animal matters, and after cutting up or reducing the substance to a
divided state I steep it if necessary in any convenient liquid compound

page_text: possessing antiseptic, deodorizing, or disinfecting properties, or I sprinkle
such liquid over the solid matters. I then place the mass in a hydro-
extractor or other suitable apparatus for the purpose of driving off and
separating the liquid matters from the solid.
If desired an additional quantity of the liquid antiseptic compound
may be placed in the hydro-extractor and forced through the solid
nitrogenous matters, and the liquid obtained may be subsequently
evaporated or otherwise treated in order to obtain therefrom the valuable
manurial constituents which it contains.
After being operated upon, in the hydro-extractor the nitrogenous
mass may be subjected to hydraulic or other pressure for the purpose of
forcing out any other liquids it may contain. These liquids may be
subsequently treated like the others, and their products may be added to
the solid mass if desired. The solid substances may then be dried either
by means of artificial heat or otherwise so as to reduce it to a friable:
state, when it may be ground up into a powder.
The liquid obtained from the solid animal matters by means of the
bydro-extractor or by pressure may be subjected to evaporation so as to
drive off as much as possible of the watery particles. The concentrated
mass may then be submitted to pressure for the purpose of squeezing
out the oil contained therein. When the oil is removed the residue will
be a solid mass containing a large percentage of fertilizing constituents.
This when reduced to a pulverulent state may be used alone as a very
rich manure, or it may be employed to curich weaker manures.
It may
also be mixed with clay or some other inert matter, and drilled in with 1
seed.
The oil obtained by pressure or otherwise from the concentrated liquid
nitrogenous matters may be used for burning or for any other purposes
for which it may be found useful.
As heat will be required for evaporating the liquid matters as well as
for drying the solid substances, and power will also be required to drive
the bydro-extractor and other machinery, I prefer to employ a hot-air
engine for the purpose, because after the air has been expanded in the
cylinder to work the engine it may be conducted therefrom to an oven
or heating apparatus, where all the caloric it contains may be utilized;
for evaporating or heating purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said William Crookes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CROOKES, of Mornington Road, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, F.R.S., send greeting.
j
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Crookes, Her special licence,
that I, the said William Crookes, my executors, administrators, and
I assigns, or such others as I, the said William Crookes, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree witli, 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 TREATMENT OF WASTE OR REFUSE ANIMAL OR NITROGENOUS MATTERS FOR THE
PURPOSE OF PRODUCING FERTILIZING SUBSTANCES OR ARTIFICIAL MANURES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Crookes, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their 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 I, the said William Crookes, 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 (that is to say):-.
The object of my Invention is to treat waste or refuse, animal or .
nitrogenous matters, such as fish, flesh, or other putrescible animal;
matters for the purpose of producing fertilizing substances or artificial:
manures.

page_text: In dealing with fish, flesh, or other putrescible animal matters I first
cut up or reduce the substance to a divided state; I then steep it if
necessary in any convenient liquid compound possessing antiseptic,
deodorizing, or disinfecting properties, such for instance ás compounds
produced by mixing sulphurous acid with or passing it through carbolic
or cresylic acid or any other similar homologue of carbolic acid, or
through the liquid known commercially as creosote, or through any.
mixtures of the above. The salts of alumina or manganese may also bo
employed for the purpose, or I sprinkle such liquid over the solid.
matters. I then place the mass in a press or in a hydro-extractor or 1
other suitable apparatus for the purpose of squeezing out, driving off,
and separating a portion of the liquid matters from the solid.
If a hydro-extractor be employed an additional quantity of the liquid
antiseptic compound may be placed therein and forced through the solid.
nitrogenous matters, and the liquid obtained may be subsequently. ]
evaporated or otherwise treated in order to obtain therefrom potash,.
phosphoric acid, and nitrogen compounds or other valuable manurial:
constituents which it may contain.
If the nitrogenous mass has been operated upon in a hydro-extractor
for the purpose of driving off by centrifugal force a portion of the liquid. 2
matters the nitrogenous mass must be subjected to hydraulic or other
heavy pressure for the purpose of forcing out any other liquids or the
remaining liquid portion it may contain. These liquids may be subsc-
quently treated like those obtained from the hydro-extractor, and their.
products may be added to the solid mass if desired. The solid substances 2
may then be dried either by means of artificial heat or otherwise so as
to reduce it to a friable state, when it may be ground up into a powder.
The liquid obtained from the solid animal matters may be subjected
to evaporation so as to drive off as much as possible of the watery
particles. The concentrated mass may then be subjected to pressure for a
the purpose of squeezing out the oil contained therein. When the oil
is removed the residue will be a solid mass containing a large percentage
of fertilizing constituents. This when dried and reduced to a pulverulent
state may be used alone as a very rich manure or it may be employed to
enrich weaker manures. It may also be mixed with 'pulverized clay or
some other inert matter in a divided state, and then drilled in with
seed.

page_text: The oil obtained by pressure or otherwise from the concentrated liquid
nitrogenous matters may be used for burning or for any other purposes
for which it may be found useful.
As heat will be required for evaporating the liquid matters as well as
for drying the solid substances, and as power will also be required to
drive the hydro-extractor and other machinery, I sometimes employ a
hot-air engine for the purpose, because after the air has been expanded
in the cylinder to work the engine it may be conducted therefrom to an
oven or other heating or drying apparatus, where all the caloric it
contains may be utilized for evaporating or heating the products obtained
by the above described processes.
In order still further to economize fuel I sometimes run the liquid
substances above mentioned into the steam boiler of an engine when
steam is used as the source of power. By this means a considerable
quantity of the watery particles of the liquid' will be driven off in the
form of steam, which may be utilized for driving the engine, and the
concentrated solution remaining in the boiler may be drawn off from
time to time and evaporated to dryness by means of the waste heat from
the furnace or fire-place.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Treat-
ment of Waste or Refuse Animal or Nitrogenous Matters for the
Purpose of Producing Fertilizing Substances or Artificial Manures,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid
the combined processes herein-before described, whereby the liquid and
solid parts of fish, flesh, and other soft or wet putrescible substances
may be separated and converted into fertilizing substances or artificial
manures, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Crookes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Second day of October, in the year of our
In witness whereof, I, the said William Crookes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.-