IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE PROAL SPFICATION
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Cowen, of Blaydon Burn, near New-
castle-upon-Tyne, and Thomas Richardson, of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Cowen
and Thomas Richardson at the Office of the Cominissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 15th November 1852.
WE, JOSEPH COWEN, of Blaydon Burn, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
and THOMAS RICHARDSON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID" to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in applying heat externally to iron or
copper pyrites, or any other metallic sulphuret suitable for ou
purpose, in a vessel similar to a D or any other shaped gas retort
one end of which is connected with an ordinary sulphuric acid
chamber, and the other end being left partially open, as is practised
at present in burning sulphur, so that the pyrites or metallic
sulphuret may be used in making sulphuric acid in the same manner
as sulphur. Our Invention further consists in employing retorts
made of clay or clay tile bottoms, surmounted by a brick arch, for
the above purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Joseph Cowen and Thomas Richardson
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOSEPH COWEN, of Blaydon Burn, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and
THOMAS RICHARDSON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Cowen and Thomas
Richardson, Her special license that we, the said Joseph Cowen and
Thomas Richardson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Joseph Cowen and Thomas Richardson,
our 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 night 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 SULPHURIC ACID" upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Joseph Cowen and
Thomas Richardson, or one of us, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our 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 Joseph Cowen and Thomas
Richardson, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof
(that is to say):
Our Invention consists in applying heat externally to iron or

page_text: copper pyrites, or any other metallic sulphuret suitable for our
purpose, in a vessel similar to a D or any other shaped gas retort,
one end of which is connected with an ordinary sulphuric acid
chamber, and the other end being left partially open, as is practised
at present in burning sulphur, so that the pyrites or metallic
sulphuret may be used in inaking sulphuric acid in the same manner
as sulphur. Our Invention further consists in employing retorts
made of clay or clay or tile bottoms, surmounted by a brick arch,
for the above purpose. Our Invention consists in substituting a
bench of clay retorts placed side by side over one, two, or more flues
for the oven shaped burners now employed, when sulphur is used
in making sulphuric acid, and heating the same from below. We
find that common gas clay retorts answer our purpose best, but a
fire tile bottom, covered with a brick or iron arch, will also supply
the place of the retort. The retorts constructed of clay, or such
materials as clay retorts for gas works are made of, or fire clay
bottoms, with brick or iron arches, are placed about two feet above
the ground, side by side, with the mouth towards the workman,
while the other end is connected with an upright or horizontal flue
which communicates with each retort. They are heated froin below,
as most convenient, by means of one, two, or three fires, each commu-
nicating with the chimney by means of a flue, while the waste heat
may be advantageously employed before going to the chimney for
raising the steam required by the sulphuric acid chamber. The
upper surface of the retort is carefully built in and covered with
cement and sand to keep all tight. The mouth-piece of the retort
is in all respects similar to that at present in use in "sulphur
burners," consisting of an iron door sliding in a groove by a
balancing weight. This door has, however, a small slit in the
middle about three inches long and one inch wide, which serves the
double purpose of admitting air, and an iron rake employed in
agitating the sulphurous ore. We find this arrangement does not
permit the escape of any sulphurous acid, and is equally well
adapted for burning sulphur or any other compound capable of
being employed in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and when
sulphur is burned in such retorts the exterior fire need not be
.

page_text: lighted. As soon as the retorts are heated to a dull redness we
throw in a charge of 56 lbs. to 112 lbs. of mundic by means of iron
scuttles similar to those in use for sulphur. At the same time we
charge the usual iron pot with 1 lb. to 4 lbs. of nitre, and the equi-
valent quantity of sulphuric acid, which is placed in one of the
retorts at the end of the bench where the heat is lowest, which we
find best adapted for saving nitre, as the compounds of nitrogen and
oxygen are not then decomposed. The charge of mundic is occa-
sionally agitated by the rake either with or without opening the
door, and thus a fresh surface is being continually presented without
too great an admission of atmospheric air. As soon as the sulphur
is expelled the charge is withdrawn and replaced by another, and
the working of of the retorts or burners and chamber is in fact
conducted in precisely the same way as when sulphur is used. We
find that we can employ with advantage, in place of the ordinary
pyrites, that obtained from coal by washing, which we are aware
has been used in manufacturing sulphuric acid, by making the same
into bricks with clay, and burning them in tall upright kilns, such
as are in use for lump pyrites. We have also employed galena
with equal benefit, as also other metallic sulphurets in a state of
partial disintegration; these latter ores requiring however a less
proportion of nitre. We can further substitute the sulphates of
copper, iron, and zinc for their sulphurets when the residual me-
tallic oxides can be employed for many of the purposes of the arts.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Cowen and Thomas
Richardson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
cight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
J. G. ALCOCK.
JOS. COWEN.
(L.S.)
THOMAS RICHARDSON. (L.s.)