TO GEORGE DEAKIN MIDGLEY, of the Strand, in the

county of Middlesex, chemist, and JOHN HOWARD KYAN, of Cheltenham, in the county of Gloucester, Esq., for the invention of an improved mode of extracting or obtaining ammoniacal salts from liquor produced in the manufacture of coal gas.-[Sealed 4th November, 1837.]

THE object of this invention, is to prevent the usual nuisance arising from vapours evolved from manufactories, where the ammonia is extracted from the ammoniacal liquor, resulting from coal gas, according to the modes of manufacturing it now in use.

The patentees submit the ammoniacal liquor to the action of lime, in the following manner:-To every 500 gallons of the liquor, they add 250 lbs. of quick lime, slacked with a sufficient quantity of water. This is poured on to a grating, which is employed for the purpose of preventing large pieces from passing through, and is kept well agitated. It is then placed in a still, in which it is heated to from 170 to 200 degrees of Fahrenheit. The ammonia there becomes evolved, and is passed into an acid bath, by which the salts are condensed and concentrated. When the ammonia, from the mixture in the still, is worked off, the residuum is cleared out and a fresh charge put in.

The patentees have not confined themselves to the use of lime, for the above purposes, although they prefer it for its cheapness; and they do not claim the apparatus for carrying the invention into effect; nor do they claim the simple process of liberating the ammonia, when uncombined with the process of distillation, and producing the salts, by bringing the ammonia into contact with the acid; but, they say, that their invention consists in treating the

ammoniacal liquor in such a manner as to set free the ammonia, and retain the other matters, by submitting the mixture to distillation, and bringing the ammonia evolved into contact with suitable acids, and thereby producing the salts.—[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, May, 1838.]

TO JAMES LEMAN, of Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the county of Middlesex, gentleman, for improvements in making or manufacturing soap,-being a communication from a foreigner, residing abroad.—[Sealed 12th April, 1836.]

THESE improvements consist in a new mode of perfecting soap, when it is made with cold oil, without the use of fire or boiling; and also when it is made with concrete oil, fat, grease, &c., not in a liquid state, with the use of fire merely to melt the concrete oil, &c. This is effected by the introduction, during the manufacture of the soap, of chloride of lime, of soda, or of potash.

To make the soap with oil, take 108 parts, by measure, of oil, 100 parts, by measure, of solution of chloride of lime, filtered and very clear, of a specific gravity of 1.047 to 1.064, and 45 parts, by measure, of caustic soda leys, of a specific gravity of 1.333.

First, pour the solution of chloride of lime slowly upon the oil, in small quantities, stirring it well, and then pour in the caustic soda leys, in the same manner. The soap being thus compounded, pour it into the moulds, and at the end of three days it will be of a suitable consistency.

When the concrete oil, fat, grease, &c., are used, melt them in a water bath, and proceed with the operation as above.

To make the soap by employing the chloride of soda,

take 108 parts, by measure, of oil, 110 parts of the solution of chloride of soda, of a specific gravity of 1.089, and 30 parts, by measure, of caustic soda leys, of a specific gravity of 1.333. These articles are mixed in the manner before described; and chloride of potash may be used in the same manner.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, October, 1836.]

TO ARTHUR DUNN, late of Stamford Hill, in the county of Middlesex, Gent., and now chemist to the Real del Monte Mining Company, for certain improvements in the manufacture of soap.-[Sealed 24th August, 1838.]

THE patentee takes the ingredients for making soap, in the usual proportions,-say, for instance, in order to make common yellow soap, seven hundred weight of tallow, three hundred weight of palm oil, three hundred weight of resin, and about one hundred and forty or one hundred and fifty gallons of caustic soda leys, of a specific gravity of 1.16,— and the whole are placed in a steam-boiler. The fire being lighted, and the pressure on the valve, such as to allow the temperature in the boiler to rise gradually to about 3100 Fahrenheit, it remains at this height for about one hour; the ingredients are then discharged from the boiler into the pan or frame, and allowed to cool down, when the process of saponification will be found to have taken place.

In order to cause silica to combine more readily with soap, the patentee puts silica with caustic alkaline leys, in the proportion of about one hundred weight of silica to one hundred gallons of caustic alkaline leys, of a specific gravity of 1.16, into a steam-boiler, and raises the temperature to about 310° Fahrenheit. The liquid is kept

under steam pressure of from fifty to seventy pounds on the square inch, for three or four hours, and is then discharged from the boiler, and cooled down. From this a silicate of soda or of potash is obtained, according to the alkali used in solution; and this solution, when silica soap is to be made, is added in any quantity to the other ingredients, when in the pan or frame, after they have undergone the saponifying process, before described, and before they cool down.

The patentee claims, firstly,-performing the saponifying process of soap-making, by heating the ingredients of which the soap is to be composed, in a steam-tight boiler, at the aforesaid temperature, and under pressure.

Secondly,-Digesting silica in a similar boiler, at a high temperature, and under pressure, and the mixing it with the other ingredients in the pan or frame, as aforesaid; whereby he is enabled, in the first case, to cause the perfect combination of the ingredients required for making soap, in a much shorter time, with less waste, and at a less expense, than heretofore; and in the second case, to cause silica to combine more readily with soap, and to ascertain more accurately the quantity of silica to be contained in silica soap.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, February, 1839.]

To JOHN JOSEPH CHARLES SHERIDAN, of Walworth, in the county of Surrey, chemist, for an improvement in the manufacture of soap. - [Sealed 16th September, 1838.]

THIS invention consists in the application of a detergent mixture, to be incorporated with the known ingredients

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used in the manufacture of soap. This detergent mixture, consisting of caustic soda leys, or caustic potash leys, (substances well known to soap-boilers,) and calcined flint, or calcined quartz, or consisting of caustic soda leys, or caustic potash leys and sand, prepared as after mentioned. Many other substances would furnish silicious matter, but they are either too expensive in themselves, or the difficulty and expense of preparing them, would render them inapplicable; but silicious matter, however obtained, whether from flint, quartz, or sand, will answer the purpose.

A quantity of calcined flint, or calcined quartz, (the common black flint calcined is best,) is reduced, by wet grinding, with horizontal stones, to nearly an impalpable state. To one part of such ground calcined flint, or calcined quartz, mixed with about 20 per cent. of water, is added two parts of caustic soda leys, or caustic potash leys, of a strength indicated by 20o of Beaume's hydrometer, (being the hydrometer generally used by soap-boilers,) or within 1o or 2o thereof. These materials, viz., calcined flint, or calcined quartz, and caustic soda leys, or caustic potash leys, in these proportions, being well mixed, are to be boiled about eight hours, (stirring continually,) till they become incorporated into one homogeneous mass, having the appearance of saponified matter; which appearance will, with very little practice, readily be judged of by a soap-boiler. When this matter has attained this appearance of saponification, it is fit to be applied in the process of soap-making, as after described. In mentioning this matter or substance, it will be described as detergent mixture.

When the ingredients, for making soap, have undergone the usual process, and being perfectly saponified, are in the proper condition to be cleansed, (a term well known to soap-makers,) they should be placed in a pan or vessel, and