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| Most of the patents prior to 1836 were lost in the Dec. 1836 fire. Only about 2,000 of the almost 10,000 documents were recovered. Little is known about this patent. There are no patent drawings available. This patent is in the database for reference only.
“Specification of a patent for an improvement in the application of the Scape-heat from the high pressure Steam Engine, for which a patent was obtained October 30th, 1827; ALEXANDER Brown, Salina, Onondaga County, New York, June 11th, 1829.
WHEREAS, Alexander Brown did, on the thirtieth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, procure letters patent for a new and useful improvement in the application of the scape-heat from the furnace, and the discharged steam from the engine of the ordinary high pressure steam engine, to the manufacturing of coarse salt from salt water; and which letters patent contain a description, or specification, of said improvement as follows; that is to say: -“When the ordinary high pressure steam engine is in operation, much of the heat from the fire in the furnace necessarily escapes through the furnace chimney, and most of the steam generated in the boiler, after performing its operation in the engine, is discharged from the engine. For the purpose of applying that scape-heat and discharged steam to the manufacturing of coarse salt from salt water, the ordinary high pressure steam engine is located in some convenient place. An ordinary saltwater vat is erected, from plank or other material, of any given dimensions; say fifty feet by fifteen feet, and two feet deep, and placed on a level, as near as may be, with the bottom of the furnace of the steam engine, and at a short and suitable distance therefrom. The scape-heat and smoke, instead of being permitted to pass through and out of the chimney immediately connected with the furnace, are conducted by means of a metallic cylinder attached, one end thereof, to the furnace, and placed horizontally through the vat, and the other end thereof in a chimney erected on the outer, and the opposite side of the vat, from the furnace; which vat being filled with salt water, sufficient, at least, to cover the cylinder, receives the heat from the cylinder. A second cylinder, for distinction termed the steam cylinder, is also placed horizontally through the aforesaid vat, and one end thereof united to that part of the steam engine which discharges the steam from the engine, and of sufficient dimensions to convey the steam freely, and the other end on the outer and opposite side of the vat. This steam cylinder conveys the heat from the discharged steam to the water in the vat, and conducts the discharged steam, or the water, should the steam in the cylinder be condensed, and discharges the same on the outside of the vat. The heat imparted from the cylinders to the salt water in the vat will cause an evaporation, and as the salt water contains in solution, besides the salt, some impurities having less affinity for the water than the salt, these settle after the salt water is evaporated to saturation. For the purpose of freeing the salt from those impurities, a second vat of similar material and equal dimensions with the first, called the crystallizing vat, is erected and placed near the first vat, and sufficiently low to permit the water from the first vat to run into the second. The water in the first vat, after it is saturated, and all the impurities have settled, is drawn off into the second vat, and the steam cylinder is continued through the second vat, and which will impart to the saturated water in that vat, heat sufficient to keep up an evaporation for crystallization, and produce the finest and purest of coarse salt.
This improvement does not consist in any of the machinery of the high pressure steam engine, nor in the conducting heat or steam through salt water by means of metallic cylinders, nor in any particular formation, or location of the vats, but only in the application of the scape-heat and discharged steam, by means of the aforesaid apparatus to the manufacturing of coarse salt from salt water, thereby saving that heat which is usually lost, and applying that steam which is, ordinarily, used only to heat the water in the feeder for the boiler, and as a very small proportion is adequate for that purpose, so much may still be used by permitting the steam cylinder to pass through the feeder. Thus, the scape-heat and discharged steam are applied to a useful and profitable purpose, without impairing the power of the steam engine, or diverting it from its destined operation.
And whereas, also, the said Alexander Brown hath, by experiment, discovered and established some material improvements on said patent: now therefore the said Alexander Brown is desirous that the said improvements may be patented to him, of which improvements the following is the specification.
The scape-heat from the furnace, instead of being conducted through a metallic cylinder, as in the aforesaid specification mentioned, is applied to a common sheet iron pan of any given dimensions, say twelve feet square and two feet deep, and which pan is placed between the furnace and the chimney, and with sufficient elevation to permit the heat and smoke from the furnace to pass freely, and not obstruct 'the draught of the furnace. This pan is used for heating the water which feeds the boiler of the steam engine, and is, for distinction, called the feeder. Salt water from the fountain may be put into the feeder, so that the boiler will be supplied with salt water instead of fresh water, and thereby the salt water in the boiler will be reduced to a state of saturation, or very nearly so.
And in case the boiler is supplied with salt water, a discharging valve is placed in the boiler at some convenient place, and as near the bottom thereof as may be; and by which valve the water in the boiler, when saturated, is discharged, to prevent the forming of salt or the settling of the impurities in the boiler. The discharged saturated water is conducted from the discharging valve by a suitable conductor of wood or other material to the settling vat, in the aforesaid specification mentioned and which settling vat, instead of being placed between the furnace and the chimney, as in the aforesaid specification mentioned, is placed in some other and convenient place, and as near the boiler and crystallizing vat, in the aforesaid specification mentioned, as may be, and of a proper elevation to receive the saturated water discharged from the boiler, and to permit it to run into the crystallizing vat. And the conducting of the water thereafter is the same as in the aforesaid specification mentioned,
And also for the purpose of manufacturing fine salt, the crystallizing vat in said specification mentioned may be used; but to enable the manufacturer to make both coarse and fine salt at the same time, a third vat is made of any given dimensions, say the same as the said crystallizing vat, and of the same material, and placed as near to the said crystallizing vat as may be, and sufficiently low to permit the water from the said crystallizing vat to run into the said third vat, through which the steam conductor also is passed, and which third vat, for distinction, is called the fine salt vat; the saturated water is drawn from the crystallizing vat into the fine salt vat, and over the top of the fine salt vat, and as near the surface of the water therein as may be, is passed a conductor of wood, or tin, or other material, of about two inches in diameter, and conducted back and forth across the said vat, at about three feet apart, and the underside of which conductor, at about every three feet, has a small hole perforated therein of about the size of an ordinary nail gimlet, and which conductor, for distinction, is called the air conductor; one end of the air conductor is attached to an ordinary air furnace pump, or bellows, and which air pump or bellows is attached to, and carried by the steam engine. And when the steam engine is in operation, the said air pump, or bellows, causes a constant current of air to pass in the air conductor, and out of the small holes so perforated therein as aforesaid, and blows upon the surface of the water, and thereby causes the evaporation, in a given time, to be more rapid, and by agitating the surface of the water in the fine salt vat, prevents its crystallizing, and the salt settles at the bottom of the vat, and is fine and of a superior quality.
These improvements consist, principally, and materially, in two things, to wit:
First-In using salt water in the boiler of the steam engine, instead of fresh water, and thereby causing a direct application of the heat applied to the boiler, to the evaporation of the salt water, and saturating the same in the boiler, or as near as may be, before it is vented and conducted into the settling vat.
Secondly-In the application of a current of air acting upon the surface of water in the fine salt vat, and thereby accelerating the evaporation, and producing a superior quality of fine salt.
These improvements, as far as they embrace the machinery and apparatus herein before specified, or mentioned, are not desired to be patented, but only the application of them, and the manner and effect of using them. The power required to carry the air pump, or bellows, will be trifling, and not much divert or impair the power of the steam engine.
Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1: is the apparatus under the old patent.
Fig. 2: the improvements in the present patent.
A, A, the mouths of the furnaces.
B, B, the boilers.
C, C, parts of the steam engine.
D, D, the feeder in the old patent, and sheet iron pan and feeder, in the improvements.
E, E, the settling vats.
F, F, the crystallizing vats.
G, G, the steam conductors.
H, the metallic cylinder.
I, the air pump, or bellows.
K, the air conductor.
L, L, the chimneys.”
Journal of the Franklin Institute Vol. 7, Oct. 1829 pgs. 273-277
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