256 
MANUFACTURE  OF  SULPHURIC  ACID. 
and  thus  avoiding  the  necessity  of  using  nitre;  and,  secondly,  in 
obtaining  and  applying  streams  of  ozone  to  act  on  sulphurous 
acid  in  the  same  way. 
The  inventor  prefers  to  employ  electricity  derived  from  jets  of 
steam,  but  does  not  confine  himself  to  such.  He  uses  an  ordinary 
sulphuric  acid  chamber,  and  in  place  of,  or  in  addition  to,  the 
use  of  nitre  or  nitric  acid  as  heretofore,  he  applies  electric  currents. 
He  uses  for  a  full  sized  chamber,  twenty-four  jets  of  steam  (of 
50  lbs.  pressure  in  the  boiler,)  passing  through  passages  of  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  opposite  each  jet  a  collecter 
consisting  of  numerous  small  points  connected  with  an  iron  rod, 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  which  communicates  with,  and 
enters  a  glass  tube,  through  which  the  sulphurous  acid  flows  into 
the  chamber,  so  that  the  electricity  will  pass  into  the  chamber 
with  the  sulphurous  acid,  and  convert  it  into  sulphuric  acid.  The 
inventor  finds  an  advantage  from  generating  a  part  of  the  electri- 
city from  jets  of  steam  within  the  chamber,  but  when  all  that  is 
requisite  is  thus  obtained,  the  resulting  acid  is  too  dilute. 
The  patentee  does  not  claim  to  have  discovered  the  fact  that 
ozone  is  capable  of  converting  sulphurous  acid  into  sulphuric  acid, 
but  in  arranging  apparatus  in  such  a  manner  that  ozone  and  sul- 
phurous acid  may  be  continuously  produced,  and  the  sulphurous 
acid  converted  into  sulphuric  acid.  He  employs  an  ordinary  sul- 
phuric acid  chamber,  kept  at  a  temperature  between  60°  and  70° 
Fahr.,  which  is  most  favorable  for  the  action  of  the  ozone,  and 
conducts  into  it  a  continuous  current  of  sulphurous  acid,  and 
another  of  ozone,  derived  from  the  following  described  arrange- 
ment, viz : — 
The  ozone  generators  consist  of  chambers  of  iron  or  earthen 
ware,  16i  inches  wide,  12  inches  deep,  and  26  inches  high,  with 
a  tube  4|  inches  in  diameler,  opening  from  the  top  into  the  acid 
chamber.  Each  box  has  two  holes,  about  eight  inches  from  the 
bottom,  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  a  tray  or  draw 
arranged  so  as  to  slide  into  an  opening  near  the  bottom,  in  which 
is  placed  twelve  sticks  of  phosphorus,  seven  inches  long  and  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  immersed  in  water  to  one-half 
of  their  diameter.  For  a  chamber  200  feet  x  19  x  16  feet,  the 
patentee  employs  twelve  such  boxes,  the  phosphorus  being  re- 
placed by  fresh  sticks  every  twelve  hours,  unless  it  inflames,  in 
