IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ORES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT OF ORES FOR SEPARATING METALS THEREFROM
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to, Peter Spence, of Newton Heath, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ORES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
SULPHURIC ACID, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS
IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT OF ORES FOR SEPARATING METALS
THEREFROM."
Sealed the 23rd May 1862, and dated.the 28th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
November 1861.
I, PETER SPENCE, of Newton Heath, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ORES FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF SULPHURIC ACID, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS
IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT OF ORES FOR SEPARATING METALS THERE-
FROM," to be as follows:-,
My improvements relate to the extended application of a method of treating
sulphurous ores, for which Provisional Protection was granted to me, bearing
date 3rd July 1861, No. 1695. According to the Provisional Specification
thereof, copper ores only, containing sulphur, were proposed to be so treated,
but since the filing thereof I have found that I can also apply the principle
of the said improvements to the treatment of iron pyrites, ores of lead or of
zinc, or to other ores containing sulphur, but which do not contain copper in
such quantities as to cause them to be classed as copper. ores.

page_text: My present Invention therefore consists in submitting such substances as
aforesaid to the action of heat in batches, which are successively moved on
from one end of a furnace to the other, and in causing a current of air to
pass over them; and I now, as in the former instance, propose to employ a
furnace of considerable length, furnished with several doors, or with other
apparatus, by means of which the material may be advanced along the
furnace.
According to my Provisional Specification above mentioned, the current of
air proceeded in an opposite direction to the course of the material; but I now
find that it may be varied, and propose to claim its application, in either
direction; and as a special improvement upon my previous Invention I propose
to claim the use of a current of air passing in the same direction as the
material under operation.
Another part of my Invention consists in the employment of the furnace
above described for roasting or calcining ores, either with or without other
substances, and from which it is desired to extract metals; the advantage
being that I can continue the treatment for a lengthened period with a modified
heat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
May 1862.
ΤΟ ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
SPENCE, of Newton Heath, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign, did;
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Peter Spence, Her special license that I, the said Peter Spence, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter
Spence, my 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 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 ORES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED

page_text: "
THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT OF ORES POR
SEPARATING METALS THEREFROM,' upon the condition, amongst others, that I,
the said Peter Spence, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Peter Spence, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My improvements relate to the extended application of a method of treating
sulphurous ores, for which a Patent was granted to me bearing date the Third
day of July, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, No. 1695, According
to the Specification thereof only copper ores containing sulphur were proposed
to be treated; but I have since found that I can also apply the principle of
the said improvements to the treatment of iron pyrites, ores of lead, or of zinc,
or to other ores containing sulphur, but which do not contain copper in such
quantities as to cause them to be classed as copper ores.
My present Invention therefore consists in submitting such substances as
aforesaid to the action of heat in batches, which are successively moved on
from one end of the furnace to the other, and in causing a current of air to
pass over them; and I now, as in the former instance, propose to employ a
furnace of considerable length, furnished with several doors, or with other
apparatus, by means of which the material may be advanced along the
furnace.
According to my Specification above mentioned the current of air proceeded
in an opposite direction to the course of the material; but I now find that it
may be varied, and propose its application in either direction. And as a
special improvement upon my previous Invention I propose the use of a
current of air passing in the same direction as the material under operation.
Another part of my Invention consists in the employment of the furnace
above described for roasting or calcining ores, either with or without other
substances, and from which it is desired to extract metals, the advantage being
that I can continue the treatment for a lengthened period with a modified.
heat.
.
The furnace I employ for carrying out the above-mentioned improvements
is illustrated by the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal

page_text: section, but with the centre part omitted in order to contract the length of the
Drawing; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 a cross section.
The fire-place is at a leading into a fire chamber, which is formed by a
number of passages b, and which terminate in a flue c leading to the
chimney. The roof d of the fire passages forms the bed of an arched chamber e
which extends the whole length of the furnace, and which is provided with a
series of doors f¹ to f2; at g is an opening through which air may pass from
the atmosphere into the chamber e.
Suppose that sulphuric acid is to be produced from iron pyrites, ores of
lead, or other sulphurous ores, but which for the purpose of my present In-
vention are not what are commonly called copper ores, I break the material
into small picces or coarse powder, and introduce a batch through the door ft
in such quantity as to cause it to lie upon the bed of the chamber e about
three inches in thickness, and to spread out so as to reach about half way
towards the door f. This batch having been submitted for the required time
to the heat arising from the fire chamber 6 is moved by a rake or other
suitable instrument so as to occupy a position opposite the door f and another
batch is introduced through the door f; after which the first charge is moved
on to f³, and so on until the whole furnace is filled, after which the successive
batches are pushed or raked through the aperture g into any convenient
receptacle. During the above-mentioned operations the material has been
heated by the fire chambers b, and a current of air has at the same time been
admitted through the orifice g; the consequence will have been the driving off
of the sulphur, which passes through the channel i to any ordinary sulphuric
acid apparatus. The degree of roasting required for the successive batches of
material can only be arrived at by experience; as an example I may state,
that with a furnace fifty feet long, and containing twelve doors, the first charge
may remain one hour, and then be moved to the second position, as above
described, and so on, each batch remaining one hour before it is transferred
along the chamber.
The next part of my Invention refers, as before stated, to copper ores, as well
as to other ores containing sulphur.
According to the Invention for which Letters-Patent-were-granted-to-me-on-
the Third day of July, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, as aforesaid,
a current of air was, in that instance, caused to pass over the material during
the heating thereof in a direction opposite to the course of the said material;
whereas, according to my present Invention, I cause it to travel in the same
direction. This may be illustrated by supposing the operation to be conducted
as above described in reference to the Drawing, but instead of placing the first

page_text: charge through the door f, I in this case commence at the door f", and
gradually pass it forward towards the door f¹; or, in place of this arrangement,
the material may be applied as first described, and the exit for the sulphurous
vapour be situate above the fire-place.
In employing the above description of furnace for roasting or calcining ores
from which copper or other metal is to be extracted, I proceed as above
described, and, if desired, they may be mixed with common salt, sulphate of
iron,sulphuric acid, or other substances commonly employed in such operations,
the ores being in the first place ground. The process of obtaining copper or
other metal from ores upon this principle, and the treatments required for
obtaining them soluble in water or acids, are well understood, and form no part
of my present Invention, the description of furnace above alluded being that
which constitutes my improvement, and the advantage thereof is that I can
regulate the amount of heat conveyed to the material so as to modify it.
at pleasure.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,-.
Firstly. In reference to the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and as applied to
the treatment of ores which are not classed as copper ores, the use of the
furnace substantially as above described, and provided with means for allowing.
a current of air to pass over the material under operation, whether such current
be in the same or contrary direction to the passage of the said material.
Secondly. And as applied to.my Patent of the Third day of July, One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-one aforesaid, and which Patent has reference to
copper ores only, I claim causing a current of air to pass in the same direction
as the material.
Thirdly. I claim the description of furnace, substantially as above described,
for roasting or calcining ores from which copper or other metal is to be
extracted.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
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