IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING SULPHUR FROM IRON PYRITES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING Caran AND T ADDADATING FOR EFFECTING THE SAME SULPHUR, AND זוז מע! FOR ERFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Spence, of Pendleton, in the County of Lan-
caster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OBTAINING SULPHUR FROM IRON PYRITES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING
Caran AND T ADDADATING FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
SULPHUR, AND
זוז מע!
FOR
ERFECTING THE SAME
Sealed the 29th December 1854, and dated the 25th July 1854..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
July 1854.
. I, the said PETER SPENCE, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING SULPHUR PROM IRON PYRITES AND OTHER SUB-
STANCES CONTAINING SULPHUR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," to be
as follows:-
The Invention consists in converting the sulphur contained in the matters
operated upon into sulphurous acid gas by burning or calcination, and after-
wards passing the sulphurous acid gas through coke, charcoal, or other
de-oxidizing body in a solid form, and at a temperature sufficient to effect the
decomposition of the sulphurous acid gas, and by which the sulphur will then
be deposited in condensing chambers or vessels into which it is caused to pass;
the process may be conducted by the assistance of any suitable apparatus, but
a peculiar method I adopt is to cause the de-oxidizing agent to be heated by

page_text: the combustion of the matter from which the sulphur is to be obtained; thus,
I place pyrites, for instance, within a kiln, closed at top, and through the
centre of which a retort, charged with coke or other de-oxidizer, passes;
the sulphurous acid gas arising from the burning pyrites descends through the
central retort, and there becomes decomposed, the sulphur passing off at
bottom into a suitable chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
SPENCE, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Peter Spence, Her especial license that J, the said Peter Spence,
my exccutors, 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 OBTAINING
SULPHUR FROM IRON PYRITES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING SULPHUB, AND
IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," 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 statement
and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My improvements are effected by converting the sulphur contained in the
iron pyrites, and copper ores containing sulphur, and any other sulphurets

page_text: capable of being submitted to the operation, into sulphurous acid gas, by
burning the said ores or compounds; and after the sulphur is thus converted
into sulphurous acid gas, bringing the said gas into contact with carbonaceous
matters, such as coke, charcoal, peat charcoal, or other such de-oxidizing sub-
stance, kept at a red heat, but not subjected to combustion by admission of
air; the said sulphurous acid gas is thereby decomposed, and the sulphur in
the condition of vapour of sulphur is eliminated, and this vapour of sulphur is
then passed on through a short flue or channel into a chamber or close vessel
of brickwork, when the said vapour is cooled and the sulphur is deposited.
Such chamber should be of considerable length, but this must be proportioned
to the number of kilns connected with it, four hundred feet long by ten feet
square being of sufficient size for forty kilns, such as I shall afterwards describe.
At the further end from the kilns the chamber should be connected with a
chimney, in order to give a draught for ensuring the combustion of the ores
in the kilns, and also for drawing the vapour of sulphur into the said
chamber for the deposition of the sulphur, as is well known. Various forms
of apparatus might be adopted, but I prefer, for effecting my said improve-
ments, the form shewn in the Drawings annexed; in which Fig. 1 is a
section of the kiln through the charging door for pyrites, and the ash-holes
for withdrawing them when burned. Fig. 2 is a section taken at right
angles to Fig. 1, and through the opening at bottom, for conveying the
sulphur, vapour, and gasses into the fluc, and also through the opening
for occasionally withdrawing the coke or charcoal when partially consumed.
The Figures exhibit a kiln of similar form and dimensions to those in ordi-
nary use when pyrites are burned for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, as
is well known; but for my Invention, I place in the centre of the said kiln,
as is shewn at A, a stoneware pipe, 12 to 15 inches diameter, open at top
and at bottom, being in connexion with an opening B, formed in the kiln for
withdrawing the coke or charcoal when partly consumed, this opening being
closed at other times; and at the other side of the kiln is an opening C, for
conveying the gasses and vapour of sulphur through the flue D into the brick
chamber or vessel before mentioned. The pipe A is surrounded for a con-
siderable part of its length by the burning pyrites in the kiln, from which the
requisite heat is transmitted through the pipe to the coke or charcoal, and
the sulphurous acid gas entering at the open top of the said pipe, as shewn
by arrows, passes through the coke or charcoal contained therein, and is
decomposed by the said charcoal or coke into sulphur, vapour, and carbonic
acid gas, and these passing on through the flue D into the brick chamber,
the sulphur is there deposited, and may be withdrawn when convenient.

page_text: The pyrites or copper ores containing sulphur or other matters are charged
into the said kiln, and when burnt or calcined, withdrawn from it at bottom,
in exactly the same manner as when burning pyrites for the manufacture
of sulphuric acid, and which is well known and practised; but I prefer
charging the said pyrites and withdrawing them at the two opposite sides of
the said kiln through doors F. The coke or charcoal is conveyed into the said
central pipe by the opening in the top of the arch at E, and I prefer supplying
it in pieces of considerable size, say, not less than three inches in diameter, so
as to leave spaces for the passage of the gasses; the opening at E is closed,
except when supplying the said coke or charcoal.
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 Letter's
Patent,
-
Firstly, the production of sulphur, by causing the sulphurous acid gas,
obtained from pyrites and other matters containing sulphur by burning, to be
conveyed through or in contact with coke, charcoal, or other solid carbona-
ceous or de-oxidizing matters kept at a red heat, but not subjected to combus-
tion by the admission of air.
And, second, I claim the peculiar apparatus described, by which the
sulphurous acid gas is conveyed in a stoneware or other pipe or vessel con-
taining charcoal, coke, or other carbonaceous or de-oxidizing matters, heated
by the combustion of the substance from which the sulphurous acid gas is
obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Spence, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
PETER SPENCE. (L.S.)