Iм- PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OXIDE OF ZINC OR ZINC WHITE
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Humby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th February
1863. A communication from abroad by Heinrich Felsch, residing at
Witten, Westphalia, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
I, JAMES HUMBY, of No. 14, Gresham House, Old Broad Street, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OXIDE OF ZINC
OR ZINC WHITE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the improved shapes of furnaces and crucibles
for the purpose of obtaining white oxide of zinc from metallic zinc.
I construct a muffle furnace and place the crucibles one upon another in
such manner that they cannot bend or burst, (a, Figure 1); these crucibles
are to be fed with metallic zine in cakes. During the operation of obtaining
the oxide, concretions become formed around the mouths of the crucibles
(b, Figure 2); these concretions are coarse, and are drawn down through
the spaces c (Figure 2), into the receptacles d (Figure 2). The oxide of
first quality passes through the pipes e, (Figure 2) into the precipitating
chambers, of which sections are indicated in Figure 1. The portion of first
quality oxide which does not reach the first receptacles f, (Figures 1 and 2),
falls back through the spaces g, (Figure 2), into the receptacles h, (Figure 2).
i, i, are moveable doors so constructed as to separate the channels c'and g,
except at the times of charging or removing the crucibles, whilst during the
process of manufacturing the oxide they prevent the fall of the concretions
through g into the receptacles h, and in like manner tho fall of the good oxide
through c into d. k, k, (Figure 2) are valves, one shown as open the other

page_text: closed. These are for the purpose of closing the passage into the chamber
during the charging of the crucibles with metal or of preventing the passage
of flame or dirt into the chambers during the changing of the crucibles or on
any other contingency.
But the foregoing will be more clearly understood by reference to the
accompanying Drawings, with the above letters and figures marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 a longitudinal vertical section of furnace (showing also part of
chamber); Figure 2 a transverse section of furnace and first receivers f, f ;
Figure 3 a Drawing in perspective of the crucible proposed to be employed.
In Figures 1 and 2, 1, 1, are flues; m, fire-grate; n, channel for draft and
for withdrawal of ashes; o, o, handles regulating the doors i, i; p, p, doors
for closing furnaces during the process of manufacture; q, q, the crucibles;
and r, r, channels for the receptacles d, d, and h, h.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I do not limit myself to the precise details
and configurations of parts herein expressed and shown, but I claim as the
Invention to be secured the general improvements and arrangements of parts
of furnaces for the manufacture of white oxide of zinc, particularly with
reference to the shapes of the furnaces and crucibles.