IMPROVE- MENTS IN CALCINING, BURNING, OR OXIDISING ORES, MINERALS, METALS, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN REDUCING OXIDES AND SALTS OF METALS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES. AND IN APPARATUS FOR THESE PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norman, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of 'IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CALCINING, BURNING, OR OXIDISING ORES, MINERALS, METALS, AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN REDUCING OXIDES AND SALTS OF METALS AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES. AND IN APPARATUS FOR THESE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 14th August 1868, and dated the 9th May 1868.
PROVSIONAL SPECIFICATION
left by the said John Norman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th May 1868.
I, JOHN NORMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CALCINING, BURNING, OR OXIDISING ORES, MINERALS,
METALS. AND OTHER SUBSTANCES. AND IN REDUCING OXIDES AND SALTS OF METALS
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THESE PURPOSES." to be as
follows that is to sav

page_text: or oxidising ores, minerals, metals. or other substances, and exposing
them to various degrees of heat in currents of air or other gases for
longer or shorter periods at pleasure and in a continuous, regular, and
efficient manner.
Secondly. To a modification of the apparatus whereby oxides and
salts of metals may be reduced, and other substances may be exposed
to and impregnated with gases or become decomposed or converted
into other compounds by the action of gases or solid decomposable
substances mixed with them, or by the action of gases and solid
matters combined.
'Thirdly. To several improved methods of treating the ores, oxides,
mineral, and other substances so as to effect in a more expeditions.
sure, and economical manner the decompositions, oxidations, and re-
ductions aimed at.
And the improved apparatus consists of a series of two or more
short revolving cylinders of a prismatic shape arranged at different levels
so that the one will deliver into the other. These cylinders are all
mounted, so that they may with facility be inclined more or less from
the horizontal position, thereby regulating more or less the discharge
of matter passed through them. The feed also regulate in the hopper
regulate the delivery by the speed at
By these means I secure complete
by a slide valve, and can also
which the cylinders are driven.
control over the quality, regularity, and amount of work done. The
cylinders are made to revolve by suitable gearing affixed to the pro-
jecting ends which are round. The cylinders may be from five to ten
sided, six, seven, or eight sided ones being preferred. Ribs and cross
bars are fixed to the inside of the hollow prismatic cylinders, greatly
strengthening the cylinders and at the same time increasing the heating
surface and are so arranged as to ensure the regular progression of
the substance operated upon from one end to the other, and at the
same time to thoroughly turn it over and ensure its regular exposure
to the heat and air or other gases in the interior of the retort.
By a simple arrangement of valves in the discharge and gas escape
pipes the retorts can either be worked with a current of air, gas, or
steam passing thro' the retorts, or be worked close for reducing
purposes. The retorts or cylinders are heated externally either by a
special fire-place under the lower heating retort, thence passing round
the second (and the others if more than two), and thence to the chimney,

page_text: thus economising all the heat, or they may be heated by gas and air
or by the waste heat from smelting or other furnaces.
In calcining some substances which give off offensive gases, or gases
that it is desirable to condense, I cause the lower retort or cylinder
to finally discharge its hot contents into a cooling cylinder, which is
also made to revolve slowly and thro' which I pass a current of
cold air against the current of calcined ore or other substance, which
carries also back into the cylinders a great deal of waste heat. This
cylinder may also be cooled by immersing it partly in water and causing
streams of water to play over it.
Substances requiring a long time to burn, calcine, oxidise, or reduce
may require three or more cylinders, and each cylinder may also require
to be more lightly loaded. Other substances requiring a shorter time
may require only two cylinders, and others requiring still shorter time
by having both the cylinders more inclined and the feed valve raised
may have the quantity passed through largely increased till the desired
point arrived at has been obtained. By these means a great many
processes for calcining, burning, or oxidising ores, minerals, and other
substances, and for reducing oxides and salts of metals and other
decompositions of other substances can be with certainty and economy
accomplished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Norman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NORMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did. for Herself, Ifer heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Norman, Her special licence that
I. the said John Norman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Norman, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: 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 CALCINING, BURNING,
OR OXIDISING ORES, MINERALS, METALS, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN REDUCING
OXIDES AND
SALTS OF METALS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN APPARATUS
FOR
THESE PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Norman, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing, under my. or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 1, the said John Norman, 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 in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates, firstly, to improved and simplified apparatus
capable of easy adjustment so as to adapt it for calcining. burning,
or oxidising ores, minerals, metals, or other substances, and exposing
them to various degrees of heat in currents of air or other gases for
longer or shorter periods at pleasure and in a continuous, regular, and
efficient manner.
Secondly. To a modification of the apparatus whereby oxides and
salts of metals may be reduced, and other substances may be exposed
to and impregnated with gases or become decomposed or converted
into other compounds by the action of gases or solid decomposable
substances mixed with them, or by the action of gases and solid matters
combined.
Thirdly. To several improved methods of treating the ores, oxides,
mineral, and other substances so as to effect in a more expeditious,
sure, and economical manner the decompositions. oxidations, and
reductions aimed at.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a

page_text: Sheet of explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to and
representing two modifications of my improved apparatus.
Figure is a front elevation, and Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation
of one modification. This improved apparatus consists of a series of
two or more short revolving cylinders 1. 2. of a prismatic shape arranged
at different levels, so that the one will deliver into the other. One
of the cylinders is shown in transverse vertical section in Figure 3.
The cylinders are all mounted, so that they may with facility be inclined
more or less from the horizontal position, thereby regulating more or
less the discharge of matter passed through them. They are supported
on rollers 3, which are mounted on cast-iron archies 4, and these arches
rest on steps formed for them on vertical cast-iron frames or pillars 5,
which are combined with suitable brickwork to form the external part
of the structure. The cylinders 1, 2. are represented as placed hori-
zontally, but are easily inclined when required by inserting blocks at
one end between the arches 4 and their supporting steps.. T'he ends
of the cylinders 1, 2. are made round and project through plates which
close in the front and back of the structure between the pillars 5.
Above the two cylinders 1. 2. there is placed a preliminary drying
trough 6. of a semi-cylindrical form, into one end of which the ores
or other substances to be operated upon are fed by a hopper 7, fitted
with a regulating slide valve. The substances are moved slowly along
the trough 6 by a series of screw blades on a revolving shaft 8; and
on reaching the back end they fall by a duct 9 into the back end of
the upper cylinder or retort 1. The duct 9 is formed in a piece serving
as an end cover or hood to the retort, and fitted so as to allow of the
latter revolving. On reaching the front end of the upper retort 1
the substances pass by a duct 10. connecting end covers or hoods on
the retorts 10 the lower one 2. which they traverse towards the back
end to be delivered thence by a duct 11 into cooling apparatus to be
herein-after described. Complete control is secured over the operations
by regulating the rate at which the substances pass through the
apparatus. and this regulation may be effected by adjusting the valve
of the feed hopper 7, and by giving more or less speed to the screw
shaft 8 and to the retorts 1, 2, themselves. The cylinders or retorts
1. 2, are made to revolve by suitable gearing aflixed to their projecting
round ends, such gearing consisting in the example delineated of
rings 12 of spur teeth fixed or formed on the ends of the retorts and
acted on by pinions driven in any convenient way. The cylinders 1. 2,

page_text: .
may be from five to ten sided, six, seven, or eight sided ones being
preferred. Longitudinal ribs 13 are formed along the inside of each
retort, and in some cases cross bars or flanges may be applied also, as
indicated by dotted lines at 13. These ribs or bars strengthen the
cylinder and increase the heating surface, whilst they insure the regular
progression of the substances operated upon from one end to the other,
at the same time that they are thoroughly turned over by the rotation
of the cylinder, and are exposed in a regular manner to the heat and
air or other gases in the interior of the retort. An outlet pipe 14 is
fitted to the end cover at the back of the upper retort 1 to carry off
vapors or gases formed in the retorts, or for the discharge of air or gases
passed through them, and the quantities passing through may be easily
regulated by valves applied to the outlet pipe 14 and to the inlet into
the lower retort 2. The retorts or cylinders 1, 2, are heated exter-
nally, either as shown by means of a special fire-place 15 under the
lower retort 2, with flue spaces passing thence round the upper one, 1
(and round the others when there are more than two), and thence to
the chimney, thus economising the heat, or the retorts may be heated
by gas and air, or by the waste heat from smelting or other furnaces.
In calcining some substances which give off offensive gases or gases
that it is desirable to condense. I cause the lower retort or cylinder 2
to discharge its hot contents into a cooling cylinder 16, which is
mounted on rollers 3 and is made to revolve slowly like the retorts.
Through this cylinder a current of cold air or gas may be passed in
the opposite direction to the traverse of the ores or other substances.
so as to take up the heat and return it into the retorts. The cooling
cylinder 16 is arranged to revolve over a trough 17 of water, and it
is fitted with scoops 18, which lift the water and cause it to run over
the surface of the cylinder and so assist the cooling action. The cooling
cylinder is shown in transverse section in Figure 4: it is made of sheet
iron and is fitted with longitudinal ribs 19, which whilst strengthening
it also serve to turn over the materials. Substances requiring a long
time to burn. calcine, oxidise, or reduce may require three or more
cylinders, and each cylinder may also require to be more lightly loaded.
Other substances requiring a shorter time may require only two
cylinders, and others requiring still shorter time, by having both the
cylinders more inclined and the feed valve more opened, may have
the quantity passed through largely increased, until the desired point
to be arrived at has been obtained. By these means a great many

page_text: processes for calcining, burning, or oxidising ores, minerals. and other
substances, and for reducing oxides and salts of metals and other
decompositions of other substances. can be with certainty and economy
accomplished.
Figure 5 is a front elevation, and Figure 6 is a sectional side elevation
of a simplified modification of my improved apparatus, comprising a
single prismatic vessel or cylinder 1, which is fitted with manhole doors
at one or both ends for filling in and removing the materials to be
heated, and with inlet and outlet pipe connections 14 for passing
through air or gases. or for drawing off vapors or gases. The other
details of construction and arrangement are the same as in the modifica-
tion previously described.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed. I have to state that what I claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the calcining, burning, oxidising, or reducing of ores
and other substances by means of revolving prismatic vessels or retorts,
arranged and operating substantially as herein-before
herein-before described, and
also the application of a cooling cylinder. substantially such as is
herein-before described.
In witness whereof. I. the said John Norman, have hereunto set
iny hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
5 Witness.
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN NORMAN. (L.S.)