IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COPPER PYRITES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas James Smith, of the Firm of Robertson,
Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
COPPER PYRITES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."-A communication from
abroad by Cyprien Marie Tessié du Motay, of Paris, France,
Chemist.
Sealed the 15th November 1870, and dated the 18th June 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas James Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition,
on the 18th June 1870.
I, THOMAS JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TREATING COPPER PYRITES, AND
"
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR,' to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a new process for
the treatment of the sulphuretted minerals of copper, commonly called
pyrites.

page_text: The process comprises an entire change in the operations at present in
use for the roasting of these minerals, and which is performed when the
mineral is in a state of fusion by means of air or oxygen which at the
same time produces a mechanical stirring of the materials which are
held in an apparatus specially arranged for this operation, and which I
proceed to describe. After being reduced to the melted state in a cupola
the melted mineral is led through a tube or passage into the roasting
and stirring apparatus. This apparatus is chiefly composed of two
chambers or capacities communicating with one another by a conduit.
A number of pipes lead into the midst of the melted metal contained in
the chambers, and in the conduit jets of air or oxygen, and if necessary
simultaneously mixed jets of air and combustible gases. Orifices are
formed at the top of each of the chambers to permit the escape of the
gases which can be closed alternately, and passages at the upper part of
each of the two capacities leading air under pressure regulated by cocks
permit the production of a pressure upon the melted mass, sometimes on
one side and sometimes on the other, which forces it to pass through the
conduit, uniting them into one or the other of the capacities alternately.
This alternate backward and forward movement thus causes a regular
mechanical stirring, in which the movement imparted to the mass as
well as the differences in density of the different portions of the melted
mass act concurrently in order to produce an intimate mixture and to
facilitate the chemical reaction produced by the air, the oxygen, or the
gases. The outflow is effected through an aperture at the lowest part of
the conduit uniting the two capacities.
The matt thus obtained is again melted in a cupola, then re-roasted in
the same apparatus, and these operations are repeated as many times as
found necessary. An addition of silica is also employed in convenient
quantities according to the nature of the mineral in order to scorify the
oxide of iron produced during the roasting process. Matts very rich
in copper are thus obtained, and it is only necessary now to reduce and
refine them.
It should be understood that the methods which may be employed for
closing the various apertures, and the materials to be used in the con-
struction of the apparatus are variable and will be such as experience
may prove to be most suitable.
The characteristic feature of the Invention is the peculiar method of
roasting and the simultaneous pneumatic stirring of the melted mass

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas James Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th December 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company,
of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas James Smith, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas James Smith, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas James Smith, 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
TREATING COPPER PYRITES," (communicated to me from abroad by Cyprien
Marie Tessié du Motay, of Paris, France, Chemist,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas James Smith, 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 I, the said Thomas James Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-

page_text: This Invention consists in the employment of a new process for the
treatment of the sulphuretted minerals of copper, commonly called
pyrites.
The process comprises an entire change in the operations at present
in use for the roasting of these minerals, which is performed when
the mineral is in a state of fusion by means of air or oxygen, which
at the same time produces a mechanical stirring of the materials which
are held in an apparatus specially arranged for this operation, and
which I proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2. a plan, through
the line M, N, of Figure 1. After being reduced to the melted state
in a cupola H, the melted mineral is lead through a tube or passage I
into the roasting and stirring apparatus. This apparatus is chiefly
composed of two chambers or capacities A, A', communicating with one
another by a conduit B. A number of pipes c, c, c, lead into the midst
of the melted metal contained in the chambers and in the conduit jets
of air or oxygen, and if necessary simultaneously mixed jets of air and
combustible gases. Orifices D, D¹, are formed at the top of each of the
chambers to permit the escape of the gases which can be closed
alternately, and passages E, E, at the upper part of each of the two
capacities A and A', leading air under pressure regulated by cocks
permit the production of a pressure upon the melted mass sometimes
on one side and sometimes on the other, which forces it to pass through
the conduit B, uniting them into one or the other of the capacities
alternately. This alternate backward and forward movement thus causes
a regular mechanical stirring, in which the movement imparted to the
mass as well as the differences in density of the different portions of
the melted mass act concurrently in order to produce an intimate
mixture, and to facilitate the chemical reaction produced by the air,
the oxygen, or the gases. The outflow is effected through an aperture F,
at the lowest part of the conduit B, uniting the two capacities.
The matt thus obtained is again melted in a cupola, then re-roasted
in the same apparatus, and these operations are repeated as many times
as found necessary. An addition of silica is also employed in convenient
quantities according to the nature of the mineral, in order to scorify the
oxide of iron produced during the roasting process. Matts very rich in
copper are thus obtained, and it is only necessary now to reduce and
refine them.

page_text: It should be understood that the methods which may be employed for
closing the various apertures, and the materials to be used in the
construction of the apparatus may be varied, and will be such as
experience may prove to be most suitable.
The characteristic feature of the Invention is the peculiar method
of roasting, and the simultaneous pneumatic stirring of the melted
mass by the alternate pressure of the air or oxygen in the presence of
combustible gases.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas James Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.