IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SULPHO-CYANIDES AND FERRO-CYANIDES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING
SULPHO-CYANIDES AND FERRO-CYANIDES." A communication from abroad by
Joseph Tcherniac and Ury Gunzburg, both of Paris, in the Republic of
France.
Sealed the 30th September 1879, and dated the 5th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April 1879.
"
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SULPHO-CYANIDES AND FERRO-CYANIDES."
communication from abroad by Joseph Tcherniac and Ury Gunzburg, both of
Paris, in the Republic of France.]
[A
This Invention relates to certain improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to W. E. Newton, dated 22nd March 1878, No. 1148.
In carrying out the Invention for the production of sulpho-cyanides and ferro-
cyanides a compound receiver or heater is employed consisting of an upper and
lower chamber which are placed in communication by means of vertical tubes.
The lower chamber is heated by means of a coil through which steam is caused to
circulate, while the upper chamber is kept cool also by means of a coil through
which flows a constant current of cold water. In the upper part of each chamber
are filling holes, which are closed preferably by screw plugs. The upper chamber
is furnished with a thermometer for the purpose of ascertaining its temperature.
In the upper part of this chamber is also fixed a pipe, which is closed by a safety
valve so arranged that it may be regulated to resist any pressure, small or great,
from within the chamber. This pipe and safety valve are for the purpose of
permitting of the exit of the gases which are developed in the course of the manu-
facture of the desired product. A dipping pipe and cock serves as a means of
discharge from the lower chamber, which is also fitted with a pressure gauge,

page_text: In carrying out the process equal quantities of a sulphide of carbon and ammonia
are introduced into the apparatus through the filling opening in the upper chamber,
and at the same time steam is caused to circulate in the lower coil and cold water
in the upper coil. The result will be that owing to the difference of temperature
in the upper and lower chambers a continual distillation of sulphide of carbon will
take place in the lower chamber, from whence it will rise to the upper chamber
where it will be condensed, and will then flow back (by reason of its greater specific
gravity) to the lower chamber. When the operation is complete the liquid may
be withdrawn through the discharge pipe and cock in the lower chamber, and then
afterwards distilled in a special still or alembic.
The second part of this Invention consists of an oven, which is for the purpose of
treating of treating the reduced iron which is necessary for the manufacture of ferro-
cyanide from sulpho-cyanide of potassium. This oven is arranged in floors or stories
and heated by a furnace or hearth from below. Each floor is cut away at one of its
ends so as to form a zig-zag passage from the lower to the upper part of the oven.
Opposite each floor is a door or opening for the purpose of manipulating the
material which may be lying on the floor. The material to be operated upon is
introduced on the top floor, from whence, after being subjected to the proper
amount of heat, it is drawn or pushed on to the floor below. There it will remain
for a certain time, when it may be again pushed or drawn on to the floor below
that floor.
This operation will be continued (care being taken always to replenish the top
floor) until each batch of material has been subjected to the increasing heat on each
floor until it reaches the bottom, when it is raked out into a close chamber, where
it is left to cool without contact with the external atmosphere. The different gases
which are developed during the operation will escape through openings which are
made in the upper part of the oven.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th October 1879.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SULPHO-CYANIDES AND FERRO-CYANIDES." A
communication from abroad by Joseph Teherniac and Ury Gunzburg, both of
Paris, in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to certain improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to William Edward Newton, and dated Twenty second
March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy eight, No. 1148.
This process of manufacture is based upon the employment of sulphuret of
carbon and ammonia. It consists in causing a reaction of sulphuret of carbon and
an ammoniacal solution to take place in a heated receiver, in which will be formed
a cyanide of ammonia which should afterwards be treated with lime in order to
transform it into sulpho-cyanide of lime and to regenerate the ammonia. The
sulpho-cyanide of lime serves as an intermediary for preparing all the other sulpho-
cyanides.
In order to transform any sulpho-cyanide whatever into a ferro-cyanide a mixture
consisting of definite proportions of this sulpho-cyanide, of lime, of carbon, and of
iron is heated to redness, and subsequently treated with water to obtain the ferro-
cyanide in the form of crystals.
The present Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus used in e
above mentioned manufacture, and refers in particular to that part which is
employed for the production of sulpho-cyanide of ammonia, and to the oven
employed in the preparation of the reduced iron.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus for
the manufacture of sulpho-cyanide of ammonia. This apparatus consists of an
upper chamber 6 and lower chamber a, which are enamelled and are placed in
intercommunication by means of vertical tubes c, c, c, The lower chamber is heated
by means of an internal coil or serpentine tube d through which steam is caused to
circulate, while the upper chamber is kept cool also by means of a similar coil e
through which flows a constant current of cold water. In the upper part of each
chamber are filling holes which are closed preferably by screw plugs g and f. The
upper chamber is furnished with a thermometer for the purpose of ascertaining its
temperature. In the upper part of this chamber is also fixed a pipe which is closed
by a safety valve i, so arranged that it may be regulated to resist any pressure,
small or great, from within the chamber. This pipe and safety valve are for the
purpose of permitting the exit through the pipe j of the gases which are developed
in the course of the manufacture of the desired product.
A dipping pipe and cock h serve as a means of discharge from the lower chamber
which is also fitted with a pressure gauge m.
The lower chamber is supported on
standards n, to which it is secured by bolts.
In carrying out the process equal quantities of sulphide of carbon and ammonia
are introduced into the apparatus through the filling opening g in the upper
chamber b, and at the same time steam is caused to circulate in the lower coil d
and cold water in the upper coil e. The result will be that owing to the differenco
of temperature in the upper and lower chambers a continual distillation of sulphide
of carbon will take place in the lower chamber, from whence it will rise to the
upper chamber, where it will be condensed and will then flow back (by reason of
its greater specific gravity) to the lower chamber.
When the operation is complete the liquid may be withdrawn through the
discharge pipe and cock h in the lower chamber, and then afterwards distilled in a
special still or alembic.

page_text: The part of the Invention relating to the production of ferro-cyanides consists
in the use in place of the vertical cylinder described in the Specification of the
above mentioned Patent of an oven of peculiar construction for preparing the
reduced iron which is necessary for the manufacture of ferro-cyanide from sulpho-
cyanide.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the oven and furnace constructed
according to the Invention; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the oven;
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the
furnace.
The oven is arranged in floors or stories, and upon these floors is exposed the
material which is to yield the "reduced iron" (fer reduit), viz., a mixture composed
of the residue of pyrites and carbon. The heat for this oven is derived from a
furnace or hearth situate below it. The floors are made somewhat short of the
length of the oven, so as to form a zig zag passage from the lower to the upper part
of the oven, thus permitting the heated and reducing gases from the furnace to riso
and successively to pass over each floor or stage of the oven.
In one end of the oven and on a level with the several floors are openings closed
with doors for the purpose of manipulating the material which may be lying on the
floor. The material to be operated upon is introduced into the oven on to the top
floor, from whence, after having been subjected to the action of heat for about one
hour, it is drawn or pushed on to the floor below. A second charge is then placed
upon the top floor, and after suitable exposure to heat it is discharged on to the
floor below, which in the meantime has been cleared by discharging its contents on
to the floor immediately below it. This operation will be continued until the oven
is fully charged. When the material on the lowest floor has been subjected for a
suitable time to the heat on that floor it is raked off that floor and discharged
through an opening in the bottom of the oven into a closed chamber immediately
below the same, where it is left to cool without contact with the external atmo
sphere. It will be understood that the supply of material to the oven and the
transferance of the same from floor to floor is to be continuous so long as the heat
of the oven is maintained. The different gases which are developed during the
operation will escape through openings which are made in the upper part of, the
oven, and which are clearly indicated in the accompanying Drawing.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention for "Improvements in the
Process of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Sulpho-cyanides and Ferro-cyanides,"
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim the use of the
improved apparatus above described, whereby the manufacture of sulpho-cyanides
and ferro-cyanides will be facilitated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
H. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)