A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR AGGLOMERATING MINERALS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jasper Wetter of New Wandsworth, Surrey for an
invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR AGGLOMERATING MINERALS
A communication to him from abroad by Amaúry Simon and Victor Petit,
both of Paris, France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jasper Wetter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd May 1882.
A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS
JASPER WETTER, of New Wandsworth, Surrey,
FOR AGGLOMERATING MINERALS," a communication to me from abroad by Amaury
Simon and Victor Petit, both of Paris, France,
This invention has for its object to agglomerate minerals for the manufacture of
artificial mill-stones, building material, files and other articles. For this purpose
I produce a binding material from asphalt, sulphur and gum lack by smelting
asphalt in a metallic vessel, adding sulphur in the shape of, powder, stirring the
mixture and adding the previously pulverised gum lack. When the latter has
become liquid I draw off the product and leave it to cool and solidify in any
suitable vessel, if not required for immediate use. The usual proportion is about
67 parts of gum lack to 22 parts of asphalt and 11 parts of sulphur. The quantity
of the binding material to be taken varies from about 1/8 to 1/3 of the quantity of
minerals to be agglomerated and depends on the hardness of the product desired.
For producing artificial stone the minerals to be agglomerated are heated in a
metallic vessel to the melting point of the binding material, the latter is then
added in small pieces and the mixture' stirred, after which the latter is allowed to
run into moulds and subjected to hydraulic pressure. The moulds are then opened,
the product left to cool, afterwards reheated in a furnace and kept at a temperature
of 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, until all water has been evaporated, after which the
moulded pieces are ready for use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Jasper Wetter in the Great Seal. Patent Office on the
21st November 1882.
JASPER WETTER, of New Wandsworth, Surrey " A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR AGGLOMERATING MINERALS," a communication to me from abroad by Amaury
Simon and Victor Petit, both of Paris, France
This invention has for its object the agglomeration of suitable minerals for the
manufacture of artificial mill stones, building material, files and other articles.
The principal binding materials used for this purpose are Bitumen, Asphalt, Resin
or Colophany, Sulphur and Gum-lack.
The asphalte and the bitumen vulcanised by sulphur produce the mineralisation
of the product, while the Resin or Colophany facilitate the melting of the gum
lack.
The colophany has furthermore the quality to give the material produced by the
agglomeration a clear sound, which is very important for it may thus be ascertained
whether a mill stone is sound and may be put in use, the least flaw preventing the
sound to produce itself, whereby accidents are avoided.
The process of preparation is as follows:-
The resin or colophany is smelted in a cast steel or copper vessel, after which
molten bitumen and asphalte are added, the mixture being then stirred, until the
different materials are nearly molten, then the sulphur is added. This mixture is
heated until completely molten, and it should be continually stirred to mix the
different materials thoroughly.
The binding substance so prepared has a great advantage over several materials
prepared by other processes, for any quantity may be prepared in advance, and
kept ready for use for an unlimited period without risk of deterioration. It may,
however, also be used at once without first cooling.
The quantity of binding material to be employed varies according to the nature
of the minerals to be agglomerated and also according to the degree of hardness
required in the product.
The product may be required to be soft, semi-soft, hard or very hard. These
different degrees may be obtained by the following proportions of binding
material.
For obtaining a soft product 18 of the matter to be agglomerated, for the
semi-soft product 1/7 of the matter to be agglomerated, for the hard product 1/8 of
the matter to be agglomerated, for the very hard product 1/, of the matter to be
agglomerated.
The binding substance is composed as follows:

page_text: binding substance, the latter is added (after having been broken to pieces) in
the proportion indicated above, the whole is continually stirred, so as to mix the
different materials and to allow the binding substance to melt completely. When
this is done the fire should be withdrawn from underneath the vessel. The molten
mass is then poured into forms and subjected to hydraulic pressure. The larger
the pieces to be produced, the stronger the pressure required; for instance, for a
mill stone of 1 metre in diameter by 0.20 metres in thickness, it requires a
minimum pressure of 800000 Kilos. After having been subjected to pressure the
pieces are taken out of the forms and left to cool. When cool, they are subjected to
a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees of heat (Réaumur) in an oven, where they remain
until all moisture contained in the articles under treatment has been evaporated.
When the pieces cease to give off vapours, it is certain that they do not contain
any more humidity, they are baked, whereby the process is completed.
Well dried pieces, that is to say, pieces in which a complete mineralisation has
taken place, are strongly agglomerated, and only little subject to wear.
To facilitate the manufacture a small railway is used on which movable furnaces
may circulate according to requirements.
Having now described the invention I would remark that I do not bind myself
to the exact proportions of materials used; one or more of the components, for
instance, gum-lack, may even be entirely omitted.
What I claim is:-
1. A binding material for agglomerating minerals, comprising a combination of
asphalte, or bitumen, or resin or colophony, or a mixture of two or more of these
substances, with sulphur.
2. A binding material for agglomerating minerals comprising a combination of
asphalte, or bitumen, or resin or colophany, or a mixture of two or more of these
substances, with sulphur and gum lack.
3. The process of manufacturing binding materials for agglomerating minerals.
4. The process of agglomerating minerals.
The whole substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Jasper Wetter have hereunto set my hand