IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS FOR REMOVING TIN FROM THE SURFACE OF TIN PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolf Gutensohn, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
FOR REMOVING TIN FROM THE SURFACE OF TIN PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS
TO BE USED THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolf Gutensohn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1881.
ADOLF GUTENSOHN, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS FOR REMOVING TIN FROM THE SURFACE OF
TIN PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR."
My Invention relates especially to methods of removing metallic tin from the
surface of sheet iron coated with tin, ordinarily known as tin plate, and it has for
its objects an improved method of so removing such metallic tin by which it is
more readily, cheaply, and completely removed, and with less injury to the sheet
iron from which it is separated than has ordinarily been the case in methods
heretofore used and practised, and also improvements in the construction and
arrangement of apparatus by which the separation is effected. The sheet iron
from which it is desired to remove metallic tin is generally in the form of cuttings
or fragments of tin plate, or old articles made of such tin plate, and I take such
fragments, or cuttings, or other articles reduced to a convenient size, and I place
them in a heating apparatus constructed as follows:-I take a cylinder of wrought
iron, cast iron, or other material sufficiently strong and refractory to beat, and of
a size proportioned to the quantity of materials which it is to contain, and I arrange
this cylinder in a position horizontal or nearly so above a furnace in which the
necessary heat can be produced. The cylinder is fitted with ends, one or both of
which is moveable or provided with a door, through which the cylinder can be
readily filled or emptied when desired, and each of these ends is fitted with a
central axis revolving in suitable bearings, so that when desired the cylinder with
its contents can be made to revolve above the fire by hand, steam, or other
convenient power; and one or both of the axes upon which it revolves is preferably
D

page_text: made hollow so that any steam or vapour can escape. The ends of the cylinder are
made to fit as closely as convenient against the masonry of the furnace in which
they revolve. Into the cylinder arranged as described I introduce a quantity of
the tin cuttings or fragments from which the tin is to be removed, and also sharp
sand, emery, glass, or other abrasive powder, the quantity of which may be varied
according to the character of the material used and of the tin plate fragments
which are to be treated. The cylinder and its contents are then heated to a
sufficiently high temperature, so that as they revolve the metallic tin is melted
and is thoroughly removed from the surface of the sheet iron by the action of
the sand or other abrasive powder with which it becomes mixed.
When the tin has in this way been completely separated from the iron I remove
from the cylinder its contents.
The fragments of iron being thoroughly cleaned are of considerable value for
forging or other purposes; and when the process has been repeated sufficiently
often so that the sand or other abrasive powder is sufficiently rich in metallic tin,
I separate the tin from it in any convenient way, for instance, by shaking or
agitating them upon a plate heated to a sufficiently high temperature, upon which
the tin collects in large globules and may be subsequently separated from the
sand by sifting. Any remaining tin may be separated by treatment with an acid
solution capable of dissolving the tin. Two or more of the cylinders arranged as
described may be used side by side, or in other convenient positions.
I sometimes add to the mass of mixed tin cuttings and sand or other abrasive
powder a sufficient quantity of a substance capable of chemically combining with
the tin, such as chloride of lime, or a phosphate of lime or alumina, together with
a sufficient quantity of water. In this case it is not essential that the cylinder
and its contents should be heated, the tin being removed by the sand from the
surface of the iron in combination with the salt, from which it can afterwards be
precipitated in the usual way.
By my Invention the separation of tin from the surface of iron cuttings or
fragments is very cheaply, quickly, and effectually accomplished, and the iron
fragments remaining are of greater value than in methods heretofore ordinarily
used for the purpose described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Adolf Gutensohn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
February 1882.
ADOLF GUTENSOHN, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS FOR REMOVING TIN FROM THE SURFACE OF
TIN PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR."
This Invention relates more especially to methods of removing metallic tin from
the surface of sheet iron coated with tin, ordinarily known as tinplate, and it has
for its objects an improved method of so removing such metallic tin, by which
method it is more readily, cheaply, and completely removed, and with less injury
to the sheet iron from which it is separated than has ordinarily been the case in
methods heretofore used and practised, and also improvements in the construction
and arrangement of machinery or apparatus by which the separation is effected.
The sheet iron from which it is desired to remove metallic tin is generally in
the form of cuttings or fragments of tinplate, or old canisters or other articles
made of such tin plate, and in order to put my Invention in operation, I take such
fragments or cuttings or other articles cut up or reduced to a convenient size, and I
place them in a beating apparatus constructed as follows:-I take a cylinder of
wrought iron, cast iron, or other material sufficiently strong and refractory to heat,
and of a size proportioned to the quantity of materials which it is to contain, and I
arrange this cylinder in a position horizontal or nearly so above a furnace in which
the necessary heat can be produced.
The cylinder is fitted with ends, one or both of which is moveable or provided
with a door, through which the cylinder can be readily filled or emptied when
desired, and each of these ends is fitted with a central axis revolving in suitable
bearings, so that when desired the cylinder with its contents can be made to
revolve above the fire in the furnace by hand, steam, or other convenient power;
and one or both of the axes upon which it revolves may, if desired, be made hollow
so that any steam or vapour can escape.
The ends of the cylinder are made to fit as closely as convenient against the
masonry of the furnace in which they revolve, so as to prevent the loss of heat as
much as possible.
I introduce a quantity of the tin cuttings or fragments from which the tin is to
be removed into the cylinder, arranged as described, and also sharp sand, emery,
glass, or other abrasive powder, the quantity and quality of which may be varied
according to the character of the material used, and of the tinplate fragments which
are to be treated. The cylinder and its contents being heated to a sufficiently
high temperature, as they revolve the metallic tin is melted and is thoroughly
removed from the surface of the sheet iron by the scouring action of the sand or
other abrasive powder with which it becomes mixed. Or instead of the
arrangement of bearings described, I sometimes arrange the cylinder so that
external flanges upon one or both of its ends are carried by and revolve upon a
sufficient number of friction wheels or rollers, suitably arranged so as to revolve
upon bearings fixed in the masonry or ironwork of the furnace, and the cylinder
may be made to revolve by one or more of the friction wheels or rollers upon
which it is so supported, or it may be driven by toothed wheels driven by steam
or other convenient power, as first already described.
Instead of heating the contents of the cylinder by a furnace as described, they
may be heated by a blast of sufficiently hot air or gas introduced into the cylinder
through one of the hollow centres. After the tin has in this way been completely
separated from the iron I remove from the cylinder its contents. The fragments of
iron which have been thus cleansed are of considerable value for forging or other
purposes, and when the process has been repeated sufficiently often so that the
sand or other abrasive powder is sufficiently rich in metallic tin, I separate such

page_text: ני
tin from it in any convenient way, for instance, by shaking, or agitating them upon
a plate heated to a sufficiently high temperature, upon which the tin collects in
large globules, and may be subsequently separated from the sand by sifting. Any
remaining tin may be separated by treatment with an acid solution capable of
dissolving the tin. Two or more of the cylinders, arranged as described, may be
used side by side, or in other convenient positions. I sometimes add to the mass
of mixed tin cuttings and sand or other abrasive powder a sufficient quantity of a
substance capable of chemically combining with the tin, such as chloride of lime,
or a phosphate of lime or alumina, together with a sufficient quantity of water.
In this case it is not essential that the cylinder and its contents should be heated,
the tin being removed by the sand from the surface of the iron in combination
with the salt, from which it can afterwards be precipitated in the usual way.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention. Figure 1 is a side
elevation of apparatus constructed according to my Invention without a furnace;
Figure 2 is a front view, and Figure 3 a back view of the same. a is the hollow
cylinder, having a hinged door b in front, but closed at the back; c' is a flange at
the front end, which is carried by friction rollers d, d', which are supported in
bearings in the frame e.
At the back end of the cylinder a spindle or centre f revolves in a bearing g
upon the frame e', and has fitted upon it a bevilled toothed wheel h, driven by the
pinion which is also carried in bearings in the frame e', and is itself driven by the
pulleys, or other convenient means.
In Figures 4 and 5 the cylinder a is shewn revolving in a furnace 7, having a
fireplace m by which the cylinder can be heated. The front end of the cylinder a
is supported upon friction rollers d, d¹, which are carried upon bearings in the
front of the furnace. The spindle upon its back end is carried upon the
bearing g, and its outer end is provided with a bevilled toothed wheel at h or other
apparatus by which the cylinder can be made to revolve. Instead of a cylinder as
shewn, a vessel of any other convenient shape may be used, and instead of
revolving the vessel may be made to oscillate backward and forward, or to move in
any other manner so as to agitate its contents.
By ny Invention the separation of tin from the surface of iron cuttings or
fragments is very cheaply, quickly, and effectually accomplished, and the iron
fragments remaining are of greater value than in methods heretofore ordinarily used
for the purposes described. I do not confine myself to the precise forin and
arrangement of the several parts of the apparatus, which may-be-modified-to-suit
varying circumstances; but having now described my Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be performed, I claim,
The method of removing metallic tin from the surface of tipplate by subjecting
the tinplate to the action of sand or other abrasive powder in a moving cylinder or
other vessel, substantially as described.
Also for the purpose of removing tin from the surface of tinplate in the method
described, the moveable cylinder or vessel turning upon bearings or friction rollers
and having openings for introducing and removing the materials used, substantially
as and for the purpose described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also in combination with such moving cylinder or other vessel, the furnace or
other heating appliance by which the contents of the cylinder can be heated if
desired, substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolf Gutensohn, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 28th day of February, in the year of our Lord 1882.