IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING IRON ORES OR IRONSTONES FOR THE PURPOSE OF EFFECTING ECONOMY
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Aitken, of Falkirk, in the County of
Stirling, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING IRON ORES OR IRONSTONES FOR THE PURPOSE OF EFFECTING ECONOMY
Sealed the 14th July 1868, and dated the 17th January 1868:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Aitken at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th January 1868.
I, HENRY AITKEN, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "In-
IN TREATING IRON ORES OR IRONSTONES FOR THE PURPOSE OF
EFFECTING ECONOMY IN THE OBTAINMENT OF IRON AND OTHER PRODUCTS THERE-
FROM," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention which relates to an improved mode of treating iron.
ores or ironstones, but more particularly those classes which have.
carbon or carbonaceous matter combined with them, consists in coking
or carbonising the iron ores or ironstones in any convenient kind of.
retort, kiln, oven, or other distillatory apparatus, so that the volatile
ر

page_text: matters may be driven off and used or preserved for use whilst more or
less of the carbon is left mixed or combined with the oxides or other
combinations of iron in the product. During the process of coking or
carbonizing the iron ore or ironstone air may be admitted, and after the
volatile matters have been driven off it may be found advantageous
to admit more air for a time; at this stage also of the process steam or
water may be thrown in to facilitate the separation of the sulphur from
the coked or carbonised iron ore or ironstone, and shortly afterwards
the distillatory apparatus is closed and cooled down or drawn. The
volatile matters as they are produced may either be used at once for
heating the distillatory apparatus or the condensible part of them (tar,
oil, etc.,) may be collected in condensing vessels and preserved for
after use. The retorts or other distillatory apparatus may be placed
vertically, or horizontally, or at any angle. In place of treating the iron
ores or ironstones in close retorts, kilns, ovens, or other destilling
apparatus, they may be carbonised or coked in the open air by putting
the iron ores or ironstones into heaps or holes in the manner of coking
coal, the fixed carbon being retained by coating. the heap. or covering
the hole with turf, mould, ashes, or other suitable material. In con-
verting the carbonised iron ores or ironstones into pig iron, they may
be treated in the blast furnace by themselves or with other ores in the
ordinary way except that less and in some cases no coal or coke is
required for producing them. In place of smelting the carbonised iron
ores or ironstones in a blast furnace of the ordinary construction the
smelting may be effected in kilns, ovens, air furnaces, or by other
means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Henry Aitken in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY 3
AITKEN, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-

page_text: first year of Her reign; did, for Herself, Her Heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Aitken, Her special license that I,.
the said Henry Aitken, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Aitken, my executors, administrators, or
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 IRON ORES OR IRON-
STONES FOR THE PURPOSE OF EFFECTING ECONOMY IN THE OBTAINMENT OF IRON AND
OTHER PRODUCTS THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others), that I,
the said Henry Aitken, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Henry Aitken, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention which relates to an improved mode of treating iron
ores or ironstones, but more particularly those classes which have carbon
or carbonaceous matter combined with them, consists in coking or
carbonizing the iron ores or ironstones in any convenient kind of retort,
kiln, oven, or other distillatory apparatus, so that the volatile matters
may be driven off and used or preserved for use whilst more or less of
the carbon is left. mixed or combined with the oxides or other com.
binations of iron in the product. During the process of coking or
carbonizing the iron ore or ironstone, air may be admitted, and after the
volatile matters have been driven off, it may be found advantageous to
admit more air for a time; at this stage also of the process steam or
water may be thrown in to facilitate the separation of the sulphur from
the coked or carbonized iron ore or ironstone, and shortly afterwards the
distillatory apparatus is closed and cooled down and drawn. The volatile
matters as they are produced may either be used at once for heating the
distillatory apparatus or the condensible part of them (tar, oil, etc.,) may

page_text: be collected in condensing vessels and preserved for after use. The
retorts or other distillatory apparatus may be placed vertically, or
horizontally, or at any angle. In place of treating the iron ores or
ironstones in close retorts, kilns, ovens, or other distillatory apparatus,
they may be carbonized or coked in the open air by putting the iron ores
or ironstones into heaps or holes in the manner of coking coal, the fixed
carbon being retained by coating the heap or covering the hole with
turf, mould, ashes, or other suitable material. In converting the car-
bonised iron ore or ironstones into pig iron, they may be treated in the
blast furnace by themselves or with other ores in the ordinary way,
except that less and in some cases no coal is required for reducing them.
In place of smelting the carbonized iron ores or ironstones in a blast
furnace of the ordinary construction, the smelting may be effected in
kilns, ovens, air furnaces, or by other means.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood
I now proceed more particulariy to set forth the system or manner
and some of the modes in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, reference being had for the sake of
more complete elucidation to the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which
I have hereunto appended, that is to say:-
Figure 1 represents a part end elevation and transverse section of two
retorts the right-hand half being in elevation and the left-hand half
a section on the line A, B, of the sectional plan, Figure 2; Figure 3
is a transverse section through the centre of one of the retorts; and
Figure 4, a left hand end elevation. In these Figures similar parts are
indicated by corresponding letters of reference.
A is the retort into which the iron ores or ironstones are placed to be
carbonized. The retorts A are open at both ends, the lower end being
somewhat larger than the upper end so that the charge may be easily
drawn after the iron ores or ironstones have been sufficiently treated; B
is the fire grate upon which the fuel is placed, part of the heated
gases
from which pass through the flue or opening in the roof of the furnace
shown dotted at a and the remainder pass through at the back of the
arch 6, this arch being placed for the protection and support of the
retort Figure 1. The gases pass to and round the upper side of the
'retort A in the direction indicated by the arrows in the flue C, Figure 1,
thence through the opening D, Figure 2 in the flue division E. The
gases thence pass along the flue F to the front or lower end of the

page_text: retort where they issue into the chimney G. The iron ores or iron-
stones which are to be treated are filled. into the retort A at the upper
end the lower door H having been previously secured, after the retorts
A are charged the upper door I is secured and the fire in the furnace
B is lit. During the process of coking or carbonizing the iron ores
or ironstones, air is or may be admitted to the retorts and the volatile
matters are or may be drawn off by the branch pipe K to suitable con-
densing vessels, or they may be utilized at once for heating the distillatory
apparatus by connecting the branch K to the pipe L which may be
provided with suitable burners. After the ores have been sufficiently
treated the branch pipe K is closed and the retort is allowed to cool
down or the charge is drawn and the retorts immediately charged with
fresh materials.
On Sheet 2, Figure 1 represents a double or two coking ovens com-
bined, one of the ovens being shown in elevation and the other is a
section on the line A, B, of the plan Figure 2; Figure 3 is a transverse
section on the line C, D, Figure 2. The iron ores or ironstones are
placed in the oven A which is furnished at the top and the bottom with
sliding doors B balanced by means of weights C which are connected
to the doors B by chains D passing over the pulleys E. In this oven
no furnace is provided it being intended to effect the carbonizing of
the iron ores or ironstones contained in the oven and thus utilize the
volatile carbonaceous matters contained in the ores. The admission of
air is regulated by means of the sliding doors B and the heated gases
pass from the oven by the passage F, Figure 3, (and shown dotted at
Figures 1 and 2) into the side flue G thence to the flue H under the
oven from which they pass by the opening I, Figure 2, and escape
by the flue K to the chimney L.
On Sheet 3, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line A, B,.
Figure 3, and Figure 2 a transverse section on the line C, D, of the
plan, Figure 3, showing another construction of carbonizing oven in
which the present Invention may be carried into practice.
A is the oven or chamber in which the iron ores or ironstones are
placed to be carbonized. In this case the oven A is provided with a
loor B at the lower end by which the charge is withdrawn after being
ufficiently treated and the iron ores or ironstones are supplied by the
penings C in the roof of the oven. The furnace D from which the
ven is heated is placed in the lower end of the oven as shown in.

page_text: Figure 1 and dotted on Figure 3. The gas from the furnace passes along
the under side of the oven by the flue E, thence into the flue F, Figures
1 and 3, whence it passes round the side flue G as indicated by the arrows;
the gas thence
passes from the flue G under the lower end of the oven
A by the flue H, Figure 1, into the chimney K.
a vertical section, and Figure 5 a sectional plan
chamber in which iron ores or ironstones may be carbonized.
Figure 4, Sheet 3, is
of a tower or vertical
The iron ores or ironstones to be treated are placed in the chamber
A having air holes B formed in the side walls to admit air when
necessary. A pipe C is placed in the bottom of the tower and connected
to suitable condensing vessels so that the volatile matters may be drawn
off and preserved for after use. An arch D is formed over the pipe C
to protect it from the falling in of pieces of iron ores or ironstones as
they are filled in by the door E in the top F. When the chamber A
is filled the iron ores or ironstones are kindled at the top, at this time the
air doors B are closed, and air may be admitted by the door E in the
top; when the iron ores or ironstones on the top are coked the door
E is shut and the upper row of doors in the sides of the tower may be
opened to admit air, and so on, shutting the doors as the layers of iron
ores or ironstones are coked at that level, and opening the next row
until the iron ores or ironstones at the bottom of the tower are coked.
During the process of coking the volatile matters are drawn off as they
are produced through the holes a in the arch D by the pipe C to the
condensing vessels. When the coking or carbonizing process is finished
the iron ores or ironstones may be watered out and drawn through
the doors G. Instead of drawing off the volatile matters at the bottom
of the tower the pipe H shown in red lines which leads to the condensing
vessels may be placed at the top of the tower in communication with
a flue I formed in the wall of the. tower shown in Figure 4, and the
iron ores or ironstones may be kindled at the bottom and coked gradually
upwards; the air doors being opened and shut according to the principle
herein-before described. I may further explain that when carbonizing
iron ores or ironstones which are not rich in carbonaceous matter to
facilitate and lessen the time required for carbonizing them a portion
of other carbonaceous or hydro-carbonaceous matter such as coal, dross,
or oil, may be mixed with the charge and the two being treated together
besides diminishing the period of carbonization produce a carbonized
material which containing a larger proportion of carbonaceous matter

page_text: than is naturally combined with it less fuel for after reduction is
requisite. In the cases of iron ores or ironstones which become soft or
friable by carbonization the mass may be hardened by pouring crude
hydrocarbon oil or tar over it when at a high heat.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, I wish to remark that my process may be carried
out by means of other apparatus besides what I have shown in the
accompanying Sheets of Drawings and herein specified, and what I
consider novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The coking or carbonizing of iron ores or ironstones in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Second. The coking or carbonizing of iron ores or ironstones in
combination with carbonaceous or hydro-carbonaceous matter.
Third. The employment of crude oil or tar, or oily or tarry matter
for hardening coked or carbonized iron ores or ironstones.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Aitken, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.
HENRY ΑΙΤΚΕΝ.
(1.5.)