AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE OXIDES AND OTHER DANGEROUS COMPOUNDS OF LEAD, ARSENIC, SULPHUR AND OTHER VOLATILE METALS OR NON-METALS OR OF THE ORES OR MINERALS CONTAINING SUCH VOLATILE METALS OR NON-METALS to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: We WILLIAM HENRY TOOTH of 126 Brook Street, Newington Butts in the
County of Surrey, Engineer and JAMES EDWARD ROOKER of 10 Sutherland Square
also in the County of Surrey, Mineral Chemist do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING
THE OXIDES AND OTHER DANGEROUS COMPOUNDS OF LEAD, ARSENIC, SULPHUR
AND OTHER VOLATILE METALS OR NON-METALS OR OF THE ORES OR MINERALS
CONTAINING SUCH VOLATILE METALS OR NON-METALS to be as follows:
"
This invention has for object an improved process and apparatus for the
extraction of the oxides of lead, zinc arsenic, sulphur and other dangerous
compounds of these metals in such a manner as not to be injurious to the health
of the workman employed as is the case in the present process of extraction and
whereby no noxious vapours will be discharged into the surrounding atmosphere.
The process is simple and economical and the apparatus employed is also simple in
construction and occupies much less space than the apparatus hitherto in use.
For this purpose we employ retorts provided with open ends or mouths and
heated by a suitable furnace. At the opposite ends of the mouths we connect a
series of coiled pipes made of suitable material the ends of which pipes are
connected together in such a manner that the gaseous products from the metal,
minerals or ores heated in the retorts will pass from one to another of the pipes
until they arrive at the last pipe the end of which is fixed in a chamber containing
water. Into the end of the last pipe is fitted another pipe for the purpose of
conveying a strong steam jet to keep up a partial vacuum and cause the fumes
from the retort to pass into the coiled pipes and to be condensed therein, but should
any fumes pass through the pipes uncondensed they will be condensed by coming
in contact with the said jet of steam and be forced into the water in the water
chamber the products being drawn off as required.

page_text: Each of the said series of coiled pipes is provided with an air tight cover which
can be taken off and replaced to allow of the extraction of the oxides, and the
pipes are laid in a trough of water to act as a refrigerator and assist in the
condensation or sublimation of the products of the metal treated.
We also use a coil of piping fixed in a furnace and kept hot for the purpose
of superheating steam or for heating atmospheric air which we convey into the
retorts.
We sometimes use a close mouthed retort and a close mouthed cupola to conduct
the fumes through the refrigerating pipes to the said water chamber.

page_text: We WILLIAM HENRY TOOTH of 126 Brook Street, Newington Butts in the
County of Surrey Engineer and JAMES EDWARD ROOKER of 10 Sutherland Square
also in the County of Surrey, Mineral Chemist do hereby declare the nature of the
Baid invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING
THE OXIDES AND OTHER DANGEROUS COMPOUNDS OF LEAD, ARSENIC, SULPHUR
AND OTHER VOLATILE METALS OR NON-METALS OR OF THE ORES OR MINERALS
CONTAINING SUCH VOLATILE METALS OR NON-METALS " and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention has for object an improved process and apparatus for the
extraction of the oxides of lead, zinc, arsenic, sulphur, antimony and other
dangerous compounds of these metals and especially from arsenious and sulphurous
ores in such a manner as not to be injurious to the health of the workmen
employed as is the case in the present process of extraction and whereby no noxious
vapours will be discharged into the surrounding atmosphere. The process is
simple and economical and the apparatus employed is also simple in construction
and occupies much less space than the apparatus hitherto in use.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a
horizontal section of an apparatus for extracting the oxides and other dangerous
compounds of lead, arsenic, sulphur and other volatile metals or non-metals or of
the ores or minerals containing euch volatile metals or non-metals constructed
according to our invention; figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the furnace and
retort we employ for this purpose; figure 3 is a vertical cross section of the same
and figure 4, is a detached sectional view of part of the apparatus.
Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
For the purpose of our invention we employ retorts constructed preferably in
the manner shewn at a in the drawing each retort having an open end or mouth b
and arranged within a furnace c for heating the same.
At the end of the retort a
opposite to the mouth 6 we connect at d the ends of series of pipes e only one of
which series is shewn in the drawing; the pipes e, made of suitable material are
arranged side by side and their ends are connected together by means of joints f,
so that the gaseous products from the metal, minerals or ores heated in the retort a,
will pass from one to another of the pipes e, until they arrive at the last pipe
the end of which is fitted with a pipe g, leading into a chamber h, containing
water; into the end of the last pipe e, is also fitted at i, another pipe for the
purpose of conveying a strong steam jet to keep up a partial vacuum and cause the
fumes from the retort a, to pass into and through the pipes e, and to be condensed
therein but should any fumes pass through the pipes e, uncondensed they will be

page_text: condensed by coming in contact with the said jet of steam entering at i, and be
forced into the water in the water chamber h, the products being drawn off by
any suitable means as required. Each end of the pipes e, is provided with a
mouthpiece and an air tight cover or stopper j which can be taken out to allow of
the extraction of the oxides and of the pipes being cleaned out and be then
replaced the pipes c, are laid in a trough or tank k of water to act as a refrigerator
and assist in the condensation or sublimation of the products of the metal heated
in the retort a; the pipes e, are supported in the trough or tank kupon small brick
piers l, as shown at figure 4 which is a cross section of one of the pipes e.
We also use a coil of piping m fixed in the furnace c, and kept hot for the
purpose of superheating steam or for heating atmospheric air (as in some cases it
will be found necessary to employ either one or the other of these in the
operations) which we convey into the retort a; the retort we prefer to construct
of quarries, bricks or pots with a space n, all round the same as shewn in figure 3,
so that the heat from the fire place o, can pass round the retorta, and over the
pipes m, and thence into the chimney or shaft p through the flues q.
We sometimes use a close mouthed retort or a close mouthed cupola to extract
the fumes from the metals, minerals, or ores.
Instead of placing the coil of pipes m, over the retort a, as shewn in figure 3, of
the drawing we can place it in the flue between the furnace c, and the chimney 1,
it being only necessary to extend the flue for this purpose.
By the arrangement of apparatus shewn and described one series of pipes c, can
be charged whilst the other series is being cleared thereby producing a continuous
operation instead of having to discontinue the process of condensation or sublima-
tion during the time that the chambers are being cleared as has hitherto been
the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The herein described method of extracting the oxides and other dangerous
compounds of lead arsenic, sulphur and other volatile metals or non-metals or of
the ores or minerals containing such volatile métals or non-metals, by heating the
metals, minerals or ores in a suitable retort and causing the gaseous products there-
from to pass into a series of pipes having means of access at each end in
combination with suitable means of refrigeration in which pipes the said gaseous
products are condensed or sublimed substantially as herein before described.
2. The combination with a retort or furnace of suitable construction such as
that shewn and described of a number of pipes connected with each other and
provided with means for refrigerating the saine and for producing a vacuum therein
and a suitable water chamber or receiver for the uncondensed fumes coming from
the said pipes the whole arranged and operating substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
3. The improved apparatus for extracting the oxides and other dangerous
compounds of lead, arsenic, sulphur, and other volatile metals or non-metals, or of
the ores or minerals containing such volatile metals or non-metals as herein before
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 20th
... TOOK
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.