IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ZINC
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, of Morriston, near Swansea, in the.
County of Glamorgan, Manager of Spelter Works, for the Invention of
ion
Sealed the 16th July 1858, and dated the 22nd April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd April
1858.
I, GEORGE SMITH, of Morriston, near Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan,
Manager of Spelter Works, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ZINC," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in employing the waste heat from the furnace
commonly known as the "Silesian furnace," or from any modification thereof,
for the heating of additional retorts containing zinc ore, thereby producing
more zinc by the same consumption of fuel. It is based upon the fact that
the heat while in the furnace is spread through a large area, but on leaving
the furnace it becomes concentrated and confined in a narrow flue in its passage
to the stack. This flue is modified in order that retorts may be inserted into
it, and the retorts become sufficiently heated by the escaping gases to distil
zinc from its ores, whereby a saving of fuel as well as other incidental economy
is effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SMITH, of Morriston, near Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, Manager of
Spelter Works, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Smith, Her special licence that I, the said George
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Smith, my executors, administrators, and 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ZINC," a communication, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Smith, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 George Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in the introduction of retorts for the distillation of
zinc into the space intervening between reverberatory or air furnaces and their
stacks, whereby the waste heat from such furnaces is utilized for the distillation
of zinc.
The flame and heated gases from ordinary air or reverberatory furnaces
after performing the work for which such furnaces may be used, whether it be
the distillation of zinc or the smelting of copper, iron, or other matters pass
by a short flue or flues into the stack; in this flue or flues, or in the lower
portion of the stack, a considerable concentration of heat takes place. In the

page_text: space intervening between the point or points at which the flame issues from
the furnace and its entry into the stack, fire-clay retorts enclosed in a suitable
furnace are interposed, as is shewn in the annexed Drawings (which, however,
may be modified), so as to cause the flame and heated gases of the furnace to
pass them. Into these retorts zinc ore is introduced, and the process of distil-
lation is conducted in the ordinary manner. The coal otherwise needed for
the heating of such retorts is thereby saved.
Cylindrical retorts of fire clay similar to those used in the "Belgian " or
Liege" zinc furnace have been found very suitable. The annexed Drawings
exhibit this system of utilizing waste heat as applied to the zinc furnace
commonly known as the "Silesian" zinc furnace," in which after heating the
muffles containing zinc ore in the ordinary manner, the flame is caused when
concentrated at the extremity of the furnace to pass around rows of retorts on
its way to the stack. Two systems are shewn, the one in Drawings A shewing
its application to such furnaces as have flues under the muffles, while Draw-
ings B show a method of applying the system to overhead flues. Drawing C
shows the system applied to an ordinary air or reverberatory smelting furnace.
The retorts may be disposed so that the flame should pass them either hori-
zontally, vertically, or at an angle.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
GEORGE SMITH.
L.S.)