Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1886
Complete Left, 23rd June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
༡
I, EDWARD RUSSELL CUMMINS, of 38, Gracechurch Street, in the City of London,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved process for extracting gold and
antimony-regulus from auriferous antimony ore.
This process is to be adapted for all ores, which contain gold and antimony, chiefly
for such in which the antimony appears in a metallic state, or combined with sulphur,
arsenic or other metals.
The ore is first powdered and then subjected to a careful calcination.
This can be effected as follows:-
(1). The ore is treated in a long calcining furnace, similar to such, as are used for.
the calcination of lead ores.
1 to 2 tons of ore may be charged on that part of the bottom of the furnace, which
is opposite or furthest from the fireplace, and are exposed to the heat of the furnace
for 6 to 8 hours and subjected to a continual stirring with a raker. After this time
the charge is moved nearer the fire place and another charge of ore is put in the
now empty place. After another 6 to 8 hours, both charges, without mixing them,
are moved again nearer the fire and another charge of ore is put in the furnace.
This proceeding is continued, until the furnace is completely charged.
All the charges must be diligently stirred with rakers, and the heat must be kept
so low, that the ore near the fire-bridge does not melt, but remains in a powder-like
condition.
When the ore next to the fire bridge ceases to smell of sulphur, (which is easily
found out by taking a small sample out with a shovel) this charge is taken out in a
suitable receptacle. Thereupon all charges are moved again towards the fire place and
another charge inserted.

page_text: The charge taken from the furnace must cool entirely and is then ground to a fine
powder and passed through a fine sieve.
This powder is then put into another calciner, which has, contrary to the first
furnace, only a small bottom, so that only one charge of 1 to 2 tons fills it completely.
The ore-powder is treated in this calciner at a dull red-heat amidst diligent
stirring until it contains no trace of sulphur which is proved by submitting a small
sample to a chemical analysis.
When all the sulphur has entirely disappeared, the ore is placed in an iron
receptacle, and the calciner charged again.
(2). The powdered ore is mixed with one of the following substances: carbonate of
lime, or quick lime or slack lime, or carbonate of magnesium or of soda or of potass, or
sulphate of magnesium or of soda or of potass or similar chemical combinations. The
amount of these substances can be between five and forty per cent. of the ore. This
mixture is treated similarly to that described in No. 1.
(3). The powdered ore is calcined in the large calcining furnace as was described
in No. 1 without addition of any substances. The ore taken from this furnace is after
cooling powdered again and then mixed carefully with, say, from 5 to 40 per cent. of
one of the following substances:-carbonate of lime or of magnesia or of soda or of
potass, or quick lime or slack lime, or sulphate of magnesium, or of soda, or of potass,
or nitrate of soda or of potass, or similar chemical combinations. This mixture
is calcined in the small calciner, in the manner described in No. 1.
I have found that a most appropriate ingredient is a mixture of 5% carbonate of
soda and 2-3 % nitrate of soda.
From the calcined ore, obtained in one of these three manners, the gold is
extracted in one of the known processes, as by amalgamation or by chloration.
The residues of the extraction of gold are dried and smelted to antimony-regulus
in one of the following ways:-
(1). If the smelting is to be done in a reverbatory furnace, the ore is mixed with
powdered coal, flux and slag and smelted to crude regulus.
(2). To the calcined ore to be smelted in a shaft furnace (cupola or high furnace) it
is mixed with slack lime or clay, adding water so that a stiff paste is formed, out of
which bricks are moulded by hand or machinery. These are dried and the furnace is
charged with them, adding coke, flux and slag, in the usual way.
The refinery of the raw regulus is likewise done in the ordinary manner.
Dated this 30th day of September 1886.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I EDWARD RUSSELL CUMMINS of 38 Gracechurch Street, in the City of London,
(a communication from George Ph. Schweder, Portugal) do hereby declare the nature
of this invention 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 its object an improved process for extracting gold and
antimony-regulus from auriferous antimony ore.
This process is to be adapted for all ores which contain gold and antimony chiefly for
such, in which the antimony appears in a metallic state, or combined with sulphur,
arsenic or other metals.
The ore is first powdered and then subjected to a careful calcination.
This can be effected as follows:-
(1) The ore is treated in a long calcining furnace similar to such as are used for the
calcination of lead ores.
1 to 2 tons of ore may be charged on that part of the bottom of the furnace, which
is opposite or furthest from the fire-place and are exposed to the heat of the furnace
for 6 to 8 hours and subjected to a continual stirring with a raker. After this time
the charge is moved nearer the fire-place and another charge of ore is put in the now
empty place. After another 6 to hours, both charges, without mixing them, are
moved again nearer the fire and another charge of ore is put in the furnace..
This proceeding is continued until the furnace is completely charged.
All the charges must be diligently stirred with rakers and the heat must be kept
so low, that the ore near the fire-bridge does not melt but remains .in a powder like
condition.
When the ore next to the fire-bridge ceases to smell of sulphur (which is easily
found out by taking a small sample out with a shovel) this charge is taken out with a
suitable receptacle. Thereupon all charges are moved again towards the fire-place and
another charge inserted.
The charge taken from the furnace must cool entirely and is then ground to a fine
powder and passed through a fine sieve.
This powder is then put into another calciner, which has contrary to the first
furnace, only a small bottom, so that only. one charge of 1 to 2 tons fills it
completely.
The ore-powder is treated in this calciner at a dull red-heat amid diligent stirring
until it contains no trace of sulphur which is proved by submitting a small sample to
a chemical analysis.

page_text: When all the sulphur has entirely disappeared the ore is placed in an iron receptacle
and the calciner charged again.
(2) The powdered ore is mixed with one of the following substances, carbonate of
lime or quick lime or slack lime, or carbonate of magnesium or of soda or of potash
or sulphate of magnesium or of soda or of potass or similar chemical combinations.
The amount of the substances can be between five and forty per cent. of the ore.
This mixture is treated similarly to that described in No. 1.
(3) The powdered ore is calcined in the large calcining furnace as was described
in No. 1 without addition of any substances. The ore taken from this furnace is
after cooling, powdered again and then mixed carefully with, say, from 5 to 40 per
cent. of one of the following substances:-carbonate of lime or of magnesia or of
soda or of potass, or quick lime or slack lime, or sulphate of magnesium or of
soda or of potass, or nitrate of soda or of potass or similar chemical combinations.
This mixture is calcined in the small calciner in the manner described in No. 1.
I have found that a most appropriate ingredient is a mixture of 5% carbonate of
soda and 2-3 % nitrate of soda.
From the calcined ore obtained in one of these three manners, the gold is extracted
in one of the known processes, as by amalgamation or by chloration.
The residues of the extraction of gold are dried and smelted to antimony regulus in
one of the following ways:-
(1) If the smelting is to be done in a reverbatory furnace, the ore is mixed with
powdered coal, flux and slag, and smelted to crude regulus.
(2) To the calcined ore to be smelted in a shaft furnace (cupola or high furnace)
it is mixed with slack lime or clay, adding water so that a stiff paste is formed, out
of which bricks are moulded by hand or machinery. These are dried and the
furnace is charged with them, adding coke, flux and slag, in the usual way.
The refinery of the raw regulus is likewise done in the ordinary manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
The process herein set forth for the extraction of gold and antimony regulus from
auriferous antimony ore.