AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CALCINING COPPER ORE, AND FOR TREATING THE PRODUCTS OF COPPER ORE WHEN BEING CALCINED
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Arthur Bankart at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st October
1865.
I, ARTHUR BANKART, of Braughing, in the County of Hertford, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CALCINING COPPER ORE, AND FOR TREATING THE PRODUCTS OF COPPER ORE WHEN
BEING CALCINED," to be as follows:-
My Invention in the first place consists of an improved arrangement of
furnaces for calcining copper ore, that is, I adopt a circular form of arrange-
ment for the calcining chambers or calciners, so that by dividing the cir-
cumference into twelve portions each fourth portion is a furnace, by which
means there are three calciners to each furnace. The calcining chambers are
placed over the flues from the furnaces, the party walls underneath them
being perforated to allow of the heat to pass under the centre calciner of
each group of three. The flues from the three furnaces unite at the centre in
a chimney skack or shaft. As soon as the operation of calciuing is completed
the calciners are drawn in the usual way, the ore falling into vaults, whence it
can be removed.
The second portion of my Invention refers to the manner in which the gases
and other volatile products of the ore are retained and treated.
The party

page_text: walls between the calciners being perforated, the hinder end of the centre
calciner of each group of three is furnished with a flue, which unites with the
opposite flues in a flue connected to a retort in the interior of the chimney
shaft. The tube of the retort is brought out of the chimney shaft at any con-
venient place, and terminates in a worm in a cistern supplied with cold water
wherein the volatile products become condensed. Sulphuric acid flows
out of the worm at its lower end into a receptacle, and the sulphuretted
hydrogen, sulphurous acid, arsenic, and other volatile products are led out
of the worm, from a point in the last coil but one of the worm, into a vessel
containing oxide of iron, where they are absorbed. When the oxide of iron
is saturated it can be removed and fresh supplied. To draw off the copper
smoke and steam that arises when the calciners are drawn and cold water
thrown upon the ore in the vault, I have a small flue at the end of the vault
which enters the united flue from the calciners as above stated, whereby the
copper smoke containing the volatile products of the ore is carried into the
retort. This flue is closed by a spring trap door, which can be opened by
the operator when required. To obtain a better draught and ensure the
volatile products of the ore being carried into the retort, I place over one or
more of the furnaces a boiler, the steam from which being introduced at the
bottom of the united flue from the calciners, all the copper smoke is carried
over into the worm before mentioned. Should any particles accumulate in the
worm, and so obstruct the passage, I have a small pipe leading directly from
the boiler to the worm and furnished with a tap, by opening which a full jet
of steam may be blown through the worm..