Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Ores Containing Sulphur and Sulphur Compounds.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Ores Containing Sulphur
and Sulphur Compounds.
I, ISAAC SHIMWELL MCDOUGALL, of High Bank, Didsbury, in the City of
Manchester, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction of
furnaces for burning the sulphur from ores containing sulphur or sulphur
compounds.
In carrying the invention into effect according to one modification, I arrange a
series of cylindrical furnace chambers one above another with suitable partitions
between the separate furnaces; a vertical shaft passes through the series and
carries arms fitted with stirring plates. Suitable apertures open from each furnace
to the one below, and the apertures are placed alternately at the exterior and
towards the centre while the stirring plates are so arranged that ore fed in the
upper furnace, from a suitable hopper which may also have a stirrer, passes first
outwards then down through an outside aperture then downwards through an inner
or rather central aperture and so the ore passes from furnace to furnace alternately
by an outer and inner aperture till it is discharged at the bottom. The vertical
shaft is rotated by suitable machinery and heat is applied to one or more of the
furnaces, but the products of the combustion of the sulphur passing from furnace
to furnace upwards supply beat enough to burn the sulphur from the powdered
ore as it passes through the series so that the sulphur is thoroughly burned out
when the ore is discharged at the bottom. In constructing a furnace of the kind
herein before described the long shaft in one piece is found to be expensive and
inconvenient, and I obviate the difficulty by building up the shaft, proferably
constructed of cast iron, in lengths each of which may be long enough for one
furnace of the series. For joining these lengths I expand one end of the shaft to
form a square socket and I construct a square end on the shaft to which it is to be
joined to slip into the square socket. This secures that each shaft or part of the
shaft is rotated by the part adjoining it. 1 secure each length longitudinally by
driving a key, preferably square, across at right angles to the length of the shaft
through the socket and engaging the enclosed square end. To protect the socket,
square end, and key from the action of the sulphurous fumes I turn the exterior of
the socket including a flange or expansion adjoining the square end and make the
said exterior slightly conical. I then slip over this turned cone a spring protection
ring cut or split so as to spring over the coupling part of the two shafts and this
protects the said coupling from the action of the sulphurous fumes.
I construct the lengths of shaft of such dimensions as to be suitable for carriage
in mountainous districts or districts without effective roads, and I limit the weight
to suit any deficiencies of carrying capacity or transport. The furnace I also
build up of suitably small and light plates for a similar reason, and I joint the
furnace rings one to another by half check joints secured by set pins and rust
jointing, the joint being arranged to present a flush exterior with an external
groove for rust jointing. The ends of the set pins are arranged by paps or
projections in the interior of the casting so that the ends of the pins are not exposed
to the corrosive fumes. The holes in fact do not go through.
By these devices I am enabled to make my furnace very convenient and portable.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1891.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Ores Containing Sulphur
and Sulphur Compounds.
I, ISAAC SHIMWELL MCDOUGALL, of High Bank, Didsbury, in the City of
Manchester, Manufacturing Chemist, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the arrangements and construction of
furnaces for burning the sulphur from ores containing sulphur or sulphur
compounds.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 illustrate a
furnace and its details embodying my invention.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a furnace.
Figure 2 is a plan.
Figure 3 is an enlarged section of my improvement in connecting couplings.
Figure 4 is a plan part section on the line y of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a section illustrating my method of jointing.
In carrying the invention into effect according to one modification (see Figures 1
and 2), I arrange a series of cylindrical furnace chambers A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H,
one above another, with suitable partitions between the separate furnaces; a vertical
shaft K, K, K2, passes through the series and carries arms fitted with stirring
plates. Suitable apertures a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, open from each furnace to the one
below, and the apertures are placed alternately away from and towards the centre,
the apertures a, c, e, g, being at the centre, and b, d, f, h, towards the circumference,
while the stirring plates are so arranged that ore fed in the upper furnace I, from
a suitable hopper which may also have a stirrer, passes first outwards then down
through an outside aperture into the chamber A, then downwards through an inner
or rather central aperture to the chamber B, and so the ore passes from furnace to
furnace alternately by an outer and inner aperture till it is discharged by the
aperture at the bottom. The vertical shaft is rotated by suitable machinery and
heat is applied to one or more of the furnaces, but the products of the combustion
of the sulphur passing from furnace to furnace upwards supply heat enough to
burn the sulphur from the powdered ore as passes through the series so that the
sulphur is thoroughly burned out when the ore is discharged at the bottom. The
heat is applied in the first instance by lighting a fire in the upper chamber A or
by lighting a fire at the chamber U where the burned out ore is discharged. In
the latter case the heated gases from the fire ascend from U through to the
furnace H and thence pass to the furnaces G, F, E, D, C, B, and A. discharging
from A by the aperture V. The furnaces thus become hot enough to begin the
oxidation of the sulphur ore, after which the descending sulphur ore burns in
the current of air and sulphur dioxide ascending from the chamber U through
the furnaces and discharging at V into a suitable chimney.
In constructing a furnace of the kind hereinbefore described the long
shaft K, K1, K2 in one piece is found to be expensive and inconvenient, and I
obviate the difficulty by building up the shaft preferably constructed of cast iron,
in lengths each of which may be long enough for one furnace of the series, or as
shown in Figure 1 in three separate lengths K, K1, K2, one piece passing through
several furnaces. For joining these lengths I expand one end of the shaft to form
a square socket as at N (Figures 3 and 4) and I construct a square end M on the
shaft to which it is to be joined to slip into the square socket N. This secures
that each shaft as K, K1, K2 or part of the shaft is rotated by the part adjoining
it. 1 secure each length longitudinally by driving a key T (Figure 3) preferably
square, across at right angles to the length of the shaft through the socket N and
engaging the enclosed square end M. To protect the socket N, square end M, and

page_text: McDougal simp
y T from the action of the sulphurous fumes I turn the exterior of the
cluding a flange or expansion O adjoining the square end M and make the said
terior slightly conical. I then slip over this turned cone a spring protection
ng P cut or split so as to spring over the coupling part of the two shafts, and
his protects the said coupling from the action of the sulphurous fumes.
also build
p of suitable small and light plates for a similar reason, and I joint the furnace
rings one to another by half check joints as shown at Figures 1 and 5 secured by
set pins and rust jointing, the joint being arranged to present a flush exterior with
an external groove for rust jointing. The ends of the set pins are arranged by
paps or projections in the interior of the casting, so that the ends of the pins are
The holes in fact do not go through. The
not exposed to the corrosive fumes.
parts Q, R, check into each other and are held by set pins, but the rust joint S is
formed in its groove from the outside of the furnace and thus it may be made gas
tight and kept quite gas tight.
I construct the lengths of shaft of such dimensions as to be suitable for carriage
n mountainous districts or districts without effective roads, and I limit the weight
o suit any deficiencies of carrying capacity or transport. The furnace
By these devices I am enabled to make my furnace very convenient and
portable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In sulphur and like furnaces having a long rotating shaft the construction of
the shaft in separate lengths coupled together substantially as and for the purposes
5 hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement of shaft coupling comprising square socket and square with
key and encircling spring clip ring substantially as herein before described and
illustrated at Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.
3. In sulphur and like furnaces, the joint herein before described and illustrated
30 at Figure 5 of the drawings.
152rd day of September 1802
DKS
2nd day of Septem
CLERK & MARKS
Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.