IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR BURNING PYRITES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Mason of Eynsham Hall near Witney in the
County of Oxford for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR
BURNING PYRITES,”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Mason at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th June 1882.
JAMES MASON of Eynsham Hall near Witney in the County of Oxford
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR BURNING PYRITES."
This Invention relates to improvements in the furnaces for burning pyrites such
as are described in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 3196 A.D. 1880 and
in the Provisional Specification of the application for my Letters Patent No. 1788
A.D. 1881.
According to my present improvements the cylinders or rollers used in such
furnaces instead of having smooth or continuous flutes along their surfaces have
the flutes serrated or notched or the rollers may be covered by studs in regular or
irregular order the studs being either cylindrical conical, or pyramidal The studs
of one roller may be placed so as to interlace, with those of the next or a series of
interlacing rings may be used with their outer edges serrated. I prefer to place
the studs or serrated surfaces in rows parallel to the axes of the rollers to facilitate
their being cleared of any obstruction without stopping the furnace which clearance
can be effected by means of the introduction of a pointed steel rod from either side
of the furnace the said rod being worked along the lines of spaces between the
teeth or projections. Special cleaning holes are provided in the side walls of the
furnace over the axle of each cylinder for the introduction of these cleaning rods.
In certain cases where it is desirable to treat poor cuprous pyrites with the view
to carrying out the process described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 2993 granted to me as of the 6th August A.D. 1877 I use a permanent fire
underneath the lower end of the Bed of the Burner in order to maintain the lower
cylinders at a dull red heat the number so requiring heating depending upon the
total length of Burner and total number of cylinders used. By this means in a

page_text: given sized furnace I am able to extract about one per cent more sulphur from the
ore than has hitherto been practicable and to increase the proportion of the soluble
copper to the insoluble copper.
With the view to increasing the size of the burner and at the same time not to
throw too much work or strain on the longitudinal driving shafts I separate the
whole number of rollers or cylinders into sets or series each moved by its own
driving shaft or shafts For instance the first twenty rollers may be driven by two
shafts one on each side of the burner driving alternate rollers by means of worms
and wheels. The next twenty rollers may then be driven by another pair of shafts
in a similar manner each pair of longitudinal shafts being put in motion by a
separate cross shaft and all cross shafts being driven by the same engine In order
to facilitate such a method of driving I make a set off in the bed so that the
second or any lower portion of the bed shall be below the preceding portion or
upper portion but so as that the beds are in parallel planes or inclined in one
direction. By this means a second cross shaft can be placed under the arches of
the upper bed and arranged to gear into the longitudinal shafts which drive the
cylinders of the lower bed. A third set or more sets of rollers may be similarly
treated in relation to the preceding set or sets.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Mason in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1882.
JAMES MASON of Eynsham Fall near Witney in the County of Oxford
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR BURNING PYRITES
This Invention relates to Improvements in that class of fornaces for burning
pyrites in which the pyrites are subjected to beat on an inclined bed down which
they are fed by a series of rollers
According to my said improvements the cylinders or rollers used in such furnaces
instead of having smooth or continuous Butes or projections along their surfaces
have the flutes serrated or notched or covered with studs or projections regularly
or irregularly disposed and of any convenient figure. Figures 1. 2. 8 4 and 5 of the
accompanying Drawings represent portions of such cylinders or rollers illustrating
under various modifications my improvements in this respect Figure 1 represents
the disposition of the projections which I prefer Figure 2 is a transverse section
of the same drawn to a larger scale The studs a are cast or otherwise formed on,
or fixed to, the body A of the cylinder or roller which is formed with turned ends
or journals to project to outside the furnace and there be mounted on bearings and
provided with means for driving them as is usual or convenient The said studs a
are disposed in rows parallel to the axis of the cylinder or roller by which
disposition they may be readily cleared of any obstruction without stopping the
furnace which clearance can be effected by a pointed steel rod introduced through
cleaning holes made for the purpose in either side or both sides of the furnace over
the axle of each cylinder or roller the said steel rod being worked along the lines
of spaces as between the teeth or projections a Figure 3 represents the studs or
projections arranged in helical lines around the cylinder or roller A.
Figure 4 represents the studs or projections a formed by serrated longitudinal
flutes b. Figure 5 represents the said studs or projections a as being formed by
serrated rings or annular flues c The studs of the cylinders or rollers may be
placed so as to interlace with those of the adjacent ones or a series of serrated rings
may be arranged alternating with and passing into corresponding recesses in the
adjacent cylinders or rollers.
In certain cases for example where it is desired to treat poor cuprous pyrites I
arrange a fire place underneath the lower end of the bed of the furnace Figure 6
represents a longitudinal section of a furnace provided with this improvement
The furnace bed D D' has ate the temporary fire place employed for the purpose of
heating up and starting the furnace communicating by the flues e³ with the upper
end of the furnace through which the products of combustion pass and out by the
flues to the chimney. Towards the lower end of the furnace I form another
and permanent or continually acting fire place ƒ from which the products pass by
the flue fs, situated underneath the lower part of the bed of the furnace and away
by the flue f to the chimney By the fire in the fire place f the lower cylinders
are continually maintained at a dull red heat the distance of the said fire place f
from the lower end of the furnace depending upon the total length of the furnace
and number of cylinders used so as to heat the number of the lower cylinders that
require such heating. By this means in a given sized furnace I am able to extract
about one per cent more sulphur from the ore than has hitherto been practicable
and to increase the proportion of the soluble copper to the insoluble copper.
In order to enable the furnace to be constructed of considerable length without
the necessity for using a shaft or shafts of inconvenient weight to drive the

page_text: cylinders or rollers, I separate the whole number of cylinders or rollers in the
furnace into sets or series each moved by its own shaft or shafts. To facilitate this
arrangement I construct the furnace with the bed in two or more portions and at
different elevations so that although the several beds thus formed are in parallel
planes, that is to say have the same inclination yet between the parts which are to i
be driven by separate shafts there is a drop or "set off" as at g in Figure 6 in
which figure I have shewn but two beds having separate driving shafts but it will
be understood that there may be more than two if the length of the furnace should
render it necessary or desirable. The series of cylinders or rollers in the part D
are driven by gearing on the shaft h and those in the part D2 are driven by 1
gearing on the shaft i. There may be shafts on either or on both sides of the
furnare and when shafts are used on both sides they may drive alternate cylinders
or rollers on each side or otherwise as may be convenient. The shafts hi may be
driven by one engine or motor either by transmitting the motion of one shaft to
the other or by other means.
The arched construction of the lower part of the furnace gives facility for the
hereinbefore described arrangement of shafts.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First, In furnaces for burning pyrites forming the cylinders or rollers with
projections studs or serrated ribs or rings or their equivalents substantially as and
for the purposo hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, In furnaces for burning pyrites, the use of the fire place of substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Third, In furnaces for burning pyrites, arranging the bed of the furnace in parts 3
in different planes, the cylinders or rollers of each part being driven by a separate
shaft or separate shafts substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said James Mason have to this my Specification set
my hand and seal this twelfth day of December One thousand eight hundred :