IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ZINC
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Behrens, of Bradford, in the County
of York, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
A communication
Sealed the 9th November 1853, and dated the 13th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Behrens
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th September 1853.
I, JACOB BEHRENS, of Bradford, in the County of York, Merchant,
do hereby declare that the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ZINC" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object means of combining the process of
zine making with the production of coke from the coal used in obtain-
ing the heat necessary for the production of zinc. For this purpose a
series of retorts or muffles are set (above or in communication by flues
or passages) with a coke oven in such manner that the heat caused by
producing coke in the oven acts on the retorts or muffles, and heats
them; the retorts or muffles are charged in the usual manner; and in
order to admit of the zinc being drawn off' into ingots at once, each muffle
or retort has a descending pipe which dips a short distance into water,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jacob Behrens in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JACOB BEHRENS, of Bradford, in the County of York, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Jacob Behrens, Her special
Jicence that I, the said Jacob Behrens, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jacob Behrens, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ZINC," (communicated to me from abroad,) upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jacob Behrens, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Jacob Behrens, 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 has for its object means of combining the process of
zinc making with the production of coke from the coal used in obtain-

page_text: ing the heat necessary for the production of zinc. For this purpose a
series of retorts or muffles are set (above or in communication by flues
or passages) with a coke oven in such manner that the heat caused by
producing coke in the oven acts on the retorts or muffles, and heats
them; the retorts or muffles are charged in the usual manner; and in
order to admit of the zinc being drawn off into ingots at once, each
muffle or retort has a descending pipe which dips a short distance into
water, so as to close the end of the pipe, which can readily be removed,
and the zinc tapped into a suitable ladle.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED A.
Figure 1, shows a longitudinal section of a coke oven and appara-
tus arranged suitably for carrying out the Invention; Figure 2, is a
transverse section taken just beyond the coke oven; Figure 3, is
another transverse section; and Figures 4, and 5, are two plans. In
each of the Figures the same letters indicate the same parts.
A, is the coke oven; B, are the niches for the pots or muffles; C, is
the furnace for reducing zinc; D, are flues leading into the reducing
furnace; E, are escape flues into the flues F, leading into the chimney;
G, are regulating dampers; H, is the chimney; I, are muffles; K, are
pipes or passages (in which the zinc is condensed) from the retorts;
I, the pots to receive the ends of the pipes K; M, are the niches for
receiving the spelter; N, a moveable wire door luted all over to protect
the pipes K, from the atmosphere; O, is a fire brick wall for enclosing
the muffles; P, is a gallery or stage for charging and discharging the
muffles; Q, a brick wall laid in dry, and smeared over with loam for
closing the oven which charged; R, a draft hole; S, are iron bindings;
T, are pots for remelting zinc.
At starting with a new coke oven and furnace the muffles are
placed into the furnace C, and are brought up to a heat slowly with the
furnace; and, when ready for charging, the coke oven is charged with

page_text: coal; the pots are then charged in the usual Silesian mode, and during
the process of converting the coal into coke, the zinc is reduced in
about thirty hours; the charge is then withdrawn, and a fresh one intro-
duced, and so on. In drawing the charge from the coke oven care
must be taken to keep the damper closed at the top of the chimney.
The pots or muflles may easily be changed from the furnaces, when
required. The process of coking being well understood will not
require description, but the damper is only shut for about six hours.
-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED B.
Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of parts of the back end of a
coke oven, and of the zinc furnace; Figure 2, is a front view of the
zinc furnace; Figure 3, is a plan of the zinc furnace; and Figure 4, is
a part of a transverse section.
The parts referred to by the letters from A, and I, inclusive, in these
Drawings, correspond with the parts marked with like letters, and
described with reference to the Drawings marked A. k, are fire clay
pipes or vessels, with a wrought iron case about eighteen inches long for
condensing and retaining the zine in a fluid state until tapped. *, shows
a front end view of one of these pipes, showing the hole a, at which
the zinc is tapped, this hole being stopped with clay at other times.
back view of the pipe where it joins the muffle or retort;
k, k, wrought iron branch pipe, which is removed when the zinc is to be
tapped; this pipe has a lid or cover, which, when removed, allows of a
rod to be introduced to clear the passages; : ", a moveable joint
which allows kk, to be withdrawn, when required; k+k+, a continua-
tion of the iron pipe, which is fixed and serves to conduct the zinc
(not reduced) and the oxide into the vesssel kk xxx; kk x x x,
wrought iron vessel containing water to collect and retain the products
of iron not reduced in k; the use of water may be dispensed with, and
the vessel also, but in such case there will be a loss of some of the
oxide; 1, a cover, door, or lid, which is withdrawn occasionally to
introduce an iron chisel rod for keeping the holes in k, from getting
stopped during the reduction; 7, 1, an iron bar with adjusting screws

page_text: to hold the covers or mouth pieces in their places until they are luted;
m, mouth pieces or points to muffles; mx, escape hole in k*k*, at
which the gases are burned; 8, iron bindings.
is
The furnace and muffles being brought up to a proper heat, as before
described, and the coke oven charged with coal, the pipe k*k*, is
stopped with a lump of clay, or if the whole of the products are to be
retained tlie end of the pipe is kept under water about half an inch in
the vessel x x x. The mouth pieces or doors of the muffies I, are
taken down by inserting an iron rod into the small hole. The charge
very quickly laden, the mouth pieces put up and held in their places
by the adjusting screws (which will not be required unless the whole
of the products are to be retained) in the bar 1, 1. The half inch of
water in the vessel kk x x x, is to be withdrawn, and the mouth
pieces of the muffles carefully luted as soon as the zinc vapours
appear. The half inch of water is to be replaced in the vessel kk x x x,
and the gases lighted at m*, which must not be allowed to get
stopped by the oxide during the process of the reduction. The lid or
cover l, is to be removed occasionally to keep the holes in k, from
getting stopped. The zine may be tapped twice or thrice during the
charge, in doing which k*, is moved downwards, which allows kk,
to be withdrawn; and the zinc is then tapped at a, in kx, into a large
ladle well luted and heated, and poured from thence into ingots. Three
or four muffles may be tapped into one ladle. When the charge is
worked out any oxide remaining in kk, is to be scraped out, the mouth
pieces taken down, the charge withdrawn, and a fresh charge inserted,
and so on, the charging and discharging are rapidly performed. p, is a
support to k.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood, that I do
not claim any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the
details shown and described; and I would state that the coke oven
separately is not new, and for the most part the arrangements of the
zinc furnaces is similar to what have before been constructed. And I
would have it understood that what I claim is, the combination herein
described whereby coke and zinc are simultaneously manufactured.

page_text: scribed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Behrens, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JOHN DARLINGTON,
of Bradford, Solicitor.
JACOB BEHRENS. (L.S.)