IMPROVE- MENTS IN TREATING TITANIC IRON SANDS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bonnet Frederic Brunel, of Brussels, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 25th April 1865, and dated the 26th October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bonnet Frederic Brunel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th October 1864.
I, BONNET FREDERIC BRUNEL, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING TITANIC IRON SANDS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
to be as follows:→
The object of my Invention is to reduce titanic iron sands, such as those
found in Italy and at Taranaki, to powder fit for various commercial uses, and
among others, first, to the manufacture of inoxydizable paint; second, to all
purposes for which emery is applicable; third, as the chief base in the com-
position of metallic cements used for luting the joints of metal pipes and other
articles.

page_text: I first subject the sands to the action of grinding mills in which the grinding
surfaces are composed of iron or steel, to reduce them to fine powder, and
I introduce during the reduction a stream of water and steam to heat the stuff
to from about 140° to 175° Fah*. The powder is thrown out of the mill into
a receiver; it is taken damp from the receiver and placed into retorts made
of refractory earth, and is carried to a bright read heat and well stirred;
during the stirring I introduce for about half an hour, more or less, a current
of steam; I then shut off the steam and introduce powdered charcoal, and
agitate the mass for about a quarter of an hour, and then, by means of a fan
or blower, pass over the mass for about half an hour a current of atmospheric
air coming from the direction of the magnetic pole. After this the contents
of the retorts are removed while still red hot, and are allowed to cool in the
air, being well stirred. The powder is afterwards sifted, and is ready for
employment in substitution for emery as the base for metallic cement and as
a paint for general use.
For the manufacture of paints for painting iron and steel, I introduce the
powder prepared as before described into cylinders for the purpose of
magnetizing it. These cylinders are of iron, wrapped on the outside with
copper wire, connected with a battery so as to constitute the cylinders electro-
magnets. The powder is subjected to the electro-magnetic action for about
five minutes, and becomes permanently magnetized. It may then be mixed
with oil or other vehicle for forming paint to be applied to iron and steel,
which it protects from oxidation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Bonnet Frederic Brunel in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BONNET
FREDERIC BRUNEL, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Chemist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
"unto me, the said Bonnet Frederic Brunel, Her special licence that I, the
said Bonnet Frederic Brunel, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Bonnet Frederic Brunel, my executors,

page_text: 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 TREATING TITANIC IRON
SANDS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Bonnet Frederic Brunel, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Bonnet Frederic Brunel, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to reduce titanic iron sands, such as those
found in Italy and at Taranaki, to powder fit for various commercial uses, and
among others, first, to the manufacture of "inoxydizable paint;" second, to
all purposes for which emery is applicable; third, as the chief base in the
composition of metallic cements used for luting the joints of metal pipes and.
other articles:
:
I first subject the sands to the action of grinding mills in which the grinding.
surfaces are composed of iron or steel, to reduce them to fine powder, and
I introduce during the reduction a stream of water. (I sometimes also
introduce steam, or the steam may be introduced during a second grinding of
the sand after the same has been oxidized, as hereafter mentioned.) The
powder is thrown out of the mill into à receiver; it is taken from the receiver
and placed into retorts made of refractory earth, and is carried to a bright red
heat, and well agitated.
•
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation as seen from the
north side of an apparatus for heating the powder to bright red heat and for
agitating it as just described. The apparatus is quadrangular, and is built so
that its four walls face the four cardinal points. The fire-place is at the east
side, and the flue or shaft at the west side, directly opposite. A series of
cylindrical retorts A, A, is placed horizontally, passing through the north and
south walls, and over these the arch which covers the whole apparatus is
built. The axes of the retorts lie north and south, so that the flames and

page_text: The centre of the cover
products of combustion in passing from the fire-place to the flue impinge
against them transversely. The ends of the retorts are supported on iron
rollers B, B, so that they are free to turn thereon. The ends of the retorts
are closed by iron covers secured by bolts and nuts.
which closes the north end of each retort receives one end of an iron pipe.C;
this pipe is furnished with two cocks a and b, the cock a communicates with
a steam pipe, and the cock 6 with a pipe for admitting atmospheric air. The
covers which close the south end of the retorts are formed with a circular
central aperture. The powdered sand is introduced into the retorts at their
south ends until about two-fifths of their capacity are filled. The retorts
before the introduction of the powder are at a bright red heat, and as soon as.
the powder is supplied the heat of the furnace is increased, so that the powder is
soon heated to bright redness; the retorts are then caused to revolve by an iron
tool or otherwise on the rollers B, B, for about twenty minutes, more or less,
so as to agitate the powder. The south covers are then placed on the retorts,
and the cock a is opened to admit steam at the south end of the retorts;
rotary motion at the rate of about three révolutions a minute is then imparted.
to the retorts, so that the steam becomes well mixed with the incandescent
powder, and the oxygen of the steam is absorbed by the powder, which thereby
becomes oxidized; the hydrogen given off by the decomposed steam passes.
out by the apertures in the south covers. The admission of steam is continued.
for about half an hour; the cock. a is then closed, and the cock 6 opened to
admit a current of atmospheric air impelled by a fan or blower, and coming,
from the direction of.the.magnetic pole. The retorts are now caused to rotate
at the rate of five revolutions per minute, and the air becoming mixed with the
incandescent powder gives off part of its oxygen, whereby the powder becomes
still further oxidized; this operation is carried on for about an hour and a
half, the current of air issuing from the retorts by the aperture in their south
The cock 6 is then closed, and the rotation of the retorts discontinued,
the south covers are taken off, and the powder removed from the retorts. The
powder is placed on iron plates, and left to cool in the atmosphere, being well
stirred. In some cases I mix with the powder from one to twenty-five per
cent. of sesquioxide of iron in powder. Sometimes I employ fixed retorts, but
in that case it is necessary to agitate or stir the powder by a tool..
covers.
The oxidized color when cool may be again submitted to the action of
grinding mills to fine it, and during the grinding. it may be subjected to the
action of superheated steam. After being dried. it is sifted, and is ready for
employment as the base for metallic cement and as a paint for general use.
For the manufacture of paints for painting iron and steel I introduce the

page_text: powder prepared as before described into an apparatus for the purpose of
magnetizing it. Figure 2 represents the apparatus I prefer to employ.
A is a cylinder wrapped on the outside with copper wire covered with silk,
and connected with a battery, so as to constitute the cylinders electro-magnets;
B, B, are copper discs at top and bottom of the cylinder; C is a receiver
under the cylinder A, and insulated therefrom by wood D; between. the
cylinder A and receiver C is a slide or trap capable of being drawn out by a
handle E or otherwise, to allow the contents of the cylinder A to fall into the
receiver C. I fill the cylinder A with the powder to be magnetized; I then
put the wire in communication with the two poles of the battery, so that the
powder is subjected to the electro-magnetic action. After this action has
continued about a minute I polarize the currents five or six times in the
course of the next minute, that is to say, I reverse the direction of the
currents; after this second minute I allow the currents to pass for two minutes
in the same direction as during the first minute without polarizing them;
I then break the contact and open the slide or trap to allow the magnetized
powder to fall into the receiver C. After closing the slide or trap I supply
fresh powder to the cylinder A, and the same operations are repeated. The
powder may be mixed with oil or other vehicle for forming paint to be applied
to iron and steel, which it protects from oxidation.
.
When the titanic iron sands are intended to be employed as a substitute for
enery after they have been subjected to the action of grinding mills, as before
explained, I place them, mixed with one per cent. of animal charcoal, in
retorts; after the retorts are full I close them hermetically, and heat them so
that the powder is carried to a bright cherry red. I continue this heat for
about two hours, and then empty the powder into cold water, whereby it
becomes hardened.
If preferred the sands when to be employed for any of the purposes herein-
before mentioned may be submitted to a preliminary heating in the retorts
before being subjected to the action of the grinding mills.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in treating titanic iron sands, and in apparatus employed therein,
First, treating such sands substantially in manner and by the processes
herein-before described.
Second, constructing retorts or apparatus for oxidizing the sands substan-
tially as herein-before described, and represented at Figure 1 of the accom-
panying Drawings.

page_text: Third, constructing apparatus for magnetizing the sands substantially as
herein-before described, and represented at Figure. 2 of the accompanying
Drawings.
i In witness whereof, I, the said Bonnet Frederic Brunel, have hereunto
set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five..