AN IMPROVED PRO- CESS FOR PURIFYING COAL AND ORES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 12, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PRO-
CESS FOR PURIFYING COAL AND ORES."-A communication from abroad
Benjamin Franklin Penniman, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America.
Sealed the 9th December 1864, and dated the 7th October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1864.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 12,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR PURIFYING COAL AND ORES," a communication, to be as follows:--
The object of said Invention is to neutralize and destroy the sulpher and
other impurities that are found in coal and ores, and it consists in mixing
certain chemicals with the minerals that are to be treated, and then subjecting
them to the action of steam. By this means impure coal may be freed from
sulphur, and rendered available for purposes such as forging, smelting, the
manufacture of gas and the like for which it may otherwise have been wholly,
unsuitable. Ores of iron containing sulphur, and that therefore produce "red
short" iron may be purified to improve the quality and quantity of the yield,

page_text: and ores of gold may be more easily and perfectly amalgamated than by the
present ordinary process in which the action of the mercury is to a great
extent prejudiced by the presence of sulphur notwithstanding the action of
any moderate amount of fire that may be brought-to bear upon it.
The coal or other mineral that is intended to be treated is placed in a
retort or tank, and mixed with acid and alkaline agents, either in solution or
in a dry state, and the tank is then closed, and steam admitted for a few
hours after the steam has been shut off, and the tank opened and allowed
to cool, the water may be drawn off, and the purified mineral applied to the
purpose or use for which it was intended.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th February 1865.
::
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 12, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh 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 George Haseltine, Her special licence that I; the said
George Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Haseltine, 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 "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PURIFYING COAL AND ORES," a communication, upon-the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors
or administrators, 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.

page_text: .
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, 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 fol-
lowing statement, that is to say:―
The object of said Invention is to neutralize and destroy the sulphur
and other impurities that are found in coal and ores, and it consists' in
mixing certain chemicals with the minerals that are to be treated, and then
subjecting' them to the action of steam. By. this means impure coal may be
freed from sulphur; and rendered available for purposes such as forging,
smelting, the manufacture of gas, and the like, for which it may have been
wholly unsuitable. ...Ores, of iron containing sulphur, and that, therefore pro-
duce red short" iron may be purified. to improve the quality and quantity of
the yield, and ores" of: gold may be more easily and. perfectly amalgamated
than by the present ordinary process, in which the action of the mercury is to
a very great extent prejudiced by the presence of sulphur notwithstanding the
action of any moderate amount of fire that may be brought to bear.upon it.
The coal or other mineral that is intended to be treated is placed in a
retort or tank, and mixed with acid and alkaline agents, either in solution or
in a dry state, and the tank is then closed and steam, admitted for a few
hours; after the steam has been shut off, and the tank opened and allowed
to cool the water, may be drawn off, and the purified mineral applied to the
purpose or use for which it was intended.
In order that the said Invention may be fully understood and carried into
effect, I will proceed to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
same, and the manner in which it is to be performed.
The proportions of the chemicals which I prefer to use. in treating, for
instance, a ton of common soft coal, that is .ordinarily impregnated with
sulphur are, one pound of caustic soda, three pounds of carbonate of soda or
sal soda, a couple of ounces of nitric acid, and one pound of borax; but these
proportions may be varied to suit the exigencies of the case; and to avoid
waste and to obtain the best result in the most economical manner it may be
advisable before operating upon a large quantity of ore or mineral that has
not been previously treated in this manner, to begin with a few experiments
for the purpose of determining with exactitude the proportions required.
In a similar manner it may be found convenient and advantageous in some
cases to replace the soda with common lime and salt, and the nitric acid and
borax with saltpetre or boracic acid; and under circumstances where all the
materials cannot be obtained, but where even a partial effect or purification
is desirable the use of some of them only, involving however the use of at least

page_text: one of an acid and one of an alkaline nature, may be adopted in combination
with the steam in the manner described; .but I prefer the materials and the
proportions or their equivalents which I have herein above mentioned. The
duration of the action of the steam should be from six' to ten hours in accord-
ance with the temperature and pressure employed, as it is manifest that with
the use of a high-pressure and superheated steam, the operation may be more
quickly performed.
I claim as my Invention the process, substantially as described, of mixing
coal or other minerals with acid and alkaline agents, and subjecting them to
the action of steam in the manner and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
F. A. GREEN.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)