A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR TREATING THE ORES OF METALS, AND THE APPARATUS AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES USED THEREIN
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR TREATING THE ORES
OF METALS, AND THE APPARATUS AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES USED
THEREIN." -A communication from abroad by Robert Spencer, of
the City and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 4th April 1871, and dated the 8th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th October 1870.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR TREATING
THE ORES OF METALS, AND THE APPARATUS AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES USED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to treating the ores of the
precious metals, but is also applicable with some modifications to the
treatment of other metals.

page_text: The first improvement relates to an improved mode of disintegrating
and desulphurizing the ore as it comes from the mine in bulk. To these
ends the ore is heated in a kiln, furnace, or chamber, and steam is from
time to time admitted and allowed to percolate through the mass. The
steam breaks up the large lumps and assists in driving off the sulphur. I
The calcined ore is drawn out at the bottom of the kiln or furnace, and
dropped into a vessel containing acidulated water. This slaking of the
calcined ore further disintegrates it and renders it porous and spongy so
that it may be easily broken up and pulverized in another apparatus
hereafter described. The water may then be drawn off, leaving the
solid matters to dry, which they will soon do owing to their. being in a
heated state. The fumes from the calcined ore are collected in a head
and conducted by a pipe to a water chamber where they will be
condensed.
The pulverizer consists of a centrifugal apparatus in which two discs
provided with projecting arms are mounted in a close chamber and made
to rotate quickly in opposite directions. The ore or substance to be
operated upon is fed into this chamber, and as it falls it is caught by
the arms of the rotating discs which will project the lumps against each
other and reduce them to powder. The discs in rotating create a current :
of air, which will carry the pulverized ore up a trunk to a long chamber
above. The air which carries up the dust is allowed to escape through
the interstices of the woven fabric which forms the cover of the box
chamber, and through which cover the dust will not pass. Any large
particles will fall back down the trunk and again come against the 2
rotating arms, but the fine dust will be carried forward into the long
chamber where it will be separated and deposited in heaps according to
the specific gravity of the particles. The separate heaps may be sub-
sequently treated in any suitable manner for separating the pure metals
from their impurities.
3
Some kinds of ores, such as galena, which contains silver, are treated
in furnaces of peculiar construction. The ore reduced to a proper state
of division is placed in a reservoir, from the bottom of which it is pro-
pelled forward by a screw or screws on to or along the bottom of a
horizontal flue made with a curved top or crown. The ore as it is 3
carried slowly along the flue by the rotation of the screws is acted on
by the heated gases evolved from a fire in the fire-place at the further
end. The result will be that the sulphur will be driven off by the heat

page_text: and will be conducted from the flue to a water chamber where the
sulphurous gases will be absorbed by the water. The metal when
deprived of its sulphur will begin to soften, and will ultimately melt
and run down to a space behind the fire bridge, from whence it may be
tapped off from time to time. A draught is kept up in the flue and in
the condensing apparatus by means of a jet of steam in the exit flue or
chimney. In order to increase the heat in the smelting chamber fine
jets of liquid hydrocarbon are carried in by means of jets of steam and
made to mingle with the heated gases from the fire. Some of the heat
evolved from the fire may be used to generate steam to be used either as
jets or for driving a motive power engine for actuating, the working
parts.
Kilns and furnaces employed for treating ores and metals very soon
become deranged and put out of order from the high heat to which they
are subjected and the action of the sulphur on the bricks. The very
best fire-bricks are not proof against the heat, and soon become useless.
Instead of using fire-brick for the construction of the kilns or furnaces
large lumps moulded to the proper form are made of a composition of
refractory materials which will resist fire better than ordinary fire-bricks.
To this end take fire-clay and wash it well in water until all the organic
and other impurities are washed out of it, then dry and grind it, and
add thereto ganister washed clean in the same manner, and also some
broken calcined pot. These materials when well mixed are made into a
plastic state by the addition of lime water (either natural or artificial),
to which may sometimes be added silicate of potash or soda if the
materials are not sufficiently adhesive themselves. When the lumps
have been moulded and dried they may be dipped in a solution of the
silicate, and then burnt in a pottery or other suitable kiln, when they
will be found glazed or shiny, and may then be used for constructing
the kiln or furnace.
In all metallurgic operations it is important to be able to ascertain
the exact temperature of the fire at various stages. To this end pyro.
meters of various kinds have been used, but when the temperatures in
question are very high the instruments hitherto employed have been
destroyed or put out of order by the heat.
The last part of the present Invention relates to the construction of
an instrument that may be used in conjunction with the other improve

page_text: ments above set forth for the purpose of indicating the temperature in
the kilns or furnaces.
The improvement consists in making the bulb of the pyrometer of the
metal iridium and enclosing it in a block or brick made of the refractory
materials above described. The iridium bulb is connected by an iron
rod to any indicating mechanism such as that used in wheel barometers
or steam gauges. The brick is made with a flange so that it may be
dropped into and suspended from a hole made in the crown or other
convenient part of the furnace or kiln. The bulb will thus be exposed
to the heat and will indicate the temperature.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, 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 Eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, 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 time 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 "A
CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR TREATING THE ORES OF METALS, AND FOR THE APPARATUS
AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES USED THEREIN," being a communication from
Robert Spencer, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton,. my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
This Invention relates more particularly to treating the ores of the
precious metals, but is also applicable with some modifications to the
treatment of the ores of other metals..
The first improvement relates to an improved mode of disintegrating
and desulphurizing the ore as it comes from the mine in bulk. To these
ends the ore is heated in a kiln, furnace, or chamber, and steam is from
time to time admitted and allowed to percolate through the mass.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a vertical section
of the apparatus in which the disintegrating and desulphurizing operation.
is effected. The ore to be operated upon is placed in a kiln or chamber
a, a, in which it is submitted to the action of a high degree of heat
from the flame and heated gases given off from the fire-places b, b..
The chamber a, a, is charged through man-holes or openings a', a¹, in:
the dome of the chamber, which is lined throughout with the refractory
composition hereafter mentioned. Steam is admitted to the ash-pits.
of the fire-places b, b, through pipes b¹, b¹, and such steam. may be
generated in a boiler heated by the fire in the fire-places as shewn at 6²;
or it may be derived from some other source. For the purpose of
increasing the heat hydrocarbon vapors may be introduced into the
fire-places, either through the pipes 68 in the ash-pit or otherwise as
may be found most convenient. The steam when admitted to the
interior of the chamber and allowed to act on the ore breaks up the large
lumps and. assists in driving off the sulphur. The vapours rise in the
chamber a and pass off through the pipe c in the dome. The calcined
ore is supported by the grate bars d, d, which are shewn detached in
plan at Fig. 2, and are connected to an outside frame so that the grate-
bars may be drawn back. It will be seen that the spaces between the
bars are wider at one part than at another, and when the grate-bars are.

page_text: drawn forward the ore at the bottom of the kiln or furnace will drop
between the bars d, d, and fall into a vessel e below containing acidu-
lated water. This slaking of the calcined ore further disintegrates it.
and renders it porous and spongy, so that it may be easily broken up
and pulverized in another apparatus hereafter described. The water
may then be drawn off from the vessel or chamber e leaving the solid
matters or calcined ore to dry, which they will soon do owing to their
being in a heated state. The fumes from the calcined ore are collected
in the head of the chamber a, and conducted as before mentioned by
a pipe c to a water chamber f where they will be partially condensed.
The metallic and useful particles of the ore which may be carried over
will be deposited in the water in the chamber f, and the steam and
air will escape up the flue or chimney h. In order to assist in arresting
the fine dust arising from the chamber a, jets of water in the form of
spray will be injected into the pipe c from the cistern i.
The pulverizer is shewn at Figures 3, 4, and 5, Sheet II.; Fig. 3 is a
sectional elevation of the apparatus complete; Fig. 4 is a vertical section
of the pulverizer drawn on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal
section of the same.
The pulverizer consists of a centrifugal apparatus in which two discs
jj, Figures 4 and 5, provided with projecting arms or blocks j³, j, shown
detached at Figures 6 and 7, are mounted on axles in a close chamber
and made to rotate quickly in opposite directions. The ore or substance
to be operated upon is supplied to a pair of fluted, grooved, or indented
rollers k, k, Fig. 3, which may be constructed as shewn at Fig. 3*, and
which will coarsely break up the ore and drop it into a hopper 1, 1, from
whence it passes down a pipe 1, 1, and is conducted into the pulverizing
chamber m, m, and as it falls the ore is caught by the arms of the
rotating discs j, which will project the lumps with considerable force
against each other and thus reduce them to powder. The discs j, j, in;
rotating create a current of air (which may be increased by a rotary
fan connected with the air trunk o¹) which will carry the pulverized part
of the ore up a trunk n, Fig. 3, to a long chamber o above. The air
which carries up the dust is allowed to escape through the interstices of
the woven fabric p which forms the cover of the long chamber o, and
through which cover the dust will not pass. Any large particles of ore
will fall back down the trunk n, and again come against the rotating
arms j³, j¹, of the discs j,j, but the fine dust will be carried forward into

page_text: the long chamber o, where it will be separated and deposited on the
floor in heaps according to the specific gravity of the particles. The
separate heaps may be subsequently removed through the trapdoors
03, 03, and treated in any suitable manner for separating the pure metals
from their impurities.
Some kinds of ores, such as galena, which contains silver, are treated
in furnaces of peculiar construction, such as that shewn in Sheet III.,
in which Fig. 8 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the furnace,
Fig. 9 a horizontal section of a portion of the same, and Fig. 10 a cross
section through the roasting flue. The ore reduced to a proper state of
division is placed in a hopper or reservoir q from the bottom of which
it drops on to the floor of an inclined roasting flue r, r, and is propelled
forward towards the fire-place by means of a screw or screws 8, 8, to
which rotary motion is communicated by suitable gearing, as indicated
in Fig. 8. The propelling screws are composed of a number of screw
blades mounted on a long shaft, but which may for convenience of
repair be divided into two, three, or more parts, so that should any
portion be damaged it may be removed and repaired or a new piece
substituted for it. Fig. 11 represents part of one of the propeller screws
(in elevation) drawn on an enlarged scale; Fig. 12 is a cross section of
the same. By means of these screws the ore is carried slowly along the
bottom of the inclined fluer which is made with a curved top or crown,
as shewn at Fig. 10. The ore as it is carried slowly along the fluer by
the rotation of the screws 8 is acted on by the heated gases evolved from
a fire in the fire-place at the further end. The result will be that the
sulphur will be driven off by the heat and will be conducted from the
inclined flue through a vertical pipe u to a water chamber v, where
the sulphurous gases will be absorbed by the water. The ore partially
desulphurized will be carried forward and deposited in the smelting
chamber, and when deprived of its sulphur the metal will begin to
soften and will ultimately melt and run down the inclined floor to a
space behind the fire bridge t¹, from whence it may be tapped off from
time to time. A draught is kept up in the fluer and in the condensing
apparatus or water chamber v by means of a jet of steam in the exit
flue or chimney v¹. In order to increase the heat in the smelting
chamber fine jets of liquid hydrocarbon are carried in by means of jets
of steam and made to mingle with the heated gases from the fire.
Some of the heat evolved from the fire may be used to generate steam

page_text: in a boiler w, and such steam may be used either as jets or for driving a
motive power engine for actuating the working parts. If desired the
inclined flue » may be shut off from the smelting chamber and fire-
place by means of a sliding door formed of refractory material, the
vapours will then pass directly into the vertical flue ', and from thence
to the water chamber v. This arrangement must be employed when
treating ores which require such a high degree of heat as would destroy
the propelling screws 8, s.
Kilns and furnaces such as those above described when employed for
treating ores and metals very soon become deranged and put out of
order from the high heat to which they are subjected and the action of
the sulphur vapor on the bricks. The very best fire-bricks are not
proof against the heat and soon become useless. Instead of using fire-
brick for the construction of the kilns or furnaces large lumps moulded
to the proper form are made of a composition of refractory materials
which will resist fire better than ordinary fire-bricks. To this end I prefer
to use for the construction of the furnaces a refractory composition
similar to that for which I have applied for Letters Patent bearing date
April Fifth, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, which consists
of fire-clay washed well in water until all the organic and other
impurities are removed out of it. The fire-clay is then dried and ground.
Pounded ganister washed clean in the same manner is then added
thereto, together with some broken calcined pot. These materials when
well mixed are made into a plastic state by the addition of lime water
(either natural or artificial), to which may sometimes be added silicate
of potash or soda if the materials are not sufficiently adhesive them-
selves. When the lumps have been moulded and dried they may be
dipped in a solution of the silicate and then burnt in a pottery or other
suitable kiln, when they will be found glazed or shining and may then
be used for constructing the kiln or furnace. The same composition
brought into a plastic state may be used instead of fire-clay for lining or
protecting the bricks of the kilns or furnaces.
It will be seen from the foregoing description of the mode of and
apparatus for treating the ores of metals that the processes of dis-
integrating and desulphurizing the ores are continuous, that is, the fresh
ore is charged into the vessel or chamber a, Fig. 1, and drawn out from
time to time at the bottom without arresting the operation of the
apparatus. The calcined ore is fed continuously to the crushing rollers

page_text: and hopper of the pulverizer shewn in Sheet II., and
passes without
intermission to the casing in which the discs j, j, with their beating
blocks are kept in constant rotation. When reduced to a sufficiently
divided state the fine dust will be carried up the trunk and deposited in
the chamber above, from which as it accumulates it may be withdrawn
and placed in the hopper of the desulphurizing apparatus shewn in
Sheet III. From this hopper it drops on to the floor of the inclined flue
and is carried forward slowly by the constant rotation of the propelling
screws, so that as the ore advances the sulphur may be driven off there-
from and the molten metal allowed to run down to a space from which
it may be tapped off when required.
Having now described the improved process for treating the ores of
metals, and also the apparatus and mechanical appliances used therein,
I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid
the mode of and apparatus for disintegrating or pulverizing the ore, as
herein set forth.
I further claim the mode herein set forth of treating the pulverized
ore for the purpose of desulphurizing the same.
I also claim the apparatus shewn in Sheet III. whereby the de-
sulphurizing process is made continuous.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
W. E. NEWTON. -(L.S.)