IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF METALS FROM THEIR ORES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
CROSSE, of Broomfield, in the County of Somerset, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of
August, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Andrew Crosse, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Andrew Crosse, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew Crosse, my
exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF METALS FROM
THEIR ORES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Andrew Crosse, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my.
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her

page_text: Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Andrew Crosse, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner of performing the same, are fully described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of a mode of applying currents of electricity for
separating copper from ores containing that metal, and consequently the other
metals contained in such ores from the copper.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
I cause the ore to be calcined and then reduced to powder, and I
employ an apparatus consisting of a tub or vessel, which I prefer to be of
wood or earthenware; at the bottom of this vessel I apply a frame of
strong platinum wire of the dimensions of the interior of the vessel;
the frame has formed on it reticulate platinum wire-work or netting, with
meshes of about an inch each way. This frame and netting is lowered
down on and covers the ore placed on the bottom of the vessel. A
platinum wire is connected to the frame, and also with the positive pole
of a battery, which I prefer to be of the description known as Daniel's
battery. The connecting platinum wire is coated with gutta percha when
working with cold liquid, and with other non-conductor when the liquid is
heated, from the point where it is connected with the frame up to a point above
the vessel, so that the fluid therein may not come in contact with the wire. The
battery which I have employed when acting with a vessel containing about two
hundred and fifty to three hundred quarts of diluted acid, as hereafter explained,
consists of twenty pairs of plates, each in a gallon glass vessel, which I fill with
a saturated solution of sulphate of copper, and add from one twentieth to one
tenth of sulphuric acid. To the negative pole of the battery I affix a copper
wire, and to the other end of such wire, I (by three or more smaller ones)
suspend a basin of wood, which is lined on the inside with sheet copper; and
I cover this lining with a cover of copper-wire netting, which consists of about
one inch meshes, the copper lining in contact with the suspending wires.
Into the vessel I put about two hundred and thirty to two hundred and thirty-
five quarts of diluted sulphuric acid, using about five quarts of sulphuric acid:
of commerce to two hundred and thirty quarts of water. Into this liquid I.
introduce about fifteen pounds of the powder of calcined ore, stirring the fluid

page_text: as the powder descends. I have found it desirable that the ores should remain
in the dilute acid some three or four days before subjecting the same to electric
currents, stirring from time to time; after which, and immediately after
stirring, I introduce the frame of platinum wire, and then the battery being
charged, the process of separating the copper will immediately go on, and the
copper will be received into the basin in the form of a powder. The process
of separating all the copper require some days, and I have not found that the
acid solution has required to be added to during the process. The other
metals separated from the copper will be in the sediment at the bottom of the
vessel. When the process is completed or judged to be completed, the liquid
is run off with the remaining or sediment matter at the bottom of the vessel,
and the vessel is again to be charged. If, on testing the deposited matters
after they have been run off and allowed to subside, they indicate a material
quantity of copper, when I again calcine, and add them to calcined ores; or
a quantity of the subsided matters in the vessel may, before being run off
from the bottom of the vessel, be tested to ascertain whether it is desirable to
carry on the process further thereon; the dilute acid, run off from the
subsided matters, may be used again. I have found it desirable to heat
the liquid during the process as much as conveniently may be done, even up
to boiling, and this I have done when using earthenware vessels by means
Figure 1 is an arrangement of apparatus such as I have used, but the same
may be varied. a is a vessel of wood, capable of containing about a hogshead
of liquid. is a frame of platinum wire, shewn in plan at Figure 2. c is a
plug in an opening for running off the sediment and liquid from the bottom of
the vessel. is a basin, of wood, lined with copper; this basin is covered
with copper-wire netting, not extending over the edge of the basin, and sus-
pended by a copper wire e, which is in connection with the negative pole of
the battery, and with the copper lining of the basin. The wire and basin are
supported at f by means of a cord or band of gutta percha, as shewn. is the
g
powder of the ore under process, covering the bottom of the vessel.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the details herein described and shewn, so long as the peculiar character of
the Invention is otherwise retained. And I would state, that, although I have
mentioned and believe that sulphuric acid is the most convenient for the pur-
pose of carrying out my Invention, I do not confine myself thereto. But what

page_text: I claim as my Invention is, the mode herein described of employing currents
of electricity for separating metals from their ores.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Crosse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.