IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS OF EXTRACTING OR SEPARATING METALS FROM THEIR SILICATES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Kagenbusch, of Lambeth, in the County
of Surrey, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF EXTRACTING OR SEPARATING METALS FROM THEIR
SILICATES."
Sealed the 2nd June 1871, and dated the 5th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Kagenbusch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th December 1870.
I, PETER KAGENBUSCH, of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Manu-
facturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF EXTRACTING OR SEPARATING METALS FROM
THEIR SILICATES," to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the means and
process of extracting or separating metals from their silicates.
I propose to take the silicate of the metal to be operated on and to
roast it for about two hours at a red heat, during the roasting the
silicate is to be stirred or agitated freely, it is then to be thrown
while red hot into cold water and ultimately dried, it will then be in

page_text: a proper condition for smelting. The process of smelting is to be effected
by suitable furnaces, receptacles, or crucibles, the silicate being used
with fluxes in about the following proportions, viz.:-1 part of the
silicate; part of chalk; part of calcined soda, not less than
50 degrees of strength; th part of salammoniac; part of borax,
and nd part of wood charcoal. These ingredients are to be thoroughly
mixed and reduced by a triturator or levigator to a fine powder. They
are then placed in the crucibles or furnaces and subjected to a white
heat for about six hours. When the mass is reduced to a fluid condition
it is to be well stirred with a brass rod, or rake, or other form of stirrer;
or I propose to add to the mass a composition of zinc, copper, and lead
in equal proportions, th of an ounce of each to 1 lb. of silicate,
more or less. The application of the brass rod or rake is for the purpose
of creating electricity, and thus acting on the mass, so also the addition
of the composition of zinc, copper, and lead has the same effect. After
about six hours smelting I add litharge or oxide of lead in the proportion
of a part of litharge or oxide to 1 part of the silicate. I stir the
whole for about one hour and again bring the mass to a fluid state.
Raw metal will now be found in the bottom of the crucible, but in
furnaces the raw metal can be run off from the tamping hole, the furnace
being constructed so as to permit of its being tapped whenever necessary.
The slag is then to be crushed to a fine powder, sifted, and washed in
order to get out the metal therein contained. The metal thus procured
is to be smelted with the first metal produced, and afterwards to be run
into bars. These bars are subsequently to be treated by refining
according to ordinary processes.
I propose in some cases to use silver instead of litharge or oxide of
lead in the proportion of once ounce of silver to one pound of silicate
(more or less). I vary the proportions of silicate and fluxes according
to the richness of the silicate, using a less proportion of flux to a richer
silicate.
I do not limit myself to the use of the special composition of flux
described, as others may be found to be applicable to the purpose, but
the essential features of my Invention consist in the perfect or complete
separation of the silicate from the metal held therein, and in the
throwing down or separation of the metal from the silicate by electricity
substantially by the means and process herein described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Ķagenbusch in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
KAGENBUSOH, of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, 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 Peter Kagenbusch, Her special licence
that I, the said Peter Kagenbusch, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Kagenbusch, 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 MEANS
OF EXTRACTING OR SEPARATING METALS FROM THEIR SILICATES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter Kagenbusch, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, sliould 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 Peter Kagenbusch, 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 :—
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the means of
extracting or separating metals, particularly the precious metals, from
their silicates.
I take the silicate proposed to be operated on and roast it for about
two hours at a red heat, during the roasting the silicate is to be stirred
or agitated freely, it is then to be thrown while red hot into cold water
and ultimately dried, it will then be in a proper condition for smelting.

page_text: The process of smelting is to be effected by suitable furnaces, receptacles,
or crucibles, the silicate being used with fluxes in about the following
proportions, viz.:-1 part of the silicate; a part of chalk; a part of
calcined soda, not less than 50 degrees of strength; th part of sal-
ammoniac; th part of borax; 2nd part of wood charcoal. These
ingredients are to be thoroughly mixed and reduced by a triturator or
levigator to a fine powder, they are then placed in the crucibles or
furnaces and subjected to a white heat for about six hours. When the
mass is reduced to a fluid condition it is to be well stirred with, a brass
rod or rake, or other form of stirrer; or I sometimes add to the mass a
composition of zinc, copper, and lead in equal proportions, th of an
ounce of each to 1lb. of silicate, more or less. The application of the
brass rod or rake is for the purpose of exciting the action of electricity
and thus acting on the mass, so also the addition of the composition of
zinc and copper has a similar effect. After about six hours smelting I
add litharge or oxide of lead in the proportion of a part of litharge or
oxide to one part of the silicate, I stir the whole with an ordinary stirrer
which may be made of wrought iron or other suitable metal for about
one hour and again bring the mass to a fluid state. Raw metal in
which it may be expected that a proportion of the precious metals may
be combined will now be found in the bottom of the crucible or furnace.
In the case where a furnace is used the raw metal can be run off from
the tamping hole, the furnace being constructed so as to permit of its
being tamped whenever necessary. The slag which is obtained is
crushed to a fine powder, sifted, and washed, in order to get out the
metal therein contained. The metal thus produced is to be smelted with
the first metal produced, and afterwards to be run into bars. These bars
are subsequently to be treated by refining them according to the ordinary
wet or dry processes. When the dry refining process is used zinc should
be omitted as the metal cannot be cupelled if it contains zinc. Only
copper and lead must be used in smelting as above described. In some
cases I use silver instead of litharge or oxide of lead in the proportion of
one ounce of silver to one pound of silicate (more or less). According
to the silicate to be operated upon the fluxes herein referred to must be
used in suitable proportions with regard to the richness of the silicate,
using a less proportion of flux to a richer silicate.

page_text: lents may be in some cases employed instead of the ingredients mentioned
as would be well known to persons conversant with processes such as
are above referred to.
The main feature of my Invention consists in the perfect or complete
separation of the silicate from the metal with which it is combined by
employing the process substantially as above described in which the
separation of the metal from the silicate is effected by the aid of
electricity.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, what I claim and desire
to be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the
use of the improved method or process of treating silicates of metals, as
and for the purposes substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Kagenbusch, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
year of
Witness,
ALEX³. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
PETER KAGENBUSCH. (L.8.)