IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TREATING POOR ORES OF COPPER
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cobley, of Meerholz, in the Electorate of
Hesse, Germany, Mine Owner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF TREATING POOR ORES OF COPPER."
Sealed the 26th April 1861, and dated the 6th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Cobley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
November 1860.
I, THOMAS COBLEY, of Meerholz, in the Electorate of Hesse, Germany,
Mine Owner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TREATING POOR ORES OF COPPER," to be as
follows:-
The ore to be treated is first crushed or ground. I then mix with it one-
tenth of its weight of salt refuse, rock salt, or common salt, also powdered,
and to these I add one-tenth in weight of the waste leys (liquor) of salt
makers, containing at least three per cent. of the chloride of magnesium.
Where rock salt can be obtained containing sufficient per-centage of the
chloride of magnesium, then it alone may be employed in similar proportions.
These ingredients being thoroughly commingled are then mixed up with water,
so as to form a pasty compound, and introduced in a vessel to a common
furnace, and for about an hour kept constantly raked, and prevented from
forming a solid. It is then put through sieves, the lumps being recrushed,
Prion 8d1

page_text: and the whole being again put into the furnace, and kept there so long as
white vapours are given off, aud until a red heat is obtained. The tem-
perature is then allowed to sink, the whole being kept continually stirred
until no smell of sulphur is emitted. The temperature is then raised, and
kept up for about an hour. The calcined matter is then taken out of the
furnace, put through sieves, the fine powder placed in tubs and lixiviated
with hot water. The solution obtained is then concentrated, the chry-
stalizable extraneous salts being first chrystalized out; or it may be
precipitated by any other well-known means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Cobley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
COBLEY, of Meerholz, in the Electorate of Hesse, Germany, Mine Owner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Cobley, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Cobley, my
execut rs, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Cobley, 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
METHOD OF TREATING POOR ORES OF COPPER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Cobley, my executors or admini-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 Thomas Cobley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:--
The ores to be treated are first crushed or pulverized; then, according to
the per-centage of pure metal contained in them, I mix them with twice this
weight of chloride of magnesium (or an admixture of chloride of magnesium
and sodium, or other chlorides, such as rock salt, the waste leys of salt manu-
facturers, brine, or sea water), or any other proportions, as the character of
cre treated upon may require, the main chloridizing action proceeding from
the chloride of magnesium, therefore this chloride should always be in excess.
The whole is then sufficiently aquified so as to form a paste, and well mixed
up and incorporated together. The mass is then subjected to a moderate
heat for about thirty minutes, and kept constantly raked or stirred about.
The liquid portion being evaporated, it is then put through sieves, and the
lumps formed are pulverized. The powdered portion is then subjected to a
gradual heat in the furnace up to redness, and continued so long as white
vapours are given off. The mass is kept constantly stirred for a short time,
the heat again raised for about another half-hour, then taken out of the
furnace and placed in lixiviating vats, which lixiviation is effected by hot
water. The recrushed lumps are wetted with the resulting supernatant
liquors of precipitation, and heated in the aforesaid manner.
The furnace used may be of the simplest form, but when much chloride of
sodium is used it will be necessary to have one with two chambers, connected
by a flue or covered opening to carry off the products of volatilization; the
second chamber into which the flue leads to be filled with lixiviated ore wet
from the vat, or with any other available absorbent material, such as pebbles,
coarse sand, or such like, and is kept in it until it has no more power of
condensing, after which it is taken out, and replaced by a fresh charge. The
resulting products are washed out by any available means.
The solution thus obtained may be precipitated for copper by any known
means, or what I adopt and claim, that is, by caustic magnesia, obtained by
fusing the chloride of magnesium liquors or leys, and from the native car-
bonate of magnesia, known as magnesite or magnesia spar, the supernatant
liquors being again used, either for decomposing the ore, or for a precipitant.
For cobalt, I precipitate with sulphuret of barium; for silver, with any known
means, as cementation with copper, or such like.
When the ores contain an excess of lime, I prefer using an equivalent
quantity of rock salt, so as to make the residues of value for agricultural
purposes in forming the manure known under the name of salt ash. Should

page_text: ores be extremely sulphureous, and contain no carbonaceous matter, then a
little coke,coal dust, cinder ashes.or anyother available carbonaceous material
may be successfully employed.
The solution of copper may be applied to the manufacture of verdigris by
double decompos tion with acetates of baryta or lead; it may also be used, in
place of sulphate of copper, for preserving wood.
Having now described my Invention, and how the same is effected and
applied, I now wish it understood that what I claim and desire secured to
me by the before in part recited Letters Patent is, -
1st, the extraction of copper and other metals from their ores by the simple
calcination of the same, and lixiviation with chloride of magnesium, or any
substances containing chloride of magnesium in combination, and also for the
application of magnesite, that is to say, native carbonate of magnesia, or
magnesium spar, or caustic magnesia, produced after the manner and from
the sources substantially as set forth and fully described in this Specification.
2dly, the particular modification of the process described when applied to
ores containing an excess of lime, by which I am enabled to convert the
residue into a valuable manure for agricultural purposes.
3dly, for utilising the precipitated liquors in the manner substantially as
herein described.
4thly, for the more simple economising of any capreous vapours which may
escape during the process, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Cobley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
TH. COBLEY. (L.S.)