Improvements in Extracting Metals from Ores and the like, and in Utilizing the Bye Products...
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
e
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I
Improvements in Extracting Metals from Ores and the like, and in
Utilizing the Bye Products...
7
T
JOHN MILES Engineer 3 St. Johns Place Castle Street Kingsland London N.
in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:―
•
•
The object of my invention is to extract metals or metalic products from iron-
stone or argillious ironstone or any other metalic substance found eather combined
'or not combined with coal of all kinds cather in mines or 'out of same or found
amongst coal or coke or burnt refuse cinders or ashes or clinkers obtaind. from
same & in pratice I generaly, take the crude or burnt ironstone or argillious
ironstone or other metalic products & combine in proportions with other ingredience
& subject the whole to a grinding into a clayey mass wich I form into fire balls &
wich are dryed off in slow ovens & when dry I burn the same in wood fires by a
slow combustion process giving time for the balls to burn thrue then, the whole
mass of balls ashes or other products are allowed to cool down & when cold are
broke open the said & collect the solid metals therfrom to be re treated under a
differant proccess of manufacturer the whole of the ashes & the residue of the balls
are ground into a fine powder to be used for making grinding & finishing or
polishing metal powders or paste &c. & for other purposes for trade or domestic
uses & the solid metals or metalic products are put thrue a searious of treatinent
by acids to extract the pure metals from any forign matter containd therin same
& the said pure metal aid solution is first dryed off into a crystal form or into a
b'e
powder & subjected to a meltin heat to drive of the acids the said acids may
collected for use again the melted metals can be run into moulds to be used for
trade purposes for all trades & the forign inatters left after the metals &c. can be
used for making grinding wheels for finishing & polishing metals & for other
purposes.
i
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
197
Improvements in Extracting Metals from Ores and the like, and in
Utilizing the Bye Products..
I, JOHN MILES, Engineer, formerly of 3 St. John's Place, Castle Street,
Kingsland, London, but now of Hawley's Wharf, Brentford Bridge, Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and. by the following
statement
The object of my invention is to extract metals or metallic products from iron-
stone or argillaceous iron ore or other ores and the like found combined or not
combined with coal of various kinds or found amongst coal or coke or amongst
burnt refuse, cinders, ashes or clinkers obtained from coal.
2.
1...~
;

page_text: For the purpose of my invention I take the crude or burnt ironstone or
argillaceous iron ore or other ore or the like and mix therewith substances such
for example as wood charcoal, animal charcoal, lime and bone dust that will effect
the conversion of the metallic oxides contained in the ironstone, orc, or other
metallic substance to the metallic state when subjected to slow combustion as
hereinafter described. I first grind the ironstone or other metallic substance and
the charcoal, lime or other substances to be mixed therewith and incorporate them
well together in a clayey mass and form them into balls or blocks of any suitable
form. Suitable proportions of the materials are about 50 per cent. of the ironstone
or other metallic substance and 50 per cent. of the charcoal, lime or other substance
mixed therewith in order to convert the same, but I do not bind myself to these
proportions. As regards the substances used for the conversion a suitable mixture
of materials for this purpose consists of 1 cwt. of animal charcoal, cwt. of bone
dust, 1 cwt. of lime and 2 cwt. of wood charcoal, but I do not limit myself to
these proportions or to these particular substances. I next dry off these balls or
blocks in slow ovens and when dry I burn them in wood fires in any suitable slow
combustion apparatus so as to give time for the balls or blocks to burn through.
The balls, ashes and other products are then allowed to cool down and when cold
I break them up and then separate the solid metal from the other substances by
picking it out or otherwise. The metal is subsequently subjected to further
treatment as hereinafter described while the other substances including the ashes
and the residue of the balls or blocks are ground to a fine powder which can be
utilized as an ingredient in making powders or pastes for grinding and finishing
or polishing metals or for other purposes.
The solid metal obtained as herein before described is subsequently subjected to
an acid treatment in order to eliminate any foreign matters therefrom and render
the metal pure.
This acid treatment is preferably carried out as follows:-
The acids employed will depend upon the particular metal dealt with. If the
metal be iron for example I preferably employ sulphuric and muriatic acids. The
solid metal (iron) is first treated by immersion in sulphuric acid in which it becomes
dissolved. When fumes cease to rise from the solution I add muriatic acid in the
proportion of about two-thirds and the mixture is left to digest for about 12 hours
the addition of the muriatic acid having the effect of causing the foreign matters
to become deposited. The solution is then diluted with distilled water and
allowed to settle. Then the solution which now contains the pure metal is run into
evaporating pans and evaporated at a slow heat until only a powder or crystals
containing the pure metal remain. I subject this powder or these crystals to a
melting heat in a furnace or otherwise so as to drive off the acids. The acid
vapors may be collected and condensed for further use while the pure molten metal
can be run into moulds. The foreign matters left after the metal has been run off
can be utilized for making grinding wheels, for finishing and polishing metals,
and for other purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The process of extracting metals from ores or the like which consists in
incorporating the said ores or the like with substances which will effect the con-
version of the metallic oxides to the metallic state when subjected to slow
combustion, in forming the incorporated materials into balls or blocks, in then,
after drying off these balls or blocks, subjecting them to slow combustion so that
they are burnt through, in then after allowing the balls and other products to cool,
breaking them up and separating the solid metal from the other substances
all substantially as hereinbefore described, the said other substances constituting
bye-products which can be utilized in the manner set forth.
2. The process of extracting metals from ores and the like which consists in
first subjecting the said cres or the like to the operation set forth in Claim 1 and

page_text: in then subjecting the solid metal thereby obtained to an acid treatment to
eliminate foreign matters followed by a treatment to drive off the acid substantially
as hereinbefore described, further bye-products being obtained which can be
utilized as set forth.
Thoth day of Otober 1805
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.