Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 1888
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
My invention has for its object to apply the blast furnace system to the smelting of
zinc ores and other ores containing volatile metals, without being subject to the loss
of such metals which occurs in ordinary blast furnaces or cupolas.
My invention consists mainly in combining with the ordinary vertical, or it may be
somewhat inclined, shaft of a blast furnace or cupola, a second shaft extending from
the bottom or crucible of the first one in an inclined direction to any required height,
which inclined shaft is charged with charcoal or coke from a hopper at its upper ond
while the vertical shaft is charged from the top with the ore, together with fuel and
fluxing material through a closed hopper so arranged as to prevent all escape of gas.
The requisite smelting heat being produced at the bottom of the vertical shaft by
means of tuyeres, the non-volatile metals and slag collect at the bottom of the crucible
while the combustion gases together with the vapours of the volatile metals pass up
through the charcoal column contained in the inclined shaft.
By this means the less volatile metals become condensed on their passage up the
shaft and in trickling down the inclined sides thereof pass into circular or helical
channels formed in the sides, whence the liquid metal runs off into an external
conduit.
The gases, which by their passage through the charcoal have been rendered of an
entirely reducing nature, pass off together with the uncondensed more volatile metals
through a branch pipe below the charcoal feeding hopper, and after being led through
dust depositing washing and condensing apparatus where the remaining volatile metals
are condensed, the gases are conducted into recipients or to furnaces or other localities
where they are utilised as fuel or for other purposes. Being entirely of a reducing
character, these gases protect the volatile metals carried by them from oxidation while
they are being condensed.

page_text: The solid fuel employed may be partially replaced by liquid fuel, but the inclined
shaft must always be charged with solid carbonaceous matter. The inclined shaft may
with advantage be built up of separate rings of refractory material, each of which
has an annular channel formed in its inner edge and a channel extending from this
to the outside.
From the upper end of the inclined shaft a metal tube extends up to the charcoal
feed hopper, with the before mentioned branch tube for leading off the gases.
Dated this 27th day of December 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces for Smelting Zinc and other Ores.
I, FERNAND RIGAUD of 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg Paris France, Mining
Engineer 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:-
My invention has for its object to apply the blast furnace system to the smelting of
zinc ores and other ores containing volatile metals, without involving the loss of such
metals that occurs when the ores are treated in ordinary blast furnaces or cupolas.
For this purpose I arrange a furnace as I shall describe referring to the accompanying
drawings, Fig. 1 being a vertical section partly in elevation and Fig. 2 a part sectional
plan at M N of Fig. 1. A is a cupola or smelting furnace of ordinary construction,
provided with suitable tuyéres T and closed at the top by a feed hopper B provided
with valve a to prevent escape of gases. By the hopper B which is situated on a
platform there are from time to time fed into the cupola the ore, flux charcoal or
coke in suitable proportions. From the bottom of the cupola A, but above the
hearth C is carried an inclined shaft D which has at the top a pipe E, partly inclined
and partly vertical, the vertical part terminating in a feed hopper F on platform d,
this hopper having a valve c to prevent escape of gases. By the hopper Fis
introduced charcoal or coke charging the inclined shaft D: From the pipe Ea
lateral branch G leads to a dust receptacle H having valve e, and thence through a
washer K to a recipient chamber L.
The inclined shaft D is preferably made of refractory segments formed with
annular grooves having channels leading into a general conduit K which dips into
a receiver M.

page_text: In operating the furnace, the non volatile molten metals and the slag collect on the
hearth C, and the combustion gases with vapours of the volatile metals pass up
through the carbonaceous material in the inclined shaft D. The vapours of the less
volatile metals become condensed as they ascend in D and trickle down in a molten
condition into the channels and thence by the conduit K into the receiver M. The
gases, which, by passing through the carbonaceous material in D, are rendered
entirely reducing in their character, protect from oxidation the volatile metals which
accompany them or which are deposited from them. After passing through the
dust collectors, washers and through condensers if necessary for effecting complete
deposition of the metals, the gases may be utilised as fuel.
The cupola A, instead of being vertical, might be more or less inclined and it might
be worked partly with liquid fuel or with combustible gases; the shaft D however
must always be charged with solid carbonaceous material.
This shaft, instead of being of uniform diameter throughout its length, may have
the form shewn in Fig. resembling that of a blast furnace.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to bo performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In smelting ores containing volatile metals, passing the combustion gases
carrying metallic vapours from the smelting furnace through a body of carbonaceous
material so as to give the gases a reducing character protecting the metals from
oxidation, substantially as described.
2. In combination with a cupola or blast furnace, an inclined shaft charged with
solid carbonaceous material through which the combustion gases with vapours of
volatile metals are made to pass, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The construction of the inclined shaft with grooves forming channels for the
flow of the deposited molten metals to a collecting conduit, substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of September 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.