IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harding, of Beeston Manor Iron Works,
Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES."
Sealed the 21st July 1857, and dated the 9th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harding at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1857.
I, JOHN HARDING, of Beeston Manor Iron Works, Leeds, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of preparing or treating ironstone or
other metallic ores previous to their being calcined and smelted, whereby the
shale and other foreign matter is readily removed therefrom after it comes
from the mine or quarry..
The improvements consist in subjecting ironstone or other metallic ores
to the action of steam of suitable pressure, or the vapor and water of steam, or
steam and water combined, as may be found most convenient, the ores being
contained in a suitable vessel or chamber. Thus, by the application of artificial
heat and moisture to the ores before being calcined' and smelted in the usual
or any other manner, the shale or other extraneous matter is more readily -
separated and removed therefrom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARDING, of Beeston Manor Iron Works, Leeds, in the County of York,
Iron Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Harding, Her special license that I, the said John 'Harding,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Harding, my executors, administrators, or 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 TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Harding, by an, instrument. in writing under, my hand.
and seal, 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 John Harding, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be- per-
formed; 'to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement; reference being had to the accompanying. Drawings, and to tlie
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a mode of preparing or treating ironstone or
other metallic ores previous to their-being- calcined or smelted; whereby the
shalo and other-foreign matter is readily removed therefrom. after it comes
from-the-mine-or-quarry.
The improvements consist, in subjecting. ironstone or other-metallic-ores to:
the action of steam of suitable pressure, or tlie vapor-and water of steam, or
steam and water, as. may be found most convenient, the.ores being contained:
in a suitable vessel or chamber. Thus, by the application of artificialt heat
and moisture to the ores before being calcined or smelted in the usual or any

page_text: other manner, the shale or other extraneous matter is more readily separated:
and removed therefrom.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet. of Drawings. hereunto annexed.. The
same letters of reference indicate corresponding, parts throughout all the
Figures.
•
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my apparatus com-
plete; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the ore chamber or vessel; and
Figure-3-is-a plan of the same, looking from above. A is a high wrought-iron:
receptacle, which may be made of a cylindrical or other suitable shape, and
placed vertically, or in any other convenient position, in which the ores to be
treated are contained; they are, as illustrated in my Drawing, supplied to this
receptacle from above by a gallery and tramway constructed at B for that
purpose.
For the convenience of more effectively retaining the steam or vapor, the
upper end of this receptacle may be partially closed by the concaved or funnel
mouth C, which has a central aperture capable of being closed by an external
or internal lid D, which can be moved up or down by means of the chain E
passed over suitable guide pullies F, F, which chain is attached to the lid at
one end, and carries a counterweight G at its opposite end, for the purpose of
being more easily removed in charging the vessel with fresh ore. II is a steam
pipe, leading from any convenient steam generator, and communicating with
the annular pipe K surrounding the receptacle near the base. This annular
pipe communicates by means of the radiating pipes L, L, with the interior
of the receptacle A, each of the pipes L being fitted with a regulating
or throttle valve M, for the purpose of regulating or shutting off entirely
the admission of steam into the receptacle. N, N, are doors or suitable outlets
for withdrawing the charge of ore after it has been subjected to the aforesaid
process and thereby well moistened.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Inven-
tion secured to me by the hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,

page_text: the system or mode of treating ores of all kinds previous to their being
calcined or smelted, by subjecting them to the action of steam, or the vapor
and water of steam, or steam and water, for the purpose herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harding, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
JOHN HARDING. (L.S.)