Apparatus
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1887
Complete Left, 11th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888
Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES BEES CLARK, of Clark's Buildings, Union Road, St. Philip's, Bristol,
in the County of Gloucester, Managing Smelter, and THE PANTHER LEAD COMPANY,
Limited, of 6, Queen Street Place, London, in the County of Middlesex, Lead
Smelters, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In smelting lead ores, it is common to employ flues of considerable length between
the smelting furnace and the chimney-shaft, with the object of collecting in such
flues by subsidence the lead which would otherwise be carried into the atmosphere in
the form of fume and lost. For a similar purpose, chambers are sometimes employed
through which the fume is caused to pass and wherein it is subjected to the conden-
sing action of jets or streams of water.
According to our invention, the fume is led from the flue to a series of condensing
chambers, each of which consists of a pipe preferably of earthenware and arranged in
a vertical position, the same being closed at its upper extremity and opening at its
lower extremity into a tank of water. Near the lower end of the vertical pipe, a
branch is formed which communicates with the flue and serves as an inlet for the
fume; and near the upper end of the pipe, a branch outlet for the fume is provided.
The pipe is charged with coke or other material adapted when saturated with water
for condensing and arresting the fume during its upward passage through the vertical
pipe or condensing chamber. The water is introduced in a spray or stream at the
upper extremity of the pipe or condensing chamber, and after percolating through the
coke or other material employed, escapes at the lower extremity of the said pipe to
the tank before referred to; the condensed fume or a large portion thereof being
carried down with the water and subsiding in the tank or other receptacle provided
for the purpose. The uncondensed fume which escapes from the upper extremity of the
vertical pipe is preferably led to a chamber of large capacity or of such size in
relation to the furnace or furnaces with which the apparatus is employed that the
velocity at which the fume traverses such chamber is very moderate. The subsidence
of the fume is thereby facilitated; the desired result being the more readily accomplished

page_text: in consequence of the fume being charged with moisture. The gases after traversing
the subsiding chamber may be led to the chimney-shaft.
The inlet from the flue to each condensing apparatus may be provided with a
damper or other means for intercepting the communication. Several vertical pipes
such as hereinbefore described may be grouped together and have a common inlet
from the flue and a common outlet to the subsiding chamber.
When using a reverberatory furnace, we prefer to employ an exhaust fan or
apparatus of an equivalent description between the furnace and the condensing
apparatus above referred to, or between the latter and the subsiding chamber. By
these means, we are enabled to regulate and control the draught to the furnace
independently of that produced by the chimney. Dampers may, however, be arranged
so as to enable a portion or the whole of the fume to be conducted direct to the
chimney instead of to the condensing apparatus. In some cases, it may be more
convenient to apply an exhaust fan to the subsiding chamber to educe the purified
fume or gases therefrom, such fume being thereby drawn from the flue through the
condensing apparatus.
Although we have described our invention as applied to a reverberatory furnace, it
will be obvious 'that the same may be employed in conjunction with a blast furnace
when used for smelting ores or other compounds for the extraction of lead contained
therein.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., .
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Condensing and Separating Lead Fume and
Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES BEES CLARK, of Clark's Buildings, Union Road, St. Philip's, Bristol,.
in the County of Gloucester, Managing Smelter, and THE PANTHER LEAD COMPANY,
Limited, of 6, Queen Street Place, London, in the County of Middlesex, Lead
Smelters, 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:-
In smelting lead ores, it is common to employ flues of considerable length between
the smelting furnace and the chimney shaft, with the object of collecting in such flues, by
subsidence, the lead which would otherwise be carried into the atmosphere in the form
of fume and lost. For a similar purpose, chambers are sometimes employed through
which the fume is caused to pass and wherein it is subjected to the condensing action
of jets or streams of water.
In condensing and separating lead fume according to this invention, we employ
apparatus of the kind illustrated in the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 being a
side elevation and Figure 2 a transverse section. The fume is led from the flue a to
a series of condensing chambers b, each of which is preferably formed or built up of
several lengths of earthenware pipe and arranged in a vertical position; the upper
extremity being closed by a lid, whilst the lower extremity opens into a tank of
water e. Near the lower end of the chamber b, a branch is formed which commu-
nicates with the flue a and serves as an inlet for the fume; and, near the upper end
of the pipe, a branch outlet is provided for conducting the fume to a collecting
and subsiding chamber e, which may also be utilised as a flue. The pipe b is charged
with coke, wood or other material adapted, when saturated with water, for condensing
and arresting the fume during its upward passage through the vertical pipe or
condensing chamber b. The water is introduced by means of a pipe d and discharged
in a spray or stream in the upper part of the condensing chamber, and, after
percolating through the coke or other material employed, escapes at the lower
extremity of the pipe to the tank e; the condensed fume or a large portion
thereof being carried down with the water and subsiding in the tank e or other
receptacle provided for the purpose. The uncon lensed fume which escapes from the
outlet is led to a collecting and subsiding chamber or flue e of large capacity in
relation to the furnace or furnaces with which the apparatus is employed, so that the
velocity at which the partially-washed gases traverse such chamber is very moderate.
The further subsidence of the solid matters is hereby facilitated; the desired result
being the more readily accomplished in consequence of the fume being charged with
moisture. The gases, after traversing the chamber e, may be led to the chimney
shaft.
The inlet from the flue a to each condenser may be provided with a damper ƒ or

page_text: other means for regulating or intercepting the communication. Several vertical
pipes, such as hereinbefore described, may be grouped together and have a common
inlet from the flue a and a common outlet to the subsiding chamber c.
When using a reverberatory furnace, we prefer to employ an exhaust fan or
apparatus of an equivalent description between the furnace and the condensing
apparatus above referred to, or between the latter and the subsiding chamber. By
these means, we are enabled to regulate and control the draught to the furnace
independently of that created by the chimney shaft. Dampers may, however, be
arranged so as to enable a portion or the whole of the fume to be conducted direct
to the chimney instead of to the condensing apparatus. In some cases, it may be
more convenient to apply an exhaust fan to the subsiding chamber to educe the
purified gases therefrom; the fume being, under such circumstances, drawn from the
furnace through the flue a, condensers b and chamber or flue c.
Although we have described our invention as employed in connection with a
reverberatory furnace, it will be obvious that the same may be employed in con-
junction with a blast furnace when such is used for smelting ores or other compounds
containing lead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we claim :-
1. The improved means substantially as herein described for condensing and
separating lead fume.
2. In separating and condensing lead fume, causing the same to pass from the flue
through a series of condensing chambers charged with coke, wood or equivalent
material continuously washed with a stream of water which traverses the condensing
chambers in a direction opposed to that of the fume, the water being subsequently
received in a subsiding tank, substantially as set forth.
3. In separating and condensing lead fume, causing the same to pass through
condensing apparatus of the kind described and then admitting the escaping gases,
cooled and charged with moisture, to a subsiding chamber or flue of such capacity
that the velocity of flow therein is sufficiently moderate to facilitate further subsidence
of the solid matters, substantially as set forth.
4. In condensing or separating lead fune, the combination with condensing
apparatus of the kind described of an exhaust fan or blower applied to draw or force
the fume from the flue through the condensing apparatus and into a subsiding
chamber, or flue communicating with the chimney shaft, independently of the draught
created by the latter.