and Collecting the Metallic Zinc therefrom.
Year: 1889

page_text: and Collecting the Metallic Zinc therefrom.
1, EDWARD WALSH, Jr., of 417 Olive Street, in the city of St. Louis, State of
Missouri, United States of America, gentleman, 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 relates to an improved method of, and apparatus for, condensing
zinc vapors and fumes arising from the reduced oxide of zinc in a furnace and
collecting the resultant metallic zinc, on which subject it should be here stated that zinc
oxide reduces at 1300° Fahrenheit and the metal distils at about 100° Fahrenheit
lower than that temperature. Volatilization takes place immediately on reduction
of the zinc oxide. At a temperature of 1300° Fahrenheit carbon is entirely unaffected
by the action of carbonic acid, and the carbonic acid generated from the reduction
of the zinc oxide is carried off with the zinc vapor at that temperature. Carbonic
acid at a temperature below 1300° Fahrenheit when mixed with zinc vapor again
oxidizes the metallic zinc vapor thereby producing an undesirable result; but I have
discovered that when zinc vapor and carbonic acid, both at a temperature of between
1400° and 1500° Fahrenheit, or slightly in excess of that temperature, are allowed
to pass through carbon or carbonaceous matter which is also at a temperature
of between 1400° and 1500° Fahrenheit, the carbonic acid is immediately converted
into carbonic oxide, and that thus the zinc vapor does not undergo any further
oxidation; therefore the result of thus allowing carbonic acid and zinc vapor at the
temperature of between 1400° and 1500° Fahrenheit, or slightly in excess of that
temperature, to pass through carbon or carbonaceous matter at a temperature between
1400° and 1500° Fahrenheit, or slightly in excess of that temperature is to produce
zinc vapor and carbonic oxide

page_text: My invention consists, in first charging a furnace with mixed fuel and ore, then as
the process of reduction proceeds charging carbonaceous matter into the furnace
through a chamber or vessel which also serves as a condenser, and in allowing the
zinc vapor and carbonic acid arising from the reduced oxide of zinc in the furnace
to pass through carbonaceous matter in this condensing chamber whereby the carbonic
acid is converted into carbonic oxide and the zinc vapor being thus preserved from
further oxidation and passing through cooler portions of the carbonaceous matter in
the condensing chamber is thereby condensed and precipitated in a liquid form to
the bottom of the chamber from which it is withdrawn through pipes or passages into
a trough or other suitably shaped receiver.
In carrying out my invention I preferably use a cupola furnace in which the
reduction of the oxide of zinc takes place. From the upper part of the furnace pro-
jects a condensing chamber or vessel provided with a chute or opening through which
carbon or carbonaceous matter is fed to the condensing chamber. Within the latter,
behind the chute is arranged a spiral or other suitably shaped disc (or plunger)
mounted on a shaft to which rotation (or reciprocation in the case of a plunger) is
imparted whereby the carbonaceous matter entering through the chute is continually
forced along the condensing chamber into the furnace as the carbonaceous matter in
the latter is consumed, by which arrangement the conditions before mentioned for the
condensation of the zinc vapors are obtained as hereafter particularly specified.
On the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a side sectional elevation of
the apparatus comprising my invention as applied to a cupola furnace, Figure 2 a
similar view of the apparatus detached, to an enlarged scale, and Figure 3 a sectional
plan thereof omitting the carbonaceous matter; Figure 4 shows an alternative form
of the spiral disc seen in figures 1, 2, 3; Figure 5 a side sectional view of a modifica-
tion of this part of my invention, and Figure 6 an end view of the plunger seen in
figure 5, like letters of reference denoting liko parts in the respective figures.
Referring to figures 1, 2, and 3, a represents the furnace into which the fuel and
calcined zinc ores, mixed in such proportions that sufficient fuel is present to effect a
reduction of the zinc oxide, to volatilize the zinc and fuse the properly fluxed impurities
contained in the ore are charged through the hoppers and chutes b. Projecting
externally from, and opening into, the furnace a at its upper part is a condensing
chamber or vessel c which is preferably lined with firebrick and of a conical form,
diminishing from its opening into the furnace a to its outer end and so arranged that
its lower part dips somewhat from the furnace a.
C
f
To the outer end of the condensing chamber e, and forming a continuation thereof,
is preferably fixed a cylinder d of cast iron or other suitable material into which at its
top portion opens a chute e. The cylinder d is closed at its outer end by a cover
formed with a central stuffing box g through which passes a shaft having fixed
thereto within the cylinder d and of nearly equal diameter to the latter, a spiral disci,
the initial point of which (in the sense of its rotation) is beneath or somewhat behind
the adjacent portion of the edge of the chute opening e.
Rotation is imparted to the shaft h by a worm which engages with a worm wheel
fixed on the shaft externally to the cylinder d, the worm j being fixed on a
shaft mounted in bearings m and provided with a pulley n, which is driven by
belt from any suitable motor adjacent to the apparatus. Or the rotation of the shaft h
may be effected by any other well known mechanical arrangement, as found most
suitable.
Through the lowest part of the condensing chamber c are a series of passages or
pipes which open below the vessel c into a trough p or other suitable conduit, for
the metallic zinc as hereafter referred to.
In operation the furnace a being charged with the mixed fuel and ores through the
chutes b and the condensing chamber or vessel c charged with carbonaceous matter
through the chute e, when the mixed fuel and ores in the furnace a and the
carbonaceous matter lying thereon at, and adjacent to, the opening of the condensing
vessel c into the furnace a have reached a temperature of 1500° Fahrenheit, the zine
vapor and carbonic acid thereby generated from the reduction of the zinc oxide in the

page_text: furnace a pass through the said portion of the carbonaceous matter into the condensing
chamber C, and in so doing the carbonic acid is immediately converted into carbonic
oxide which, with the zinc vapor pass onward through the cooler portions of the
carbonaceous matter in the chamber whereby the zinc vapor is condensed and
precipitated in a liquid form to the bottom of the condensing vessel c from which it
Hows through the pipes o into the trough p and along the latter in any required direction
for use, whilst the carbonic oxide passes from the vessel c through the chute e (or other
vent) to waste or otherwise as required.
Meanwhile the spiral disc i on being slowly rotated within the cylinder d continually
forces the carbonaceous matter, fed through the chute e, along the condensing vessel o
so that the portion of carbonaceous matter before named at the opening into the
furnace a, is maintained at the temperature of 1500° Fahrenheit or thereabouts
necessary for converting the carbonic acid into carbonic oxide, whilst the temperature
of the carbonaceous matter in the vessel c behind the said portion is heated by the
gases to the proper temperature for condensing the zinc vapor or from 1200° to 800°
Fahrenheit.
If preferred, in lieu of a spiral disc i as shown in figures 1, 2, and 3, I may use a
plain circular wedge-shaped disc fixed at an angle with its shaft has shown in
figure 4.
Or 1 may substitute for the discs i or a plunger q fixed on the shaft (see
figures 5 and 6) and reciprocated within the cylinder d by any well known mechanical
means, in which case perforations r may be formed through the top portion of the
plunger q for allowing the carbonic oxide to escape when the opening of the chute e is
closed by the plunger q in forcing forward the carbonaceous matter."
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 method of condensing ziuc vapor and collecting metallic zinc therefrom by
first charging a furnace with the mixed fuel and ores, then charging carbonaceous
matter into the furnace through a condensing chamber and allowing the carbonic acid
and zinc vapor arising from the reduced oxide of zinc in the furnace to pass through
the carbonaceous matter at the mouth of the condensing chamber, whereby the
carbonic acid is converted into carbonic oxide and the zinc vapor being thus preserved
from further oxidation passes onward through the cooler portion of the carbonaceous
matter in the condensing chamber and is thereby condensed and precipitated, and
passes from the condenser into a receiver, substantially as herein before described.
2. In apparatus for condensing zinc vapor, the combination of a chamber or vessel
having inlet and discharge openings, with means for advancing carbon or carbonaceous
matter along said vessel to a furnace in which the reduction of the oxide of zinc is
effected, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for condensing zinc vapor, the combination of a chamber or vessel
having inlet and discharge openings, a disc located within the said vessel and fixed on
a shaft, and means for rotating said shaft, with a cupola furnace in which the reduction
of the oxide of zinc is effected, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. In apparatus for condensing zinc vapor, the combination of a chamber or vessel
having inlet and discharge openings and closed at its outer end, a spiral disc located
within the said vessel and fixed on a shaft, and ineans for rotating said shaft, with a
upola furnace, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described, and
llustrated by the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination of a chamber or vessel c having inlet opening and chute e,
nd discharge pipes o, cylinder d secured to and forming part of the vessel c, cylinder
over having a stuffing box g, spiral disc i fixed on a shaft h, and means for rotating
aid shaft, with a cupola furnace, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
escribed and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 6. The combination of a chamber or vessel c having inlet and discharge openings,
cylinder d having cover f and stuffing box g, circular disc i fixed on shaft h and
means for rotating said shaft, with a cupola furnace, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination of a chamber or vessel c'having inlet and discharge openings,
cylinder d¹ secured to and forming part of the said vessel; plunger 7 located within
said vessel and having perforations r, and means for reciprocating said plunger, with
a cupola furnace, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of March 1880