IMPROVEMTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ZINC ORES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF PHOSPHORUS
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th November 1861.
..
J:
E..
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166,; Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman; do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVEMTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ZINC ORES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF
PHOSPHORUS, a communication from abroad by Adrien Muller, of Paris, in
the Empire of France, Engineer, to be as follows:-
ما
心
-
This Invention relates, more particularly to the treatment of ores of zinc
in order to obtain metallic zinc or the oxide of zinc therefrom and is also
[Price 8d.]

page_text: applicable to the treatment of phosphates or phosphatic minerals in order
to obtain phosphorus therefrom.
According to this Invention it is proposed, with a view to the obtainment of
metallic zinc or oxide of zinc, to subject the ores to be treated in combination
with the proper fluxes to an elevated temperature in a suitable reverberatory
furnace before introducing such ores and fluxes into the blast furnace which
it is proposed to employ for the reduction and distillation of the ore of zinc,in
lieu of introducing the charges in a cold state. The ovens or reverberatory
furnaces employed in the preparatory heating of the ores and fluxes are also
intended to be used for heating the.coke to be supplied. to. the blast furnace,
special oveus or furnaces being used for that purpose; they are made with
two tiers or sets of floors one above another, and the materials to be heated
are first laid upon the upper floor, and gradually raked down through a vertical
opening on to the lower and more highly heated floor, wherein they are finally
introduced into the blast furnace. These ovens should be erected on a level
with the mouth of the blast furnace, so that the charges may be introduced
into the furnace direct from the oven without chilling the same in their
transit. The lower portion of the blast furnace should be considerably con-
tracted as it is essential that a considerable depth of fuel shouldbemaintained
in a state of combustion so as to ensure the entire conversion of the oxygen
contained in the air into carbonic oxide,and in order that the furnace should
be maintained at a temperature not lower than that temperature which will
effect the reduction of the oxide of zinc by the carbon or fuel, and that such
temperature shall never become sufficiently lowered so that the reduction of
the oxides of zinc shall not be effected by carbonic oxide. The height of the
blast furnace should be such as to preserve the necessary temperature up to
the part at which the gases are taken off, but at the same time care being
taken that the exit of the gases be not too low so as to be effected by the
oxidising action of the tuyeres. The exits from the gas should be disposed at
the upper portion of the furnace above the charge so as not to interfere
with the working of the furnace even when fully charged and when under
the process of distillation. The materials with which the furnace is charged
should be previously raised to a temperature sufficiently elevated for the
reduction of the oxide of zinc by the fuel or charcoal. Suitable condensers,
culverts, and depositing chambers are placed in connection with the blast
furnace so as to allow the gases to deposit the metallic zinc and oxides of zinc,
the fixed metals being tapped out from the bottom of the blast furnace. By
applying this process to the treatment of the neutral or other phosphates,
+

page_text: phosphorus may be obtained as silicic acid at an elevated, temperature, and in
presence of charcoal will liberate phosphoric acid which is reduced by the
charcoal, and the phosphorus will distil over with the gases, and may be
obtained by condensation in suitable condensing apparatus. It is also pro-
posed to burn the mixed gases issuing from the blast furnace and containing
metallic zinc, so as to form oxide of zinc, which may be collected in suit-
able condensing apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanau Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
Oue thousand eight hundred and sixty-oue, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all time 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 ZINC ORES AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE
OF PHOSPHORUS," a communication from abroad by Adrien Muller, of Paris,
in the Empire of France, Engineer, upon the condition (amongst them) that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal
of one of them,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

page_text: months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates more particularly to the treatment of ores of
zinc, in order to obtain metallic zinc, or the oxide of zinc therefrom, and is
also applicable to the treatment of phosphates or phosphatic minerals, in
order to obtain phosphorus therefrom,
According to this Invention it is proposed, with a view to the attainment of
metallic zinc or oxide or zinc, to subject the ores to be treated in combination
with the proper fluxes to an elevated temperature in a suitable oven or
reverberatory furnace before introducing such ores and fluxes into the blast
furnace which it is proposed to employ for the reduction and distillation of
the ore of zinc, in lieu of introducing the charges to a cold state. The ovens
or reverberatory furnaces employed in the preparatory heating of the ores and
fluxes are also intended to be used for heating the coke to be supplied to the
blast furnace, special ovens or furnaces being used for that purpose; they are
made with two tiers or sets of floors one above another,and the materials to
be heated are first laid upon the upper floor, and gradually raked down
through a vertical opening on to the lower and more highly heated floor,
whence they are finally introduced into the blast furnace. These ovens should
be erected on a level with the mouth of the blast furnace, so that the charges
may be introduced into the furnace direct from the ovens without chilling the
same in their transit. The lower portion of the blast furnace should be con-
siderably contracted, as it is essential that a considerable depth of fuel should
be maintained in a state of combustion,so as to ensure the entire conversion
of the oxygen contained in the air into carbonic oxide. And in order that the
furnace should be maintained at a temperature not lower than that, which
temperature will affect the reduction of the oxide of zinc by the carbon_or
fuel, and that such temperature shall never become sufficiently lowered, so
that the reduction ofthe oxides of zinc shall not be affected by carbonic oxide.
The height of the blast furnace should be such as to preserve the necessary
temperature up to the part at which the gases are taken off, but at the same
time care being taken that the exit of the gases be not too low, so as to be
effected by the oxidising action of the tuyeres. The exits for the gas should
be disposed at the upper portion of the furnace above the charge, so as not to
interfere with the working of the furnace,even when fully charged,and when

page_text: under the process of distillation. The materials with which the furnace is
charged should be previously raised to a temperature sufficiently elevated for
the reduction of the oxide of zinc by the fuel or charcoal. Suitable con-
densers, culverts, and depositing chambers are placed in connection with the
blast furnace, so as to allow the gases to deposit the metallic zinc and oxides
of zinc, the fixed metals being tapped out from the bottom of the blast furnace;
By applying this process to the treatment of the neutral or other phosphates,
phosphorus may be obtained as silicic acid at an elevated temperature, and in
presence of charcoal will liberate phosphoric acid, which is reduced by the
charcoal, and the phosphorus will distill over with the gases, and may be
obtained by condensation in suitable condensing apparatus. It is also
proposed to burn the mixed gases issuing from the blast furnace, and con-
taining metallic zinc, so as to form oxide of zinc, which may be collected in
suitable condensing apparatus.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents in horizontal section the ovens for
reverberatory furnaces for heating the ores and coke, and illustrates also the
zinc furnace, the sections being taken respectively along the line 1, 2, in
Figure 2 for the blast furnace, and along the line 3, 4, 5, 6, in Figure 3, for
the ovens. Figure 2 represents a vertical section of the zinc or blast furnace,
and Figure 3 is a vertical section of the ovens for roasting or heating
the ores.
The apparatus is composed of a blast furnace F, and of a reducing
chamber G, filled with coke or wood charcoal. The ore, which is previously
heated to a red heat in the oven for that purpose, is fed into the furnace F
through the aperture O, which is simply closed by a brick or fire-clay lump
luted therein. O' is the charging hole for the chamber G, which hole should
be closed by a double hopper or cover, so as to prevent the escape and loss of
the vapour, and the cooling of the contents of the chamber when charging.
The gases are carried off by the lateral passage H, and a corresponding
passage K is formed at the bottom of the chamber to facilitate the clearing
of the same. The line x, x¹, indicates the level of the floor, upon which are
in part erected the heating or roasting ovens or reverberatory furnaces, the
ground floor of the works being shewn at z.
The furnace A (Figure 1) is
made duplex, and serves for the heating of the coke or charcoal. Two special
hearths are employed in the heating process, the one indicated by the letter P
serves for the coke; and the flames and heat which passes off from the hearth
serve to heat afterwards the fuel intended for the chamber G, which fuel is
spread upon the hearth p. The waste heat of these ovens may be used, if

page_text: desired, for heating a steam boiler; the flue Q conducts this heat therefore
either underneath a boiler or into a chimney, as the case may be. The
oven B, intended for the heating of the ore, is also double, the flues R being
disposed horizontally, and so as to conduct the smoke and products of com_
bustion into one common chimney.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.).