IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE EXTRACTION OF SULPHUR FROM ITS ORES, AND FOR THE CALCINING AND DECOMPOSITION OF COPPER ORES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Black, Ironfounder, of South Shields, and
Thomas Larkin, Manager of Chemical Works, of East Jarrow, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE EXTRACTION OF
SULPHUR FROM ITS ORES, AND FOR THE CALCINING AND DECOMPOSITION
OF COPPER ORES,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Black and Thomas
Larkin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th October
1881.
WILLIAM BLACK, Ironfounder, of South Shields, and THOMAS LARKIN, Manager
of Chemical Works, of East Jarrow. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE
EXTRACTION OF SULPHUR FROM ITS ORES, AND FOR THE CALCINING AND
DECOMPOSITION OF COPPER ORES."
Our Invention relates to a furnace consisting of one or more beds, arranged the
one over the other, each bed having arms worked from a central vertical revolving
shaft to agitate the ore and to discharge it from one bed to the other, and if
required, to finally discharge the ore from the furnace; or, if preferred, the beds
themselves may revolve whilst the shaft and arms are stationary.
The ore is placed on the top of the furnace over the top bed open to the air.
The charging is effected after the moisture is driven off from the ore, the ore being
then filled into a hopper to be ready to be charged through a door into the first or
top bed; it is then worked down through a sliding door to a lower bed, and so on
until the final heat is given at the bottom bed.
If desired there may be a separate charging at each bed through the outside
doors, so that the process may be commenced or finished at any required bed, the
operation being carried on in a greater or less number of beds, according to the
will of the operator.
The gas given off by the burning or decomposition of the ore may be carried

page_text: from the bottom bed over or through the higher beds, and drawn off at the top
bed, or it may be taken direct from the bottom or any other bed.
The original heat is applied on the underside of the bottom bed from flues leading
from small fires provided for this purpose, such flues being returned or carried on
to the chimney.
The heat for the upper beds is obtained by the burning of the ore on the bed or
beds below.
This Invention is more particularly suited for the treatment of ore of a small
size or in a fine state of division, but it is also applicable to ore of other sizes, the
advantages obtained being economy in labour and time, and greater efficiency in
the manipulation of the ore.
The floors of the beds may be constructed of iron, fire clay, quartz, or other
suitable substance.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Black and Thomas Larkin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th April 1882.
WILLIAM BLACK, Ironfounder, of South Shields, and THOMAS LARKIN, Manager
of Chemical Works, East Jarrow. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE
EXTRACTION OF SULPHUR FROM ITS ORES, AND FOR THE CALCINING AND
DECOMPOSITION OF COPPER ORES."
Our Invention relates to a furnace consisting of one or more beds or calcining
floors, the said beds or calcining floors being arranged when more than one is used
one above the other, and being provided with arms to agitate the ore, and to
discharge it from one bed to the other, and eventually if required from the furnace.
This agitation may be effected either by causing the arms to move, or by rotating
the beds, in which case the arms may remain stationary.
The ore is placed on the top of the furnace open to the air. After the moisture
is driven off from the ore the said ore is charged into the first or top bed, and is
then worked down to a lower bed, and so on, until the said ore is eventually
submitted to the final heat upon the bottom bed.
If desired the ore may be charged to each bed separately, so that the process may
be begun or finished at any required bed, and the operation be carried on upon a
greater or less number of beds, according to the will of the operator.
The gas or gases or products given off by the burning or decomposition of the
ore may be carried from the lower bed or beds over or through the upper bed or
beds, and be drawn off at the top bed, or it or they may be taken direct from the
bottom bed or beds, or from any of the other beds.
The original heat is applied to the underside of the bottom bed from a flue or
flues leading from a fire or fires provided for this purpose, such flue or flues being
either returned or carried on to the chimney.
The heat for the bed or beds above the bottom bed is obtained by the burning
of the ore on the bed or beds below.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively vertical sections taken at right angles the one
to the other, and Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 1-1, 2-2, Figure 1 of a
furnace constructed according to our Invention, having three beds for the treatment
of the ore.
In the outer walls A of the furnace are supported bed plates a', a², a³, and a roof
plate a forming three chambers for the treatment of the ore. Each chamber is
provided with a door b, and the bottom chamber is provided with an additional
door c for discharging.
Beneath the bottom bed a¹ are situated fire places d, from each of which lead
flues opening into one common flue f, and passing thence to the chimney by the
flues g¹, g². A hopper h provided with a valve h' opening into the upper chamber.
Passages i, i, are provided for the exit of the gas from the several chambers (as
indicated by the arrows), which gases may be conducted to what is known as the
sulphuric acid chamber, or the said gases may be otherwise suitably employed
outside the furnace.
A shaft K is mounted in bearings k so as to be capable of having a motion of
rotation given to it by gearing * (omitted from Figure 2). This shaft K is

page_text: preferably suspended from its upper bearing outside the furnace, so that the
frictional parts are kept as far as possible from the heated interior of the furnace.
The said shaft carries arms l, a set for each chamber, the said arms being provided
with any suitable.scrapers or stirrers, but preferably scrapers and stirrers such as
are described in the Specification of Letters Patent, No. 4468, granted to us as of
the Second day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty. The said arms are omitted from Figures 2 and 3. Each of the upper
bed plates is provided at bottom with slots or openings m, which may be covered
or uncovered by sliding shutters m³ provided with connections to enable them to
be operated from the exterior of the furnace; these slots are preferably arranged at
various distances from the centre of the beds, as shewn in Figure 3, in which
Figure the half of the bed plate cut away by the section line is shewn by dot and
pick lines. N is a chamber into which pass the volatile products from the
chambers, and in this chamber N may be placed the receptacle p for nitrate of soda,
so as thus to utilize some of the otherwise waste heat of the furnace. In the said
chamber N condensed sulphur may be collected.
In using the apparatus the ore to be treated is placed upon the upper plate a*,
and when the moisture is driven off therefrom the said ore is put into the hopper h,
and is therefrom charged (by opening the valve h²) into the first or top chamber
and on to the bed a³. The shaft K being rotated the ore is agitated thereby, and
is discharged by the slots m on to the bed a below, where it is subjected to further
treatment at a higher temperature. From this bed a² the ore passes by the slots m
therein on to the lowest bed a¹, where it is submitted to the final heat, and is
eventually removed from the said bed through the door c. The gas, gases, or
products pass off or are conducted by the passages i, i, from the furnace for
treatment in the ordinary or other way.
If it be wished to subject the ore only to treatment upon, say, the two lower
beds, the ore is charged to the bed a through its door b, from which bed it passes
y the slots m therein to the lower bed a'. If on the other hand the ore is not
required to be subjected to the final heat of the bed a¹, the slots m in the bed a²
may be covered by their closing shutters m³, and the ore be removed from the
bed a through the door b in connection with the said bed. It will thus be
understood that the ore may be subjected to heat on any one or more of the beds.
If desired the furnace may be provided with but one bed and surface heat from top
or with more beds. As shewn in the Drawing the opening at the upper plate a*
through which the shaft K passes, is furnished with a sand or clay or other gas
tight joint 8, to prevent escape of gas thereout.
In place of the gas, gases, or products passing from chamber to chamber as
described, there may be direct exits for the same from each chamber to the
chamber N, as indicated in dotted lines at q in Figure 2.- Air holes covered by
regulators or dampers may also be provided, as indicated at r, to allow of air being
admitted as required to each chamber.
The bearers or supports under the plate a', and beds a¹, as, may be simply bars
or rails, but they are preferably hollow as shewn, with their ends open to the air,
so as to allow the passage of the outer and colder air therethrough. One end of
each hollow bar may have a passage to the flue, so as to draw the cold air through.
Although we have shewn a number of fire-places in the Drawing, yet but one
may be used if preferred.
By heating ores in the furnace consisting of two or more beds as described, a
large percentage of sulphur is obtained with simplicity and efficiency, the burning
of the ore on the bed or beds below, heating the ore on the bed or beds above
whereby the ore is subjected to an increasing temperature as it reaches the final
stage, the graduation of this increase being in accordance with the number of
additional beds with which the furnace is provided.
The furnace constructed or arranged according to our Invention is more parti-
cularly suited for the treatment of ore of a small size or in a fine state of division,
but it is also applicable for the treatment of ore of other sizes, the principal

page_text: advantages obtained being economy of time and labor, and increased efficiency and
facility in manipulation of the ore.
The floors of the beds are preferably of iron, fire-clay, or quartz, but they may
be of any other suitable material.
In place of or in addition to rotating the shaft, the bed plates may themselves be
rotated by any convenient means.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into.
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The furnace for the treatment, calcination, or decomposition of ores
containing sulphur, or of copper ores, the said furnace being provided with one or
more chambers, so that whilst the under one is heated by the fire place or fire
places, the ore passing through the chamber or chambers above, and the ore on the
top of the furnace is heated by the burning or calcination of the ore in the chamber
beneath, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference
to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The combination with the compound furnace hereinbefore described, of
the means for passing the ore mechanically from bed to bed during its treatment
or calcination, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Black and Thomas Larkin, have
to this our Specification set our hands and seals, the Tenth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
Witness to the signature of the said
Thomas Larkin,
J. A. G. Ross,
13, Belgrave Terrace,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Witness to the signature of the said
William Black,
MATTHEW C. PRESTON,
Solicitor,
Newcastle upon Tyne.
WILLIAM BLACK. (LS.)
THOMAS LARKIN. (L.S.)