IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING IRON ORES OR IRONSTONES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Aitken, of Falkirk, in the County of
Stirling, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING IRON ORES OR IRONSTONES."
Sealed the 13th August 1869, and dated the 19th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Aitken at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th April 1869.
I, HENRY AITKEN, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING IRON ORES OR IRONSTONES," to be as follows, that is
to say-
This Invention, which relates to an improved mode of treating iron
ores or ironstones, but more particularly those classes which have car-
bonaceous matter combined with them, consists in coking or carbonising,
in contradistinction to roasting or calcining, the iron ores or ironstones
in the open air, on a platform or bed of clay, brick, stone, iron, or other
material, which may be situated horizontally or at angle to that position
(an angle of about one in fifteen is preferred). The iron ores or ironstones

page_text: to be coked or carbonised are placed on a platform or bed in a heap which
is fired, commencing, by preference, in the case of the inclined platform
or bed along the lowest end or side, and the heap is allowed to burn until
all or nearly all the volatile matters are driven off. As the combustion
of the heap proceeds water or other fluid is applied gradually to it while
still in a state of combustion, and before the air or oxygen therein has
had sufficient time to consume the fixed carbon in the iron ores or
ironstones; and further, the iron ores or ironstones being thus coked or
carbonised and watered out may be removed for being reduced into pig
iron, malleable iron, or steel. During the time the iron ores or iron-
stones are burning, salt, steam, as well as the water herein-before
mentioned, or salt water may be put amongst them at intervals, so as to
purify the iron ores or ironstones, or salt may be placed amongst the
iron ores or ironstones as the leap is made up or before it is fired. In
place of watering the iron ores or ironstones on the bed or platform
without first moving them they may be turned over, spread, and cooled,
or watered out, so soon as all or nearly all the volatile matters are driven
off, or they may be removed when hot to a reducing furnace, or the iron
ores or ironstones may be placed on a platform, or in an open casing on
the top of the blast or other furnace, and when coked or carbonised run
or put direct into the blast or other furnace, and then reduced. Instead
of placing the iron ores or ironstones on a bed or platform they may be
placed in an open tower or casing and watered out or drawn out as the
coking or carbonising proceeds. The bottom of the bed or platform may
be made open or close as desired, and open or close walls may be built
along the sides and ends of the bing or heap, in order to save the
breaking and oxidation of the iron ores or ironstones. Should it be
thought desirable to dry the coked iron ores or ironstones this may be
done by forcing hot or cold air through or among them.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the-thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Aitken, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Aitken, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Aitken, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and 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 TREATING IRON ORES OR IRONSTONES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Aitken, 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 Henry Aitken, do hereby declaro
the nature of my 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 :-
This Invention, which relates to an improved mode of treating iron
ores or ironstones, but more particularly those classes which have car-
bonaceous matter combined with them, consists in coking or carbonising,
in contradistinction to roasting or calcining, the iron ores or ironstones
in the open air on a platform or bed of clay, brick, stone, iron, or other
material, which may be situated horizontally or at an angle to that
position (an angle of about one in fifteen is preferred), or in place of
using a platform the iron ores or ironstones may be placed in an open
casing on the top of a blast furnace, and when coked or carbonised
dropped into the furnace, or they may be treated in an open tower or
kiln. The iron ores or ironstones to be coked or carbonised are placed
on a platform or bed, or in an open casing on the blast furnace, or in an

page_text: open tower or kiln, and fired, commencing by preference in the case of
the inclined platform or bed along the lowest end or side, and the heap
is allowed to burn until all or nearly all the volatile matters are driven
off. As the combustion of the mass proceeds water is applied gradually
to it while still in a state of combustion, and before the air or oxygen
therein has had sufficient time to consume the fixed carbon in the iron
ores or ironstones; and further, the iron ores or ironstones being thus
coked or carbonised and watered out may be removed for being reduced
into pig iron, malleable iron, or steel. During the time the iron ores or
ironstones are burning salt, steam, or water, as herein-before mentioned,
or salt water may be put amongst them at intervals, so as to purify the
iron ores or ironstones, or salt may be placed amongst the iron ores or
ironstones as the heap is made up, or before it is fired.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to specify a system under which the same
is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had
to the Figures upon the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, that is
to say :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an inclined platform on which the
iron ores or ironstones may be treated, and Figure 2 is a plan of the
same.
The platform is shown sloped at an angle of one in fifteen, and is
composed of brick and surrounded by walls. On the upper sides of the
two longitudinal walls A rails B are laid, on these the carriages C which
carry the perforated pipe D traverse. The pipe D is coupled by an elastic
pipe E to the water column F, which is fitted with a regulating valve G,
so that the quantity of water may be regulated as required.
In treating iron ores or ironstones by means of the apparatus shown
on the Drawings the heap or bing is fired at the lower end, and when
all or nearly all the volatile matters are driven off water is turned on
and allowed to flow through the perforations of the pipe D until the
combustion of that part of the heap from which the volatile matters
are wholly, or partly driven off is stopped. As the burning of the heap
proceeds the perforated pipe D is moved along the rails B until the
entire mass or bing is thus treated. The same perforated pipe D may be
used for distributing salt water in or amongst the ironstones during the
time they are burning for the purpose of purifying them. In place of

page_text: employing the perforated pipe D and its connections these may be dis-
pensed with, and the ironstones watered out by throwing water upon
the burning portion of them at the time when the volatile matters are
entirely or nearly driven off, and salt water may also be thrown on at
intervals in any convenient manner for purifying them; or the use of
water for cooling the iron ores or ironstones may be avoided, and the
partly burned mass may be turned over, spread, and watered out as soon
as all or nearly all the volatile matters are driven off; and further, the
iron ores or ironstones need not be cooled out, but when the volatile
matters are as much as possible separated the coked iron ores or iron-
stones may be at once transferred to a blast or other furnace for reduction
into metallic iron or steel. In place of damping out the iron ores or
ironstones with water they may be damped or cooled down by steam
applied by means of pipes passed through, among, or below the iron
ores or ironstones. Instead of placing the iron ores or ironstones on a
bed or platform they may be placed in an open tower or casing and
steamed or watered out or drawn out as the coking or carbonising pro-
ceeds, and at the same time be treated with steam, salt water, or salt,
at intervals, as required, for purifying them. Holes or passages are
formed at the lowest point of the bed or platform so as to allow any
surplus water to run freely away. It may sometimes be desirable to
desiccate the coked iron ores or ironstones; this may be done by forcing
hot or cold air through or amongst them either on the platform in the
open casing or in the open tower, or after they are removed therefrom.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used.
or practically carried into effect, I wish to observe in conclusion that
I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise details herein referred
to, as the same may be varied without departing from the principles or
main features of my Invention, but what I consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The treating of iron ores or ironstones by cooling them down
in any of the modes herein set forth after they are coked, that is, as
soon as the whole or nearly the whole of the volatile matters are driven
off, so as to prevent as much as possible the destruction or waste of the
fixed carbon.

page_text: Second. The direct employment in blast or other reducing furnaces of
the coked iron ores or ironstones in the heated state as soon as the whole
or nearly the whole of the volatile matters are driven off.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Aitken, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
ST. JOHN VINCENT DAY, C. E.,
Glasgow.
HENRY AITKEN. (L.S.)