Apparatus for the Purpose.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th Apr., 1888
and Apparatus for the Purpose.
We, JACOB BAYNES THOMPSON, of 130 Queen's Road, Peckham, in the County
of Surrey, Chemist, and WILLIAM WHITE, of Churchfields, Cheshunt, in the County.
of Herts, Journalist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the more economic reduction of aluminium from
its halogen salts, namely from its fluoride and chloride, when sodium is used as the
This we
reducing agent, by preventing the explosive reaction of the sodium.
accomplish by first intimately mixing the salt to be reduced with the sodium when it
is just at the melting point. For example, we take the double fluoride of aluminium
and sodium, the mineral cryolite in fine powder and sodium in the proportion of five
parts sodium to sixteen cryolite, by weight. We put the sodium at the bottom of the
vessel and the cryolite at the top, and heat it to near 100° Centigrade; when the
sodium is soft we mechanically mix them, as they gradually cool, with an iron spatula,
or other suitable instrument. Then on heating, there will be no explosion as there is
by the ordinary method, but a perfect and quiescent reduction of the aluminium
Buoride. This mixture is used when the copper alloy is required. The proper amount
of granulated copper being added to the mixture before reduction, the copper fusing
and alloying with the aluminium and carrying the aluminium down with it. When
pure aluminium is required, the following mixture is used:-Three parts of sodium
are mixed with four of powdered cryolite, as before explained, and allowed to cool,
then four parts of aluminium chloride are mixed with it, and the two salts are reduced
as before; this mixture being much more fluid when fused, it allows the light aluminium
to collect and settle.
For heating the sodium and cryolite for mixing, we use a species of water bath.
This water bath is formed of a circulating boiler and reservoir. The boiler may be
an ordinary saddle boiler, such as used in water heating apparatuses. The reservoir
may be of cast iron, in the cover of which is cast a recess to hold the vessel which
contains the mixture to be heated. This vessel inust fit the recess and may be made
of cast iron also, with a lid. The reservoir must have pipes connecting it with the

page_text: boiler at the bottom and top for the circulation, and a pipe through the cover to
relieve the apparatus from pressure. This pipe may be continued upwards into the
air so that it may condense the vapour that the water may run back again, that it may
relieve the constant need of being fed; or the pipe may pass in worm-shape through
water to attain the same end. The reservoir will stand alongside the boiler and
may be cased with wood, or other material, so as to prevent radiation as much as
possible.
The furnace for the reduction will be a species of reverbratory furnace. The hot
chamber has a cup shaped bottom with a plug-hole at the bottom on one side. This
plug-hole may be stopped by a brick and fire clay. At the top of the hot chamber
there is a hole, which may be covered with a fire-lump. Into this hole fits a species
of hopper which has a cover for the top and a slide for the bottom. This hopper will
hold one batch for reduction, and when full, the furnace having first been heated to a
bright red, the fire lump is withdrawn and the hopper set on the hole in the furnace.
The slide is then withdrawn and the mixture allowed to drop into the furnace, the
hopper is then removed and the fire lump replaced over the hole. After reduction
and fusion, the plug is withdrawn and the contents received on a suitable vessel. If
it be the alloy, that will go to the bottom, and is easily separated from the salt. If
it be the pure metal, after separation, the adhering salt may be dissolved off with hot
water. The metal may be reduced in crucibles on a small scale.
Dated this 11th dow of June 1887
ERNEST DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
68, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th Apr., 1888
and Apparatus for the Purpose.
We, JACOB BAYNES THOMPSON, of 130 Queen's Road, Peckham, in the County
of Surrey, Chemist, and WILLIAM WHITE, of Churchfields, Cheshunt, in the County
of Herts, Journalist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the more economic reduction of aluminium from
its halogen salts, namely from its fluoride and chloride, when sodium is used as the
reducing agent, by preventing the explosive reaction of the sodium.
This we
accomplish by first intimately mixing the salt to be reduced with the sodium when it
is just at the melting point. For example, we take the double fluoride of aluminium
and sodium, the mineral cryolite in fine powder and sodium in the proportion of five
parts sodium to sixteen cryolite, by weight. We put the sodium at the bottom of the
vessel and the cryolite at the top, and heat it to near 100° Centigrade; when the
sodium is soft we mechanically mix them, as they gradually cool, with an iron spatula,
or other suitable instrument. Then on heating, there will be no explosion as there is
by the ordinary method, but a perfect and quiescent reduction of the aluminium
fluoride. This mixture is used when the copper alloy is required. The proper amount
of granulated copper being added to the mixture before reduction, the copper fusing
and alloying with the aluminium and carrying the aluminium down with it. When
pure aluminium is required, the following mixture is used :-Three parts of sodium
are mixed with four of powdered cryolite, as before explained, and allowed to cool,
then four parts of aluminium chloride are mixed with it, and the two salts are reduced
as before; this mixture being much more fluid when fused, it allows the light aluminium
to collect and settle.
For heating the sodium and cryolite for mixing, we use a species of water bath.
This water bath is formed of a circulating boiler and reservoir. The boiler may be
an ordinary saddle boiler, such as used in water heating apparatuses. The reservoir
may be of cast iron, in the cover of which is cast a recess to hold the vessel which
contains the mixture to be heated. This vessel must fit the recess and may be made
of cast iron also, with a lid. The reservoir must have pipes connecting it with the

page_text: boiler at the bottom and top for the circulation, and a pipe through the cover to
relieve the apparatus from pressure. This pipe may be continued upwards into the
air so that it may condense the vapour that the water may run back again, that it may
relieve the constant need of being fed; or the pipe may pass in worm-shape through
water to attain the same end. The reservoir will stand alongside the boiler and
inay be cased with wood, or other material, so as to prevent radiation as much as
possible.
The furnace for the reduction will be a species of reverbratory furnace. The hot
chamber has a cup shaped bottom with a plug-hole at the bottom on one side. This
plug-hole may be stopped by a brick and fire clay. At the top of the hot chamber
there is a hole, which may be covered with a fire-lump. Into this hole fits a species
of hopper which has a cover for the top and a slide for the bottom. This hopper will
hold one batch for reduction, and when full, the furnace having first been heated to a
bright red, the fire lump is withdrawn and the hopper set on the hole in the furnace.
The slide is then withdrawn and the, mixture allowed to drop into the furnace, the
hopper is then removed and the fire lump replaced over the hole. After reduction
and fusion, the plug is withdrawn and the contents received on a suitable vessel. If
it be the alloy, that will go to the bottom, and is easily separated from the salt. If
it be the pure metal, after separation, the adhering salt may be dissolved off with hot
water. The metal may be reduced in crucibles on a small scale.
Dated this 11th don S T 1007
ERNEST DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
68, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Aluminium and its Alloys
and Apparatus for the Purpose.
We JACOB BAYNES THOMPSON, of 130 Queen's Road, Peckham, in the County of
Surrey, Chemist, and WILLIAM WHITE, of Churchfields, Cheshunt, in the County
of Herts, Journalist, 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, that is to say -
Our invention has for its object the more economic reduction of aluminium from
its halogen salts, namely from its fluoride and chloride, when sodium is used as the
reducing agent, by preventing the explosive reaction of the sodium.
This we accomplish by first intimately mixing the salt to be reduced, with the
sodium, when the sodium is just at the melting point.
For example, we take the double fluoride of aluminium and sodium, the mineral
cryolite, in fine powder, and sodium, in the proportion of five parts sodium to sixteen
of cryolite, by weight. We put the sodium at the bottom of a suitable vessel and the
cryolite at the top, and heat them to near 100° C. When the sodium is soft we
mechanically mix them, as they gradually cool, with an iron spatula, or other suitable
instrument. Then, on reduction there will be no explosion as there is by the ordinary.
method, but a perfect and quiescent reduction of the aluminium fluoride. This
mixture is used when the copper alloy is required. The proper amount of granulated
copper being added to the mixture before reduction, the copper fuses and alloys with
the aluminium, and carries the aluminium down with it.
When pure aluminium is required the following mixture is used: three parts of
sodium are mixed with four of powdered cryolite, as before explained, and allowed to
cool; then four parts of aluminium chloride are mixed with it and the two salts are
reduced as before. This mixture being much more fluid, when fused, it allows the
light aluminium to collect and settle.
The mixture of the sodium with the aluminium salts may be done in the cold by
passing the mixture of the salt and the sodium between rolls, the salt is squeezed into
the sodium, and the sodium squeezed thin. The salt is thus brought into sufficiently
intimate contact with the sodium so that there is no explosion on reduction.
For carrying out our invention we use apparatus as hereinafter described.
For heating the sodium and cryolite for mixing, we use a water bath composed of
a circulating boiler and a reservoir, and which boiler may be an ordinary saddle boiler,
as used in water heating apparatus. The reservoir which may be of cast iron is
provided with a cover in which there is a recess to hold the vessel which contains the
mixture to be heated. This vessel, which may also be of cast iron, fits into the recess
above mentioned, and is provided with a lid. The reservoir is furnished with pipes
which connect it with the boiler, both at top and at bottom, for the circulation of the
water. A pipe is fitted in the cover to relieve the apparatus from pressure, and this
pipe-may be continued upwards into the air, so that it may condense the vapour

page_text: passing up it, the water will then return into the reservoir and obviate the constant
necessity of feeding the same. Or the same object may be attained by causing the
pipe to pass, in worm form, through water. The reservoir may stand alongside the
boiler and may be cased with wood, or other suitable material, to prevent radiation as
much as possible.
The furnace for the reduction is a species of reverberatory furnace. The hot
chamber is formed with a cup-shaped' bottom or tank having a plug hole at bottom
on one side. This plug hole may be stopped by a brick and fire clay. Through the
roof of the hot chamber there is a hole which may be covered with a fire lump; into
this hole fits a hopper provided with a cover at top, and with a slide at bottom. This
hopper will hold one batch for reduction, and when full-the furnace having first been
heated to a bright red-the fire lump is withdrawn and the hopper set in the hole in
the hot chamber. The slide is then withdrawn and the mixture allowed to drop into
the furnace. The hopper is then removed and the fire lump replaced over the hole.
After reduction and fusion the plug is withdrawn and the contents received in a
suitable vessel. If it be the alloy, that will go to the bottom, and is easily separated
from the salt. If it be the pure metal, after separation, the adhering salt may be
dissolved off with hot water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In the herein described method or process of manufacturing aluminium, the
intimate mixture of the haloid salts used, with the sodium, said sodium being brought
to a state of fusion for that purpose, or mixed mechanically cold, substantially as
specified.
2. The construction and use of apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described
for the purpose of carrying out the process or method of manufacturing aluminium,
and its alloys, as above specified.
Dated this 9th day of March 1888.
ERNEST DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
68, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicants.