MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN. ORES CONTAINING METALS, AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1861

page_text: MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN. ORES CONTAINING METALS, AND IN
OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM."
Sealed the 24th October 1861, and dated the 1st May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Laing and Israel
Swindells at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Pétition, on the 1st May 1861.
We, ROBERT LAING, of Ince, near Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist, and ISRAEL SWINDELLS, of Wigan, in the same
County, Consulting Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN O&ES CONTAINING
METALS, AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to certain methods or processes for obtaining copper
and other metallic products from their ores; and consists, firstly, in the appli-
cation of steam for the more effectual separation of the metals in a soluble
state. For this purpose, after crushing the ore, we roast or calcine it, if a
sulphuret, in a kiln or close furnace that we may collect the gases, which we
apply as herein-after described, or we use the burned ores after being used.
in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. We place these calcined or burned
[Price 8d 1

page_text: ores in any convenient vessel, and apply steam, digesting for two
hours, the time required depending upon the amount of heat employed, and
the quantity of ore to be operated upon at one time.
Secondly, in the application of acid gases for the purpose of oxidising and
rendering soluble the various metals contained in the ores; we place the
ore in heaps on water-tight foundations, after the previous process of washing,
to any convenient depth, and convey the gases to these heaps in any con-
venient manner, supplying them with steam; and further, in the case of
sulphurous or nitrous acid gases, we add a large supply of atmospheric air.
We also from time to time wash down the soluble portions of the metals; we
also apply the gases to carbonates or other ores not being sulphurets.
Thirdly, we use the acid gases going to waste in the manufacture of sul-
phurous or sulphuric acids, and in the manufacture of salt cake, employing
them in the manner above described, and for the same purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Laing and Israel Swindells in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
LAING, of Ince, near Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing
Chemist, and ISRAEL SWINDELLS, of Wigan, in the same County, Consulting
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto us,
the said Robert Laing and Israel Swindells, Her special licence that we, the
said Robert Laing and Israel Swindells, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Laing and Israel Swindells, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at 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 THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN
ORES CONTAINING METALS, AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert Laing and Israel-
Swindells, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under.

page_text: our, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 we, the said Robert. Laing and Israel Swindells, do
hereby declare the nature of our said 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 improvements refer to the extraction of copper and other metals from
ores containing these metals, and consist in the application of acids in the
gaseous state for the purpose of oxidizing and rendering soluble the various
metals contained in the ores, and further, in economising the gases which
usually go to waste in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and in the manu-
facture of salt cake, by applying these gases to the same purpose.
These improvements apply to ores commonly called sulphurets. to carbo-
nates, to arseniates, and to ores partly or wholly in a state of oxide, or partly
in a metallic state; they further apply to ores which have been burnt for the
extraction of sulphur in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and they may be.
economically applied to "regulus," especially to that of a low per-centage of
copper.
It is well known that in the manufacture of sulphuric acid a portion of the
gas passes through the leaden chamber, and that various means are employed
to condense this in separate apparatus. It is ascertained that notwith-
standing a portion still escapes, and is allowed to pass into the atmosphere.
It is well known that what escapes contains a large proportion of nitrous acid
gas.
It is also well known that in the manufacture of salt cake a portion of
the hydrochloric acid gas goes to waste.
In treating raw ores, we crush or reduce to a convenient size, and if a
sulphuret, we roast or calcine in a kiln or close furnace to burn off the sul-
hur, whence we collect the gases, which we treat in the ordinary mode for
making sulphuric acid. During this process we apply a portion of the gases
or the reduction of the ores in the manner herein-after described.
We find the following to be a convenient method for effecting the separation
of the soluble parts of the metals:-We place these calcined or burnt ores in
ny convenient vessel, and apply steam, digesting for two or more hours, the
ime required depending upon the amount of heat employed, and the quantity
f ore to be operated upen at one time. We then add a supply of water, and
y means of the steam boil the mass for an hour or two; we then draw off

page_text: the liquid, and repeat the washing process until the solution becomes very
weak. When this is accomplished we remove the ore to be afterwards
treated with the gases, as herein-after described. This preliminary process of
washing is not essential to the application of the gases.
In carrying out our improvements, we do not claim any particular mode or
form of apparatus for applying the gases; this may be effected by the fol-
lowing methods or similar processes-First, by placing the ores in heaps on
water-tight foundations, as described in the Specification of the Patent granted
to the said Robert Laing, and bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of
February, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and numbered 514.
Secondly, but we prefer to place the ore in towers constructed of sufficient
size for the free passage of the gases, say, about three yards wide and about
four or five yards high; these dimensions may be varied according to cir-
cumstances. The towers may be built either of stone or of bricks which will
resist the action of the acids. We line the bottom with lead, which may be
carried up for two or three feet, forming a vessel to receive the liquid flowing
from the ore. Above the bottom, at about two or two and a half feet distant,
we place a perforated bottom upon which the ore rests. Into this lower space
we introduce a pipe or pipes to conduct the gases, also a pipe to supply steam;
and we provide an opening of sufficient size in order to remove the ore after
the metals have been abstracted, which opening we close during the action of
the gases. At or near the top we provide an opening for charging the tower
with the ore; we also introduce a pipe or pipes for the gas, and further make
provision to supply a stream of water when necessary. The gases may be
made to pass either up or down the tower.
Instead of the washing process separately described, nearly the same effect
may be produced by passing a large volume of steam up the tower for several
hours, and, if necessary, to follow this part of the process by washing down
with a stream of water so as to separate the parts of the metals already soluble
before applying the gases. We collect the liquid flowing from the tower, and
afterwards effect the separation of the metals by any of the well-known
methods. We apply the gases in like manner to carbonates and other ores
not being sulphurets.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be dis-
tinctly understood that we do not limit ourselves to any particular mode of
operation either in washing or in applying the gases; but we claim the appli-
cation of gases for the reduction of metals to a soluble condition, and further,
for the same purpose, the use and application of gases which have hitherto

page_text: manufacture of salt cake, employing them in the manner and for the purposes
herein described.
In witness whercof, I. the said Robert Laing, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Israel Swindells, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Robert Laing, in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
ROBT. LAING. (L.S.)