and Desulphurizing of Ores or Minerals.
Year: 1885

page_text: and Desulphurizing of Ores or Minerals.
I GEORGE ATTWOOD, of 26 Ulster Place, Regents Park, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Mining Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD AND MEANS FOR THE CONTINUOUS
OXIDIZING AND DESULPHURIZING OF ORES OR MINERALS to be as follows:-
"
"
My Invention relates to and comprises an improved method for the continuous
oxidizing and desulphurizing of ores and particularly of silver and gold bearing
minerals, and preparing them so that the metals may be extracted by subsequent
processes; and also improved means for putting the said method into practise,
consisting of a furnace having one or more fire-places in the base and an orifice or
orifices through which the product of the furnace may be withdrawn as fast as it is
in the proper condition.
The body of my improved furnace and its opening may be made of any suitable
or desired shape; that to which I now give preference is a kiln shaped furnace
having fire-places situated near or about its base, with passages through which the
flame and heat from the fuel which is employed in the fire-places may be admitted
into the furnace chamber, and I proceed as follows:--
I first reduce the gold or silver bearing ore or mineral to sizes which may be from
that of a grain of wheat to 3 or 4 inches, this depending upon its composition―
and the ease or difficulty with which it will be affected by the heat. I then
deposit this prepared mineral or ore in the furnace in layers which may be from
two inches to three feet or more in thickness, and between each layers of ore
I place a layer of wood, charcoal, mineral, coal, coke, or other combustible. The
furnace is charged from the top in this manner until it is full, and fires being
lighted upon the grates, the heat supplied from this source is supplemented to that
caused by the combustion of the fuel which is mixed with the ore.
As fast as the mineral has been sufficiently subjected to the heat and is in a
condition ready for further treatment it is withdrawn through a discharge opening

page_text: at the bottom of the furnace chamber, and simultaneously with the withdrawal of
this ore from the bottom, new ore and fuel are supplied at the top and the operation
then becomes continuous.
The soda and potash which are contained in the ashes of the fuel used with the
ore, mix with it as it is withdrawn and are of great assistance in the further
treatment to which the ore may be subjected, either by the aid of mercury or by
means of nascent chlorine gas or other solvents which may be used, either in
amalgamating machines or in leaching vessels.

page_text: ARCGIS FUT the Continuous Oxidizing
and Desulphurizing of Ores or Minerals.
I GEORGE ATTWOOD of 26 Ulster Place Regents Park London in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Mining Engineer do hereby declare the nature of iny
invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD AND MEANS FOR THE CONTINUOUS OXIDIZING
AND DESULPHURIZING OF ORES OR MINERALS and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My Invention relates to and comprises an improved method for the continuous
oxidising and desulphurizing of ores and particularly of silver and gold bearing
minerals, and preparing them so that the metals may be extracted by subsequent
processes; and also improved means for putting the said method into. practise,
consisting of a furnace having one or more fire places in the base, and an orifice or
orifices through which the product of the furnace may be withdrawn as fast as
it is in the proper condition."
The body of my improved furnace and its opening may be made of any suitable
or desired shape; that to which I now give preference is a kiln shaped furnace,
having fire places situated near or about its base, with passages through which the
flame and heat from the fuel which is employed in the fire places may be admitted
into the furnace chamber.
Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my
invention
Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through Y Y Fig. 3.
Fig. 2. is a vertical section through X X Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. is a horizontal section taken through the base of the furnace, the upper
part of the fire places and the discharge opening.
A is the body of my furnace the opening of which may be made of any suitable
or desired shape.
In the present case I have shown it in the form of a kiln having the fire places
BB situated near or about its base with passages C through which the flame
and heat from the fuel which is employed in the fire places may be admitted into
the furnace Chamber. I proceed as follows.
The gold or silver bearing ore or mineral is first reduced to sizes which may be
from that of a grain of wheat to 3 or 4 inches, this depending upon its composition
and the ease or difficulty with which it will be affected by the heat. The prepared
mineral or ore is then deposited in the furnace in layers which may be from two
inches to three feet or more in thickness and between each layer of ore a layer of
wood, charcoal, mineral Coal, coke or other combustible material is laid. The
furnace is charged from the top in this manner until it is full and fires being lighted
upon the grates, the heat supplied from this source is supplemented to that caused
by the combustion of the fuel which is mixed with the ore.
As fast as the mineral has been sufficiently subjected to the heat and in a
condition ready for further treatment it is withdrawn through a discharge

page_text: opening D at the bottom of the furnace chamber. As fast as the ore is withdrawn
from the bottom, new ore and fuel are supplied at the top and the operation then
becomes continuous.
The soda and potash which are contained in the ashes of the fuel used with the
ore, mix with it as it is withdrawn and are of great assistance in the further
treatment to which the ore may be subjected either by the aid of mercury or by
means of nascent chlorite gas or other solvents which may be used, either in
amalgamating machines or in leaching vessels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method herein described for the continuous working of the ores of
precious metals, consisting in first reducing the orc to small particles, then placing
it in a vertical furnace chamber with alternate layers of fuel until the chamber is
filled, and subjecting the whole to the flame and heat of this fuel and also that of
one or more fire places opening in the lower part of the furnace Chamber, whereby
the ore is roasted and at the same time combined with a certain proportion of
potash or soda, substantially as herein described.
2. A furnace for the continuous working of gold and silver bearing ores or
minerals consisting of a vertical chamber, one or more fire places, and having a dis-
charge opening from which the ore may be drawn as fast as completed substantially
as herein described.