IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING ORES AND EARTHS CONTAINING COPPER FOR SMELTING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas, of Battersea, in the County of Surrey,
Iron Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING ORES
AND EARTHS CONTAINING COPPER FOR SMELTING."
Sealed the 29th April 1864, and dated the 4th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th November 1863.
I, JOHN THOMAS, of Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Iron Founder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING ORES AND EARTHS CONTAINING COPPER FOR SMELTING," to be as
follows:-
The chief object of my Invention is to prepare copper ores and earths
that they may be smelted in a blast furnace, though other reducing furnaces
may be employed. The ores or earths are calcined and washed in any
ordinary manner, and my Invention consists in treating them as follows:-
To 3 parts, more or less, of the calcined ore or mass I add 1 part of clay
or argilaceous earth and about 1 part of lime, and mix this compound with
carbonaceous matter, the quantity of which will depend on the nature of the
I then form the mass into bricks or lumps. When dry I burn the
bricks or lumps in a clamp or kiln such as is used in brick-making, or in a
kiln similar to a cement kiln or lime kiln; or I burn the bricks or lumps in
In
any other manner that will most effectually burn them into clinkers.
this state the ores or earths are ready for smelting; and I prefer to employ for

page_text: that purpose a blast furnace, though any furnace commonly used for smelting
copper may be used. If desired, the first operation of calcining may be
dispensed with, and the ores may be mixed and made into lumps or bricks at
once, but there would be a greater quantity of material to make up without
an increase of produce. Again, the burning of the bricks or lumps may be
dispensed with when the lumps or bricks are to be burned in a kiln
similar to a lime or cement kiln, the carbonaceous matter may be dispensed
with, and instead of mixing the lime with the ores or earths and clay, the
lime or any flux may be afterwards added in the reducing furnace, and then
the proportion of clay would have to be increased.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN THOMAS,
of Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Iron Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Thomas, Her special licence that I, the said John Thomas, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Thomas, my 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
PREPARING ORES AND EARTHS CONTAINING COPPER FOR SMELTING," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Thomas, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 John Thomas, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The chief object of my Invention is to so prepare copper ores and earths and
carbonize them that they may be smelted in a blast furnace, though other
reducing furnaces may be employed, whereby I obtain a larger per-centage
of fine copper from a given quantity of ore or earth, and that by fewer pro-
cesses or manipulations, than heretofore. The ores or earths are calcined and
washed in any ordinary manner, and my Invention consists in treating them
as follows:-
To three parts, more or less, of the calcined ore or mass, I add one part of
clay or argilaceous earth, and about one part of lime, and mix the compound
with carbonaceous matter, the quantity of which will depend on the nature of
the ore.
I then form the inass into bricks or lumps. When dry I burn the
bricks or lumps in a clamp or kiln such as is used in brick-making, or in a
kiln similar to a cement kiln or lime kila; or I burn the bricks or lumps in
any other manner that will most effectually burn them into clinkers. In this
state the ores or earths are ready for smelting; and I prefer to employ for that
purpose a blast furnace, though any furnace commonly used for smelting
copper may be used. If desired, the first operation of calcining may be
dispensed with, and the ores may be mixed and made into lumps or bricks at
once, but there would be a greater quantity of material to make up without
an increase of produce. When the lumps or bricks are to be burned in a
kiln similar to a lime or cement kiln, the carbonaceous matter may be dis-
pensed with, and instead of mixing the lime with the ores or earths
and clay, the lime or any flux may be afterwards added in the reducing
furnace, and then the proportion of clay would have to be increased.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, preparing ores
and earths containing copper by carbonizing the same prior to their being
smelted.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
JOHN THOMAS. (L.B.)