IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SMELTING OR EXTRACTING IRON, COPPER, OR OTHER METALS FROM THEIR CRES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Stone, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR SMELTING OR EXTRACTING IRON, COPPER, OR OTHER
METALS FROM THEIR CRES."
ealed the 28th May 1875, and dated the 14th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Stone at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th December 1874.
I, ROBERT STONE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SMELTING OR EXTRACTING IRON, COPPER, OR
OTHER METALS FROM THEIR ORES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for
extracting iron and other metals from their ores, particularly applicable
to the smelting of metals from their ores, when such metals shall have
been treated in manner described in Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me bearing date the First day of October 1874, No. 3356. In

page_text: addition to the ingredients mentioned in the Invention and Letters
Patent referred to I add any of the salts that give off oxygen when
heated, such as the nitrates, chlorides, chromates, manganates, and
stannates in a pulverized state, which I combine and mingle with the
fuel, ore and spirit, or oil and tar, and mould into blocks for use. Borax
may also be added to the blocks before described, either with the other
salts or separately

page_text: and worked by a suitable system of levers and rods. The pipes may be
provided with cones at their entrance to the cupola. The pipes lead
down the sides of the cupola and join the blast pipe near the bottom of
the cupola. The blast pipes are provided with nozzles which enter the
down draught pipes and act so as to cause a vacuum in the down draught
pipe which is immediately filled by the waste gases, which said gases are
returned to the furance. Constant circulation of the waste heat and
gases is thus kept up. Where steam or steam and gas is applied the
same may be introduced by a pipe passing through the blast pipe or by
a separate pipe. Where steam is applied in combination with oxygen
generated by heat from any of the known salts before mentioned, the
salts may be dissolved and treated in a boiler provided with a stirrer or
agitator, and the gases thus obtained mingle with the steam. Where
hydrocarbon oil or spirit is introduced the same may be passed through
a pipe having an internal steam pipe with suitable nozzle, or the oil may.
be drawn up a vertical pipe by the action of a jet of steam through a
horizontal pipe. The oil and steam mingle and produce a flame of great
intensity. An apparatus, being an exhaust fan or pump of suitable
description, may be used in connection with the down pipes to ensure the
the down draught and circulation of waste gases and heat.
Referring to the part of this Invention which relates to the utilization
of the waste heat for heating the blast applied to furnaces, an apparatus
for carrying this object into effect consists of a chamber or vessel into
which the blast is introduced, which acts as a receiver. The waste heat
from the cupola is conducted by pipes or flues round this receiver, by
preference through flues having a spiral direction round the said.
chamber or receiver and terminating in a chimney. The blast so heated
is then conducted by suitable pipes to the furnace.
Another method of carrying this part of my Invention into operation
may consist in leading the wasto heat from the furnace into a chamber
or fluc in which is placed a system of coiled pipe through which the
blast passes on its way to the furnace; the said heating chamber may be
provided with a suitable chimney.
In smelting iron or other metals according to the beforegoing method
any ordinary description of closed cupola furnace may be used, the pipes
and apparatus described being fitted to such cupola. The top of the
cupola may be fitted with an escape valve or door.

page_text: As metal ores treated according to this Invention are smelted with
greater rapidity than by cupolas now in use, I prefer to have a reservoir
furnace provided with an agitator or mechanical puddler working
therein, into which reservoir furnace one or more cupolas may deliver
their moulten metal. This reservoir furnace I use for fining purposes
by the introduction of blasts of heated air or otherwise, as will be
understood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Stone in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 12th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
STONE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Stone, Her special
licence that I, the said Robert Stone, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Stone, 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 THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SMELTING OR EXTRACTING IRON, COPPER, OR
OTHER METALS FROM THEIR ORES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Stone, 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.
MATY
NAM
11
+

page_text: through the moulten, iron which falls in sheets or sprays from the terra
cotta channels, which are used to conduct the moulten metal from the
cupola to the refining furnace as herein-after described.
Fifthly. Apparatus and arrangement of same for carrying the before-
mentioned methods under the first, second, third, and fourth heads into
operation.
An apparatus constructed according to this Invention in connection
with cupolas or furnaces for smelting iron or other metals, consists of a
suitable number (by preference four) of vertical down draught pipes
connected with and opening into the cupola at the top thereof. These
pipes are fitted at the top with escape valves which may be weighted
and worked by a suitable system of levers and rods. The pipes may bo
provided with cones at their entrance to the cupola. The pipes lead down
the sides of the cupola and join the blast pipe near the bottom of the
cupola. The blast pipes are provided with nozzles which enter the down
draught pipes, and act so as to cause a vacuum in the down draught pipe
which is immediately filled by the waste gases, which said gases aro
returned to the furnace. Constant circulation of the waste heat and gases
is thus kept up. Where steam or steam and gas is applied the same may be
introduced by a pipe passing through the blast pipe or by a separate pipe."
Where steam is applied in combination with oxygen generated by heat
from any of the known salts before mentioned, the salts may be dissolved
and treated in a boiler provided with a stirrer or agitator, and the gases
thus obtained mingle with the steam. Where hydrocarbon oil or spirit
is introduced the same may be passed through a pipe having an internal
steam pipe with suitable nozzle, or the oil may be drawn up a vertical
pipe by the action of a jet of steam through a horizontal pipe. The oil
and steam mingle and produce à flame of great intensity. An apparatus
being an exhaust fan or pump of suitable description may be used in
connection with the down pipes to ensure the down draught and
circulation of waste gases and heat. To start the cupola I build a
perforated timber shaft in the centre thereof to ensure the draught and
enable the mass to ignite.
Referring to the part of this Invention which relates to the utilization
of the waste heat for heating the blast applied to furnaces, an apparatus
for carrying this object into effect consists of a chamber or vessel into
which the blast is introduced which acts as a receiver. The waste heat
from the cupola is conducted by pipes or flues round this receiver, by

page_text: preference through flucs having a spiral direction round the `said
chamber or receiver, and terminating in a chimney. The blast so heated
is then conducted by suitable pipes to the furnace.
Another method of carrying this part of my Invention into operation
may consist in leading the waste heat from the furnace into a chamber
or flue in which is placed a system of coiled pipe through which the
blast passes on its way to the furnace; the said heating chamber may be
provided with a suitable chimney.
-
In smelting iron or other metals according to the beforegoing method.
any ordinary description of closed cupola furnace may be used, the
pipes and apparatus described being fitted to such cupola. The top of
the cupola may be fitted with an escape valve or door.
As metal ores treated according to this Invention are smelted with
greater rapidity than by the cupolas now in use, I use a reservoir or
refining furnace which may be provided with an agitator or mechanical
puddler working therein, or the reservoir or refining furnace may bo
fitted with terra cotta conduits, or channelling so arranged that the
moulten iron is fed into the refining furnace from the cupola through
such conduits. The moulten iron overflows and falls in sprays or sheets
into the refining furnace. The waste gases act on the iron whilst falling
in a sheet or spray.
Into this reservoir furnace one or more cupolas
may deliver their moulten metal; into this furnace I introduce sprays
or jets of hydrocarbon oil or spirit, so that the heat and gases generated
by such oil or spirit will act on the moulten metal as it is being fed into
the furnace.
The beforegoing being the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention, I will now proceed to describe more in detail how the same
may be carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have
hereunto attached three Sheets of Drawings marked with letters and
figures of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
drawn to the scale of half an inch to the foot.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional elevation of a cupola or blast furnace
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2, Sheet 2, is a plan of
Figure 1; Figure 3, Sheet 2, is a plan of reservoir or refining furnace
in connection with cupola or blast furnace; Figure 4, Sheet 2, is a plan
of blast heating and ore drying furnace, shown broken off for the
convenience of space; Figure 5, Sheet 3, is a sectional elevation of the

page_text: 3
refining furnace, as shown at Figure 3, Sheet 2; Figure 6, Sheet 3, is a
cross section of Figure 5; Figure 7, Sheet 3, is a cross section of blast
heating and ore drying furnace, as shown at Figure 4.
Upon referenco to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that A is a
cupola or blast furnace; A¹, brickwork, and A² iron casing of same;
B, B, B, B, are vertical down draught pipes opening into the cupola at
the top at C and fitted with weighted escape valves D. The pipes B
lead down the sides of the cupola and join one main pipe E. The blast
pipes F are provided with nozzles and enter the pipe E directly under
the pipes B. Where steam or steam and gas are introduced they may
pass through a pipe fitted to the provision G on the pipe F. Hydrocarbon
oil or spirit may also be introduced through the same pipe or through a
pipo having an internal steam pipe, or it may be drawn up and driven into
the furnace by the action of a jet of steam. H is a cone on top of
furnace worked by a suitable lever and gear; K, a tramway for trucks
for feeding furnaces.
Referring to Figures 3, 5, and 6, it will be seen that L are conduits or
channels leading from the cupola or blast furnace to the refining
furnace. The moulten metal overflows these conduits and falls in layers
or sprays into the refining furnace. The waste gas is led from the
cupola through the pipe R, Figures 3 and 5, and passes into the refining
furnace through the flue S and over the moulten metal in the furnace T
and out through the chimney T". Hydrocarbon oil or spirit may be
introduced through the flue S in manner similar to the gas. Tho
hydrocarbon oil or spirit may be supplied from a tank at a superior
level, so that the oil will be driven into the furnace. Fuel may be
supplied to the furnace through the opening U so as to intensify the
heat, and a mechanical agitator or stirrer may be applied through the
same opening. The metal is drawn from the refining furnace through
the metal holes V.
Referring to Figures 4 and 7 it will be seen that M is a blast heating
furnace, above which is built N an oven or furnace for drying the oro
which is run in on trucks O. The blast pipe P leads from the blowing
engines through the blast heating furnace, and from thence to the
cupola where it joins the main blowing pipe and the nozzles or
uyeres.
Referring to that part of my Invention which relates to the

page_text: :
conduct the waste heat from the top of the cupola through a pipe W
which opens into the blast heating furnace M, Figures 4 and 7, and from
thence to a suitable chimney heating the blast pipe P in its passage.
A modification of this arrangement may consist of a chamber or
vessel placed in the furnace M through which the blast passes. The
said chamber acts as a receiver and the waste heat is conducted by
suitable pipes or flues round this receiver, and the blast so heated is then
led to the furnace.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature, object, and
purposes of this my Invention and shown how the same may be carried
out into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that what I claim as
my Invention and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,—
Firstly. The improvements in the method of smelting or extracting
iron, copper, and other metals from their ores, substantially in the
manner and as described in the beforegoing Specification.
Secondly. The improvements in and apparatus connected with
furnaces or cupolas for smelting iron or other metals, substantially as
shown at Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The improvements in and connected with refining furnaces
for refining iron and other metals, substantially as shown at Figures 3,
5, and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly. The improvements in the method of and apparatus for
heating blasts of air as applied to cupolas or blast furnaces, sub-
stantially as shown at Figures 4 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly. The improved combined furnace for heating the blast
and drying ore, as shown at Figures 4 and 7 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Stone, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five. ;
ROBERT
(Tα) STONE
ROBERT (L.S.) STONE.