IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING WASTE PRODUCTS AND OTHER MATERIALS CONTAINING ZING FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECOVERING ZINC AND OTHER VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM,
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Boundy, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Metal Broker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING WASTE PRODUCTS AND OTHER MATERIALS CONTAINING ZING FOR
THE PURPOSE OF RECOVERING ZINC AND OTHER VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Boundy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st January 1873.
I, CHARLES BOUNDY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Metal Broker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING WASTE PRODUCTS AND OTHER MATERIALS CONTAINING
ZINC FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECOVERING ZINC AND OTHER VALUABLE PRODUCTS
THEREFROM, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as
follows:-
My Invention has for its object to utilize the alloy produced in the
galvanizing process, and called hard spelter, old zinc, new zinc cuttings,
zinc riddlings from galvanizers, ashes, and other materials containing

page_text: metallic zinc for the purpose of obtaining therefrom the zinc contained
therein as well as other valuable products. This I effect by the method
of treatment, and by the use of the apparatus herein-after described.
The waste product or material to be operated upon is placed at the
top of an incline forming the bed of a muffle or nearly closed chamber,
around or about which heat from a furnace circulates so as to raise the
temperature of the said inclined bed to a point somewhat higher than
the melting point of zinc. At the bottom of the said inclined bed three
or other number of receivers are situated. These receivers consist of
transverse troughs situated on the same level, and terminating at their
ends in hemispherical cups or wells. These receivers are connected at
top by small channels, so that when the first is full it overflows into the
second, and the second when full overflows into the third, and so on.
The liquid metal from the last of these receivers flows into a large hemi-
spherical pan or reservoir made by preference of cast iron and coated
internally with a thin layer of fire-clay. Openings are formed in the
muffle near the top of the inclined bed, and also at its middle and
bottom. There are also openings opposite each of the hemispherical
cups or wells terminating each of the receivers. Access is gained to the
large pan or reservoir by means of an opening at the extreme end of the
apparatus.
In using the apparatus the material containing zinc to be operated
upon is placed at the top of the inclined bed. When the said material
has attained the temperature of the muffle, the zinc contained in it
sweats or oozes out from the said material and runs down the inclined
bed, carrying it any lead which may be contained in the said
material as well as solid particles of foreign matters. The liquid or
molten metal running down the inclined bed collects in the first receiver
where a large portion of the solid matter carried with it falls to the
bottom, the lead constituting the lower stratum of the metal, and the
zinc the upper stratum. The said zinc as the first receiver becomes full
passes to the second receiver, where it undergoes a second spontaneous
separation of the kind already described, the purer zine from the second
receiver passing to the third receiver, and so on. Generally three
receivers are sufficient to effect the most complete separation and
purification which can in this way be effected.
The zinc collected to the final receiver or large pan described may be
cast into ingots, or otherwise in any convenient manner.

page_text: The contents of the several receivers are disturbed as littlo as possible
in order that the spontaneous separation of the metals may not be
interfered with. The first receiver is from time to time emptied through
the opening opposite its well, the liquid contents being recovered by a
ladle, the upper portion or stratum of zinc being poured back, and the
lower stratum cast into ingots and treated a second time.
The solid heavy particles at bottom may be removed by a rake, per-
forated ladle, or otherwise. The contents of the other receivers are
treated in a similar manner.
The lead which when present is obtained from the first receiver is
purified by the ordinary processes. The solid heavy particles from the
receivers having been cast into ingots are mixed with other charges of
the waste material containing zinc, and treated a second time by heat.
When the matter to be operated upon consists wholly or in part of
riddlings from galvanizers' ashes a preliminary treatment is resorted to
prior to the treatment by heat herein-before described. This preliminary
treatment consists in digesting the said ashes in water acidulated with
hydrochloric or other strong acid. The sal ammoniac contained in the
ashes is dissolved, and the oxide of zinc converted (when hydro-chloric
acid is used) into chloride of zinc.
The sal ammoniac and chloride of zinc dissolved in the water may be
separated from the undissolved matter, and the chloride of zinc may be
converted in the ordinary way into a disinfectant, or oxide of zinc may
be obtained therefrom by precipitation with lime. After the materials
have been mainly exhausted of their zinc by the treatment described,
the last remaining portions of the metal are extracted therefrom by
subjecting the said materials to a distillatory process similar to that
resorted to in the manufacture of zinc.
0.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Boundy in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 24th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BOUNDY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Metal Broker,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Boundy, Her special license
that I, the said Charles Boundy, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Boundy, 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
TREATING WASTE PRODUCTS AND OTHER MATERIALS CONTAINING ZINC FOR THE
PURPOSE OF RECOVERING ZINC AND OTHER VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Boundy, 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 Charles Boundy, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object to utilize the alloy produced in the
galvanizing process and called hard spelter, and also to utilize old zinc,
new zinc cuttings, zine riddlings from galvanizers' ashes, and other
materials containing metallic zinc, for the purpose of obtaining therefrom
the zinc contained therein as well as other valuable products. This I
effect by the method of treatment and by the use of the apparatus
herein-after described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
The waste product or material to be operated upon is placed at the
top of an incline forming the bed of a muffle or nearly closed chamber,
around or about which heat from a furnace circulates so as to raise the
temperature of the said inclined bed to a point somewhat higher than the
melting point of zinc. At the bottom of the said inclined bed three or

page_text: other number of receivers are situated. These receivers consist of
transverse troughs situated on the same level and terminating at their
ends in hemispherical cups or wells. These receivers are connected at
top by small channels, so that when the first is full it overflows into the
second, and the second when full overflows into the third, and so on.
The liquid metal from the last of these receivers flows into a large hemi-
spherical pan or reservoir made by preference of cast iron, and coated
internally with a thin layer of fire-clay. Openings are formed in the
muffle near the top of the inclined bed and also at its middle and
bottom. There are also openings opposite each of the hemispherical
cups or wells terminating each of the receivers. Access is gained to the
large pan or reservoir by means of an opening at the extreme end of the
apparatus.
The apparatus which I employ in treating waste products and other
materials containing zinc, for the purpose of recovering zinc and other
valuable products therefrom is represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
Figure 1 represents the apparatus or furnace in side elevation;
Figure 2 represents the same in end elevation; Figure 3 represents a
longitudinal vertical section of the same taken on the line A, B,
Figure 2; Figure 4 is a tranverse section of the same taken on the
line C, D, Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the
same taken on the line E, F, Figure 2; the same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
a is a muffle or nearly closed chamber, the bed 6 of which is inclined;
c is a fire-place, the flame and heat from which passing along the flue d
and over the arched tope of the muffle a effect the heating of the
said muffle, the smoke and products of combustion escaping by the
chimney f; g, h, i, are receivers at the bottom of the inclined bed b.
The shape and position of these receivers are shown in the Drawing.
The receivers g, h, i, are respectively provided at one end with hemi-
spherical cups or wells g, h, 22. The receivers g, h, i, are connected
together by small channels k, l, so that the liquid metal which has been
sweated or melted from the material operated upon at the top of the
inclined bed b, after running down the said bed, first fills the receiver
and well g, gå, and afterwards running through the channel fills the
receiver and well h, 2, and afterwards running through the channel /
fills the receiver and well i, . The liquid metal from the last receiver

page_text: and well i,, passes through the channel m into the pan or reservoir n
which may be kept hot by a fire on the fire-place p. q, r, 8, are
openings at the top, middle, and bottom respectively of the muffle or
closed chamber a for gaining access to the said muffle or chamber.
t, u, v, are openings for gaining access to the receivers g, h, i, respectively,
and their wells; wo is an opening for gaining access to the pan or
rerervoir n.
In conducting my new or improved process by the use of the
apparatus described and represented, the material containing zinc to be
operated upon is placed at the top of the inclined bed b. When
the said material has attained the temperature of the muffle, the
zinc contained in it sweats or oozes out from the said material and
runs down the said inclined bed b, carrying with it any lead which may
be contained in the said material, as well as solid particles of foreign
matters. The liquid or molten metal running down the inclined bed b
collects in the first receiver g, 9%, where a large portion of the solid
matter carried with it falls to the bottom, the lead constituting the
lower stratum of metal, and the zinc the upper stratum. The said zinc
as the first receiver g, g³, becomes full, passes by the channel k to
the second receiver h, h2, where it undergoes a second spontaneous
separation of the kind already described, the purer zinc from the second
receiver h, h³, passing by the channel to the third receiver i, 3, and
from thence by a channel m to the pan or reservoir n. Generally
three receivers are sufficient to effect the most completo separation
and purification which can in this way be effected.
The zinc collected in the final receiver or large pan n may be cast into
ingots or otherwise in any convenient manner.
The contents of the several receivers are disturbed as little as
possible in order that the spontaneous separation of the metals may not
be interfered with. The first receiver g, g³, is from time to time emptied
through the opening opposite its well, the liquid contents being
removed by a ladle, the upper portion or stratum of zinc being
poured back and the lower stratum cast into ingots and treated a second
time.
The solid heavy particles at bottom may be removed by a rake,

page_text: The lead which when present is obtained from the first receiver g, g³,
is purified by the ordinary processes. The solid heavy particles from
the receivers having been cast into ingots are mixed with other charges
of the waste material containing zinc, and treated a second time by heat
upon the inclined bed b.
After the materials have been mainly exhausted of their zinc by the
treatment by heat described, the last remaining portions of the metal are
extracted therefrom by subjecting the said materials to a distillatory
process similar to that resorted to in the manufacture of zinc.
When the matter to be operated upon consists wholly or in part of
riddlings from galvanizers' ashes a preliminary treatment is resorted to
prior to the treatment by heat herein-before described. This preliminary
treatment consists in digesting the said ashes in water acidulated with
hydrochloric or other mineral acid. The sal ammoniac contained in the
ashes is dissolved, and the oxide of zinc converted (when hydrochloric
acid is used) into chloride of zinc.
The sal ammoniac and chloride of zinc dissolved in the water may be
separated from the undissolved matter, and the chloride of zinc may be
converted in the ordinary way into a disinfectant, or oxide of zinc may
be obtained therefrom by precipitation with lime.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the sanic is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention,--
Firstly. The improvements in treating waste products containing zinc,
such, for example, as the alloy produced in the ordinary galvanizing
process, and called hard spelter, and other materials containing zinc, for
the purpose of recovering zinc and other valuable products therefrom,
hercin-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing,
that is to say, exposing to heat the said hard spelter and waste products,
and other materials containing zinc, in a muffle or nearly closed chamber
having an inclined bed, the impure zine melted from the said materials
being collected in a series of receivers, in which a separation or partial
separation and purification of the zinc and other materials is effected,
the process being conducted substantially as herein-before described.
.

page_text: Secondly. The apparatus to be employed in conducting the process
described, the parts of the said apparatus being constructed and arranged
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
Danving Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Boundy, have hereunto set 5
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
CHARLES BOUNDY.
(L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN OWEN,
Clerk of the Peace
for the County of Pembroke.