IMPROVEMENTS BURNING PYRITES AND IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH PYRITES BURNERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Bramwell of St Helens in the County
Lancaster, Alkali Manufacturer for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS
BURNING PYRITES AND IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH PYRITES BURNERS
1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Bramwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th June 1882.
EDWARD BRAMWELL of St Helens in the County of Lancaster Alkali Manu-
facturer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING PYRITES AND IN AND IN CONNECTION
WITH PYRITES BURNERS
ور
By pyrites I mean any mineral or other substance containing sulphur.
The main objects of my invention are (1) to burn off more completely than has
been hitherto done the sulphur contained in pyrites; (2) to obtain sulphurous acid
with less admixture of air thus rendering it more available for use in manufactures;
(3) to facilitate charging and discharging of the burners without interrupting the
process, (4) to prevent escape of sulphurous acid gas from the burners into the
atmosphere, and (5) to economize labour, more particularly from completing the
burning on the one bed.
Under the first part. I cause air to support combustion to pass from one quantity
of pyrites, or like substance in which the sulphur is being burned to another in
such manner that the said air shall first pass through amongst over or in contact
with the pyrites most highly charged with sulphur, thence over or in contact with
pyrites less highly charged until the said air containing a large quantity of
sulphurous acid shall finally pass away over or from exhausted pyrites or pyrites
containing but little sulphur. The draft of a chimney such as is ordinarily used in
sulphuric acid making is used to draw the air through over or in contact with the
several charges
Under the second part. Pyrites burners are arranged in a series either circularly
side by side in parallel rows or in any other desired way and air to support.
combustion is caused to flow through the said burners in series so that the same air
shall act successively on the pyrites contained in each burner.

page_text: Under the third part. Pyrites burners arranged in series are so connected by
pipes ways or passages that each burner may be made in turn the first, intermediate
or last of the series. The air for supporting combustion may enter and circulate
with the gases as in the first part of my invention or they may be made to
circulate from the weak ores or substances onwards to the raw ones or in any
desired direction or order.
The improvements above setforth are more especially applicable where the
pyrites or like sulphurous substance is in a more or less tinely divided condition
known as smalls. Openings or doors are provided in the burners through which air
can be admitted at any point in any desired quantity if necessary.
The grates
or beds supporting the pyrites and the charging and discharging doors are of any
usual or suitable kind.
It will be evident that when sulphuric acid is to be made any usual or

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Bramwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1882.
EDWARD BRAMWELL of St Helens in the County of Lancaster, Alkali Manu-
facturer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING PYRITES AND IN CONNECTION WITH PYRITES
BURNERS
"
By pyrites I mean any mineral or other substance containing sulphur.
The main objects of my invention are (1) to burn off more completely than has
been hitherto done the sulphur contained in pyrites (2) to obtain sulphurous acid
with less admixture of air thus rendering it more available for use in manufactures
(3) to facilitate charging and discharging of the burners without interrupting the
process (4) to prevent escape of sulphurous acid gas from the burners into the
atmosphere, and (5) to economize labour more particularly from completing the
burning on the one bed.
Under the first part I cause air to support combustion to pass from one quantity
of pyrites or like substance in which the sulphur is being burned to another in
such manner that the said air shall first pass through amongst, over or in contact
with the pyrites most highly charged with sulphur thence over or in contact with
pyrites less highly charged until the said air containing a large quantity of
sulphurous acid shall finally pass away over or from exhausted pyrites or pyrites
containing but little sulphur. The draft of a chimney such as is ordinarily used in
sulphuric acid making a fan or like means is used to draw the air through over or
in contact with the several charges
Under the second part. Pyrites burners are arranged in a series either circularly
side by side in parallel rows or in any other desired way and air to support
combustion is caused to flow through the said burners in series so that the same
air shall act successively on the pyrites contained in each burner.
Under the third part. Pyrites burners arranged in series are so connected by
pipes ways or passages that each burner may be made in turn the first, intermediate
or last of the series.
The air for supporting combustion may enter and circulate with the gases, as in
the first part of my invention or they may be made to circulate from the weak
ores or substances onwards to the raw ones or in any desired direction or order.
The improvements above setforth are more especially applicable where the
pyrites or like sulphurous substance is in a more or less finely divided condition
known as smalls. Openings or doors are provided in the burners through which
air can be admitted at any point in any desired quantity if necessary
The grates
or beds supporting the pyrites and the charging and discharging doors are of any
usual or suitable kind.
It will be evident that when sulphuric acid is to be made any usual or
convenient method of nitre burning may be adopted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig 1 is a longitudinal section at the line A A. Fig 2 a transverse section at the
line B. B. and Fig 3 a horizontal section at the line C C of a pyrites burner con-
structed under my invention for burning pyrites according to my improved system.
a outer walls. b division walls. c top or roof. d. d'. d² d³. d. d³ burners, e hearths
constructed in any suitable manner. f longitudinal passage extending from end to
end of the series of burners. The top of the passage is formed by the hearths e.
g bottom of passage formed of tiles or in any convenient manner. h fire or charging
and discharging doors. i.,,.,,, dampers,j passage leading from the burner d.
to the passage f. k passage leading from the passage to the burner d³, le uptake
leading from the passage k to the main pipe m. 1, 12, 1, 1, 1, 1 uptakes leading from

page_text: the burners d, d¹, d², d³, d³, d³ respectively to the main pipe m. n. n', n², n³, n¹, n³, nº,
dampers for opening and closing the passage from the main pipe m to the various
uptakes 1. 1111311 16. The burners are constructed of brickwork in the usual
way and the uptakes and main pipe are preferably of cast iron.
The pyrites to be burned is placed on the hearths d. d d. ds. d. d lighted and
allowed to burn in the usual way the combustion being assisted by the admission
of more or less air through the charging doors as required. As shown in fig 3 it
is supposed that pyrites in the burner d' has been completely burned and that the
said burner is being re-charged; in this case the damper 2 is closed, all the rest of
the dampers i are open, the damper n² is open and the rest of the dampers n closed.
As shown by the arrows combustion commences in the newly charged chamber d
and the sulphurous acid and products of combustion travel through the passages f
k. and j. to the burner d³ thence through the burners d. ds and to the uptake ľ
and main pipe m. When the pyrites in d² is completely burned and the burner d¹
re charged the dampers 3. n are closed and the dampers in³ opened. The
sulphurous acid and products of combustion now travel from d¹ through dj f. k. d
and d to d³ and thence through 13 to the main pipe m. The burner d² is meantime
cut off from the series and can be discharged and recharged at pleasure. It will
be obvious that with the hereinbefore described arrangement of burners passages.
and dampers that any burner may be made the first, intermediate or last of the
series and that the pyrites strongest in sulphur first receives air to support com-
bustion and that as the air becomes more and more charged with sulphurous acid
it passes over partly burned pyrites or pyrites containing less and less sulphur.
This is the order of working under the first part of my invention but under the
third part they may circulate from weak to fresh ores or in any other way.
It will be evident that more than six burners may be arranged to work in series
also that the series of burners may be arranged back to back or that the burners
may be arranged to form a circle or curve. The series as will be obvious may
consist of less than six burners:
Fig 4 is a longitudinal elevation of a kiln in which the passage fis made to
serve as a hearth the gases from the top burners travelling over the burning
pyrites in the longitudinal passage whilst on their way from end to end of the
series as herein before described. The burners herein shown and described have.
fire or charging and discharging doors at each side.
My invention is suited for blende, galena, and composite ores.
Having now particularized and described the said invention (which I have
denominated Bramwells circulating burner for sulphur ores) in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry my improvements into effect I claim :-
First. Burning pyrites by making the air to support combustion to travel with
the products from burner to burner substantially as set forth under the first part.
Second. Pyrites burners arranged in series in such manner that the same air
shall act on the pyrites in each burner in circulating succession substantially as set-
forth.
Third. The combination of a series of pyrites burners with passages or ways and
dampers all so arranged that each burner may become in turn the first intermediate
and last of the series substantially as setforth.
In Witness Whereof I the said Edward Bramwell have hereunto set my hand
and seal this sixth day of December in the year of Our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.