US1198434A - Copper-refining. - Google Patents

Description

u. A. GARRED. COPPER REFINING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26. I9I6. n 1,198,434 I Parentedsept. 19,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

U. A. GARRED.

COFFEE REFINING;

APPLICATION FILED APR.26. i916. 1,198,434. Patenasepn.19,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 251/5565 f1' Gar/ed- U. A. GARRED.

COPPER 'REF|N'|NG. n APPLICATION FILED APII.26, |916.

' '3 SHEETSSHEET 3- dz# y lyssesarfeduLYssEs A. GAERED, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

COPPER-REFINING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

p Patented sept. 19, 191e.

Application led April 26, 1916. Serial No. 93,728.-

To all whom/.t may concern:

Be it known that I,.ULYssEs A. GARRED,

la citizen of the United States, residing at NewYork, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Copper- Refining, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming:

sought being to subject the impure metal to successive refining operations which shall involve a minimum amountl of handling and labor, andwith a viewof obtaining a nal product of copperl practicallystripped of all' impurities and associated metals with the.

single exception of gold and silver where these happen to be present.A

My improved process or method of treatment eliminates the prevailing unwieldyv melting furnace of the present day, substituting in lieu thereof a cupola furnace 4operating on regulated quantities of a .given charge whereby the operation of oxidizing or fiapping `to produce set' copper is ymade Y easy and is under perfect control of the operator.

A further object-is to dispense with the prevailing operation of wood, poling and substitute in lieu thereof blast poling wherel,

by the reducing agents may readily permeate all portions of the bath undergoing deoxidation, thereby reducing the time of poling to a minimum. The present improvement likewise makes provision for 'a preliminary poling by solid carbon between the-flapping and final poling operations, thereby reducing the time.of blast. poling at the -final stages of the process.

The invention contemplates not only the process of treatment but also the general arrangement of apparatus in which the successive stages of the process are carried on.

` Its advantages willffully appear from the following detailed description of the invenand pointed out in the' tion `inconnection `with the accompanying drawlngs in which- Figure 1 represents a combined side elevation and middle vertical f longitudinal section of theflapping and poling apparatus, the4 casting machinebeing omitted; Fig. 2 1s a top plan of the entire apparatus, parts being broken away; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the flapping and poling apparatus, the poling furnaces being shown in vertical cross-section, the plane of section being taken through the pouring spouts.

Referrlng to the drawings, l, represents' a cupola furnace provided with a charging opening 0 at a point fromtwe'lve -to fifteen feet above the hearth It, a suitable discharge spout s leading from the hearth as well understood in the art. y In .the present embodiment of my invention the cupola is provided with a chambered offset 2 opposite the spout s, the chamber c of saidoffset receiving the spray of fuel discharged thereintov from a nozzle 3 opposite the middle T or fitting t at the discharge terminal of the pipe 4 through which air 'undef pressure is forced by means of a pump or blower B. The air current traversing the pipe or nozzle, 3 is charged with pulverized coal or coal 'dust from the central compartment of a hopper 5, the rate of discharge from any compartment being controlled by a gate 6 past which the fuel drops into a screw conveyer casing 7 thence into a hollow fitting or mixing chamber 8 from which the nozzle or spray pipe 3 leads The foregoing is the' conventional and well known formjof pulverized c oal burner and further description thereof is unnecessary.

In the present embodiment of my invention the air pipe 4 terminates in three Ts t, from which the air is conducted to the fittings or mixing chambers 8 by branch pipes m, suitable air-conducting pipes 3', 3*,l`eading outward and downward'from the terminal chambersand discharging sprays of fuel into the poling furnaces F through arcuate slots a, a, formed in the heads thereof, said furnaces being of the rotary or tilting type 'on the Vorder of the conventional converter,

the fumes from which are allowed to escape lli) ' the receptacle through spout P. In the present embodiment of my invention the furnaces F 'are operated 1n pairs, one furnace discharging while the ope Aposite one is poling or blowing, the -poled copper being poured into a launder L whence it is conducted to any type of casting machine M. These are shown conventi onally in the drawings, forming no part of the present invention. f

In practising my inventionI preferably pass the molten oxidized or flapped copper discharged by the spout s of the cupola furnace, through a tower 11 filled with charcoal Z with a view of subjecting the molten metal to a preliminary poling while in contact with the charcoal, the partially poled metal discharging from the charcoal tower into a tilting launder 12 (containing charcoald) mounted in any suitable manner to oscillate about astud 13 (Fig. 8), thedepressed end of thelaunder discharging into a receptacle 14 carried'by the head of the poling furnace into which the metal .finds its way from the opening e." Thus, while one of the poling furnaces is tilted to pour its contents into the launder L, the other is tilted to poling position and for receiving its charge from the launder 12 (Fig. 3). e In the present embodiment of my invention the linal poling of the copper in .the furnace F, is accomplished by blowing pulverized charcoal or its equivalent into the furnace at points beneath the charge, the driving Huid employed for forcing the fuel into the molten mass being any form of hydrocarbon or equivalent reducing gas under equivalent fuel pressure, examples of which are illuminating gas, hydrogen and the like, the mixture of gas and pulverized charcoal or its equivalent as for example saw dust) rising up through the copper and thoroughly stirring and mixing the bath and bringing every particle of copper in contact with the reducing agents (carbon, hydrogen) so admitted. To effect thorough stirring and agitation of the bath inthev poling furnace, I prefer to-have the blower nozzles or pipes 15 discharge tangentially tothe inner cylindrical surface ofthe furnace lining (Fig. 3), a seriesof such pipes being disposed along the side of the furnace. The outer en d of each nozzle or blower pipe'is coupled to one end of a flexible hose 16 whose opposite end connects to a. T 17, to one leg of which is coupled the air pipe 18 adapted to deliver air under pressure thereto, a suitable valve o being provided to cut off the air when not needed. Communicating with another leg of the T 17 is one end of a leads from the discharge end of the gas chamber 2() into which powdered charcoal or drops from thefeedscrew casing'21 to 'which said charcoalr fuel is supplied from a hopper 22 in much the same manner as the fuel is fed to the mixing per, the flaming pipe 19 whose opposite end chamber 8 from the Ahopper 5 previously described in connectionwith'the cupola l and poling furnaces In the present instance however the chamber 20 in lieu of receiving air under pressure as is the case withthe mixing chamber 8, receives a suitable reducing gas such as a hydro-carbon gas or hydrogen underpressure, said gas being conducted thereto'through a-pipe leading from any suitable source of gas supply (not shown). The gas may be cut off from the T 17 when desired, by manipulating the valve o on the pipe 19. With the arrangement just described I may discharge into the poling furnace beneath the surface of the bath therein either air for flapping (should this become necessary closing the valve fv and opening valve o, or a mixture of gas and fuel for purposes of poling by closing valve o and opening valve o, or I may simply introduce gas under pressure by cuttingoff the fuel supply from the chamber 20 by Stopping the screw-feed operating in the casing 21, the valve v being left open and the valve e' closed. The charcoal tower 11 is supplied with charcoal from time to time from a storage bin or hopper 24 from which it discharges into the tower through a chute 25.

The operation may be described as -follows: The impure copper C isc'harged into the cupola furnace as described, the metal gravitating or settling toward the heart-h it. As themetal melts away at the hearth fresh additions are made to the charge the contents of thefurnace at a constant height of from twelve to fifteen feet. In this way the greater portion of the waste furnace heat will be utilized to advantage, the heated gases rising up through the spaces or openings between the copper pieces, imparting their heat to the copper so that on escaping from the top of the furnace the gases will be comparatively cool. As the charge settles down past the chamber c, the pulverized fuel projected from the nozzle 3 and previously ignitediimpinges portions of the descending column of copparticles and highly heated products of combustion melting the charge which settles on the hearth the air supplied to the nozzle 3 being so regulated as to bring about the necessary apping or oxidation of the melted portions of the charge,

the flapped molten metal as fast as it accumulates on the hearth flowing through the spout s into the top Aof the charcoal tower 11, the charcoal 'in said tower and in the launder 12 into which it charged from the tower having the effect of partially poling or reducing the lapped or oxidized copper. From the launder 12 the copper runs linto the receptacle 14 of either one or the other of the poling furis subsequently disfor any reason) by Vthrough the opening 0 so as to Vmaintain against the bottom naces .F into which it --flows through the opening e. The temperature in the poling furnace is maintained sufficiently high to keep'the copper in a molten or fluid condition, said temperature being brought about by the 'burning of the powdered fuel deliv- -ered thereto by the pipes identified4 withthe pulverized coal burner which. supplies the nozzle 8. Should the charge in the poling furnace require flapping or further oxidation before the same vis subjectedt'o the' blast poling, such flapping can be accomplished by blowing air through the` nozzles 15 `beneath-the charge by the v,opening of the valves Q1 and the `closing of the valves v.'

The metal being in' condition for final poling\ (with or without previous flapping in thefurnace F, depending on the nature of the charge, a matter of which the skilled operator isa Icompetent judge), the operator directs hydro-carbon or equivalent reducing gas under pressure from the pipes 23 to the chambers 20 and nozzles 15 (the valve c be- -ing closed), ,at the same time feedingay proper complement of powdered charcoal to the chambers 2O from the hopper 22 as previously described. The charcoal laden gas is thus forced beneath and 'through the molten charge the level of whichis indicated Vby the dotted line a: inthe right hand furnace F, Fig.` 3, and every particle of oxidized copper is thus reached and reducedto the metallic state. Any slaggwhich forms may be skimmedI off'- in any way known tothe art before the copper is poured.- When the metal is ready to be poured, the furnace is rotated through a suflicient arc to bring4 the spout P thereofinto discharging position (the flexible hose 16 and the' slots a, allowing for lthe necessary' rotation) when the metal runs into the launder L and thence into thecasting machine MI as well under- A stood in the art. Should the gas alone Aprove sufficient to pole the metal' in the furnace-F,

the fuel feed` to the chambers 20inay be cut off as-obvious from the drawings.4 When" one furnace F is blowing or poling the other p' is discharging, the launder 12 being inclined o-r tilted toward the receptacle 14 of the furnace in which the charge isl to be poled (see Fig. 3).

As the bottom portions of the charge of copper in the cupola furnace 1 melt away,

and are flapped and discharged through' the spout s, fresh-portions of the descen'dingor. gravitating copper column confined in and constantly 'charged into the furnace .take their place and come oppositethe inflammable particles and highly heated products of combustion projected against them from the nozzle 3, and, these in turn vare melted and flapped and discharged', thus makingv the 'process continuous. By carefully regu- 'lating the fuel and .air supply the copper.-

may be broiight to the desired oxidized or flapped. condition `before discharging into.

lthevcharcoal 'tower 11. In some cases the composition of fuel or to solid fuel, o`r to' the use of charcoal or specific gas for poling purposes. I may employ liquid jor gaseous fuel f or `,coal dust 'or powdered coal and sawdust in lieu of charcoal or in lieu of coal, and in fact I may use any 4reagent I do not wish to be limited which will 'act properly, to bring 'about theY results here contemplated.

The several instrumentalities by which the copper is handled and treated as described, are shown more or less conventionally, the furnaces, launders, towers, and so on 'being old per se, the novelty so faras it enters' into lthe physical part of the invention residing in the cooperative relation b'etween the several partsby which the copper may b'e refined with a minimum amount of handling. The process by which the refining is accomplished I 'consider to be new. Features shown but not alluded rto are well 'understood inthe art and require no description in the present connection. too that so far as theapparatus is conc'erned I may depart in many particulars 'from the detailsV here 'shown without affecting the nature or spirit of my inventi'on.,

In lie'u of gas forcing the pulverized charcoal into the poling furnace I may if so desired, force the charcoal by mechanical means suchas a screw without departing -from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claiinis: 4 y j y1. In the refining of copper, the process of feedinga charge'of the copper through a cupola furnace, subjecting the same to the action of flaming particles and a proper charge on the hearth of the furnace, passing the flapped molten metal over solid carbonaceous material to partially pole the metal, conducting the partially poled metal to a suitable poling furnace, blowing the molten metal in said furnace with air to effect any desired oxidation, andfinally blowing the 'charge with non-oxidizing gas charged vwith finely divided carbon particles to complete the poling.-

2. A copper refining `system comprising a It is apparenty -,complement of air to melt and flap the cupola chargeable with copper and provided l" with a hearth and discharge spout leading'- 'mately delivering the sane to the respective V1E therefrom, means for projecting inamfurnaces, and means for poling the Huid mable particles and highly heated products charges in' said furnaces.

cf combustion and, air above the hearth for In testimony whereof; I aiX my signamelting and flapping the lower Yterminal ture, in presence of two Witnesses.

of the descending column of copper, a pair ULYSSESA-GARRED. of poling furnaces spaced apart, atilting Witnesses: launder receiving the molten fiapped cop- M. E. RUTLEDGE,

per from the cupola furnace vand alter- A; B. PHISTER.

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