US2032706A - Smelter - Google Patents

Description

G. A, LA VOIE March 3, 1936.

SMELTER Filed Feb. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as I JW VAVV T01 2. 550%.5 A. 1/7 Vow.

w ITTOR/VIEX Patented Mar. 3, 1936 SMELTER George A. La Voie, Long Beach, Calif.

Application February 19, 1934, Serial No. 711,968

6 Claims. (01. 266--27) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a smelter whereby metals are released from their ores or sands and are collected in a melted state, the slat or dross being continuously withdrawn as the smelter opcrates.

An object of my invention is to provide a smelter utilizing oil burners for heat, the incoming charge being continuously fed into the smelter thru a hopper.

Another object is to provide a smelter which will effectively handle ores or sands without first preheating or roasting the ores in order to remove moisture. In my smelter, this operation is accomplished within the smelter itself, thereby eliminating time and labor.

A further object is to provide a novel feeding arrangement for the ore whereby a portion of the hot gases introduced into the smelter are diverted against the bottom of the hopper, thereby drying the charge.

A further object is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of the oil burners so that the charge is effectively heated.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description, and the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my smelter, a portion of the outlet tunnel and stack being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the smelter.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 4.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the smelter.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the smelter.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my smelter I comprises side walls 2, 3, a front wall 4 and a rear wall 5. An arch 6 forms the top or roof of the smelter and extends longitudinally thereof. A hopper 1 extends thru the arch 6 and the ore to be smelted is first placed in the hopper.

A pair of spaced bafile walls 8, 9 is provided within the smelter, and a bed It] is positioned between the walls 8, 9. This bed slopes towards one corner so that the metal and slag can be easily withdrawn, as will be further described.

An opening H is provided in the front wall 4 and at the bottom of said wall, for the purpose of admitting air into the smelter. Ore is fed from the hopper 1 into the bed I0 thru a vertical chute [2. The lower face of the chute I2 is arched, as shown at [3, and the rear edge thereof is closer to the bed It so as to constrict the flow of the gases. The purpose of this constriction will be further described.

An opening I4 is provided in the front wall 4, and an oil burner I5 extends therethru. The

opening is flared on the inside so that'the burner I5 can be adjusted and its flame directed to the point desired within the smelter.

Openings I6, I! are provided in the walls 2, 3, respectively, and burners l8, 19 extend into the openings l6, II, respectively. These openings are positioned adjacent the baflle wall 8 and are flared on the inside so that the burners can be adjusted and the flame from these burners directed to the desired point within the smelter. A second burner opening I6 is provided below the opening 5 to enable a burner to be placed closer to the bed Ill, if necessary. Auxiliary burner openings 20, 2| are provided in the walls 2, 3, respectively, adjacent the baflle wall 9. The purpose of these auxiliary openings is to enable the burners l8 or l9 to be moved if the slag should become cool on the bed l0 and refuse to flow downwardly to the outlet.

The hot gases, after moving over the bed l0, pass downwardly thru the outlet 22, into the tunnel 23, and thence to the stack 24. If desired, the tunnel 23 is widened adjacent to the stack 24 and water is sprayed onto the exhaust gases thru pipes 25. The water dissolves the noxious materials in the gases and flows thru outlets 26 in the floor of the tunnel, and thence to the sump 21.

A suction fan 28, of usual and well known design, pulls the gases thru the tunnel 23, and thence into the stack 24.

As previously stated, the chute l2 constricts the flow of gases over the bed It]. The purpose of this construction is to force some of the hot gases upwardly into the passage 29. This passage extends upwardly and against the bottom of the hopper l. The by- pass ducts 30, 3| extend from the passage 29 around the chute l2, and thence into a passage 32, which last named passage opens into the smelter back of the chute. A damper 33 is provided in the passage 32 to control the quantity of hot gases which flow therethru. By means of this by-pass arrangement, the ore is preheated in the hopper l, and moisture is removed therefrom before it enters the chute l2.

As previously stated, the bed Ill is inclined towards one corner, and a metal outlet hole 34 is provided in the Wall 2. Slag holes 35 are also provided in the wall 2 above the hole 34, and the slag will flow almost continuously from these last named holes.

The burners I5, I 8 and I9 burn continuously, and-the hot gases from these burners are directed against the cone of ore which is formed between the chute l2 and the bed I9. As the metal and slag melt, additional quantities of ore will move downwardly into the chute [2, while the melted products spread over the bed Ill. The metal being the heaviest, rests on the bottom and eventually flows out of the hole 34. The lighter slag floats on top and flows out of the holes 35.

The side walls of the smelter are suitably reinforced by structural steel members 36, 31. These structural members are arranged so as to absorb the stresses in the side walls.

' Having described my invention, I claim:

I. A'smelter comprising side walls, front and rear walls,;a top arch, spaced baiiie Walls, a bed between the bafilecwalls, a hopper, a chute depending from the hopper, said chute being adapted and arranged to deposit material upon the bed, an air passage in the front Wall, oil burners extending thru the side walls and the front wall whereby heat is supplied to the smelter, said chute extending across the smelter and projecting into the space above the bed whereby a constricted passage is formed above the bed for the hot gases, said hopper having an'upwardly extending passage therein, and by-pass ducts extending from the passage around the chute, said passage and ducts conveying hot gases against the bottom of the hopper whereby moisture is removed from the charge.

2'. A smelter comprising side walls, front and rear walls, a top arch, front andrearbaiile walls inthe smelter, an inclined bed extending between said baflie walls, each of said side walls having a burner opening therein adjacent the front baffie wall and adjacent the rear baffle wall, said front wall having 'a burner opening therein, a burner in the 'front wall and a burner in each of the side walls, a hopper, a chute depending from the hopper and projecting into a space above the bed and transversely of the smelter, the bottom face of the chute beingarched trahsverselyand inclined 1ongitudinally whereby a flow constriction is provided above the bed for the hot gases, said hopper havinga by-pass passage extending adjacent the'bottom thereof, and by-pass ducts extending from said passage around the chute whereby the bottomof the hopper and the charge therein are heated.

V 3. A smelter comprising side walls, front and rear walls, a top arch, a pair of spaced transversely extending baffle walls in the smelter, an

inclined bed extending between said baffle walls, a hopper, a chute depending from the hopper, said chute extending transversely of the smelter and into a space above the bed and between the baflie walls whereby a constricted passage is formed above the bed for the hot gases, said side walls having burner openings therein between the baffle walls, burners projecting thru said openings, a burner opening in the front wall, a burner projecting thru said last named opening, and an air passage in the front wall adjacent the bottom thereof.

4. A smelter comprising side walls, front and rear walls, a top arch, a pair of spaced transversely extending bafile walls in the smelter, an inclined bed extending between said baflle walls,

a hopper, a chute depending from the hopper,

said. chute extending transversely of the smelter and into a space above the bed and between the baflle Walls whereby a constricted passage is formed above the bed for the hot gases, said side walls having burner openings therein between the baffle walls, burners projecting thru said openings,;a burner opening in the front wall, a burner projecting thru said last named opening, an air passage in the front wall adjacent the bottom thereof, said hopper having an upwardly extending passage in the bottom thereof and by-pass ducts extending from the passage around the chute, said passage and ducts conveying hot gases against the bottom of the hopper whereby moisture is removed from the charge.

5. A smelter comprising side walls, front and rear walls, a top arch, spaced baffle walls, a bed between the baflie walls, said bed being inclined, a hopper, achute depending from the hopper, said chute being adapted and arranged to deposit material upon the bed, an air passage in the front Wall, 011 burners extending through the side walls and the front wall whereby heat is supplied to the smelter, said chute extending across the smelter and projecting into the space above the bed whereby a constricted passage is formed above the bed for the hot gases.

6. A smelter comprising side walls, front and rear walls, a top arch, spacedv bafile walls, a bed between the baffie walls, said bed being inclined, a hopper, a chute depending from the hopper, said chute being adapted and arranged to deposit material upon the bed, an air passage in the front Wall, oil burners extending through the side walls and the front wallwhereby heat is supplied to the smelter, sald chute extending across the smelter and projecting into the space above the bed, the lower surface of said chute being arched transversely of the smelter and inclined longitudinally of the smelter whereby a constricted passage is formed above the bed for the hot gases.

GEORGE A. LA VOIVE.

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