US204206A - Improvement in apparatus for refining sulphur - Google Patents

Description

' H. `I-I.;EAM-ES'. l Apparatus for` Refining Sulphur-f No.A 204,206. Patented may 28, 187s.-

Witne s se s STATES PATENT QFFIGE. q

AHENRY H. EAMES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR REFINING SULPHUR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,206, dated May Q8, 1878; application filed December 5, 1877.

To all whom it may conce/m:

Beit known that I, HENRY H. EAMEs, of the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented anuApparatus for Reducing and Refining Sulphur 5' and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to van improved method andapparatus for reducing crude sulphur, and separating the sulphur from the foreign material with which it is intermixed in its native state, both the reducing and rening being performed in one operation in the manner hereinafter described.

There exist on the Pacific coast quite a number of mines or deposits from which free sulphur, intermixed with earthy and mineral matter, can be taken in almost unlimited quantities. The usual method employed for yconverting this crude sulphur into a merchantable article was to volatilize the sulphur in retorts and then con den se the fumes. Attempts haveV been also made to separate thesulphur by a fusing process, by the direct application 'of nre underneath a vessel on which the 'crude' material is placed. This is', however, dangerous, as the fumes arising from the heated sulphur are apt to take fire and fire the mass.v

Steam has also been used, but nndervconditions not altogether favorable for the rapid reduction or complete refining of the sulphur.

My invention consists in rthe employment of superheated steam for fusing the sulphur, by

.which means the ymaterial is morev easily and rapidly reduced than bythe use of wet steam direct from the boiler, and also in the use of a straining apparatus and material, by means of which the crude sulphur in thefurnace is drawn out in a thoroughly-rened condition, all the dirt or earthy matterl being completely separated from it. e

Let A represent a metal tank, of any desired form and size. Usually I'should make it cylindrical, but its shape is not material. A convenient manner of mounting the tank is to suspend it on trunnions B B, which bear on the upper ends of two uprights or standards, C C, one on each side, so that the tank can be .tilted to empty the earthy matter left after the Sulphur is drawn off in the manner herein described; or, if the tank is stationary, doors may i be'provided, which are made lsteam-tight by the use of rubber gaskets, through which the earthy matter may be removed after the sulphur is drawnoi. The tank is provided with a cover, F, formed insuch a manner ,thatit can be made steam-tightwhen in place, and

sothaty it can be readily removed when' vdespecification.

On the upper rim of the tank, I make an out-V .y ward-projeetin g ange, and the coveris made y large enough to correspond therewith.' The' edge of the cover may then be secured to thek ilange by means of bolts andnuts placed at l intervals aroimd the rim. p To brace the center of this cover and prevent its being bulged by' inside pressure, two upright standards,'G G, are secured to the tank and cover. Isn'the'upper end of each of these standardsis made a hole-'or slot, II. One end of a strong crossbar, I, is then slipped in each of these holes, so that the bar will pass across the cover.

Through a hole in the middle of 'this 'cross-bar',

I, which is tapped with screw-threads, is a screw, J, which maybe turned down against Y the center of the cover. Any other convenient method of properly securingthe lcover may,

however, be employed. v v

The tank A, I make preferably of wroughti f iron. The lower portion or bottom ofthe tank is also made of wrought-iron.

made in a funnel shape, as shown. At the bottom of the funnel-shaped portion of this wooden bottom is a draw-hole,'D, which also passes through the iron bottom of the tank,

serving to draw off the refined sulphur.

At the point on the wooden sides of vthe bottom Where the lower ends of the siaves rest, and where the funnel shape commences,A spaceis left to form a support or shoulder for a transverse perforated false bottom or strainer,l E, which isalso made of wood. On top of this transverse perforated false wooden bottom or 1 strainer E, I lay a piece of ordinary'gunnycloth, such as is used for potato-sacks, &c. This gunny forms an additional filtering medium, through which the sulphur must pass before going through the perforations in this On this iron bottom I place an internal wooden bottom,

false wooden bottom into the main bottom, from which it is drawn olf. This gunny or ltering material eectually prevents any of the gangue or earthy matter from coming down through the perforations in the false bottom, and atthe same time admits of the pure sulphur passing readilyV through its meshes, thus refining it in the operation of reducing. A pipe or tube, L, extends downward 'from the lower portion of the funnel-shaped bottom of the tank, so as to form a continuation of the discharge hole or opening, and a cock, M, serves to close the tube, when desired. This tube L passes through a box, N, for the purpose hereinafter described. K is a superheater, which is couveniently located with reference to the tank. The steam-pipe O from the boiler passes through the superheater, and then, extending upward to near the mid-height of the tank, is

divided into two branches, l? Q, each of which is provided with a cock, R. The upper branch, P, of the steam-pipe is connected by a suitable coupling at S with a short pipe, T, which leads into the top of the tank, while the lower branch, Q, is conn eeted by a similar couplingto a short pipe, U, which terminates in the box N.

In operation the crude sulphur, as it comes from the mine, is dumped into the upright tank, so that the sulphur falls onto the gunny or iiltering material resting on the perforated false bottom of the tank. The cover is then placed on the tank and securely fastened. The superheated steam is turned in by opening the cock R of the upper branch pipe. At the same time the cock It of the lower branch pipe is opened, so as to admit steam into the box N ,a

surrounding the discharge-pipe L.

The superheated steam, being admitted at the top of the mass of the sulphur, makes a descending current of steam with the descend- ,ing material. This dry superheated steam causes sulphur to melt at from sixteen to twentytwo pounds pressure on the tank, whereas the ordinary wet steam from the boiler will not .melt the sulphur sufficiently to cause it to flow at less than from thirty'to thirty-five pounds pressure. The superheated steam, admitted as described, soon fuses the sulphur, which iiows down until in its fused state it reaches the filtering medium or gunny which is spread over the perforated false bottom. At this point the separation of the pure sulphur from the gan gue is accomplished. The meshes of the gunny-cloth allow the fused sulphur to pass through, but retain the gangue or earthy matter. After the sulphur passes through the gunny-cloth it passes through the -perforated false bottom and in to the funnelshaped bottom of the tank, where it is drawn off by the discharge-pipe L.

The discharge-pipe L is kept heated by the ,steam, which is allowed to enter the box N, so

that the sulphur will ow freely, the whole pipe being surrounded by steam, to prevent the sulphur from chilling and the pipe from clogging. `When all the sulphur has been melted and withdrawn the cover of the tank is removed, and, if a tilting tank, the gangue or earthy matter remaining may be dumped out; or it may be removed through doors, as stated. A steam-gage,`V, is arranged to indicate the pressure on the tank.

It will thus be seen that I provide an apparatus for refining and reducing crude sulphur at one operation. The use of steam for reducing sulphur has previously been tried; but it was not superheated. The ordinary wet steam requires a greater pressure to accomplish the object, and its condensation and the consequent precipitation of water to the bottom of the tank causes trouble.

However, where the wet steam has been used it has been introduced into the bottomof the tank, whereasA I introduce the superheated steam above, and

this causes a continuous ow of sulphur with the current of steam. Bymy method the mass never clogs, whereas with the wet steam i11- troduced from below it does give trouble from clogging. By using the gunny-cloth as a filtering material, supported on a perforated false bottom, I am4 enabled to draw off the sulphur as pure as it is possible to refine it by mechanical means-a result not accomplished by the use of perforated plates alone, or by any other means heretofore employed.

I am aware that the jacketed discharge-pipe is not new, per se.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters` l. The reducing-tank A, provided with a, wooden lining and wooden bottom, substan-` tially as shown, and for the purpose herein dea scribed.

2. The reducing-tank A, having the funnelshaped wooden bottom, with its exterior flat rim to receive and support the wooden lining, substantially as shown and herein described.

3. The funnel-shaped Wooden bottom, having its ange or rim iitted to receive the wooden lining and to support the strainer E and filtering material,y substantially as herein described.

4. The reducing-tank A, mounted on trunnions B B, and sustained by standards C` C, provided near its bottom with sieve E, and connected by pipes T P Q U with superheater K, in combination with discharge-pipe L, provided with the surrounding jacket N, as set forth.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and seal.

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