US815516A - Apparatus for converting zinc-sulfate solution into zinc oxid. - Google Patents

Description

" ,No. 315,516Q-ff" qPATENTBD MAR.20,190

I .44 I f 0.3. DEWEY.

I AP ARATUSFOR'GONiVERTING ZING'SULFATE,SOLUTIONINTO ZINC OXID.

- APPLIQA'IION FILED JAN.24, 1905.

3 Ts-sinmr 1.

I l l" l .l I' I' I avwawfoz 110.. 315,516. PA'TBNTED AR. 20; 1906;[ Y

1 G-B-DEWE 4 APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING ZINC SULFATE SOLUTION INTOIZINO OXID. 1 T Y Y APPLICATION FILED JA N.'24.'1905.

'3 SHEETS-SH ET s.

U TED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHAUNOEY E. DEW Y, or DENV R, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE 7 AMERICAN z nc AND CHEMICAL COMPANY, or DENVER, ooLo- -RADO.

.A APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING ZINC-SULFATE se unou INTO zmc oxm.

To all whom it mdy cortc er nk l Be it known that I, CHA NCEY E. DEWEY,-

a citizen of the United States, residing in the cit and county of Denver and State ofColora 0, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Converting Zinc-Sulfate Solution intoZinc Oxid; and dofldeclare the following'to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art'to which it. appertains to make andusethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,-and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

-My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for converting zinc-sulfate solution into zinc oxid, my object being to carry out the aforesaid function on a commercial scale. In myimproved ap ara'tus two independently-revoluble cylin ers are mounted in axial alineme'nt, theiradjacent extremities being 0 en and in such proximity to each other that the heat may readily pass from one to the other. In one of these cylinders the calcining operation or the operation of removing the su furic acid from the zinc sulfate is effected, while in the other the solution is evaporated to dryness or approximately so. The calcining cylinder or chamber is located in suitable proximity to a furnace or fire-box whereby the heat and products of combustion pass directly from the fire-box into one end of the rotary chamber orcylinder, while the heat and products of.

com ustion pass from the calcining-chamber into the evaporating-chamber, and thence into a dust-chamber located at the extremity of the evaporating-chamber remote from the calcining-chamber. In connection with the apparatus just described I employ suitable means for rotating the said cylinders or chambers and also means for feeding the zinc-sulfate solution in the first instance to the evapcrating-chamber. ,I further employ means for transferring the zinc sulfate after taking it from the evaporating-chamber and delivering it to the calcining-chamber all as hereinafter more fully described, referencebeing made to the accompan in which is illustrated an em odiment of the invention In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of Specification of Letters Patent. I Applieatien filed-Tannery 24. 1 05. Serial No. 242,570.

tate.

7, forming circular tracks which engage 'wheels 8, mounted on a shaft'9.

- Worm-Wheel 14, engaged by aworm 15.

drawlngs, 1n

Patented. March 20, 1906.

arrow 1n Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the two rotary tanks or cylin ders employed, together with the fire-box,

with the said cylinders. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of two sets of cylinders illustrating the manner of increasing the capacity of a plant of this character. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the mechanism for imparting the rotczlary movement to the alined tanks or cyliners A The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the cylinder in which the evaporation takes place, and '6 the calcining-cylinder or.the tank in which the sulfuric acid is driven off from the zinc sulfate. These two cylinders are in axial alinement with each other and are mounted to ro- The cylinder 5 is provided with rings One exthe apparatus looking. in the'direction of the dust-chamber, and smoke-flue in alinement tremity of his shaft is provided with a sprocket-wheel 10, which may be connected with a sprocket 12, (see Fig. 4,) mounted on a shaft 13, provided at one extremity witlh a he worm-shaft is provided .wlth a pulle 16 for transmitting power to the wormsha t from a line-shaft or an suitable motor. (Not shown.) Upon t e shaft 13 is mounted a small gear 17, which m'eshes with a larger gear 18, fast on a shaft 19. Upon'the lastnamed shaft is mounted a pinion 20, meshing with a larger'gear 21, mounted on the shaft 13. The gears 20 and 21 are normally loose on their respective shafts; but they may be made fast on the same through the instrumentality of suitable clutch mechanism. The

shaft 13 is rovided with a clutch-sleeve 22, splined on t e shaft and adapted to interlock with the wheel '21 when the clutch-sleeve is properly adjusted, as shown in Fig. 4. Upon the shaft/19 is also mounted a c utch-sleeve 23, adapted to engage interlocking lugs 24 formed on the inion 20. ployed for shifting the respective clutches. This lever is fulcrumed intermediate the shafts 13 and 19, as shown at 26/ The two clutch-sleeves 22 and 23 may be alternately thrown into osition to look their respective gears on t e shaft. In other A lever 25 is emroo -words, when the gear 21 is locked to rotate I most.

with the shaft 13, as shown in Fig. 4 of the I drawings, the pinion or small gear 20 is an idler. On the other hand, when the lever 25 is shown in the position the reverse of that shown in Fig. 4 the pinion 20 is locked on the shaft 19, while the gear 21 is loose on said shaft. In this event motion is transmitted first from the shaft 13 to the shaft 19 through the instrumentality of the gears 17 and 18 and then from the shaft 19 to the gear 21 through the instrumentality of the pinion 20. A sprocket-wheel 27 is also connected with the gear 21, whereby a motion is transmitted to a sprocket 28. fast on a shaft 29, carrying two flan ed Wheels 30, which engage. circular trac s 31, fast on the calciningcylinder 6. In this way motion is communicated to the calcining-cylinder eitherdirectly from the shaft 13 or from the shaft 13 through the instrumentality of the shaft 19, as heretofore explained.

The two cylinders 5 and 6 are open at both extremities. At one end of the cylinder 6 is located a fire-box 32 for supplying the cylinders 5 and 6 with the necessary heat for the erformance of the calcining and evaporating hinetion. The heat and products of combustion enter the cylinder 6 through the o ening 33 adjacent the fire-box and escape t erefrom through the opening 34 at its opposite end into an opening 35 in one extremity of the cylinder 5. The products of combustion finally escape from the cylinder 5 through an opening 36 at its opposite end into a dust-chamber 37, and thence through an opening 38 near the bottom of the chamber into a flue 39, leading to the stack. (Not shown.)

A pan 40 may be mounted on top of the dust-chamber for the purpose of heating the zinc-sulfate solution preparatory to its discharge into the evaporating-chamber. In this event a valve-controlled conduit 41 leads from the pan 40 to a funnel-sha ed hopper 42, also mounted on the dust-c amber 37 and provided with a dischargeconduit 43, leading into the opening 36 of the tank. If it is not desiredto first heat the sulfate solution, the valve 41 of the conduit 41 is closed and the solution placed in the hopper 42 in the first instance. After the contents of the tank 5 have been evaporated to dryness, the same being in a loose or disintegrated condition, as heretofore explained, the cylinder is stopped with its manhole 44 lowermost. This manhole is then opened by removin its head or cover and the contents of the cy inder discharged into a car 45. This car is then propelled in any suitable manner along a track 46 to an elevator 47, through the instrumentality of which the car is elevated to a track 48, which occupies a position above the calcining tank or cylinder 6. This cylinder is stopped with its manhole upper- Its cover 49 is removed and the contents of the car discharged into the cylinder 6 through the opening 50. This opening is then closed, after which the cylinder is rotated until the zinc sulfate has been converted in to zinc oxid, this being the final step of the process.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 two cylinders 5 and two cylinders 6 are em loyed. As the cylinders 5 are duplicates of eac 1 other, which is also true of the cylinders 6, it is not necessary to refer to the two sets of cylinders more in detail, except to state that the number of cylinders is immaterial and may be multiplied to any extent, according to the desired capacity of the plant.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved apparatus will be readily understood. Assuming that there is sufficient heat in the fire-box 32 to perform the calcining and evaporating functions, the zinc-sulfate solution may be discharged into the pan 40, whereby it is heated by virtue of the heated condition of the dust-chamber 37, to which products of combustion ass on their way to the stack. After this ieating the solution is discharged into the cylinder 5, which I will assume is caused to rotate through the instrumentality of suitable mechanism, as heretofore explained. The surplus heat from the calcining-chamber, passingv to the evaporating-chamber, is still sufficiently high for purposes of evaporation. By reason of the rotary action of the cylinder during the process of evaporation the zinc sulfate is kept broken up, and as soon as the evaporation is completed or the zinc sulfate is dry the rotation of the cylinder is stopped and its contents discharged into a car and transferred to the cylinder 6, where the process is completed by subi'ecting the zinc sulfate to a higher degree of ieat, whereby the sulfuric acid is driven off.

If desired, the pan 40 may be placed within the chamber 37 and suitable means provid ed for conducting its contents into the cylinder 5.

Attention is also called to the fact that in practicing the process carried out by the apparatus herein described it is preferred to place a uantity of fine coal in the solution. Durin t e treatment within the evaporating-cy inder this coal will become thoroughly mingled with the contents of the cylinder, and when the latter are evaporated to dryness the coal will be evenly distributed therethrough. Hence when the zinc sulfate is discharged into the calcining chamber or cylinder the coal facilitates the calcining operation whereby the sulfuric acid is removed.

The process may be carried out Without the use of coal; but it is believed preferable to add the coal, as just explained Having thus described my invention, what I claim is.

1. In an apparatus for converting zinc sulfate into zinc oxid, the combination of two independently-revoluble axially-alined chambers arranged in suitable proximity to each other and having adjacent open extremities, means for delivering heat to one chamber at its extremity remote from the other chamber, means for delivering the zinc-sulfate solution to the chamber-remote from the heatgenerating means, and means exterior to the chambers for transferring the contents of the last-named chamber to its companion cham-' ber, substantially as described. 7

s 2. The combination with a'suitahle source of heat, of a calcining-chamber mounted to rotate and having open ends, one end being adjacent the source of heat, an evaporatingohamber also mounted to rotate and having open ends, one end of the evaporating-chamber being ad'acent the open end of the calcining-chamber remote from the source of heat, means for delivering zinc-sulfate solution to the extremity of the evaporating-.

. chamber remote from the calcining-chamher, and means exterior to both chambers for transferring the contents of the evaporating-chamber to the calcining chamber, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a suitable source of heat, of a calciningchambermounted to rotate and having open extremities, one of which is ad acent the source of heat, an evapcrating-chamber arranged in axial alinement with the calcining-chamber, the evaporatingchamber having open ends and also mounted to rotate, suitable means for imparting rotary movement .to the two chambers, and means exterior to both chambers fortransferring the contents of the evaporatingchamber to the c alciningchamber.

4. The combination with a firebox or source of heat, an openended calciningchamber mounted to rotate and having one extremity adjacent the source of heat, an openended evaporating chamber, also mounted to rotate and having one of its ends as close to the calcining-chamber as is con-' sistent with independent movement, means exterior to both chambers for transferring the contents ofthe evaporating-chamber to thecalcining -chamber, a dust-chamber located at the extremity of the evaporatingchamber remote from the calcining-chamber,

suitable means for delivering the material to be treated, to the extremity of the evapo rating-chamber remote from the calciningchamber, and suitable means for imparting rotary movement to the two chambers independently of each other, substantially as described.

5. The combination of two independentlyrevoluble horizontally-arranged and axiallyalined open ended chambers mounted in suitable-proximity to each other, one of the chambers being a calcining-chamber and the other an evaporating-chamber, means for delivering heat to the calcining-chamber at the extremity remote from the evaporatingchamber, means for delivering the material to be treated, to the extremity of the evaporating-chamber remote from the calcining-

Images