IMPROVEMENTS THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL TYRES, HOOPS, AND CYLINDERS, AND IN FURNACES EMPLOYED THEREIN, AND APPLICABLE TO THE MELTING OF STEEL GENERALLY
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Snowdon, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County
of Durbam, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL TYRES, HOOPS, AND CYLINDERS, AND IN
FURNACES EMPLOYED THEREIN, AND APPLICABLE TO THE MELTING OF STEEL
GENERALLY."A communication from abroad by Pierre Mourrier, of
Bona, Algeria.
Sealed the 31st October 1862, and dated the 3rd May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Snowdon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd May 1862.
I, THOMAS SNOWDON, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of, Durham,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL TYRES, HOOPS, AND CYLINDERS,
AND IN FURNACES EMPLOYED, THEREIN, AND APPLICABLE TO THE MELTING OF STEEL
GENERALLY," (communicated to me from abroad by Pierre Mourrier, of Bona,
Algeria,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in manufacturing steel tyres, hoops, and cylinders,
in annular crucibles or melting pots, and in constructing the furnaces with
two or more fire-places or gas generators, the flame or heated gases from
which are caused to impinge and circulate both round the exterior, and
through the hollow space or interior of the crucible or melting pot. When
employing the furnace for other than annular melting pots, several separate

page_text: pots or crucibles of any ordinary form may be arranged in one, two, or more
tiers round a common centre, so as to leave a central hollow space for the
reception and passage of the flame or gases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Snowdon, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SNOWDON, of Stocton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Snowdon, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Snowdon,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Snowdon, my executors, administrators; and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might mako,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL TYRES, HOOPS, AND CYLINDERS, AND IN
FURNACES EMPLOYED THEREIN, AND APPLICABLE TO THE MELTING OF STEEL
GENERALLY," a communication to him from abroad by Pierre Mourrier, of Bona,
Algeria, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Snowdon, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Snowdon, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
:
This Invention relates to the manufacture of steel and steel tyres for
railway wheels, hoops, and cylinders, and to the crucibles and furnaces

page_text: employed therein, and consists, 1st, in making the crucibles of a different form
to those hitherto used, and in adapting them to the shape of the castings, tyres,
hoops, and cylinders required; 2ndly, in the form and construction of the
furnaces intended to be employed therein. The improvement in the crucibles,
viz., in adapting them to the shape of the casting, dispenses with all moulds,
and renders the usual moulding process by which sound castings are obtained
with difficulty, unnecessary. The crucibles, instead of being in the ordinary
shape, are made of a concentric form, and the materials are fused therein, and
when cooled down, the crucible is broken off, and a sound casting is attained;
when the shape of the casting admits of its being withdrawn from the crucible,
the latter need not be broken, but if it has resisted the action of the fire, may
be used again. The crucibles may be made of the usual material.
The second mentioned improvement of this Invention consists in so forming
the furnace, and applying the heat, that the body of the fire does not come into
direct contact with the crucible, but the latter is heated by the flame and
gases from the furnace fires, which are placed in chambers on the outside of
the oven or crucible chamber. The fires are fed from the top, openings being
carried up in brickwork from the level of the ground to the top of the oven.
These fire openings or chimneys are separated from the crucible oven, and
when charged are closed at the top by a fire-brick cover. Small apertures
are left in the brickwork at about 15 or 18 inches from the top of the fire
bars in the external brickwork, suitable apertures are also left in the internal
brickwork or division between the furnaces and the crucible oven for the
passage of the heat from the fires thereto. The crucible oven is covered at
the top by a dome or conical chimney, which is so formed that it can be
lifted off by a crane, or can, if necessary, be moved laterally. The floor of the
oven or crucible furnace is formed by a number of small pillars, upon which
the crucible rests, and through and between which the flame and clear heat
from the fires circulates. The crucible being made of a concentric cylindrical
form, or with outer and inner sides, with an opening in the centre, and resting
upon the small pillars before mentioned, the flame and clear heat impinges
upon the bottom, outer, and inner sides, and the materials contained in the
crucible are thus much more powerfully acted upon than in a crucible and
furnace of the usual form,-not only saving the moulding process in giving the
required shape to the casting, but also economizing the consumption of fuel
in the manufacturing process. The flame, clear heat, or gases generated
from common slack coal, will answer nearly as well by this improvement as
the best qualities of coke in the common furnace and crucible.
The Drawing accompanying this Specification shews the general design of

page_text: the furnace, which may, however, be varied in form, as the weight, nature,
and size of the steel to be manufactured may require; the shape of the crucible
here shewn in section is that adapted for the manufacture, moulding, and
casting of steel tyres for railway wheels.
EXPLANATION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 is a plan shewing the furnace, cupola, or oven, and crucible. Fig. 2
is a transverse section at the line A, B, on plan. The following reference
applies to both Figs. a, a, are the furnaces,, in which are placed the fire-bars
b, b; c, c, are ash-pits, open at the sides; but closed by a rising and falling
damper; d, d, are external apertures, also closed by rising and falling, or
other doors; e, c, are the chimneys, or furnace feed openings, covered at the
top by the covers f,f; 9, 9, are the internal apertures, through 'which the
flame and gases, generated by the fires, pass into the crucible oven h.
open floor is formed by the pillars i, i, upon which the crucible j rests.
crucible is charged with suitable materials, and lowered to its position by the
crane k, or any other suitable means. The top of the oven 7, either as here
shewn, or of any other suitable form, is moveable at the line m, m, and can
either be lifted or moved sideways by the crane or otherwise.
The
The
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same may be performed and further illustrated the
furnace and crucible, and explained the principle upon which the improve-
ments are founded, I hereby further declare that the application of the said
improvements is not restricted to the precise modes of giving practical effect
thereto, as shewn upon the Drawing, and herein described, as the principle of
the said Invention admits of its being applied in various ways in the manu-
facture of steel generally.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Snowden, have hereunto set
THOS. SNOWDON. (L.S.)