IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE HEAT OF FURNACES FOR SMELTING IRON, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO RETORTS FOR GENERATING GAS
Year: 1838

page_text: SMITH'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
WAGSTAFF SMITH, of Leamington Priors, in the County of Warwick, Iron
Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Wagstaff Smith, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
and authority, that I, the said Samuel Wagstaff Smith, my exors, adññiors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Wagstaff Smith, my exors,
adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REGULATING THE HEAT OF FURNACES FOR SMELTING IRON, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO RETORTS FOR GENERATING GAS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Samuel Wagstaff Smith, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Samuel Wagstaff Smith, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, referenco

page_text: Figure 4 shows another arrangement of apparatus where a like result will
be obtained.
In this Figure the saine letters are used to indicate similar
parts, but the cylinder k in this case is between the valve e and the pump a,
and there are springs m for regulating the force under which the valve e shall
be actuated.
Figure 5 shows another mode of accomplishing my Invention. In this case
the valve e is at all times pressed with a tendency to open it, whilst the pressure
of the current of air acting on the valve e will more or less close that valve,
according as the blast is above the degree which it is desired to keep the blast,
and, by closing the valve e more or less, will keep the quantity and pressure of
the air which passes the valve uniform or nearly so. It should be stated that
the above may be used where hot or cold blast is employed.
Figures 6 and 7 show two arrangements of apparatus for regulating the
blast of air to furnaces where the hot or cold air blast is employed, and wherein
the regulation depends on the pressure of the air forced through the pipe d.
The modes shewn in these Figures differ slightly one from the other, that at
Figure 6 depending on a spring, and that at Figure 7 acting by means of a
weighted lever. In other respects the apparatus consists of the pipe n, in
which is conveyed the pressure of the atmospheric air passing through the
pipe d, and according as the pressure is greater or less the valve e will be
opened or closed more or less. In Figure 6 the pipen is between the blowing
apparatus and the valve e, and in Figure 7 the pipe n is beyond the valve e
on the end o of the pipe. m is an external casing to contain mercury or other
suitable fluid into which the inverted cup p'affixed to the rod which works
the valve e, as is clearly shown in the Drawing; hence as the pressure becomes
greater or less, so will be the closing and opening of the value, and the blast
will be regulated.
Figure 8 shows another arrangement of apparatus differing from those.
shown at Figures 6 and 7, inasmuch as the valve e, in place of being in the.
pipe d, is applied to the chimney or flue of the apparatus where the air is
heated, and such valve is worked by the heat of the air passing through the.
pipe & acting on air or other matter in the pipe n; hence in case of the
temperature of the air becoming too high in the pipe d leading to the furnace,
the damper or valve e will be more or less close, and damp the fire which is
heating the air for the blast, and thus reduce the temperature of the air forced
therethrough; or the damper may be applied to the ashpit or other inlet by
which air is admitted to support combustion in the furnace, and thus, according
as the apparatus is once set, so will be the temperature at which the furnace
will be blasted and consequently heated.

page_text: I would here remark that it will be evident that there are many matters and
metals which by their expansion may be employed in place of air; I do not
therefore confine myself to any particular material for that purpose. And
further variations may be made in the apparatus where the pressure of the
blast regulates itself, as first above explained; I do not therefore confine myself
to the precise means above given, provided my Invention of self-regulation of
blasts of air to furnaces be retained. And, lastly, it will be evident that the
temperature of gas retorts may be regulated by using similar apparatus to that
described in Figure 8, by causing the heat of the retorts to act on a suitable*
valve or damper in the chimney or flues of the furnaces, or to the ashpit or
other inlet for admitting air to support combustion of the retorts, and thus the
distilling process be at all times carried on at the same or nearly the same
temperature.
Having thus explained the nature of my Invention, and described various
modes of performing the same, I would have it understood that I lay no claim
to any of the parts separately, but what I claim as my Invention are the
modes of regulating the heat of furnaces for smelting iron by taking advantage
of the pressure and heat of the blast of air as herein described; and I further
claim the regulating the heat of gas retorts by the temperature thereof acting
on suitable apparatus, and damper in the flue or chimney or other places as
above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Wagstaff Smith, have hereunto
hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of October, One thousand
set my
iht dood and shinty night