IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SMELTING OR REDUCTION OF METALLIC ORES, AND IN FURNACES THEREFOR."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firin of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SMELTING OR REDUCTION OF METALLIC ORES, AND IN
FURNACES THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by George Henry
Moller, of Plainfield, New Jersey, Manufacturer, William Moller, of the City
and State of New York, Merchant, and William Alexander Stephens, of
Drakesville, New Jersey, Sunelter, all in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SMELTING OR REDUCTION
OF METALLIC ORES, AND IN FURNACES THEREFOR." A communication from abroad
by George Henry Moller, of Plainfield, New Jersey, Manufacturer, William Moller,
of the City and State of New York, Merchant, and William Alexander Stephens, of
Drakesville, New Jersey, Smelter, all in the United States of America.
This Invention comprises the following devices and combinations of parts, namely,
a furnace proper, with a roasting oven directly above the same, and with hollow
supports connecting both, leaving an open space between the oven and the furnace
proper, whereby a charge of roasted ore may be dropped directly from the said oven
into the furnace.
In combination with the said furnace there is a heater with a reverberating com-
bustion chamber, a coiled blast pipe, and a duct terminating in a tuyere. There is
also a hot air pipe connected with a coil heated by the waste products of com-
bustion from the roasting oven, and with a tuyere leading into the smelting
furnace.
The chambers above the roasting oven are provided with valves and flues.
A conical deflector is employed in a duct connected with the combustion chamber.
In this duct is a hole or opening closed by a plug, which hole permits the introduc-
tion of a rod for cleaning the tuyere. This deflector fits as tightly as possible in the
duct, so that there is no air passage around its periphery. At the end of the duct
Pain Bid I

page_text: is secured in any suitable manner another duct made of wrought iron or refractory
material, or lined with refractory material. To the smaller end of this duct is
secured the tuyere, which enters the bottom of the furnace proper through a
suitable channel way or recess in the brickwork.
In combination with the tuyere I arrange a water pipe for conducting water to 5
the tuyere for cooling the same.
In some cases the heaters are not employed, but instead thereof, I use coils and a
hot air pipe connected directly with the tuyere. In these cases the deflector is
despensed with.
The said Invention also comprises a process of reducing ores by roasting, 1
disulphurizing, and purifying the same in a thin layer.
The process of roasting and desulphurizing is exerted upon ore in a thin layer, by
means of which the same is completely desulphurized and otherwise purified in a
very short time. This ore thus roasted is dropped while "cherry red" hot, or at a
high heat into the smelting furnace without disintegration, thereby saving the great 1
expense of re-heating the same.
Although the above described furnace is peculiarly adapted for the treatment of
stubborn iron ores, it is also well adapted for the reduction of ores other than iron,
and may be used, not only with anthracite or bituminous coals, but with coke,
charcoal, peat, or other fuel.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
September 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SMELTING OR REDUCTION 2
OF METALLIC ORES, AND IN FURNACES THEREFOR." A communication from abroad
by George Henry Moller, of Plainfield, New Jersey, Manufacturer, William Moller,
of the City and State of New York, Merchant, and William Alexander Stephens, of
Drakesville, New Jersey, Smelter, all in the United States of America.
This Invention relates partly to novel processes for reducing or smelting ores, and 3
partly to improvements in hot blast furnaces for smelting such ores as fully herein-
after explained.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a furnace constructed according to this Invention,
through two of the heaters for generating the hot blast; Figure 2 is a horizontal 3
section ofthe same.
Figure 3 shows one of the heaters detached and partly in section.
Figure 4 shows the tuyere detached.
And Figure 5 is a vertical section of a modification of the furnace showing the
hot air coils located above the roasting oven.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
4
A represents the furnace proper in which the ore is smelted. Above this furnace
is placed the roasting and desulphurizing oven B, which is supported by hollow
pieces C, usually of cast iron, and lined with fire-brick leading from the upper out-
side portion of the furnace A into the bottom of the roasting oven B, and affording 4
a communication from said furnace A into said roasting oven.
A portion of the gases which otherwise would pass through the hollow supports C,
may be diverted by a pipe C³, and carried to the fire-box of the boiler for the
purpose of making steam. Both the furnace and the roasting oven are built of
brick, incased and inclosed by a shell, preferably of boiler iron.
A valve A¹, operating by a lever a from the outside, regulates the intensity of heat
in the roasting oven by confining the products of combustion in the same. Shoots b
.

page_text: enable the charge to be placed in the oven and air passages c, regulated by valves
arranged about the periphery of the bottom of the roasting oven, admit air therein
to aid in the combustion.
A passage d, covered by a door, serves to give access to the interior of the
roasting oven to stir up the contents, and to clean out the debris which may collect
there.
In the central bottom of the said oven is a hinged door or trap e, with convenient
means for opening or closing the same, and which permits the charge in said
oven to fall out, and a similar door or trap f, of larger dimensions, in the top of the
furnace, allows the falling charge to pass at once into the top of the furnaco
proper.
The roasting oven is further provided with a scraper or partition f¹, adapted to
be operated from the outside of the furnace, and intended to separate successive
charges of ore placed in the roasting oven.
The brickwork is extended above the roasting oven, and joins the stack or
main exit for the furnace. Between the bottom of the roasting oven and the top
of the furnace proper is a free open space g, by means of which access is had from
the platform at the top of the furnace to the door f, for the purpose of charging said
furnace. A tap hole at the bottom of the furnace allows the metal to run off,
and also gives access for kindling the fire in the same; and said furnace is also
furnished with suitable means for removing cinders.
Around the base of the furnace proper are arranged two or more heaters D),
adapted to burn coal, having a combustion chamber D', done-shaped or reverberating.
Upon the outside of each heater, connected with a suitable blower, is a blast pipe E,
froin which branches a pipe F entering the heater below the fire bed, and aiding the
combustion of the coal thercon, and another branch or blast pipe G which enters
the combustion chamber passes around the same in coils, and through and across
the combustion chamber into a duct H, and along within the same toward the
furnace, nearly to its end. Those several pipes have proper regulating valves i.
This duct H may be cast with the top of the heater, opening directly out of the
conibustion chamber or attached to the same near its top in any suitable manner, .
in which latter instance proper openings must be made for the passage of the gases
of combustion and the combustion chamber into said duct. This duct moreover is
preferably bent down and gradually contracted toward its end next to the furnace.
At this small end of the duct is secured a conical deflector I, made of wrought iron
or refractory material, with its mouth towards the end of the blast pipe G, which
approaches its centre, and having an opening j for the passage through it of the hot
air from the blast and the gases contained in the duct. This deflector fits as tightly
as possible in the duct so that there is no air passage around its periphery. At the
end of the duct is secured, in any suitable manner, another duct J, made of wrought
iron or refractory material, or suitably lined with refractory material, having an
inside diameter at least equal to the inside diameter of the small end of the duct H,
and preferably turned up a little at / so as to assume a horizontal plane, and
tapering a little toward the furnace. To the smaller end of this duct is secured
the tuyere K which enters the bottom of the furnace proper through a suitable
channel way or recess in the brickwork. This tuyere is protected by a coil L of
water pipe connected with a proper supply, which coil is carried closely around the
tuyere from its heel to its front, then back, as at 1, along over the main body of the
coil, so that the water entering passes along the pipe at , and is presented first at
the front of the of tuyere, and then circulates around it back towards the heel, thus
presenting the coldest water at the point where the heat is greatest.
On the under side of the duct J at the angle k is an opening M passing directly
into said duct and closed by a suitable plug or other means, the objects of this
opening being to enable the operator to thrust in a rod, preferably of zinc, in order
to test the degree of heat within said duct and also to enable the operator to intro-
duce a rod to clear out the interior of the tuyere.

page_text: It may be found more economical where fuel is expensive to dispense with the
aforesaid heaters, as shown in Figure 5, and to use in the place thereof the hot air
coils N¹ adapted to receive air from a suitable blower in chambers O, immediately
above the roasting oven, and receiving heat by means of flues P, directly from the
roasting oven. A suitable valve Q may be employed to regulate the heat in the
chambers O. The hot air pipe N" connecting with the coils N' should be led
down inside the casing of the furnace and connected with the tuyere.
In the employment of this furnace, a fire is first started in the heaters D and the
blast is set in motion. Then the furnace proper is partly filled from the top with
wood and charcoal, and the same kindled. Then coal or other suitable fuel is
poured in upon the kindled wood and charcoal and allowed to burn until the furnace
and roasting oven are thoroughly heated. The oven B is then charged with ore
alone of the kind intended for smelting, sufficient to cover the floor of the oven to
the bottom of the shoots, and the shoots may be more or less filled, as may be con-
venient. The gases arising from the combustion within the furnace proper are
forced by the blast through the hollow supports C into the roasting oven B, and
then receiving a fresh supply of air through the openings c in the bottom of said
oven, burn therein and roast, desulphurize, and free from impurities the ore con-
tained therein. After a proper roasting, commonly not exceeding one hour in
duration, a sufficient part of the charge is suffered to fall from the roasting oven
into the furnace proper through the doors e and f, and a fresh charge is supplied at
the shoots.
After the charge has been received from the roasting oven into the said furnace
proper, where it has fallen upon the incandescent coal or other fuel, it is followed
by a sufficient charge of limestone and another charge of coal or other fuel and the
door is closed. Then, after an interval of half or three-quarters of an hour, another
charge of ore is received from the roasting oven, followed by charges of limestone
and fuel as before, and the same course is continued until the furnace proper is
filled. After a suitable time, the melted contents of the furnace are drawn off in
the usual manner.
It is to be understood that during the whole time consumed in the proceedings
above described, the hot blasts are in operation. The volume of air blown in at the
branch F is regulated by suitable valves and must be sufficient to keep up a lively
combustion of the coal in the heater. The coils of the blast pipe G in the com-
bustion chamber or the hot air pipe N¹ in the chambers O, as the case may be,
becoming intensely heated, the air within such pipes becomes correspondingly
heated, and, under the pressure exerted, is delivered at the very mouth of the
deflector, not only with great force but at a high degree of temperature. At this
point it meets the volume of the gases of combustion driven out of the combustion
chamber of the heaters D, in case they are employed, by the air force exerted through
the branch pipe F, and compressed by the diminishing size of the duct H forces said
gases through the opening jin the deflector I. Immediately upon their passage
through the opening named, the gases take fire and there occurs instantaneously an
expansion in their volume limited by the greater interior area of the duct J, as
compared with that of the opening j. In this expansion the inclination of the
gases in combustion to force themselves back into the duct H is controlled and
prevented by the interposition of the deflector, which presents shoulders against
such back pressure, and includes, between themselves and the inner walls of the
duct H, recesses or chambers which receive and sustain the back pressure. This
back pressure is, however, less than the forward pressure through the opening j, and
therefore the forward movement of the blast is uninterrupted.
In case the heaters D are not employed, but instead thereof the coils N¹, the hot
air pipe N may be connected directly with the tuyere and the use of the deflector
dispensed with.
The process of roasting and desulphurizing is exerted upon ore in a thin layer, by
means of which the same is completely desulphurized and otherwise purified in a

page_text: very short time. This ore thus roasted is dropped, while "cherry red" hot. or at a
high heat, into the smelting furnace without disintegration, thereby saving the great
expense of reheating the same.
It will be observed that while this furnace is peculiarly adapted for the treatment
of stubborn iron ores it is well adapted for the reduction of ores other than iron,
and may be used, not only with antrhacite or bituminous coals, but with coke, char-
coal, peat, or other fuel.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to mo by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In combination, a furnace proper, a roasting oven directly above the same,
and hollow supports connecting both, leaving an open space between the oven and
the furnace proper, whereby a charge of roasted ore may be dropped directly from
said oven into said furnaco, as above described.
Second. In combination with the furnace, the heater with reverborating com-
bustion chamber, a coiled blast pipe, and the duct terminating in the tuyerc, as
above described and for the purposes set forth.
Third. A hot air pipe connected with a coil heated by the waste products of com-
bustion from the roasting oven, and with a tuyore leading into the smelting furnace,
as above described.
Fourth. The chambers above the roasting oven with the valves and flues, as above
described.
Fifth. The deflector, as above described and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. In combination with a tuyore the water pipe, arranged as described for
the purpose specified.
Seventh. In reducing ores, the process above described of roasting, desulphurizing,
and purifying the same in a thin layer.
Eighth. In reducing ores, the process above described of dropping the desulphurized
and purified ores while red hot into the smelting furnace.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)
W¼, ROB³. LAKE. (L.S.)