IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO HEATING AND BALLING FURNACES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Griffiths, of Greet's Green, West Bromwich, in
the County of Stafford, Manager, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PUDDLING FURNACES, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE
TO HEATING AND BALLING FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Griffiths at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1880.
WILLIAM GRIFFITHS, of Greet's Green, West Bromwich, in the County of
Stafford, Manager. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES, SUCH IMPROVE-
MENTS BEING ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO HEATING AND BALLING FURNACES."
A furnace constructed according to my Invention for puddling iron is formed
either single, double, or treble-handed. In either case the flue bridge, neck, and
flue are completely dispensed with, the flue being carried up direct from the inside
of the furnace crown at the farthest end thereof from the fire grate. The flue is
thence carried direct through a short up-take flue, and thence up through a chimney
carried on stanchions over the furnace, or through the internal tube of a vertical or
horizontal boiler over the furnace. In the case of a single-handed furnace the
puddling door is placed at the end of the puddling chamber opposite to the fire
grate, that is, in the place where the flue bridge would occur in the case of an
ordinary single handed puddling furnace. The exterior corners of the puddling
chamber, at the end in which the said door is fixed, may be slanted off by suitable
furnace plates formed therefor. When the furnace is constructed double handed,
puddling doors are placed one in each side, as in the case of ordinary double-handed
puddling furnaces. When the furnace is constructed treble-handed, the end door,
as before described, is used in conjunction with the side doors. Of course in the
case of a double or treble-handed furnace, the puddling chamber, and also the fire
grate are made to the widths and lengths suitable for the extra work to be turned
out. For a double-handed furnace the puddling chamber is shaped as is usual for
such furnaces. For a treble-handed furnace the puddling chamber is shaped as for
a double one, but in addition the chamber is shaped bellied out towards the end

page_text: door so as to be suitable for the third hand. According to this part of my Invention
it will be seen that there is no back wall to the furnace in the case either of a
single, double, or treble-handed furnace. It will also be seen that much room is
saved by dispensing with the flue bridge, neck, and flue, and carrying the chimney
stack over the furnace, as well as by making a three-handed furnace as described.
A heating and balling furnace constructed according to my Invention is formed
in the manner described for my single-handed puddling furnace, except that of
course the shape of the door will be varied to suit the purpose for which the
furnace is required. The crown of the reverberatory chamber is brought lower
down at the door end than for a puddling furnace, so as to throw the flame on to the
iron near the door. The piles, blooms, or other masses to be heated are charged
endways into the furnace, and thus the flame from the grate plays along and
between the said piles, blooms, etc., in its passage to the upward flue instead
of across such piles, blooms, etc, as in the case of the ordinary furnace. The piles,
blooms, etc., being charged at the end door, from which all parts of the reverberatory
chamber are easily reached with the tool; doors at the side are entirely dispensed
with, and thus currents of cold air avoided. The bed of the furnace is inclined
towards one corner of the fire bridge, and the cinder is tapped out through
an opening formed at this point. The cinder being tapped direct from the
reverberatory chamber will run freely without any fire being kept up specially
for it..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Griffiths in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd May
1881.
WILLIAM GRIFFITHS, of Greet's Green, West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford,
Manager. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING
ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO HEATING AND BALLING FURNACES."
A puddling furnace constructed according to this Invention is formed either
single, double, or treble-handed. In either case the flue bridge, neck, and ordinary
flue are entirely dispensed with, the flue being carried up direct from the inside of
the furnace crown at the farthest end thereof from the grate. The flue passes
thence direct through a short up-take into a chinney carried over the furnace or
stanchions, or into the internal flue of a vertical or horizontal boiler carried over
the furnace.
In the case of a single-handed furnace the puddling door is placed at the end of
the puddling chamber opposite to the grate, that is, in the place where the flue
bridge would occur in the case of an ordinary single-handed puddling furnace.
The exterior corners of the puddling chamber, at the end in which the said door is
placed, may be slanted off by means of suitable furnace plates formed therefor.
The door being exposed to a more than usually intense heat is formed with an air
space, and openings for the ingress and egress of the air, so as to keep it cool.
In the case of a double-handed furnace the puddling doors are placed one on each
side, as in the case of ordinary double-handed puddling furnaces.
In the case of a treble-handed furnace an end door is used, as in the case of the
single-handed furnace before described, in addition to the two side doors used for a
double-handed furnace.
Of course in the case of a double or treble-handed furnace the puddling chamber
and also the furnace grate are made to the sizes suitable for the extra work to be
performed. For a double-handed furnace the puddling chamber is shaped as is
usual for such furnaces. For a treble-handed furnace the puddling chamber is
shaped as for a double one, but in addition thereto the chamber is shaped out
towards the end door so as to be suitable for the third hand.
By dispensing with the flue-bridge, neck, and ordinary flue much space and
material is saved, additional compactness boing also gained for the work to be
turned out by making a three-handed furnace, as described. A saving of fuel
also is effected, especially in the case of the three-handed puddling furnace; and in
the case of a single and three-handed furnace less "fettling " is used, the puddling
chamber of the single-handed furnace being the same length from furnace bridge
to puddling door as it is in width in an ordinary furnace, and being the same
width as it usually is length in an ordinary furnace, that is to say, the puddling
chamber stands across the furnace instead of lengthwise, as in the ordinary furnace.
This arrangement of single-handed puddling chamber gives about 4 to 5 feet less
length of "fettling " than the ordinary arrangement.
A heating and balling furnace constructed according to this Invention is formed
in the manner described for my single-handed puddling furnace, except that of course
the shape of the door will be varied to suit the purpose for which the furnace is
required, and the crown of the reverberatory chamber is brought lower down at
the door end than for a puddling furnace, so as to throw the flame on to the iron
near the door. The piles, blooms, or other masses to be heated are charged
endways into the furnace, and thus the flame from the grate plays along and

page_text: between the said piles and similar masses in its passage to the upward flue, instead
of across such piles and similar masses, as in the case of the ordinary furnace
which has the charging door at the side. The piles or other masses to be heated
being charged at the end door, from which all parts of the reverberatory chamber
are easily reached with the tool, doors at the side are entirely dispensed with, and
thus currents of cold air and consequent waste of iron and fuel are avoided. The
piles and similar masses are more readily heated lying lengthways than across the
furnace. The bed of the furnace is inclined towards one corner of the fire bridge,
and the cinder is tapped out through an opening formed at this point, the cinder
wagon being run under the bottom of the furnace to receive it. The cinder being
tapped direct from the reverberatory chamber will run freely without any fire
being kept up specially for it.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will now proceed more
particularly to describe and ascertain the manner of performing the same with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
I have illustrated my Invention only as it relates to a treble-handed puddling
furnace, but upon a clear understanding of this, the application of my Invention to
single and double-handed puddling furnaces, and to heating and balling furnaces, will
be readily understood by persons skilled in the trades to which the Invention
relates without need for special illustration.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a half plan and half sectional
plan, on line a, a, of Figure 1 of a treble-handed puddling furnace constructed
according to this Invention. A is the furnace grate and B the firing aperture; C is
the puddling chamber; D, D, are the two side puddling doors, and E the end
puddling door; the corners F, F, are shaped off by plates formed therefor, as
shewn; G is the flue passing up through the crown of the puddling chamber, as
shewn; H, H, are cross-girders supported on stanchions J, J, etc.
The girders
H, H, carry plates K, K., etc., on which a chimney stack is built. L is a brick
uptake connecting the flue G with the chimney stack. A boiler may, if preferred,-
be carried over the furnace, and the uptake be led into the internal flue thereof.
Figure 3 is a detached elevation of the outer face of the door E. As the door E is
exposed more directly than the doors D), D, to the direct hent from the grate, it is
constructed with a hollow air circulating space a (shewn by dotted lines but not
lettered on Figure 3) formed by the plate b, which extends the whole width of the
door, and from the top edge thereof down to as low as the point d; e, c, (shewn by
dotted lines, Figures 1 and 3) are openings by which air is admitted; and f(shewn
by dotted lines, Figure 3) is an opening through which the air passes out. The
air is drawn through the air space a by the chimney draft, and the quantity of air
passing through may be regulated if required, so as not to check the furnace draft
by partially stopping the openings e, e, or the opening with clay or otherwise.
The door E is lined inside with brick in the usual manner. The same construction
of door may be used at D, D, if desired, and for puddling doors generally. The
puddling chamber C is shewn constructed in size and shape for three puddlers to
work thereat simultaneously, one at each of the doors D, D, and one at the
door E. If however one hand is short the door E can be kept closed up, and two
puddlers can work the furnace as a double-handed furnace at the doors D, D.
My Invention, as it applies to the construction of a double-handed puddling
furnace, will now be easily understood, the construction being similar to my treble-
handed furnace, but having no end door, a solid plate and brickwork taking the
place thereof, and the interior of the furnace at that end being shaped to suit the
working of the two opposite puddlers only.
My Invention, as it applies to the construction of a single-handed puddling
furnace, will also now be readily understood, the construction being the saine as an
ordinary puddling furnace, except that in place of the flue bridge, neck, and ordinary
flue a puddling door (preferably of the same construction as the door lettered E) is
placed in a corresponding position to the door E, and the flue is carried up, as

page_text: shewn at G. In this case, of course, the ordinary side puddling door is dispensed
with. The corners of the furnace on each side of the puddling door are inclined, as
shewn at F, F. If desired the puddling door may be placed at the side in the usual
manner, and the end of the puddling chamber closed in with a solid plate and
brickwork, but the flue will in this case still be carried up in the manner
shewn.
The application of my Invention to a heating and balling furnace consists in
placing the door through which the piles, etc., are charged in a corresponding position
to the door E and carrying up the flue, as shewn at G. In this case, of course, the
interior of the furnace must be constructed to suit the purpose for which it is to be
used, as will be readily understood, and the bed of the heating or balling chamber
will be level with the bottom of the door and not of course sunk down, as in the
case of a puddling chamber. As the door of a heating furnace may be lower than a
puddling furnace door, the crown of the furnace is preferably brought lower down
than shewn on the Drawing at the flue ond, so as to throw the flame down upon
the piles, etc., near the door. The door either for a heating or balling furnace is
preferably constructed similarly to the door E, which construction of door is
applicable also to heating and balling furnaces generally. If desired the charging
door may be placed at the side in the usual manner, and the end of the heating or
balling chamber closed with a solid plate and brickwork, but the flue will in this
case still be carried up in the manner shewn. The bed of the furnace is inclined
towards one of the corners of the firebridge, and the cinder is tapped out through
an opening in the bed of the furnace into a wagon run in underneath the furnace
bottom to receive it; or a short spout may be used to run the cinder from off the
furnace bottom out into a wagon at the side. I do not claim this method of running
out the cinder as being at all novel, as I understand the same or a similar method
of doing so has been employed in the case of ordinary heating and balling furnaces.
I must here point out that my Invention as it relates to heating and balling furnaces
refers to furnaces strictly technically so named, and which are used for heating piles,
blooms, and similar masses, and for balling scrap, and which furnaces have hitherto
been used with the charging door at one side and the flue arranged similarly to the
flue of an ordinary puddling furnace, and does not refer to furnaces for annealing
sheets or to furnaces used as muffles.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, and particularly described
and ascertained the manner of performing the same, I declare that I do not limit
myself to the exact details shewn, as such may be varied without departing
from the nature of my Invention, but what I claim as my Invention, and desire
to secure by the herein-before in-part-recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The construction of puddling furnaces and heating and balling furnaces, in
which the neck and ordinary flue (and in a puddling furnace the flue bridge also)
are entirely dispened with, and the flue is carried up through the crown of the
puddling chamber or the heating or balling chamber at or near the end where the
Hue usually occurs, the said end of the puddling chamber or heating or balling
chamber being closed in by plates and brickwork, with a door arranged therein or
not as required, all substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shewn
by the Drawings.
2nd. The construction of single and treble-handed puddling furnaces, and the
construction of heating and balling furnaces, in which an end puddling or
charging door is used, substantially as herein described and shewn by the
Drawings.
3rd. The construction of double-handed puddling furnaces, in which the flue
bridge, neck, and ordinary flue are dispensed with, and the flue is carried up through
the crown of the puddling chamber and the end of the chamber closed up,
substantially as herein described and shewn by the Drawings.
4th. The construction of door having an air space a and air openings e, e, and f,
for use with my improved construction of puddling, heating, and balling furnaces,

page_text: and also for use with puddling, heating, and balling furnaces generally, substantially
as and for the purpose herein described and shown by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Griffiths, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
WILLIAM GRIFFITHS. (L.S.)
Witness,
HENRY CHILTON,
Clerk to Stephen Watkins, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E.,
Office for Patents,
Wolverhampton.