IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Longsdon, of Queen Victoria Street, in
"
the City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
- A communication from abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen,
Prussia, Cast Steel Manufacturer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Longsdon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th September 1875.
I, ALFRED LONGSDON, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH,” a communication from abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen,
Prussia, Cast Steel Manufacturer, to be as follows:—
The object of this Invention is to effect a very considerable saving in
the consumption of fuel and in the necessary repairs, and to give also a
greater regularity to the feed of the fire so that the supply of fuel can

page_text: be so regulated that it shall be in accordance with the consumption,
causing both economy in the fuel and also in the labor of working the
furnace. This improved arrangement can be applied to all classes of
furnaces for heating and working metals, to steam boilers of all
descriptions, and will be found of considerable efficacy particularly on
board sea going vessels, where economy of fuel space is of importance.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed, the arrangement is shewn as
applied to a puddling-furnace,-this-class-of-furnace-being simply chosen
to represent the application of the improved construction. B is the
hearth of the furnace where the metal is worked; C, the grate; D, D, are
the fire-bars resting in frames E, which frames are laid at an angle of
45° or thereabouts. These' fire-bars are laid. horizontally, and overlap
one another, there being sufficient space between the tiers of bars to
allow atmospheric air to pass through to support combustion. By this
arrangement of bars the fuel, however small, cannot fall through and
thus become wasted as in furnaces of ordinary construction; F is the
ash-pit, the front of which is closed in by the plate F. This position of
the fire-bars allow the fuel to gradually slide down, and thus being in
constant motion it is better consumed, and also the liability of becoming
choked is lessened.
In order to heat the air before passing to the fire there are placed in
the walls of the furnace on each side an iron or other suitable chamber
G, G, (shewn in dotted lines,) having fitted therein a series of plates or
divisions a, a, placed zig-zag, or in such a manner that the air is
compelled to traverse over a large area before it enters the fire-grate,
and thus takes up from the heated walls of the furnace a considerable
portion of heat. The air enters at H into the chambers, and after
traversing the divisions is drawn through the pipe J into a fan blower P
or other suitable exhauster,-and-is-forced by this means through the
-pipe-into-the-fire-grate, and thus serves to support the combustion.
The 2 side chambers are connected together by the pipe L.
---In order to keep-up-a continuous feed of fuel to the fire, and also to
more cqually distribute or spread the fuel over the surface of the fire,
the following arrangement is adopted :-K is an iron casing fixed on the
top of the furnace, and having a hopper mouth M, into which the fuel is
fed N is a roller with projections, b, b, the purpose of which is to

page_text: hopper M to the opening Q, through which it falls into the furnace.
The falling of the fuel is regulated by a valve or spreader O, which is
centred at d, and has a to-and-fro motion communicated to it by means
of a lever e, connecting rod f, and lever g, actuated from the axis of the
roller N; this to-and-fro motion of the spreader O causes the fuel to be
more equally distributed over the whole surface of the fire, and thus the
feed can be regulated. The speed of the fan blower P can also be
regulated at the will of the user of the furnace, and according to the
kind of heat he may require in the furnace. This regulation of the
admission of air to the furnace may also be controlled by means of a:
throttle valve, and thus to produce an oxidizing or a reducing flame.
required in the process of puddling; R is the flue leading to the.
chimney; S is an opening to the furnace through which fuel may be fed
when lighting the fire at the commencement of the process, and which
is afterwards closed by the door / when using the arrangements above
described; T is a table on which the fuel is stored when feeding the
furnace through the opening S. The shape of the furnace crown is also.
somewhat altered as shown in order to prevent the direct passage of the'
flame, and to cause the flame to impinge upon the hearth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Longsdon in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, ALFRED
LONGSDON, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineer,.
a communication to him from abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen,
Prussia, Cast Steel Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,'
in the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and'
successors, give and grant unto him, the said Alfred Longsdon, his
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her special license, that I, the
said Alfred Longsdon, executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alfred Longsdou, my executors, admini-

page_text: strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Longsdon, 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 Alfred Longsdon, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof :-
The object or purpose of this Invention is to effect a very considerable
saving in the consumption of fuel, and in the necessary repairs of
furnaces, and to give also a greater regularity to the feed of the fire so
that the supply of fuel can be so regulated that it shall be in accordance
with the consumption, causing both economy in the fuel and in the
labor of working the furnace. This improved arrangement can be
applied to all classes of furnaces for heating and working metals, to
steam boilers of all descriptions, and will be found of considerable
efficacy, particularly on board sea going vessels, where economy of fuel
space is of importance.
+
' In the Drawings hereunto annexed, the arrangement is shewn as
applied to a puddling furnace, this class of furnace being simply shewn
to represent the..application-of-the-improved construction. Bis the
hearth of the furnace where the metal is worked; C, the grate; D, D,
-are-the-fire-bars-resting-in-frames-E which-frames-are-laid-at-an-angle-
of 45° or thereabouts. These fire-bars are laid horizontally and overlap
one another, there being sufficient space between the tiers of bars to
allow of atmospheric air to pass through to support combustion. By
this arrangement of bars the fuel, however small, cannot fall through and
thus become wasted as in furnaces of ordinary construction; F is the

page_text: ash-pit, the front of which is closed in by the plate. Fr. This position of
the fire-bars allows the fuel to gradually slide down, and thus being in
constant motion it is better consumed, and the liability of the furnace
becoming choked is lessened.
In order to heat the air before passing to the fire, there is placed in
the walls of the furnace on each side an iron or other suitable chamber
G, G (shown in dotted lines), having fitted therein a series of plates or
divisions a, a, placed zig-zag, or in such a manner that the air is
compelled to traverse over a large area before it enters the fire-grate, and
thus to take up from the heated walls of the furnace a considerable
portion of heat; the air enters at H into the chambers, and after
traversing the divisions is drawn through the pipe J' into a fan blower P
or other suitable contrivance, and is forced by this means through the
pipe J into the fire-grate, and thus serves to support the combustion.
The two side chambers are connected together by the pipe L.
In order to keep up a continuous feed of fuel, and also to more
equally distribute or spread the fuel over the surface of the fire, the
following arrangement is adopted :-K is an iron casing fixed on the top
of the furnace, and having a hopper mouth M, into which the fuel is
fed; N is a roller with projections b, b, the purpose of which is to crush
the fuel to an uniform size, and to pass it regularly from the hopper M
to the opening Q, through which it falls into the furnace. The falling
of the fuel is regulated by a valve or spreader O which is centred at d,
and has a to-and-fro motion communicated by means of a lever e, con-
necting rod f, and lever g, actuated from the axis of the roller N; this
to-and-fro motion of the spreader O causes the fuel to be more equally.
distributed over the whole surface of the fire, and thus the feed can be
regulated. The speed of the fan blower P can also be regulated at the
will of the user of the furnace, and according to the kind of heat he
O may require in the furnace. This regulation of the admission of air to
the furnace may also be controlled by means of a throttle valve, and
thus produce an oxidizing or a reducing flame required in the process of
puddling; R is the flue leading to the chimney; S is an opening to the
furnace, through which fuel may be fed when lighting the fire at the
5 commencement of the process, and which is afterwards closed by the
door when using the arrangements above described; T is a table on
which the fuel is stored when feeding the furnace through the opening S.
The shape of the furnace crown is also somewhat altered as shown, in

page_text: order to prevent the direct passage of the flame, and to cause the flame
to impinge upon the hearth.
And having now described the nature of this Invention as communi-
cated to me, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I declare
that I claim,-
1. Constructing furnaces with a heating chamber or chambers having
plates or divisions, and with fire-bars, fan, air pipes, and ash-pit door,
-either-combined-or-separately, substantially-in-manner-and-for-the-
purposes set forth.
2. Constructing furnaces with a hopper feeding and crushing roller
having projections, and with valve, table, and opening, either combined
or separately, and substantially as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Longsdon, have hereunto
set my hand this Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
ALFRED LONGSDON
(T. S)
ALFRED LONGSDON (LS)