IMPROVEMENTS IN ов CONNECTED WITH SMITHS' FORGES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Flower, of Bristol, in the County of
Somerset, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ов
CONNECTED WITH SMITHS' FORGES."
Sealed the 3rd April 1872, and dated the 11th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Flower at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th October 1871.
I, JOHN FLOWER, of Bristol, in the County of Somerset, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH 'SMITHS' FORGES,' ” to be as follows :-
"
In smiths' forges hitherto in use the blast has been introduced at the
side through a long "tew iron," which is firmly placed in a suitable
iron backing bolted to the wall of the forge or fire-place. This tew iron
by the action of the intense heat partially melts and soon becomes
firmly jammed in the backing, and is only removable on allowing the
forge to cool, and after very great labor (this operation taking generally

page_text: from one-half to a whole day), so that the aperture whence the blast
proceeds or issues is always one size, and the blast cannot be conve.
niently regulated according to the heats required.
My Invention dispenses entirely with the backing before referred to,
and the tew irons as hitherto used, and substitutes the following:—At t
about the centre or other suitable part of the bed of the forge I place a
taper air chest or box; at about the centre of the top of such chest or
box I leave a square or other suitably shaped and open aperture, in
which is placed a readily removable tow iron of about the same thickness
as the top of the air chest.
In use with each forge adapted with these improvements will be four
-tew irons, each of which will differ merely in the size of the blast hole,
so that different heats can in a few minutes be obtained, whereas in
the old method this is an operation which usually takes some hours.
This air chest is let into the bed of the forge, and has communicating
with its interior at any suitable point below, the top a pipe communi-
cating with a fan, bellows, or other means of imparting a blast.
•
The blast enters the air chest from the blast pipe in a cold state, and
so tends to keep the chest and tew iron in a comparatively cool state,
and the absorption of the extra and prejudicial heat from the same heats
the blast immediately before issuing from the tow iron, so that by this
means there is the double advantage of a tew iron not liable to melt
away as in the old method, and at the same time a hot blast is
obtainable, besides dispensing with the costly and troublesome water
tew iron for keeping itself and the backing comparatively cool. It will,
therefore, be seen that the blast according to these improvements issues
from the tew iron in a vertical instead of in a horizontal direction as
hitherto, which will be found of great advantage in the saving of time
and labour required for any operation of that kind under the old method;
and, furthermore, the quantity of coals used is reduced by one-third.
The air chest is open at the bottom, and is there provided with a
sliding door, the use of which is as follows:—
When necessary to suddenly alter the heat of the forge by means of
an ordinary poker inserted in the blast hole of the tew iron (then in
use) the latter is removed, during or after which operation some cinders
might fall into the air chest, and so tend to check or impede the blast,

page_text: on which occasion the sliding door would be opened, and the cinders
would fall or be blown out.
It may here be mentioned that great durability is given to the
apparatus by the fact of its being imbedded in the bed of the forge, and
5
so protected from the intense heat, whilst the saving in time and labour is
fully equal to twenty per cent.
DREVIFICATION I pursuance of the content,
filed by the said John Flower in the Great. Seal Patent. Office
on the 11th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FLOWER, of Bristol, in the County of Somerset, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the
5 year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Flower, Her special
licence that I, the said John Flower, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Flower, my executors;
administrators, 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH SMITHS' FORGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Flower, 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
Ta - Patent

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Flower, 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 in writing, and on reference being had
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is to say) :-
1. This Invention relates to improvements in or connected with
smiths' forges.
2. In smiths' forges hitherto in use the blast has been introduced at
the side through a long "tew iron," which was firmly placed in a
suitable iron backing bolted to the wall of the forge or fire-place. This 1
tew iron by the action of the intense heat partially melted and soon
became firmly jammed in the backing, and was only removable there-
from on allowing the forge to cool, and after very great labor (this
operation taking generally from one-half to a whole day), so that the
aperture whence the blast proceeds or issues was always one size, and
the blast could not be conveniently regulated according to the heats
required.
3. My Invention dispenses entirely with the backing before referred
to and the tew irons as hitherto used, and the cold blast obtainable
therewith, and substitutes the following, by which I am enabled to obtain
hot blast.
a
4. The Invention will be readily understood on reference being had
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, on which Figure 1 represents
a central vertical section of the improved means, and Figure 2 a plan
of the same with the cover removed), and to the following explanation
or description thereof :-
-
5. At about the centre or other suitable part of the bed of the forge
I place a taper air chest or box a (of a'square or any other suitable cross
section), and at about the centre of the top thereof I leave a square or
other suitably shaped aperture, in which is placed a readily removable
tew iron of about the same thickness as the top of the air chest.
6. In use with each forge adapted with these improvements are four
of such tew irons, each of which differs merely in the size of the blast
hole, so that different heats can in a few minutes be obtained, whereas
in the old method this was an operation which usually took some
hours.
.

page_text: 7. When necessary to suddenly alter the heat of the forge by means
of an ordinary poker inserted in the blast hole of the tew.iron (then in
use) the latter is removed, when another can be as easily substituted.
8. Or according to another modification I construct the air chest a
(by preference) with a cover 6 (see Figure 1), which is bolted to the
former and provided with a central circular blast hole or outlet c at the
top. In this modification, when it is desired to alter the blast, all that
is necessary is to substitute therefor another cover with a different sized
aperture.
9. The air chest, which is let into the bed of the forge, is open at the
bottom, and is there provided with a sliding door or damper d, by means
of which any cinders or dust which might fall into the air chest and so
tend to check or impede the blast are removed; it has also communi-
cating with its interior at any suitable point below the top an air inlet
pipe e in communication with a fan, bellows, or other suitable means of
imparting a blast.
10. The blast enters the air chest therefrom in a cold state, and so
tends to keep the chest and tew iron or cover comparatively cool; but
the absorption of the extra and prejudicial heat from the same by the
blast heats the latter before issuing from the tew iron or cover, so that
by this means there is the double advantage of a tew iron (or. the
equivalent cover) not liable to melt away as in the old method, and
without the necessity of the costly and troublesome water tew iron
hitherto in use for keeping itself and the backing comparatively cool,
and at the same time a hot blast is obtainable. It will, therefore, be
seen that according to these improvements the blast is hot and issues
from the tew iron or cover in a vertical direction, instead of being cold
and issuing in a horizontal direction as hitherto, which is of great
advantage in the saving of time and labour required for any given
operation under the old method; and, furthermore, the quantity of coals
used for any given result is reduced thereby by one-third.
11. As another advantage it may be mentioned that great durability
is given to the apparatus by its being imbedded in the bed of the forge,
and so protected from the intense heat thereof, whilst the saving in
time and labor is fully equal to twenty per cent.

page_text: 12. Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention
for "Improvements in or connected with Smiths' Forges," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim
as my Invention, "the improved means of furnishing or imparting a hot
blast to smiths' forges," substantially as above described and as illustrated
on the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof, in
substitution for the old-fashioned backs and tew irons with the cold
12. Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention
for "Improvements, in or connected with Smiths' Forges," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim
as my Invention, "the improved means of furnishing or imparting a hot
blast to smiths' forges," substantially as above described and as illustrated
on the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof, in
substitution for the old-fashioned backs and tow irons with the cold
.blast as hitherto used.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Flower, have hereunto set my 1
hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.