IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND BALLING FURNACES
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Stephen Meredith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
March 1870.
I, STEPHEN MEREDITH, of Burnt Tree, Tipton, in the County of
Stafford, Furnace Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND BALLING FURNACES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention has reference, firstly, to the side and bottom plates of
the said furnaces, and consists of the arrangements herein-after described
for applying water to the said side and bottom plates of the said furnaces
for the purpose of keeping the same cool, and thereby preventing or
diminishing injury to the said side and bottom plates by the heat employed
in the puddling or balling process. I construct the said side and bottom
plates in the ordinary manner, and underneath the bottom plates I
construct a shallow trough or vessel of somewhat larger size than the
bed of the furnace, the upper edge of the said trough being on the same
level as or a little below the upper surfaces of the bottom plates. The top
edge of the said trough is bevilled on its inner side. I construct the
said trough of cast iron in two or more pieces connected together by

page_text: screw bolts and nuts. The said trough is provided with ribs or pro-
jections for supporting the bottom plates, the ends of the said bottom
plates resting upon bearing plates of the usual construction. Along the
outside of the side plates and near the top thereof is a horizontal water
pipe or tube running around the furnace. The under side of this
pipe or tube is pierced with fine holes inclined towards the side plates.
Water is supplied to the said water pipe and passes out at the said small
holes, and falls upon the outside of the said side plates, and runs down
and cools them. The water from the side plates is received in the
trough under the bed or bottom plates of the furnace. The said trough
is provided with an overflow pipe opening at a level a little above the
under surfaces of the bottom plates at which level the water in the
trough is maintained. The under surface of the bottom plates are thus
kept in contact with water and are thereby cooled, while the level of the
water not being allowed to rise so high as the upper surfaces of the ]
bottom plates there is no risk of water entering the furnace and causing
the explosions which sometimes occur by the use of the methods of
cooling ordinarily employed.
My Invention consists, secondly, in making the bed of the furnace of
a nearly elliptical figure in preference to the angular figure ordinarily 2
used. The advantage secured by the elliptical figure of the bed is
economizing the calcined cinder or other fettling with which the bottom
and side plates of the furnace are covered.
My Invention consists, thirdly, of the following method of constructing
the fire-brick linings of puddling and balling furnaces. In consequence 2
of the cooling of the side plates by the arrangement herein-before
described the diameter of the furnace at the said side plates may be
diminished, the diameter of the fire-brick lining of the furnace situated
on the top of the side plates being preserved of the ordinary size. By
this change in the diameter of the furnace at the side plates the fire- 3
bricks of which the lining is composed may be set lengthwise instead of
endwise, and only one-half of the bricks required in the ordinary lining
are required in linings made according to my Invention.