A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS BY THE SURPLUS OR WASTE HEAT OF THE BLAST OVENS AND PUDDLING FURNACES USED IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Swinnerton, of Dudley Port, Tipton, in the
County of Stafford, Blast Furnace Manager, for the Invention of "A
NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS BY THE SURPLUS OR WASTE
HEAT OF THE BLAST OVENS AND PUDDLING FURNACES USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON."
Sealed the 26th September 1861, and dated the 28th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Swinnerton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th June 1861.
I, THOMAS SWINNERTON, of Dudley Port, Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
5 Blast Furnace Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS BY THE SURPLUS OR WASTE
HEAT OF THE BLAST OVENS AND PUDDLING FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
IRON," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in arranging gas retorts in the blast ovens used for
heating the blast of air which is blown into iron smelting furnaces, and

page_text: also in arranging the said retorts in puddling furnaces used in the manufacture
of iron.
In carrying my Invention into effect by means of blast ovens, I proceed as
'follows I place the retorts, which are of a cylindrical figure, in a horizontal
position in the said ovens, the said retorts lying longitudinally in the said
ovens, that is to say, parallel with the fire-bars of the fire-grate of the said
ovens. The said retorts are supported upon two or more supports at a height
of about three feet above the fire-bars, and underneath the arch formed by the
-curved pipes or channels through which the blast to be heated passes. The
heat of the blast oven, besides heating the blast pipes, beats the said retorts
sufficiently for the purpose of manufacturing coal gas. The retorts are charged
with coal, and the gas obtained is purified in the ordinary manner. The gas
obtained may be used for lighting the iron works, for heating drying stoves,
for the generation of steam, or for any other purpose to which it may be
applicable.
In carrying my Invention into effect by means of puddling furnaces, the
retorts are arranged in a manner essentially the same as that described with
reference to blast ovens.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Swinnerton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SWINNERTON, of Dudley Port, Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Blast Furnace
Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Swinnerton, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Swinnerton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Swinnerton, 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 "A

page_text: NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS BY THE SURPLUS OR WASTE HEAT OF
THE BLAST OVENS AND PUDDLING FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IBON,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Swinnerton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Thomas Swinnerton, 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, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in arranging, in the manner herein-after described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, gas retorts in the blast ovens
used for heating the blast of air which is blown into iron smelting furnaces;
and also in arranging the said retorts in puddling furnaces used in the manu-
facture of iron.
In carrying my Invention into effect by means of blast ovens, I proceed as
follows:-I place the retorts, which are by preference of a cylindrical figure,
in a horizontal position in the said ovens, the said retorts lying longitudinally
in the said ovens, that is to say, parallel with the fire-bars of the said ovens.
The said retorts are supported upon supports at a height about three feet
above the fire-bars, and underneath the arch formed by the curved pipes or
channels through which the blast to be heated passes. The heat of the blast
oven, besides heating the blast pipes, heats the said retorts sufficiently for the
purpose of manufacturing coal gas.
In carrying my Invention into effect by means of puddling furnaces, the
retorts are arranged by preference across the said furnaces at the back of the
bed of the same.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in vertical transverse
section a blast oven for heating the blast to be supplied to the blast furnace,
the said oven being provided with a retort for the manufacture of gas according
to my Invention, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
a is the retort of a cylindrical figure situated longitudinally in the axis of the
oven and between the arch formed by the curved blast pipes or channels b, b.
The said retort a is supported by the walls of the oven and by the arches c, c;
the said arches being built upon the upright walls d, d, as best seen in

page_text: Figure 1. The heated air and products of combustion from the furnace or
grate e circulate about the retort a, and heat the said retort sufficiently to
produce gas from the coal charged into the said retort, and in addition thereto
heat the blast pipes or channels b, b. The heated air and products of com-
bustion, after circulating about the retort a and pipes b, b, escape from the oven
through the openings fat the top thereof. The mouth of the retort is closed
with a cap or cover properly luted; the said cover being provided with a pipe
or pipes by which the gas generated can be conveyed away for purification,
and used for the purposes to which it is applicable. The charging and closing
of the retorts, as well as the purification of the gas, may be effected by any
of the well-known and commonly practised methods; but as these methods con-
stitute no part of my Invention, I do not consider it necessary to describe them.
When a large amount of gas is required from one oven, two or more retorts
may be placed side by side, or above one another, in the blast oven; the
surplus heat of the said oven being sufficient to heat the said retorts.
Figure 3 represents in horizontal section á puddling furnace provided with
a gas retort according to my Invention. The puddling furnace, Figure 3, is
made longer than ordinary puddling furnaces, and at the back of the bed 9, I
make the furnace wider than the other parts, so as to form an additional
chamber to the said furnace. This additional chamber is marked h. Across
the chamber h, I fix the gas retort i at a level, a little above that of the bed of
the furnace. The heated air and products of combustion from the fire on the
fire-grate k, having acted upon the metal on the bed g, pass through the flue
bridge into the chamber h, and circulate about and heat the retort i. The
hot air and products of combustion finally escape from the chamber h to the
stack m. The waste or surplus heat from the fuel on the grate k is thus made
to heat the retort i, and to generate gas from the coal charged into the said
retort. The gas obtained from the retorts in the blast oven and puddling
furnace may be used for lighting the iron works, for heating drying stoves, for
drying cores for moulders, for the generation of steam, or for any other pur-
pose to which it is applicable.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and. the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention the new or improved manufacture of
coal gas by the surplus or waste heat of the blast ovens and puddling furnaces
used in the manufacture of iron, herein-before described and illustrated in the

page_text: accompanying Drawing, that is to say, disposing or arranging essentially in
the manner described and illustrated, gas retorts in the said blast ovens and
puddling furnaces, so that the surplus or waste heat of the said ovens and
furnaces may beat the said retorts, and generate gas from the coal charged
into the said retorts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Swinnerton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
furnaces may heat the said retorts, and generate gas from the coal charged
into the said retorts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Swinnerton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS SWINNERTON. (L.S.)