IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR WORKING OF METALS AND THEIR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Weems, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, and John Henderson M°Crindell, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR WORKING OF METALS AND THEIR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Weems and John
Henderson McCrindell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 30th May 1856.
We, JOHN WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
and JOHN HENDERSON MCCRINDELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR WORKING OF METALS AND THEIR
ORES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to those processes employed in the smelting, or after
manufacture, or working of iron and other metals and their ores, wherein air
is or may be used for aiding the action of the furnace or furnaces, and consists
in beating such air by means of steam-heated surfaces. The proposed
improved system is preferable in practise to any of those hitherto adopted, and
is capable of effecting the desired result with a diminished expenditure of fuel.
In practically carrying out this Invention in a manner applicable, for example,
to a cupola furnace for inelting iron for foundry purposes, the air, on its way
from the blowing fan or other blast apparatus to the cupola; is made to pass,

page_text: according to one modification, through a number of tubes, or through spaces
formed by concentric cylinders, or through passages of any convenient section,
arranged in a vessel supplied with steam in any convenient manner, as for
example, by admitting the waste steam of a steam engine. The tubes or the
sides of the air passages are, preferably, of metal, and the heat of the steam is
communicated through them to the air passing along them, and the air is thus
raised to a considerable temperature, its beneficial action on the furnace being
thereby increased at an economical cost.
In applying the Invention to smelting furnaces, it is proposed to super-
heat the stean employed for communicating heat to the air blast. In a
modification of apparatus for carrying out this portion of the Invention, the
air is made to pass through tubes, which are themselves enclosed in larger
tubes, and these tubes are arranged in a furnace so as to be exposed to the
direct heat thereof. Steam is supplied to the outer tubes, and envelops the
inner ones, whilst the heat of the furnace superheats this steam, and the heat
is communicated by the steam to the air passing through the inner tubes. In
this manner the air blast may be brought up to a very great heat in an
economical and convenient manner. Air blasts, heated by steam-heated
surfaces, according to this Invention, may be advantageously applied to
smelting, puddling, melting, heating, and other furnaces employed in the
manufacture or working of iron and other metals and their ores.
It is further proposed, according to this Invention, to cause an air blast,
heated to a sufficient degree, in the manner already indicated, to blow upon
iron or other metal whilst under the action of the hammer, or whilst being
forged or worked, whereby the metal being worked is retained for a lengthened
timme at a workable heat, and much time and labour is thus saved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Weems and John Henderson McCrindell in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th November 1856.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, and JOHN
HENDERSON MCCRINDELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineers, send greeting."
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Weems and John Henderson McCrindell, Her special license that we,
the said John Weems and John Henderson McCrindell, our executors, adminis.
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Weems and John
Henderson McCrindell, our exécutors, administrators, or 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 MANUFACTURE OR WORKING OF METALS AND THEIR ORES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Weems and John Henderson
McCrindell, by an instrument in writing under our 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
t
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Jolin Weems and John Henderson
McCrindell, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what'
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say-
Our said Invention relates to those processes employed in the smelting, or
after manufacture, or working. of iron and other metals and their ores,
wherein air is or may be used for aiding the action of the furnace or furnaces,
and consists in heating such air by means of steam-heated surfaces. The
proposed improved system is preferable in practice to any of those hitherto
adopted, and is capable of effecting the desired result with a diminished
expenditure of fuel. In practically carrying out this Invention in a manner
applicable, for example, to a cupola furnace for melting iron for foundry
purposes, the air, on its way from the blowing fan or other blast'apparatus to
the cupola, is made to pass through a number of tubes, or through spaces
formed by concentric cylinders, or through passages of any convenient section,
arranged in a vessel supplied with steam in any convenient manner, as 'for
example, by admitting the waste steam of a steam engine. The tubes or the
sides of the air passages are, preferably, of metal, and the heat of the strain is
communicated through them to the air passing along them, and the air is thus
raised to a considerable temperature, its beneficial action on the furnace being
thereby increased at an economical cost.

page_text: In applying the Invention to smelting furnaces, it is proposed to super-
heat the steam employed for communicating heat to the air blast. In a
modification of apparatus for carrying out this portion of the Invention,
the air is made to pass through tubes, which are themselves enclosed in larger
tubes, and these tubes are arranged in a furnace, so as to be exposed
to the direct heat thereof. Steam is supplied to the outer tubes, and en-
velopes the inner ones, whilst the heat of the furnace superheats this steam,
or surcharges it with heat, and the heat is communicated by the steam
to the air passing through the inner tubes. In this manner the air blast
may be brought up to a very great heat in an economical and convenient
manner. This same arrangement of double tubes.may also be adopted, where
convenient, without applying the furnace to superheat the steam. Air blasts,
heated by steam-heated surfaces, according to our Invention, may be advan-
tageously applied to smelting, puddling, melting, heating, and other furnaces
employed in the manufacture or working of iron and other metals and their
ores.
. It is further proposed, according to our Invention, to cause an air blast,
heated to a sufficient degree, in the manner already indicated, to blow upon
iron or other metal whilst under the action of the hammer, or whilst being
forged or worked, whereby the metal being worked is retained for a lengthened
time at a workable heat, and much time and labour is thus saved.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we have
hereunto appended; and shall now proceed to describe, a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, showing a mode of applying and carrying out the Invention in
practice. The said Drawings exhibit the application of the Invention to a
conimon cupola furnace for melting iron for foundry purposes, Figure 1 being
a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 a horizontal section. A fan A is represented
as the apparatus used in this instance for forcing in the air, or for producing the
air blast, and the air is blown by this fan into a chamber B, communicating
with the heating apparatus C, through which the air.passes on its way to the
tuyeres D. The heating apparatus consists, in this instance, of a cylindrical
vessel C, of sheet iron, fitted with tubes E, passing through it from end to end.
These tubes E open at one end into the space B, between the blowing fan A
and the heating apparatus C, and at the other end into the space F, communi-
cating with the tuyeres D, and the air passes through the tubes Ę on its way
to the tuyeres.. Steam is admitted into the cylinder C by the pipe G, so as to
envelope the tubes E, whilst the products of condensation pass off by the
pipes H. The tubes E, being heated by the enveloping steam, impart heat to
the air passing through them, and it is preferred to introduce the steam near

page_text: the exit end of the tubes E, as shown; the products of condensation passing
off at the other end, in order that as the air in its passage through the tubes
gradually becomes hotter, it also comes in contact with hotter portions of the
tubes, and thus takes up more heat than it otherwise would. The vessel C is
furnished with safety valves I, one opening when the internal pressure is too
great, and the other when it is too little. The steam used may be the waste.
steam of a steam engine, or steam may be generated in a boiler specially
designed for the purpose.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we may observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of our Invention; but what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent, is,----
First, the system or mode of heating the air supplied to furnaces employed
in the smelting, or after-manufacture, or working of iron and other metals and
their ores by means of steam heated surfaces, as hereinbefore described.
Second, the system or mode of heating the air supplied to furnaces employed
in the smelting, or after-manufacture, or working of iron and other metals and
their ores by means of surfaces heated by superheated or surcharged steam,
or by furnaces, the heat of which is transmitted to the air through an inter-
posed thickness, or encasement of steam, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of air heated by steam-heated surfaces to
blow upon à iron or other metal whilst being forged, hammered, or wrought, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Weems and John Henderson
McCrindell, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth
day of November, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.