An Improvement in the Charging Apparatus of Blast Furnaces
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1897--Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Charging Apparatus of Blast Furnaces.
-
I, CHARLES HORNUNG of Asfordley Melton Mowbray in the County of
Leicestershire Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
hopper in which a
point, it seals the
When the bell is
The usual mode of charging a Blast Furnace is by means of a
coned shaped Bell is suspended. When the-bell is at the highest
lower opening of the Hopper, which is then filled with material.
lowered, the material drops into the furnace, after which the bell returns to its former
position.
My invention consists in cutting away the upper part of the bell, so as to leave an
opening at the top, to which opening a lid or cover is fitted. Such lid or cover thus
forms a gas tight joint under normal pressure inside the furnace, but is capable of
rising when the pressure exceeds a certain amount. It thus constitutes a safety valve
against the danger of explosions, which sometimes take place in the interior of a
blast Furnace. A shield may be fixed round this valve to ward off the flames of
explosion from the men.
Dated this 14th day of November 1896,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Charging Apparatus of Blast Furnaces.
I, CHARLES HORNUNG, formerly of Asfordly, Melton Mowbray, in the County of
Leicester, but at present residing at Woodlands Road, Middlesbrough, in the County
of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My said invention relates to an improvement in the charging apparatus of blast
furnaces.
The usual mode of charging a blast furnace is by means of a hopper in which a
coned shaped bell is suspended. When the bell is at the highest point which is its
normal position it seals the lower opening of the hopper, which is then filled with
material and when the bell is lowered the material falls into the furnace, after which
the bell returns to its former position.
My invention consists in cutting away the upper part of the bell, so as to leave an
opening at the top, to which opening a lid or cover is fitted. Such lid or cover thus
forms a gas-tight joint under normal pressure in the furnace, but is capable of rising
when the pressure exceeds a certain limit.

page_text: It thus constitutes a safety valve against the danger of explosions, which sometimes
take place in the interior of a blast furnace.
A shield may be fixed round the valve to ward off the flames of explosion from
the men.
I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, which represents a sectional
view of the upper part of a blast furnace, more fully to describe my invention.
a represents the usual hopper mouth of a blast furnace, b represents the usual bell
for closing the same, and which is suspended by means of a chain b' from one end of
a lever or scale beam 2 the other end of which is provided with a counter-balance
weight 63 which holds the bell b in its raised position and consequently closes the
mouth of the hopper a until a given weight of material has been fed into the
hopper a when as is well understood the bell 6 is depressed by the weight of
the material and the latter falls into the furnace beneath, after which the bell b is
automatically raised by the counter weight 63 and connection herein before described.
Instead however of forming the bell b permanently closed at its upper part as
heretofore, according to the present invention an opening is formed in the upper part
of the bell b and this opening is normally closed by means of a valve lid or cover bl
held to its seat by gravity,
The valve, cap or cover 6 is axially apertured to slide upon the lower link of the
chain b¹ in order that it may rise vertically thereon at the times required so that
whilst it forms a perfectly tight joint, with the bell b under normal pressure within.
the furnace it is capable of freely rising when the pressure exceeds a certain degree
thereby unclosing the aperture in the bell b which affords free egress to the gases
generated by an explosion.
In order to render the action of the valve cap or cover b₁* more sensitive it is
connected by two chains b* arranged one on each side of the beam. 62 and passing
over pulleys 65 carried by the beam 62 to a long weight 6 between which and the
underside of the beam 62 is interposed a spring or springs 67 so that the valve, cap or
cover 61* is partly counter balanced and will consequently freely rise to any increase
in the pressure within the furnace.
A shield (not shown) may be fixed to the hopper a around the aperture closed by
the valve, cap or cover b¹ to protect the workmen from the flames and products of
combustion emanating from an explosion.
The device herein before described constitutes a safety valve which affords a ready
relief to gases generated during explosions which sometimes take place in the
interior of a blast furnace and injury to the plant and workmen is thus avoided.
Having now particularly described. and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A blast furnace charging appliance, comprising a hopper mouth, an internal bell
for closing such mouth, an aperture in the bell and a cap or valve closing such
aperture and adapted to be lifted by a sudden increase of pressure within the furnace,
substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 16th day of September 1807