IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND APPARATUS FOR OXIDIZING AND DESULPHURIZING IRON AND OTHER ORES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,.
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND APPARATUS FOR
OXIDIZING AND DESULPHURIZING IRON AND OTHER ORES."-A communica-.
tion from abroad by William Henry Reincehl, of Pine Grove, in the
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Sealed the 13th August 1869, and dated the 25th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th February 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND APPARATUS
FOR OXIDIZING AND DESULPHURIZING IRON AND OTHER OBES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application of air and water, or air and
steam, separately or combined, to the hot stock of a blast furnace above

page_text: the smelting point during the smelting operation, whereby sulphur and
other impurities contained in the ore may be expelled and a better
quality of metal thereby obtained. To this end a vertical tube per-
forated at its lower end is applied to the upper part of the blast furnace
for the purpose of conveying steam or water from a boiler to the interior
of the furnace. Air tuyeres are also adapted to the upper part of the
blast furnace for the purpose of supplying air, which will combine with
the phosphorus and sulphur that is driven off. Below and also above
the air tuyeres there are a set of horizontal pipes or jets communicating
by means of circular pipes with the boiler for the purpose of supplying
jets of steam or water in a horizontal direction. There is also a sprinkler
and perforated pipe applied to the upper part of the furnace for the
purpose of supplying a shower of water when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight, hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion, for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN. FURNACES. AND APPARATUS FOR OXYDIZING AND
DESULPHURIZING IRON AND. OTHER ORES," being a communication to me
from abroad by William Henry, Reinachl, of Pine. Grove, in the State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say)-
This Invention consists in arranging above the smelting point of a
blast furnace pipes and tuyeres for the admission of water, steam, and
air (either separately or combined) into the hot stock during the smelting
operation, whereby sulphur or other impurities contained in the ore
may be expelled and a better quality of metal thereby obtained than
heretofore.
Fig. 1, in the accompanying Drawing, represents a sectional elevation
of a blast furnace provided according to this Invention with an apparatus
for oxydizing and desulphurizing ores, and Figure 2 represents a plan
view of the same.
A is a blast furnace of the ordinary form and construction, except
that it is provided at a point above the smelting point with a vertical
pipe a, air tuyeres b, and the radial pipes e, which are fed by circular
pipes c, c. The pipe a is inserted through the mouth of the furnace A,
its lower extremity extending about six feet, more or less, or other
suitable distance, according to the size and construction of the surface
below the flues C, and its outer extremity communicating with a steam
boiler for the introduction of water or steam, or both, to the hot stock
contained in the furnace. At or near the central portion of this pipe a
is or may be arranged a compound rotating joint f for the purpose of
raising or lowering the pipe a in the furnace. The air tuyérés 6 are
situated below and near the lower termination of the pipe a, and are
designed (by the induction of air) for more effectually oxydizing the
sulphur, phosphorus, or other impurities, and for carrying off the same
with the escaping gases. With the mode of operation and the material

page_text: used in some furnaces the tube a (which is in itself to some extent a
superheating arrangement) will answer for the oxydizing and freeing
from impurities the hot stock in the furnace; but with different ores it is
sometimes desirable to introduce steam either separately or in connection
with air through the sides of the furnace. For this purpose pipes é
communicating with circular pipes or distributors c, c, are arranged to
pass through the sides of the furnace above and below the air tuyeres b,
and are provided with induction or feed pipes d, d, (communicating with
the boiler) for the admission of steam or water, or both, and for conveying
the same into the interior of the furnace. The vertical pipe a is or may.
be perforated near its lower extremity, and the end is closed for the
more general and uniform distribution of the water or steam passing
through it to the hot stock. 9 is a tripod placed upon the top of the
furnace for the support of the pipe a, and through which the pipe a is
allowed to slide during its vertical adjustment. The pipe a may be
secured at any desirable point by means of a set screw i. h is a sprinkler
or perforated basin arranged at or upon the top of the tripod g, and
through which the pipe a is also allowed to slide. The sprinkler h
consists of a perforated basin of sheet metal with a pipe m around its
circumference, which is also perforated, and through which the water
is admitted from any conveniently situated tank or other convenient
source, and is equally distributed over the surface of the perforated
basin h, thereby causing a shower of water to fall over the stock as it is
being charged into the furnace. The steam or water on coming in contact
with the hot stock in the furnace will be decomposed, and the ore will
be oxydized, and sulphur and phosphorus if present will be expelled
in the form of sulphuretted and phosphoretted hydrogen gases, or they
may under certain conditions be expelled as sulphurous and phosphorous
acid gases.
Having now described the Invention, which has been communicated to
me as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid,
First. The application of air and water, or air and steam, separately or
combined, to the hot stock of a blast furnace above the smelting point
during the smelting operation, as herein set forth.
Second. The use of the vertical tube a applied to a blast furnace for
the purpose herein set forth.

page_text: Third. The arrangement in the upper part of the blast furnace of air
tuyeres b, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fourth. The arrangement relatively to the air tuyeres 6 of the pipes
c, d, and e, as and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The application of the sprinkler h and perforated pipe m to the
upper part of the blast furnace, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
ninc.