IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING FODXIONG Tarn TV M --------- Thou
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Adams, of Brierley Hill, in the County of
Stafford, Commission Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING
FODXIONG Tarn TV
M ---------
Thou
"
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Adams at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June 1881.
THOMAS ADAMS, of Brierley Hill, in the County of Stafford, Commission Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
AND STEEL,"
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the said
furnaces in the manner hereinafter described, whereby the slag formed in the said
furnaces is readily and effectually removed, and a "dry bottom," that is, a bottom
practically free from slag, is secured.
I incline the bed of the furnace downwards, both from the fire bridge end and
the flue bridge end, the lowest part of the bed being opposite the first working
hole of the furnace. At the back of the furnace and opposite the first working
hole of the furnace is a tap hole, out of which the molten slag passes from the
furnace.
This tap hole opens into a horizontal trough, having at the underside of its end
most distant from the furnace a hole, out of which the slag passing from the
furnace along the said trough runs. A loose cover or moveable inverted trough is
placed on the said trough during the working of the furnace.
The slag collecting at the lowest part of the bed of the furnace accumulates in a
depression, into which the tap hole opens.
In using the furnace the tap hole is filled with oxide of iron, the filling of the
tap hole with the said oxide being effected by the temporary removal of the loose
cover of the trough and the introduction of the oxide into the tap hole from the
outside of the furnace. The cover of the trough is replaced immediately after the
closing of the tap hole. When by the working of the furnace the slag has filled

page_text: or nearly filled the depression made for its reception, and it is desired to permit the
escape of the slag, the workman introduces an iron rod into the front working hole,
and passing its end across the furnace forces the oxide out of the tap hole, and the
molten slag runs from the said receptacle through the trough and out of the hole
in its underside, and is received in a wagon or other receptacle placed under the
said hole for the purpose of receiving it.
By constructing and arranging the parts of the furnace in the manner described
the slag is collected at the hottest part of the furnace, and as the opening at which
it passes from the furnace is only opened occasionally, and then only for a short
time, the temperature of the furnace is not reduced by the continuous entrance of
air at the slag hole, as in furnaces where the slag is allowed to run from the
furnace in a continuous stream. From the high temperature to which the slag has
been exposed it forms an excellent fettling for puddling furnaces.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th December 1881,
THOMAS ADAMS, of Brierley Hill, in the County of Stafford, Commission Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
AND STEEL."
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the said
furnaces in the manner hereinafter described, whereby the slag formed in the said
furnaces is readily and effectually removed, and a "dry bottom," that is, a bottom
practically free from slag, is secured.
I incline the bed of the furnace downwards both from the fire bridge end and
the flue bridge end, the lowest part of the bed being opposite the first working
hole of the furnace. At the back of the furnace and opposite the first working
hole of the furnace is a tap hole, out of which the molten slag passes from the
furnace.
This tap hole opens into a horizontal trough, having at the underside of its end
most distant from the furnace a hole, out of which the slag passing from the
furnace along the said trough runs. A loose cover or moveable inverted trough is
placed on the said trough during the working of the furnace.
The slag collecting at the lowest part of the bed of the furnace accumulates in a
depression, into which the tap hole opens.
In using the furnace the tap hole is filled with oxide of iron, the filling of the
tap hole with the said oxide being effected by the temporary removal of the loose
cover of the trough and the introduction of the oxide into the tap hole from the
outside of the furnace. The cover of the trough is replaced immediately after the
closing of the tap hole. When by the working of the furnace the slag has filled
or nearly filled the depression made for its reception, and it is desired to permit
the escape of the slag, the workman introduces an iron rod into the first working
hole, and passing its end across the furnace forces the oxide out of the tap hole, or
by inserting a bar through the hole at the end of the trough, and the molten slag
runs from the said receptacle through the trough and out of the hole in its under-
side, and is received in a wagon or other receptacle placed under the said hole for
the purpose of receiving it.
By constructing and arranging the parts of the furnace in the manner described
the slag is collected at the hottest part of the furnace, and as the opening at which
it passes from the furnace is only opened occasionally, and then only for a short
time, the temperature of the furnace is not reduced by the continuous entrance of
air at the slag hole, as in furnaces where the slag is allowed to run from the furnace
in a continuous stream. From the high temperature to which the slag has been
exposed it forms an excellent fettling for puddling furnaces.
I will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in
which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in horizontal section, Figure 3 in
vertical longitudinal section, Figure 4 in cross section, and Figure 5 in end elevation
a heating furnace containing my improvements; Figure 6 represents in front
elevation, and Figure 7 in longitudinal section the trough and its cover and fixing
parts situated outside the furnace.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
a is the slag tap hole in the back wall b of the furnace, through which hole the
molten slag passes from the furnace to the horizontal trough c fixed opposite the
said tap hole and outside the buckstave plate din the manner hereinafter described;
c2 is the cover of the trough c fitted to the trough by the dovetail arrangement
represented in Figure 6. In the underside and middle of the trough c is an exit
pipe e, down which the molten slag runs into a wagon or other receptacle.
The bed of the furnace is inclined downwards from the flue bridge end f, and

page_text: also from the fire bridge end g, the lowest part of the bed being situated opposite
the first working hole or at the part marked i in Figure 2. In the back wall b
The
of the furnace is a recess or depression into which the tap hole a opens.
bottom of this recess is situated at a lower level than the lowest part of the bed
(see the cross section), and the slag collecting at the lowest part i runs therefrom
into the said recess. The said recess & may be of a size sufficient to contain, say,
about three hundred weight of the molten slag, but I do not limit myself to any
particular size of the said recess.
-
The trough c is secured to the buckstave plate of the furnace in the following
manner is a fixing plate carrying a frame m into which the inner end of the
trough c fits, being fixed to the said frame by the cross bolt or wedge n passed
through the said frame m and trough. The fixing plate is secured to the
buckstave plate d of the furnace by bolts passed through the holes at p, p. Instead
of using a separate fixing plate 7 for securing the trough to the buck stave plate d,
the buck stave plate itself may be formed with a frame similar to the frame m for
receiving the end of the trough. The end of the loose cover c² of the trough c
carries a jointed flap q for opening and closing the hole at the outer end of the
cover. In the working of the furnace the tap hole a is filled with oxide of iron.
This is effected by removing the loose cover c² of the trough c, and filling the said
tap hole a from the outside of the furnace and replacing the said cover. During
the working of the furnace the fused slag runs to the lowest part at i of the bed,
and from thence into the recess or depression k in the back wall b. In order to
remove the slag which has accumulated in the recess k; the workman introduces an
iron rod into the front working hole h, and passing it across the furnace forces the
oxide out of the tap hole a or by passing a bar through the hole in the trough;
the molten slag then runs from the said recess into the trough c, and escapes
therefrom by the exit pipe e into a wagon or receptacle placed under the said pipe.
Should any obstacle impede the passage of the slag in the trough c, it may be
removed by raising the flap q and passing a rod through the hole 7 in the end of
the cover c²
My improvements may be applied to all kinds of heating furnaces used in the
manufacture of iron and steel where a dry bottom is required.
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 claim as my Invention of
"Improvements in Heating Furnaces Used in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel."
The construction and combination of the parts herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for facilitating the removal of the slag
formed in the said furnaces and the production of a "dry bottom," that is to say,
making the slag tap hole in the back wall of the furnace and opposite the first
working hole, the furnace bed inclining downwards from both ends towards a line
joining the said tap hole and first working hole of the furnace, the said tap hole
opening into a recess or depression in the back wall of the furnace, into which
recess the slag is conducted from the bed of the furnace, and in which it
accumulates, and removing the slag when required from the said recess by means
of a horizontal trough fixed outside the furnace, the several parts being constructed,
and arranged, and used, substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Adams, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS ADAMS. (L.S.)