CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF FURNACES OR FORGES FOR THE PREPARATION OF IRON OR STEEL, AND FOR THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING NAILS AND OTHER ARTICLES. FROM THE SAID MATERIALS
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
SPENCER, of Belper, in the County of Derby, Nail Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster,. the
Seventh day of April, One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, in the fifth
year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Spencer, my exors;
adiñors, and assigns, His espécial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Joseph Spencer, my exors, admors, and assigns,
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, aud vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF FURNACES OR FORGES FOR THE PREPARATION OF IRON OR STEEL, AND
FOR THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING NAILS AND OTHER ARTICLES. FROM THE SAID
MATERIALS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if
I, the said Joseph Spencer, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the

page_text: same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void,
as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Spencer, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is
to say):
The furnace or forge which I have used for the making of nails (which is
also calculated for other small articles) is an elevation of brickwork of a
circular form, four feet in diameter, and three feet in height, having a circular
opening for the fire in the centre, and communicating on the ground with the
outside by an aperture, for the purpose of removing the dust and dirt that
may fall through the grate. When the brickwork is carried up 20 or 24
inches the circular opening in the inside is to be covered with a very fine
grating of cast iron, the bars being only a quarter of an inch apart, and the
..grating of sufficient dimensions to form a bottom to the fireplace; the brick-
work is then to be raised three courses, using either common or fire bricks
round the internal opening, inserting the tue iron for the bellows, and leaving an
aperture for the bellows pipe. The whole is then covered with a flat circular
cast-iron plate, in one, two, or more pieces, having a rim round the
external edge to the depth of six inches, to hold the fuel for the occa-
sional supply of the fire. This plate has an opening in the centre suffi-
ciently large to take a frame, which is placed immediately upon the fire
bricks; which frame consists of a ring of cast iron flat upon the bottom,
one and half inch thick on the outside edge, and bevilled to the thickness
of half an inch upon the inner edge. The external diameter of the
ring is twenty inches, and the opening of the inside fourteen inches.
To this ring are fixed in a triangular position three pillars nine inches
high, to support another ring of the same dimensions and material as
the ring above described, about half an inch in thickness, with a small rim
or selvedge on the outer edge, to admit of the brickwork of the chimney being
placed within it. The brickwork of the flue of the chimney is then carried
from the upper plate or ring to the height required. There are also inserted
in the brickwork three troughs of cast iron for the purpose of holding water.
The bellows are suspended upon a frame in the situation that may be most

page_text: convenient, and are worked by a double leaver united with a bow, and passing
round the chimney, so as to be within reach of every one of the workmen who
may be employed round the furnace and in making of nails. Six workmen
may be very advantageously employed at the same time, who will keep up a
continual blast from the bellows, so that the fire will be at all times in a bright
and vivid state. Now, though I have adopted a circular form, and brickwork,
in the forge or furnace described, I do not confine myself to the circular form,
or limit myself to the dimensions here given, as any other form or size may be
used better suited to the size and shape of the article to be manufactured;
also stone may be used in the elevation, or it may be made altogether of iron,
or partly of iron, stone, or brickwork.
In the preparation of iron or steel for the purpose of manufacturing nails or
other articles I use a certain portion of coal purified as far as possible, by
calcination, from sulphur and other noxious matter, and a certain portion of
wood charcoal. The proportions I have adopted are one fourth part by measure
of wood charcoal and three fourths of prepared or purified coal; but these
proportions may be varied according to the nature of the coal and the metal to
be wrought.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Spencer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four
JOSEPH (L.s.) SPENCER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord 1824, the aforesaid Joseph Spencer came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.