A New or Improved Construction of Furnace for Heating Rivets and such like Small Metal Articles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887.
A New or Improved Construction of Furnace for Heating Rivets
and such like Small Metal Articles.
We, GEORGE PAUL THOMSON, shipbuilder, Clydebank, and HUGH MILLAR, Foreman
Riveter Clydebank, Dumbartonshire do hereby declare the nature of our said inven-
tion to be as follows
-
This invention consists of a new or improved construction of portable furnace for.
the heating of rivets; which will do so quicker and in greater numbers with greater
regularity and efficiency, without artificial blast or blower and with much less fuel,
and freedom from smoke than hitherto. And thus enable one furnace and one
attendant to keep as many riveters supplied as required three furnaces and attendants
heretofore. This new or improved furnace is equally applicable for the reheating of
other small metal articles which require to be put through a second treatment or
manipulation while hot for being finished.
The nature and novelty of the construction of this furnace consist all as follows:-The
holy of the furnace is of a tall tapered shape, rectangular in horizontal cross section,
nearly twice the width that it is from front to back, and formed with a strong sheet-metal
case outside bolted or riveted together, having an angle-iron frame secured all round the
inside at a sufficient distance up from the bottom to support furnace bars, preferably
longitudinally, with the furnace door at the one end, leaving an ash pit under the grate, and
a free entrance for air at the ends or sides below, which may be fitted with side or other
doors to regulate the inlet or draught of air below, according to the strength or direc-
tion of the wind outside. Over this angle-iron frame an inside lining or fire brick
would be built on all the four sides of the fire-grate right up to the top of the
furnace, surmounted by a flat top of fire brick or tile, with a round hole in the centre,
and a double rectangular plate above, and edge plates between them to allow of the
free working of a sliding plate damper from one end to close or open the round top
hole formed also through the two top plates. The funnel would be secured by a
neck ring of angle-iron and formed of sheet-metal somewhat larger in diameter than
the hole through the top bricks, and of a length sufficient to give a good natural
draught to the furnace without a blower, and convenient for carrying off the waste
or noxious producis of combustion. Above the grate bars, at the lower part of this

page_text: improved vertical hollow tapered furnace, a sufficiently high fuel-combustion chamber
is formed to burn and consume all the hydro-carbon and carbon of the coal or other
fuel with the air admitted thereto below or above the grate without smoke. While
the main and most important part in the construction of this improved furnace consists
in forming and building immediately above the said fire or combustion chamber, a
shelf of fire-clay tile on both sides right across the chamber leaving a narrow opening
right across in the centre between these shelves, for the flames and hot gases to pass
up through and strike the under surface of a central shelf of fire-clay tile built in
right across the furnace about the depth or thickness of a brick above the said side
shelves, and which has openings or narrow spaces left at its extreme ends and the
sides of the furnaces over the side shelves below them, so as to cause the flame to
divide equally under this side central shelf and pass the said two side openings. Over
these said first side openings other fire-clay blocks or shelves are built right across,
the same as the first side shelves, leaving a second space in the centre between them,
so that the flames passing up from the side openings impinge on these second side
shelves and pass up the second central space left between them. Then again a second
central shelf is built right across this second central opening, at the thickness of a
brick above the said second side shelves, so as to again divide the flames ascending
through the second central opening and cause them to deflect and ascend the second
side openings; and these side and central shelves would be thus built up to near the
top of the furnace. Small openings would be formed through the front plate and
brickwork opposite each of these central and side shelves, flush with their upper
surface, and have straps of metal secured in front across above and below them, so
as to have simple sliding doors in them, opposite the openings for the insertion and
withdrawal of the rivets or other small articles to be heated on these shelves as heating
hearths by the flames and hot gases undulating in the said spaces between them as
described; the lower hearths being always hotter than those above near the chimney;
the rivets get hotter always as they descend. In this arrangement of furnace the cold
rivets are inserted through the said front doors at the upper part of the furnace on
to the central or side shelves or hearths, and as they become heated on these hearths
they are simply shifted by a small bent rod of iron down the side or central openings
respectively, on to the hotter hearths below, and are withdrawn at the lower hearths
where they become highly heated by the action of the flames and hot gases impinging
on them while lying on their respective hearths, and while the flames are undulating
up through the spaces in passing to the chimney above. Two different lengths or
kind of rivets can be heated in this furnace and kept ready for use at the same time,
always keeping the one set of rivets on the hearths at one side of the furnace, and
the other set of rivets on the hearths at the other side of the furnace, thus being able
to withdraw either class or set of rivets as required.
These furnaces would be made portable either by securing axles to their ends near
the ground with wheels on them; or otherwise the lighter forms of them might have
strong lifting handles or brackets to which blocks and tackle might be attached; or
lever handles for moving and transporting them about to the parts of the Ships, or
Buildings, or boiler sheds near where they are required to be used.
An equivalent construction of this furnace,-(which will act very well for heating one
kind or size of rivets or articles at the same time and in which the mixing of these is
of no consequence) consists in undulating the heating hearths over each other
alternately from opposite sides of the furnace to the other, leaving the openings on
the alternate opposite sides over the hearths below, so that the rivets pass down in a
sequence over the same hearths from top to bottom while being heated, and so
unavoidably get mixed as they descend to the lower hearths from which they are
removed heated ready for use.

page_text: and such like Small Metal Articles.
We, GEORGE PAUL THOMSON, Shipbuilder Clydebank and HUGH MILLAR, Foreman
Riveter, Clydebank, Dumbartonshire, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, in writing reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the reference letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention consists of a new or improved construction of portable furnace
for the heating of rivets which will do so quicker and in greater numbers with
greater regularity and efficiency, without artificial blast or blower and with much
less fuel, and freedom from smoke than hitherto. And thus enable one furnace and
one attendant to keep as many Riveters supplied as required three furnaces and
attendants heretofore; and our new or improved furnace is equally applicable for the
re-heating of other small metal articles which require to be put through a second
treatment while hot for being finished, such as for stamping, embossing, shaping; or
tapering small metallic articles.
And in order that the nature and novelty of our said Invention or the new or
improved construction and combination of the parts of the portable furnace, and the
mode and means of carrying the same into effect or practice may be properly under-
siood, we have hereunto appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the
same reference letters are used to indicate the same or like parts in all the figures
where shown. Figure 1, is a front elevation, Figure 2, a corresponding sectional
elevation, and Figure 3, a transverse vertical section taken on the line 1---1 on Figure 2,
at right angles to Figures 1 and 2, all of one construction or modification of our new
or improved portable furnace as adapted for heating rivets, which might be of two or
more sizes at the same time so as to keep them separate. Figure 4, shows a sectional
side elevation of a furnace (as shown in Figure 2 of the former arrangement) of a
modified construction from that shown in the former Figures, for heating rivets all
of the same size as they would get mixed in this furnace.
Referring to the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 3.-The outer walls, or body
of the furnace is of a tall preferably tapered shape, rectangular in horizontal section,
and preferably nearly twice the width between the end walls A2, A3, as seen in
Figures 1 and 2, that it is from the front wall A, to the back A', as seen in Figure 3;
and formed with a strong sheet-metal case of plates A to A3, outside, bolted or riveted
together by vertical angle irons A' at the corners inside and outside above, having an
angle-iron frame C, secured all round the inside at a sufficient distance up from the
bottom to support the furnace grate bars preferably longitudinally with the furnace
mouth and door D, formed through one end wall A, leaving room for an ash pan C,
ander the grate bars e, and a free entrance for air at ein or below the ends or sides

page_text: of the side plates below the grate, which may be fitted with side or other doors to
regulate the inlet or draught of air below, according to the strength or direction of
the wind outside. Over the angle-iron frame C, an inside lining of fire brick is built
on all the four sides a of the fire-grate e right up to the top of the furnace, surmounted
by a flat top of fire-brick or tile e, with a round hole e', in the centre, and a double 5
rectangular plate E above, and edge plates between them to allow of the free working
of a sliding plate damper from one end, to close or open the round top hole e
formed also through the two top plates E. A short funnel E', is secured by a neck
ring of angle iron to the plates E, E, and formed of sheet-metal somewhat larger in
diameter than the hole through the top bricks so as to be lined with fire-brick. To
give a good natural draught to the furnace without a blower, an outer sheet metal
chimney E is fitted over the short funnel E¹ of any required height convenient for
at
carrying off the waste or noxious products of combustion. Above the grate bars
the lower part of this improved vertical hollow tapered furnace, a sufficiently high fuel-
combustion chamber B is formed to burn and consume all the hydro-carbon and carbon
of the coal or other fuel with the air admitted thereto below or above the grate or at
the upper shelves of the furnace, without smoke. While the main and most important
part in the construction of this improved furnace consists in forming and building
immediately above the said fire or combustion chamber B, a shelf of fire-clay tile on
both sides a right across the chamber leaving a narrow opening right across in the
centre between these shelves a¹ for the flames and hot gases to pass up through and
strike the under surface of a central shelf of fire-clay tile a² built in right across the
furnace about the depth or thickness of a brick above the said opening band side
shelves a, and which has openings or narrow spaces & left between its extreme ends
and the side walls a of the furnaces over the side shelves a' below them, so as to cause
the flames to divide equally under this said central shelf, and pass up the said two
side openings 6. Over these said first side openings other fire-clay blocks or
shelves are built right across, the same as the first side shelves a leaving a second
space 2, in the centre between them, so that the flames passing up from the, side
openings impinge on these second side shelves a³, and pass up the second central
space
left between them. Then again a second central shaft is built right across
the second central opening 2, at the thickness of a brick above the said second side
shelves a³, so as to again divide the flames ascending through the second central
opening and cause them to deflect and ascend the second side openings 63; and
these side shelves a¹, a³, and central shelves ², a', would be thus built up in any
greater number desired to near the top e, of the furnace. Small openings are
formed through the front plate A, and brickwork a, opposite each of these central
and side shelves, flush with their upper surface, and have straps of metal 11 secured
in front across above and below them, so as to have simple sliding doors, fitted in
these grooves opposite the openings for the insertion and withdrawal of the rivets
or other small articles to be heated on these shelves a to a', as heating hearths by
the flames and hot gases undulating in the said spaces bio between them as described
and as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2; the lower hearths a, a, being always
hotter than those above near the chimney e¹, E, the rivets get hotter always as they
descend.
:
In this arrangement of furnace the cold rivets are inserted through the said front
openings and doors d, d', at the
side shelves or hearths a or a³, a upper part of the furnace on to the central or
as they become heated on these hearths they
are simply shifted by a small bent rod of iron down the side or central openings ³,
respectively, on to the hotter hearths a, a, below; and are withdrawn by ordinary
tongs as they are required and have become highly heated by the action of the flames
and hot gases impinging on them while lying on their respective hearths, and
while the Hames are undulating up through the spaces in passing to the chimney
above. Two or more different sizes or lengths or kinds of rivets can be heated in
this furnace and kept ready for use at the same time, always keeping the different
sets of rivets on the hearths at the opposite sides of the furnace; thus enabling either
class or set of rivets to be withdrawn through the doors d', from their respective

page_text: hearths and sides of the furnace as required. And portable trays D² may be secured
to any of the lower plates D' for keeping rivets of convenient sizes ready for heating,
or laying down a hot rivet when required.
These rivet furnaces are made portable on wheels G mounted on axles G¹, secured
to the lower end plates A2, A3, of the furnace, which
hooked brackets C or otherwise the lighter forms of furnaces might have strong
also
inay carry the ashpan by
lifting handles or brackets g, to which blocks and tackle might be attached; or lever
handles for moving and transporting them about to the parts of the ships, or Buildings,
or Boiler-Sheds, near where they are required to be used.
Referring to Figure 4, this shows an equivalent construction of this furnace, (which
will act very well for heating one kind or size of rivets or articles at the same time
and in which the mixing of these is of no consequence) and consists in undulating the
heating hearths a², to a from the side walls a², over each other alternately from the
opposite side walls a² a³ of the furnace to the other, leaving the openings to 13 on
the alternate opposite sides over the respective hearths a to as below, so that all the
rivets pass down in a sequence over the same hearths from top to bottom and thus
unavoidably get mixed while descending and being heated, by the ascending flames
and gases from the furnace B, all as indicated by the arrows in this Figure also.
Although this furnace has been described as vertical with the heating hearths
perpendicular over the furnace B, this is not absolutely necessary as the furnace might
he at one side of the structure, and the hearths rise up over each other, either verti-
cally or in an inclined stepped manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts, of a furnace
for heating rivets and such like small metal articles, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a furnace for heating rivets and such like small metal articles, the
arranging of heating hearths (as a to a',) over each other, so that the flames or heated
products of combustion from the furnace undulate over and under these, so as to heat
the articles on the hearths, hotter as they are brought down towards the furnace, all
substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.