IMPROVEMENTS IN TUYERES OR TUYERE PIPES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of 89, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TUYERES OR TUYERE PIPES."-A communication from
abroad by Charles Henry Baker, of the City of Philadelphia, in the
TT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th April 1872.
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TUYERES OR TUYERE PIPES" (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Charles. Henry Baker, of the City of
Philadelphia, in the United States of America), to be as follows:-
My improvements in tuyeres refer to such tuyeres as are used in the
O bottom of converters to admit the necessary blast of air during the
process known as the "Bessemer
process of making steel. These
"

page_text: tuyeres or tuyere pipes are self-gauging, and may be made of fire-brick
or of any other refractory material, all as hereafter described.
"
According to the arrangements at present in use, the tuyeres are passed
through an iron plate, sustaining the vessel bottom and "ganister
the (crushed stone and fire-clay) rammed tightly around them level
When
with their tops, making the bottom about 18 inches thick.
bottom is put on the converter, and the latter is heated ready to receive
a charge of iron for "blowing," an attendant may, on looking into the
depressed converter, see the level bottom and the tops of all the tuyeres
therein, with the perforations in them plainly visible. The bottom is
gradually worn out by a number of "blows," since the mass of metal
rests directly on it, and the tuyeres likewise become gradually
shortened, and after the bottom gets down to a certain thickness (say
9 inches) it must be taken off and reversed, or it will no longer sustain
the impact and heat of the "blow." Its variations in height are ascer-
tained by measuring the tuyeres, and their lengths thus become an
index of the endurance and reliability of the bottom. This measuring
must be done pretty frequently in order that the safe conduct of the
conversions may not be interrupted by the failure of the bottom. Now
by this Invention the changes in the length are apparent to the eye
without so much trouble of gauging the tuyeres.
The Invention consists in inserting or making a number of blind holes
running but partly up through the tuyere. The longest of these holes
reaches to within a known distance of the top, the next longest differs in
length from the longest by this same known distance aforesaid, or as
may be deemed best, so that as the tuyeres wear down by use, one new
hole after the other is opened and becomes visible on the face or top of
the tuyere as it is observed inside the converter. In short, the
appearance of a new hole in the tuyere indicates its reduction in
length by a known distance.
When the last blind hole comes up through the centre it has no use
as a blow hole, and it may be taken as a final warning that the tuyere
is worn out.
The Invention is of course applicable to any form and size of tuyère..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
GRIFFITH BREWER, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, Her special licence
that I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TUYERES OR TUYERE PIPES" (a communication to me from abroad by
Charles Henry Baker, of the City of Philadelphia, in the United States of
America), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Griffith Brewer, 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 Edward Griffith Brewer, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
The improvements in tuyeres refer to such tuyeres as are used in the
bottoms of converters to admit the necessary blast of air during the
process known as the Bessemer pneumatic process of making steel.
These tuyeres or tuyere pipes are self-gauging, and may be made of fire-
clay or of any other suitable material, all as hereafter described.

page_text: According to the arrangements at present in use the tuyeres are
passed through an iron plate sustaining the vessel bottom, and being
kept in position by suitable stops or supports, the refractory material
composing the bottom lining is then rammed compactly around and
between them, until when completed the bottom is uniformly level
with the tops of the tuyeres thus imbedded. After being thoroughly
hardened by baking it is ready for service. When the bottom is put on
the converter, and the latter is heated ready to receive a charge of iron
for "blowing," an attendant may, on looking into the depressed con-
verter, see the level bottom and the tops of all the tuyeres therein, with
the perforations in them plainly visible. The bottom is gradually worn
out by a number of" blows," since the mass of metal rests directly on
it, and the tuyeres accordingly become gradually shortened, and after
the thickness of the lining is thus reduced to a minimum, determined by
experience, the bottom must be taken off, as it will no longer withstand
the hurtful influences of a "blow." Its variations in length, before
reaching the lowest level, are ascertained by measuring the tuyeres by
means of a suitable rod or wire run through their perforations from the
outside inward, and their lengths thus become an index of the endurance
and reliability of the bottom. This measuring must be done pretty
frequently in order that the safe conduct of the conversions may not be
interrupted by the failure of the bottom. Each time the tuyeres are
thus measured or guaged, attendants must remove the bottom plate of
the converter, which is the lowest bound or limit of the air space at
the bottom of the vessel below the tuyeres, technically known as the
"tuyere box." Unless this is done the bases of the tuyeres cannot be
reached. This operation is always laborious, is commonly attended with
loss of time, and generally exposes those performing it to a high degree
of heat. Now by this Invention the changes in length are made
apparent to the eye without so much labour of measuring the tuyeres,
and it follows that these changes thus disclosed as aforesaid, conjointly
with the level or irregular condition of the upper surface of the bottom
which may be remarked on inspection in the vessel, form a correct and
valuable means of judging of the effective status of said bottom.
The Invention consists in inserting or making and employing a
number of additional perforations or blind holes running but partly up
through the tuyere. The longest of these holes reaches to within a
known distance of the top, the next longest differs in length from the
longest by this same known distance aforesaid, or as may be deemed

page_text: best, so that as the tuyeres wear down by use one new hole after the
other is opened and becomes visible on the face or top of the truyere as it
is observed inside the converter. In short, the appearance of a new
hole in the tuyere indicates its reduction in length by a known distance.
The Invention is of course applicable to any form and size of tuyere.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation of a tuyere
made according to this Invention, shewing the blind holes in the sade.
tuyere in dotted lines; Figure 2 is a top, and Figure 3 is a bottom view
of the same tuyere; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are sections through the
lines A, B, C, D, and E respectively of Figure 1. a, b, c, d, e, are the
blind holes in the tuyere. As the tuyere is burnt or wears down the
hole a is the first to open, and the attendant thereby knows that the
tuyere has become reduced by a certain distance (from the end f to the
bottom or commencement of the hole a); when burnt to the hole b
the attendant knows that so much more of the tuyere has been con-
sumed, and so on till the other holes have opened one after the other till
the hole e is visible or open, or as long as it may be deemed prudent to
keep the tuyere in position. 9, 9, are the ordinary blow holes.
Figure 9 is a view in side elevation, and Figure 10 is a vertical section.
through the line x, y, of Figure 9 of another tuyere made according to
this Invention of a modified form. h, i, k, l, are grooves or spaces left
in or cut out of the convex portion or body of the tuyere. These are of
varying lengths, as shown, and act in a similar manner to the blind
holes before described in indicating how much of the tuyere has been
consumed. These grooves or spaces may be straight, as shown, or of a
slanting or spiral form. According to this arrangement, when the tuyere
has been burned low, and all that portion containing the index grooves
or spaces h, i, k, and 1, has been consumed, the whole circular outline of
the body of the tuyere is visible; whereas in the other arrangement,
when the tuyere is low all the holes are visible. 9, 9, are the ordinary
blow holes as before.
By the use of tuyeres or tuyere pipes made according to this Inven-
tion there ought to be no apprehension as to the bottom giving way
under the weight of the molten metal during its agitation or otherwise,
because the extent to which the tuyeres are worn can at all times be
ascertained by the attendant without the necessity of measuring with
wires or otherwise, as is now done to ascertain how far the tuyere is

page_text: shortened or reduced. The blind holes or cavities may be made of any
desired shape in cross section. They may be grouped in regular or
irregular lengths, and be caused to open successively or otherwise, as
required. The index grooves may also be thus arranged, and in like
manner may be employed any desired means of rendering the tuyeres
self-gauging, substantially as described.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what'
manner the same is to be utilized or performed, I declare that the
Invention is not to be limited in its applicability to tuyeres known as
Bessemer tuyeres alone, although the Invention has been described with
particular reference to Bessemer tuyeres, but may be applied generally
to tuyeres, tuyere pipes or tubes, and to such parts or portions of plant,
machinery, or apparatus which are similarly worn, altered, or reduced
during use, and which it is deemed necessary or desirable thus to
improve, the particular arrangement described being only intended to
illustrate the way or ways in which the Invention may be carried into
effect, and which have been found to answer well; but I claim as the
improvements in tuyere or tuyere pipes,-
.
First. The rendering of tuyeres self-gauging, so that their appearance
while in use indicates their length, all substantially as described.
Second. Forming tuyeres with blind holes, grooves, openings, spaces,
or other indicators which run only partially through or are so related to
the tuyere by their differing lengths that one shall open, be discovered,
or become visible when a known length of the material of the tuyere
shall have been removed during its use, substantially in manner and for
the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
EDW³. GRIFFITH BREWER. (L.S.)