Improvements in Reverberatory Furnaces.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reverberatory Furnaces.
I, FRANCIS ELLERSHAUSEN, of Hebburn-cn-Tyne, in the County of Durham,
Alkali Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
-
My invention relates to reverberatory furnaces and especially to such furnaces
as are designed for the manufacture of sulphides of the alkalies.
Hitherto great difficulty has been experienced in the manufacture of alkali
sulphides by a direct furnace process by reason of the fact that the furnace is
rapidly destroyed by the corrosive action of the charge.
I have discovered by experiment that if the furnace is not overheated the
corrosive action of the sulphide is reduced to a minimum, but in practice I have
found it almost impossible with the ordinary furnace to prevent overheating, and
especially at the bridge between the grate and the hearth.
The object of my invention is to construct a furnace in such a manner that the
overheating of the same is prevented, and to this end the fire-bridge instead of
being low as heretofore, is constructed of a relatively great height above the floor
of the hearth, say for instance two feet, and through the fire-bridge is formed a
passage through which air can circulate to prevent the bridge from becoming over-
heated. The throat or passage through which the heat from the furnace proper
passes to the hearth is of a more or less conical shape, the smaller or contracted end
being towards the hearth, whereby the heat and flame from the furnace will be
directed towards the centre of the hearth.
As an additional precaution the floor of the hearth adjacent to the fire-bridge is
inclined to prevent the sulphide of sodium from coming into contact with the
bridge.
The walls of the heating chamber around the hearth are faced with fire-bricks,
tiles or slabs which are independent of the body of the furnace so that should they
become damaged they can be readily removed and replaced.
Dated the 5th d
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reverberatory Furnaces.
I, FRANCIS ELLERSHAUSEN, of Hebburn-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham,
Alkali Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to reverberatory furnaces and especially to such furnaces
as are designed for the manufacture of sulphides of the alkalies.
Hitherto great difficulty has been experienced in the manufacture of alkali
sulphides by a direct furnace process by reason of the fact that the furnace is
rapidly destroyed by the corrosive action of the charge.
I have discovered by experiment that if the furnace is not overheated, the
corrosive action of the sulphide is reduced to a minimum, but in practice I have
found it almost impossible with the ordinary furnace to prevent overheating, and
especially at the bridge between the grate and the hearth.
The object of my invention is to construct a furnace in such a manner that the

page_text: overheating of the same is prevented, and to this end the fire-bridge instead of being
low as heretofore, is constructed of a relatively great height above the floor of the
hearth, say for instance two feet, and through the fire-bridge is formed a passage
through which air can circulate to prevent the bridge from becoming overheated.
The throat or passage through which the heat from the furnace proper passes to
the hearth is of a more or less conical shape, the smaller or contracted end being
towards the hearth, whereby the heat and flame from the furnace will be directed
towards the centre of the hearth.
As an additional precaution the floor of the hearth adjacent to the fire-bridge
is inclined to prevent the sulphide of alkali from coming into contact with the
bridge.
The walls of the heating chamber around the hearth are faced with fire-bricks,
tiles or slabs which are independent of the body of the furnace so that should they
become damaged they can be readily removed and replaced.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a furnace constructed according to my invention;
and,
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line:
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line yy, Figure 2; and,
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line, Figure 2.
a, a indicate the walls and roof of the furnace, the fire-chamber, c the heating
chamber, the hearth, and e the fire-bridge, which bridge (it will be noticed by
reference to Figure 3) is of relatively great height above the floor of the hearth.
fis the passage formed through the fire-bridge and connecting, at its two ends,
with the atmosphere, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2.
is the throat or passage establishing communication between the fire-chamber
and the heating chamber, the said passage being contracted at its end adjacent to
the heating chamber, as shewn in Figure 2.
d' indicates the portion of the hearth adjacent to the fire-bridge which is
inclined to prevent the liquid alkali sulphide from coming into contact with the
bridge.
h, h, h indicate bricks, tiles or slabs of fire-clay or other refractory material with
which the portion of the hearth in which the liquid sulphides lic and the bridge
are faced, the said bricks, tiles or slabs being readily removable without disturbing
the other parts of the furnace.
i, i, are the openings through which the charging and emptying of the furnace
are effected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A reverberatory furnace having the throat or passage between the fire-chamber
and the heating-chamber of a more or less conical shape, the smaller end being
towards the heating-chamber; a passage extending through the bridge, and the
portion of the hearth adjacent to the bridge inclined, substantially as described.
2. In a reverberatory furnace having a contracted throat or passage and an
inclined hearth as described, facing the fire-bridge and the portion of the hearth in
which the materials to be treated lie with removable bricks, slabs or tiles of fire-
clay or other refractory material, substantially as described.
3. A reverberatory furnace constructed substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 5th day of August 1801
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.