Direct from the Ore with Gaseous Fuel, and Apparatus Employed therein.
Year: 1885

page_text: Direct from the Ore with Gaseous Fuel, and Apparatus
Employed therein.
I FREDERICK JOhn Pickering CHEESBROUGH, of the Firm of Cheesbrough &
Royston, of 15 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agents
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL DIRECT FROM THE ORE WITH
GASEOUS FUEL AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN to be as follows:-
*
The process according to this Invention consists in the arrangement of two open.
hearth furnaces which are preferably fitted with basic lined bottoms or hearths,
these furnaces are arranged on each side of a central shaft communicating therewith
and discharging their products of combustion into the central shaft; the said
central shaft is to all intents and purposes a blast or reducing furnace, but in place
of blowing air in at the bottom and under pressure, as is usual, the gases are drawn
through the charge from the top by an exhauster, which may be of any form,
either mechanical, or steam jet.
And the gases thus withdrawn are used for heating the Whitwell, Cooper, or
other stoves employed in the process, or used for making steam, or for heating the
calcining oven on the top of the central shaft, 'as may be desired. Within the
central shaft the ore and flux with a sufficient amount of coal, coke, or charcoal, is
placed, the whole being thoroughly mixed together. The important office of the
coal, coke, or charcoal being, first to keep the charge open to allow the gases to
permeate through the same, and second to produce by decomposition at a high
temperature in contact with the products of combustion from the open hearth
furnaces; carbonic oxide and bydrogen, when water gas is used, (and carbonic oxide
only when carbonic oxide is the gaseous fuel employed) which rise through the ore
reducing the same to a metallic state, and impregnating it with carbon. The open
hearth furnaces will be supplied with gas from gas producers, which may be of any
approved type, which will be worked to produce water gas when steel is required,
and carbonic oxide only when foundry or pig iron is required. It is preferable that
the gas should be in a highly heated state. The air necessary for the open hearth
furnaces will also be highly heated by passing through fire brick stoves of the
Whitwell, Cooper, or any other approved type.

page_text: The central shaft will be fitted with the usual cup and bell as ordinarily applied
to blast furnaces, and may have a calcining oven placed on the top of it, for heating
and drying the ore, fuel and flux before charging it into the central shaft.
The operation of the process is as follows. The ore, fuel, and flux being
thoroughly mixed and placed-in-the-central shaft, the gases are lighted in the open
hearth furnaces, which are worked alternately and the exhauster which communi-
cates with the top of the central shaft is set to work. The heat produced in the
open hearth furnaces passing into the central shaft serves to melt the reduced metal
and scorie, which are allowed to run down onto the hearths, and the flames passing
over the same maintain them in a fluid state. When a sufficient quantity of metal
is on the hearth the flow of metal from the central shaft is stopped by a dam of
ganister, or other suitable material and the metal and scorie are then allowed to
flow into the opposite. open hearth furnace. The scorie, or cinder in the first open
hearth furnace is then carefully removed from the metal, and the metal is further
decarbonised by the addition of lumps of ore, as is practised in the Siemens pig
iron and ore process for making steel.
1 Ji..
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When the metal is sufficiently decarbonised spiegal, or ferro manganese is added,
the same as in other open hearth furnaces, and the metal is then withdrawn and
cast into ingots.
When it is desired to make pig iron suitable for foundry castings the metal is
tapped out of the open hearth furnaces as soon as sufficient quantity has accumulated
on the hearth for the cast that it is required to make.
When working with phosphoric ores sufficient lime.is used in the.central shaft to
nearly neutralize the silica contained in the ore and additional lime is added in the
open hearth furnaces to make the scorie thoroughly basic, in this case the cinder
will not be removed from the metal until the metal is dephosphorized as well as
decarbonized, and the cinder will then be carefully removed, and the, spiegal, or
ferro manganese added as before, stated.
The open hearth. furnaces used with this process will have the upper part
supported on a hollow framework, through which water will be allowed. to
circulate; while the hearth, or basic lined portion will be removeable at will, so as
to be easily renewed when required.
The gas
and air will be delivered to the open hearth furnaces at just sufficient
pressure above the atmosphere to keep out the air when the doors may be open.
The flow of reducing gases, produced as before described, depends on the suction
from the exhauster from the top of the central shaft.
The most important features of this Invention are
1st The use of coal, coke, or charcoal in the central shaft for the purpose of
keeping the charge open, so as to allow the gases to permeate freely through it;
which would be impossible without the use of coal, coke, or charcoal mixed with
the ore and flux.
2nd The use of an exhauster, to cause the necessary draft instead of blowing
machinery; which allows the open hearth furnaces to be worked with very slight
pressure, thus permitting the doors to be opened at any time to examine or
manipulate the charge.
3rd The special arrangement hereinbefore described, of open hearth furnaces,
discharging their products of combustion into a central shaft used as a blast
furnace.
4th The special description of open hearth furnaces hereinbéfore mentioned.

page_text: Direct from the Ore with Gaseous Fuel, and Apparatus
Employed therein.
I FREDERICK JOHN PICKERING CHEESBROUGH, of the Firm of Cheesbrough &
Royston, 15 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agents
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL DIRECT FROM THE ORE WITH
GASEOUS FUEL AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This Invention relates to an improved process for the manufacture of iron and
steel direct from the ore with gaseous fuel and apparatus 'employed therein, and
the following is a full, clear and exact description of this Invention sufficient to
enable any one skilled in the art to which it belongs, or with which it is most
intimately connected to put the same into practice, reference being had to the
annexed sheet of Drawings making a part of this Specification and to the letters
and figures of reference marked thereon, like letters and figures being used to
denote the same, or corresponding parts throughout the Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of an apparatus or plant for the manufacture of iron and
steel according to this Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view shown partly in section and taken from the gas producer
side of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an end view taken from the air stove side of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a section through x x Figure 2.
The process for the manufacture of iron and steel according to this Invention
consists as follows (reference being had to the Drawings).
In the employment of a central shaft, such as B, as a reducing furnace combined
with the use and arrangement of two open hearth furnaces A A which are pre-
ferably fitted with basic lined bottoms, or hearths a. These furnaces A are arranged
on each side of the central shaft B and communicate therewith and. discharge their
products of combustion into the central shaft B through the ducts, or passages b.
The said central shaft B is to all intents and purposes a reducing furnace, but
instead of blowing air in at the bottom of the central shaft, or furnace B under
pressure, as is usual, the gases are drawn through the charge in the furnace B from
the top of the furnace B by an exhauster, which may be of any form either
mechanical, or steam jet and applied in any convenient manner.i
The gases withdrawn from the furnace B as above described are used for heating
the stoves C which are placed at one side of the furnace B. These stoves may be
the "Whitwell-Cooper," or other known. stoves employed in the process of manu-
facturing iron and steel, or the gases may be used for heating steam generators, or
for heatings a calcining, oven ass may be desired. Within the central shaft, or

page_text: furnace B the ore and flux with a sufficient amount of coal, coke, or charcoal is
placed, the whole being thoroughly mixed together. The important office of the
coal, coke, or charcoal being 1st to keep the charge open in the furnace B to allow
the gases to permeate through the same, and second to produce by decomposition
at a high temperature in contact with the products of combustion from the open
bearth furnaces A carbonic oxide and hydrogen when water gas is used (and
carbonic oxide only when carbonic oxide is the gaseous fuel employed) which rise
through the ore in the furnace B reducing the same to a metallic state and impreg
nating it with carbon. The open hearth furnaces A are supplied with gas from
the gas producers D which may be of any approved type and which are worked
to produce water gas when steel is required to be produced and carbonic oxide
only when foundry or pig iron is required to be produced. It is preferable that
the gas from the producers D should be in a highly heated state for being used in
the furnaces A, the air necessary for the furnaces A will also be highly heated by
passing through the air stoves Č.
The central shaft, or furnace B is fitted with the usual cup and bell as ordinarily
applied to blast furnaces and a calcining oven may be placed over the mouth of the
furnace B for heating and drying the ore fuel and flux before charging it into the
furnace B.
The open hearth furnaces A are provided with a hollow metal framework e
through which water is caused to circulate and which supports the upper part of
the furnace A so that the hearth, or basic lined portion a will be removeable at
will so as to be easily renewed when required. This is effected by constructing
the bottom or hearth a separate from the upper part of the furnace A and providing
and carrying the bottom, or hearth a with wheels and on rails f, screw devices o.
being provided for lowering the hearth a when removing it from the furnace A.
The operation of the process according to this Invention is as follows. The ore
fuel and flux being thoroughly mixed and placed in the central shaft or furnace B
the gases from the producers D are led through the ducts h into the open hearth
furnace A where the gases are ignited, air being supplied from the stoves C. The
open hearth furnaces A are worked alternately and the exhauster which communi-
cates with the top of the central shaft, or furnace B is set to work. The heat
produced in the open hearth furnaces A passing through the central shaft B serves
to reduce and melt the metal and scoriae, which is allowed to run down onto the
hearths a of the furnaces A alternately and the flames passing over the metal and
scoriae maintain them in a fluid state. In working when a sufficient quantity of
metal is on one of the hearths a the flow of metal from the central shaft B is stopped
by a dam of ganister, or other suitable material which is placed in the duct, or
passage b and the metal and scoriae is then allowed to flow into the opposite open
hearth furnace A. The scoriae, or cinder in the first open hearth furnace is then
carefully removed from the metal and the metal is further decarbonized by the
addition of lumps of ore as is practised in the Siemens pig iron and ore process for
making steel.
When the metal is sufficiently decarbonized, spiegel, or ferro manganese is added
the same as in other open hearth furnaces and the metal is then withdrawn and
cast into ingots.
When it is desired to make pig iron suitable for foundry castings the metal is
tapped out of the open hearth furnaces as soon as sufficient quantity has accumu
lated on the hearth for the cast that it is required to make.
When working with phosphoric ores sufficient lime is used in the central shaft
to nearly neutralize the silica contained in the ore and additional lime is added in
the open hearth furnaces to make the scoriae thoroughly basic, in this case the
cinder will not be removed from the metal until the metal is dephosphorized as
well as decarbonized and the cinder will then be carefully removed and the spiegel,
or ferro manganese added as before stated. .
J
"
The gas and air will be delivered to the open hearth furnaces at just sufficient
pressure above the atmosphere to keep out the air when the doors may be opent

page_text: The now of reducing gases produced as before described, depends.on the suctiou
from the exhauster from the top of the central shaft.
The most important features of this Invention are
1st the use as described of coal, coke, or charcoal, in the central shaft for the
purpose of keeping the charge open, so as to allow the gases to permeate freely
through it; which would be impossible without the use of coal, coke, or charcoal
mixed with the ore and flux.
2nd the use of an exhauster to cause the necessary draught instead of blowing
machinery; which allows the open hearth furnaces to be worked with very slight
pressure, thus permitting the doors to be opened at any time to examine, or
manipulate the charge.
3rd the special arrangement herein before described, of open hearth furnaces
discharging their products of combustion, into a central shaft used as a blast
furnace.
4th the special description of open hearth furnaces herein before mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The use of coal, coke, or charcoal in a central shaft such as B used as a
reducing furnace for the purpose of keeping the charge open so as to allow the
gases to permeate freely through it substantially as described.
Second. The use of an exhauster to cause the necessary draught, which allows
the open hearth furnace such as A to be worked with very slight pressure, thus
permitting the doors to be opened at any time to examine, or manipulate the
charge.
Third. The combination of parts forming respectively the improved open hearth
furnaces, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figure 5 being
furnaces which discharge their products of combustion into a central shaft used as
a reducing furnace.
Fourth. The special construction of a reducing furnace consisting of a central
shaft with two, or more open hearths discharging their products of combustion
into the said central shaft and receiving the metal from it, as herein before
described.
Fifth. The employment of a central shaft such as B as a reducing furnace
combined with the use of two, or more open hearths, or furnaces such as A
Hischarging their products of combustion into the said central shaft and receiving
the metal from it as set forth.
Sixth. The manufacture of iron, or steel by using the cycle of operation
substantially as herein described namely to the working of the open hearth
urnaces and reducing furnace, the working of the calcining oven, the working of
he hot air stoves and the working of the gas producers, the combination forming
direct process for manufacturing iron and steel from the ore as herein set forth.
Seventh. The general construction and arrangement of the several apparatus
erein described and shown respectively in Figures 1 to 5.
Dated this fifteenth day of that