Improvements in Electric Furnaces.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left; 29th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
Improvements in Electric Furnaces.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
The invention consists of certain new and useful improvements in the con-
struction of electric furnaces especially furnaces of the kind which are intended
to treat large quantities of materials for instance for the manufacture of calcium-
carbide.
In electric furnaces of the well known type a large amount of the materials which
are to be electrolyzed is lost by volatilization and the arrangement of the electrodes
is such that their resistance may be altered during the working, so that the said
wellknown furnaces cannot work continuously.
The improved electrical furnace is constructed in such a manner that the point
where the most intense heat is produced, that is to say, where the material is
electrolyzed, is situated in such a position as not to allow the vapours produced
by the volatilization of the materials treated to escape otherwise than through
the materials which are already melted in the process.
By this means these vapours are condensed and practically utilized instead of
escaping into the atmosphere; the said vapours at the same time cause the
melted material to be suitably agitated or stirred so that the chemical action is
improved by a better distribution of the heat within the materials treated.
My furnace may be used either with a continuous electric current or with a
monophase alternating current; it may also be used with polyphase alternating
currents but not with such good results.
According to one construction, my improved furnace comprises a casing filled
with a conglomeration of small coal and forming the body of the said furnace
electrically connected with one pole of the electric circuit.
The said body is provided with a row of bricks around the same which insulates
the said body from an iron frame provided with an outlet for the molten material.
The body is provided with a series of blocks or coal suitably arranged upon
its surface and separated from one another by means of a layer of coal-powder
maintained in its place by means of plates or slabs of coal.
Above each of the blocks there is adjustably suspended an electrode connected
to the opposite pole of the electric circuit.
One block and its corresponding electrode is arranged in immediate proximity
to the outlet hole for the molten material with the object of always maintaining
the said opening clear for the continuous outflow of the said material.

page_text: The material to be electrolyzed is filled into the iron frame and between the
electrodes and it will be readily understood that when the suspended electrodes
are brought into contact with the fixed electrodes the latter will be heated to
incandescence and when the said suspended electrodes are lifted, and the material
placed in contact with such incandescent electrodes the same will be melted by
such contact; but the electrical resistance of the coal-powder will not allow the
current to pass from the body to the suspended electrodes otherwise than through
the blocks of coal and as the latter have only their upper surface in contact with
the material to be treated they will not be altered in any way as to their electrical
resistance and the whole device will work in a continuous manner. Furthermore
the vapours produced by the melting process at the spot where the heat is greatest
will be obliged to traverse the whole melted material on their way out of the
apparatus. By this means the vapours will be condensed within said molten
material and practically utilized instead of escaping into the atmosphere, and
they will at the same time stir up the melted molten material and greatly
improve the chemical action by suitably distributing the heat within the materials
treated.
If on the one hand the material to be treated is regularly fed into the frame
and on the other hand the electric current is continuously sent into the apparatus
the process will be continuous, the molten material flowing out through the
outlet. The intensity of the action of the electric current may be regulated at
will by controlling the distance between the electrodes.
An electric furnace as above described may be constructed without difficulty
for the use of currents of 150,000 amperes and 60 volts, that is to say for
.9000 kilowatts.
1
1
1000
Dated
1700 LY
1
day of March
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
The invention consists of certain new and useful improvements in the con-
struction of electric furnaces especially furnaces of the kind which are intended
to treat large quantities of material, for instance, for the manufacture of calcium-
carbide.
In electric furnaces of the well known type a large amount of the material which
is to be electrolyzed is lost by volatilization and the arrangement of the electrodes
is such that their resistance is altered during the working, so that the said
well known furnaces cannot work continuously.
The improved electric furnace is constructed in such a manner that the point
where the most intense heat is produced, that is to say, where the material is
electrolyzed, is situated in such a position as not to allow the vapours produced
by the volatilization of the material treated to escape otherwise than through
the material which is already melted in the process.
By this means these vapours are condensed and practically utilized instead of

page_text: escaping into the atmosphere; the said vapours at the same time cause the
melted material to be suitably agitated or stirred so that the chemical action is
improved by a better distribution of the heat within the materials treated.
My furnace may be used either with a continuous electric current or with a
monophase alternating current; it may also be used with polyphase alternating
currents but not with such good results.
The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example a longitudinal section
of one construction of my improved electric furnace which I will now proceed
to describe with reference to the said drawing.
A is a casing filled with a conglomeration of small coal and forming the body
of the said furnace electrically connected with one pole of the electric circuit.
The said body A is provided around the same with a row of bricks B which
insulates the said body from an iron frame C provided with an outlet D for the
molten material.
The body A is provided with a series of blocks of carbon or charcoal E suitably
arranged upon its surface and separated from one another by means of a layer of
carbon-powder e maintained in its place by means of plates or slabs of carbon or
charcoal F.
Above each of the blocks E there is adjustably suspended an electrode G con-
nected to the opposite pole of the electric circuit.
One block E and its corresponding electrode G is arranged in immediate
proximity to the outlet hole D for the molten material with the object of always
maintaining the said opening clear for the continuous outflow of the said material.
The material to be electrolyzed indicated by X in the drawing, is filled into
the iron frame C and between the electrodes G as shown and it will be readily
understood that when the suspended electrodes G are brought into contact with
the fixed electrodes E the latter will be heated to incandescence and when the
said electrodes G are lifted, and the material X placed in contact with such
incandescent electrodes E the same will be melted by such contact; but the
electrical resistance of the carbon-powder e will not allow the current to pass from
the body A to the suspended electrodes G otherwise than through the blocks of
carbon or charcoal E and as the latter have only their upper surface in contact
with the material to be treated they will not be altered in any way as to their
electrical resistance and the whole device will work in a continuous manner.
Furthermore the vapours produced by the melting process at the spot where the
heat is greatest will be obliged to traverse the whole melted material on their
way out of the apparatus. By this means the vapours will be condensed within
said molten material and practically utilized instead of escaping into the atmos-
phere, and they will at same time stir up the molten material and greatly improve
the chemical action by suitably distributing the heat within the materials treated.
If on the one hand the material to be treated is regularly fed into the frame C
and on the other hand the electric current is continuously sent into the apparatus
the process will be continuous, the molten material flowing out through the outlet
hole D. The intensity of the action of the electric current may be regulated at
will by controlling the distance between the electrodes G and E.
An electric furnace as above described may be constructed without difficulty
for the use of currents of 150,000 amperes and 60 volts, that is to say for
9000 kilowatts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An electric furnace characterized by an arrangement of the electrodes which
on the one hand does not allow the melted material to alter the electric resistance
of the said electrodes and which on the other hand does not allow the vapours
formed by the melting process to escape out of the apparatus without traversing
the portion of the material to be treated which is always melted.

page_text: 2. In an electric furnace constructed according to Claim 1, a combination of
electrodes which are rendered incandescent on their whole length but have only
one of their ends in contact with the material to be treated.
3. In an electric furnace constructed according to Claim 1, a furnace-body
bearing a series of conductors separated from one another by means of a layer of
carbon powder, in combination with movable electrodes.
4. In an electric furnace constructed according to Claim 1, a furnace-body A
bearing blocks of carbon or charcoal E separated from one another by means of
a layer of carbon-powder e recovered by means of carbon or charcoal-plates F in
combination with adjustable electrodes G, substantially as shown and described.
5. In an electric furnace constructed according to Claim 1, a pair of
electrodes EG placed in immediate proximity of the melting hole D substan-
tially as shown and described and for purpose specified.
Dated this 29th day of October 1808
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., .
Agents for the Applicant.