IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OVENS AND FURNACES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crowley, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Iron Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF OVENS AND FURNACES."
$
Sealed the 22nd March 1854, and dated the 1st November 1853:
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crowley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st November 1853.
I, JOHN CROWLEY, of Sheffield, in the County of, York, Iron Founder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for, "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF OVENS AND FURNACES" to be as
as follows:
My improvements in annealing ovens consist in the peculiar, con-
struction of the compartments or cases containing, the, articles to be
annealed;;and in the arrangement of the fire grates and flues by which
the said casesfare heated. The fire grates are placed at each side of the
oven; and the products of combustion rising from them pass between
the cases containing the articles to be annealed and the outer walls of
the oven, the interior of which is arched over. There are two cases
containing articles to be annealed in the oven, and the space between
them is sufficient to act as a flue for the products of combustion; which

page_text: after passing over the said cases pass down again between them to the
bottom of the oven, and thence into a flue in connection with a chimney.
By this arrangement several annealing ovens may be connected with
one chimney, each oven being provided with a damper to shut off
the communication with the chimney when required. Dampers are
placed under the bed of the oven in the descending flue to regulate the
temperature. By these improvements the heat is more equally dis-
tributed in the oven, and less fuel is required than in ovens of the usual
construction. My improved mode of constructing the cases or com-
partments containing the articles to be annealed is as follows:-Each
case is made of cast or wrought iron, open at the top, and surrounded
by fire brick; the articles to be annealed are piled within this case, and
there are shelves at suitable distances in the height to support, the
articles. When the case is full the top is secured by a metal lid luted
to the case, or in any other convenient way. By this means the usual
annealing pans are dispensed with.
My improvements are also applicable to annealing ovens, in which
the articles are placed in the usual annealing pans. In this instance
the products of combustion, after rising up each side of the oven be-
tween the outer wall and an inner partition wall, descend again among
or between the annealing pans, and thence go to the flue which is below
he level of the oven floor, as above described.
Another of my improvements consists in placing doors so as to cover,
when required; the opening into the ash pit below the firing doors. By
this means, when the annealing oven is sufficiently heated, the open-
ings can be partially or entirely closed to regulate the quantity of air
admitted to the fire grates..
In furnaces for converting iron into steel the fire grates are also placed
at each side of the furnace. The iron to be converted is contained in
brick cases of the ordinary construction, and the products of com-
bustion, after rising up each side of the furnace, pass down between the
cases, and thence to the off flue or chimney below the bed of the oven.
Another of my improvements consists in the application of self-acting
machinery to the dampers of ovens and furnaces, by which the aperture
to the flue or chimney is reduced according to the volume of smoke or

page_text: gasses that is given off by the fire. For this purpose I suspend the.
damper to a cord or chain, the upper end of which is wound round a,
drum; on the axis of this drum is a ratchet wheel, acted upon by a
pendulum and double catch, similar to those used in clocks. When the
fires are
first lit in the oven or furnace the damper is wide open, and
the cord or chain is wound on the drum, but as the process of combus-
tion proceeds the damper is gradually lowered by the unwinding of the
chain until only about one half of the aperture remains open; the further
descent of the damper is then arrested. By this means the opening of
the. damper is made to correspond with the volume of the smoke and:
gasses evolved.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Crowley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st May 1854.
15 TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN CROWLEY, of Sheffield,. in the County of. York, Iron Founder,
send greeting. :
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year
20 of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,'
give and grant unto me, the said John Crowley, Her special license that
I, the said John Crowley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Crowley, my executors, administrators,
25 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 THE CONSTRUCTION
0 OF OVENS AND FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Crowley, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, *

page_text: 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.
4.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Crowley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say:
My Invention consists, Firstly, in improvements in the construction
of ovens or furnaces for annealing metal castings. Secondly, in an
improved mode of constructing the pots or cases in which metal castings
are contained while they are being annealed. Thirdly, supporting the
castings in the annealing pots of cases by arches. Fourthly, in improve-
ments in the construction of, furnaces.for converting iron into stecl. And,
lastly, in self-acting machinery for regulating the opening of the
dampers according to the volume of smoke evolved in steel converting
and other furnaces. And in order that my Invention may be fully un-
derstood, and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the
means pursued by me, reference being had to the two Sheets of Draw-
ings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
*: k
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
On Sheet 1,,Figure 1, is a front elevation of my improved. annealing
oven or furnace; Figure 2, is a ground plan of the same taken in
section through the line A, A, in Figure 1; Figure 3, is a transverse
section through the line B, Brin Figure;2. Figure 4, is another séc-
tion through the line C, Cin Figure 3'; and Figure 5, is another
transverse section through the line D, D, in Figure 2. D is the
entrance, which is open when the articles to be annealed are being
placed in the oven or furnace, but which is partially built up, as shewn
by the dotted lines Nin Figures. 2 and 3, when the oven or furnace is
charged. E, E, are the fire hole doors, made of cast iron, lined with
fire bricks. F, F, are the ash pit doors; and G; G," the dampers by
which the draught can be regulated. R, R, are the fire grates placed
at each side of the oven or furnace. The products of combustion from
these fires pass upwards between the outer walls of the oven or fur-

page_text: nace and the pots or cases containing the articles to be annealed, and
into the horizontal flues I, I, thence through the openings J, J, into the
vertical flues between the midfeathers K, K. These midfeathers and
the side walls 0, 0, of the pots or cases are made of fire bricks or fire
stone. L, L, are the descending flues through which the products of
combustion. pass previous to entering the horizontal fluc H, which is in
communication with the chimneystack M, M, in Figure 2, are per-
forated midfeathers to ensure a free circulation of heat to the ends of
the pots or cases, which are lined with cast or wrought iron plates P,
shewn best in Figure 4. Q, Q, are fire brick arches, extending from
one end of the pots or cases to the other. A greater or less number of
these arches may be put in according to the goods to be annealed, the
object of them being to support the goods and prevent them. injuring
each other when subjected to .the great heat required for annealing.
When the oven or furnace is to be used the arches Q are removed,
and the articles to be annealed, and the materials generally mixed withi
them, are placed in the bottom of the pots or cases until they reach up:
to the beads marked P in Figure 4.1 The lower arches are then 'put
in,.and a fresh supply of articles are placed on these arches until they
reach to the beads P2; the second arches are then put in, and more
articles are filled in until the pots or cases are full; the third arches are
then put on and secured' by fire clay luting; the entrance 'D' is then
closed with brick work to the dotted line N, as shewn in Figures 2 and
3, and: the fires on the grates R are lighted. The products of com-
bustion pass up the sides of the oven and through the flues, as shewn
by the arrows in Figures 3 and 4, and descend through the flues L'into
the off flue H, which is in commúnication with the chimney stack; as.
before mentioned. By opening or closing the doors F, and dampers G,
it is evident that the current can be regulated so as to distribute:
the: heat uniformly around the pots or cases containing the articles.
to be annealed, consequently a considerable saving in fuel is effected,
and the flues H from any convenient number of these overs or fur-
naces may be conveyed to. tlie same chimney stack. This is a great:
advantage over the ovens or furnaces generally employed, which require
a chimney stack for each. The arches Z, shewn. in dotted lines tin

page_text: Figure 4, may in some cases be used to close the passage between the:
sides of the oven and the pots or cases O. The current of the products
of combustion would then be conveyed through the flues I, then between
the cases or pots, and thence down the descending flues L, as shewn in
Figure 3.
On Sheet 2, Figure 7, is a sectional elevation of a furnace for con-
verting iron into steel; Figure 8, is a plan of the same, taken in
section through the line A, A, on Figure 7; Figure 9, is a front eleva-
tion of the furnace; Figure 10, is an elevation in section; Figure 11,
is an elevation of the back of the furnace; Figure 12, is a plan in
section through the line B, B, on Figure 7; Figure 13, is a sectional
elevation shewing another arrangement of flues; and Figure 14, a
transverse section of Figure 13; Figure 15, is a plan of the improved
machinery for closing the dampers. In Figures 7, 10, and 12, F, F,
are the cases or pots to hold the iron to be carbonized or converted
into steel; these cases or pots are built of fire stone or other suitable
material. G, G, are the fire grates, which are placed along each side
of the furnace, as seen best in Figure S, and are supplied with fuel
through the fire holes K, K, from cach end, as in the oven or furnace
for annealing; the products of combustion rising from the fire grates
G, G, ascend on each side of the furnace between tlie outer wall and
the sides of the pots or cases F, as shewn by the arrows in Figure 7;
then they unite in the centre and descend between the pots or cases,
the direction being reversed by the arched roof of the furnace; they
then enter the horizontal flues C, C, and after passing through the
openings D, D, enter the flues E, E, which convey them to the chimney
stack. In Figure 9, II. represents the man-hole, or entrance to the
furnace; I, I, the holes through which the pots or cases are charged;"
and J, J, are holes leading into the middle of the pots or cases; these
holes are to enable the workman to insert bars of iron, which are
occasionally withdrawn to ascertain the state of carbonization. In
Figure 11, L, L, are the ash pits under the fire grates G, G; and M, M,
are the dampers for regulating the opening between the flues E, E,
and the flue leading to the chimney stack. The dampers M slide in
the frames N; each damper is suspended to a chain or cord, which.

page_text: after passing over one of the guide rollers T, T, is made fast to the
drum S, shewn in Figure 15. Upon the axis of the drum S is fixed a
ratchet wheel Q, and the groove pulley O', around which passes the
rope O, by which the dampers are wound up. R, is a pendulum, to
which is attached a double click geering into the ratchet wheel Q, in
the manner used in clocks. When the pots or cases F are charged,
and the furnace is ready for being started, the fires are ignited, and the
attendant, by drawing the rope O in the direction of the arrow in
Figure 11, raises the dampers M, by winding the cords or chains to
which they are suspended round the drum S. As soon as the dampers
are wide open the pendulum R is put in motion, and the dampers
acting in the same manner as the weights in a clock cause the double
catch on the pendulum to give motion to the ratchet wheel Q, and
unwind the chains or cords on the drum S, thereby gradually lowering
the dampers until they are stopped by a retaining pin, the position of
which can be varied. The object of the pendulum and parts in con-
nection therewith is to ensure a gradual and uniform descent of the
dampers, for it is. evident that when the fires are first lighted the
greatest quantity of smoke is evolved, consequently the dampers must
be full open to allow it to escape; but as the combustion increases the
volume of smoke and gases decreases, therefore less opening is required.
for its escape, and the dampers are closed in proportion. The arrange-
ment of flues shewn in Figures 13, and 14, being very similar to that
above described, is marked with corresponding letters of reference. In
these views there are two rows of longitudinal flues C, and only one
flue E in connexion with the chimney stack.
The advantages resulting from the above-described improvements in
the construction of furnaces for converting iron into steel are, economy
in time and fuel, and connecting the flues from several furnaces to one
chimney stack. The arrangements of flues shewn in both the above-
described Drawings are applicable for annealing and for converting
iron into steel.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the details herein set forth, as the same may be varied with-

page_text: out departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; but what I
clo claim is,
Firstly, the improvements in the construction of ovens or furnaces
for annealing, as herein-before described, consisting particularly of the
ash pit doors F, the descending flues L; and horizontal flue H, shewn
in Sheet I..
Secondly, constructing the pots or cases, in which castings are to be
annealed, of fire brick or fire stone, lined with cast or wrought iron
plates.
Thirdly, the arches marked Q, in Figure 4, for supporting the 1
articles to be annealed in the pots or cases.
Fourthly, the improvements in the construction of furnaces for con-
verting iron into steel, as shewn and described, consisting particularly
in the descending flues between the pots or cases containing the iron
to be converted and the horizontal flues under the same.
And, lastly, the self-acting machinery shewn and described with
reference to Figures 11 and 15, for regulating the opening of the
dampers according to the volume of soшuke evolved.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Crowley, have hereunto set
iny hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Crowley in the
presence of
H. B. BARLOW,
JOHN CROWLEY. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.