IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TRON AND IN OTHER ReverRERATORY FURNACES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Halford, of Brettel Lane, Kingswinford, in
the County of Stafford, Coke and Breeze Burner, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
TRON AND IN OTHER ReverRERATORY FURNACES."
Sealed the 1st April 1870, and dated the 13th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Halford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th October 1869.
I, JOHN HALFORD, of Brettel Lane, Kingswinford, in the County of
5 Stafford, Coke and Breeze Burner, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDING FURNACES USED IN
MANUFACTURE OF IRON, AND IN OTHER REVERBERATORY FURNACES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner
> herein-after described the parts of the said pudding furnaces and other
reverberatory furnaces.

page_text: Instead of constructing the fire-place with bars on which the fuel is
supported, and between which bars air for effecting the combustion of
the fuel is wholly or mainly supplied, I construct an oven or combustion
chamber similar in its general form and size to the chamber of the
ordinary fire-place, but I mako the bottom of the oven or chamber
without fire-bars or other opening, and upon the said bottom the fuel to
be burned is supported. The fuel is supplied to the said oven or
chamber by a hopper or an opening at its top, and at or near its front.
The air for supporting the combustion of the fuel is introduced at an
opening in front of the said oven or chamber, the said opening being at
the lower part of the chamber. The fuel is always maintained at such a
height as to cover the opening at which the air enters. The whole of
the air entering the chamber is thus made to pass through the ignited
fuel. The flame and heated air pass over a bridge or division at the
back of the oven or combustion chamber into the puddling chamber of
the furnace situated on or about the same level as the said oven or
combustion chamber.
By constructing and arranging the parts of pudding and other
reverberatory furnaces in the manner described a commoner kind of fuel
pr small slack may be burnt than can be burnt in furnaces of the
prdinary kind, great heat is also obtained, and economy of fuel secured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Halford in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 8th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HALFORD, of Brettel Lane, Kingswinford, in the County of Stafford,
Coke and Breeze Burner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Halford, Her special licence that
I, the said John Halford, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Halford, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING
FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, AND IN OTHER REVERBERATORY
FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Halford, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Halford, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner
herein-after described the parts of the said puddling furnaces and other
reverberatory furnaces.
Instead of constructing the fire-place with bars on which the fuel is
supported, and between which bars air for effecting the combustion of
the fuel is wholly or mainly supplied, I construct an oven or combustion
chamber similar in its general form and size to the chamber of the
ordinary fire-place, but I make the bottom of the oven or chamber
without fire-bars or other opening for the air, and upon the said bottom
the fuel to be burnt is supported: The fuel is supplied to the said oven
or chamber by a hopper at the top, or by an opening at or near the side
of the oven: The air for supporting the combustion of the fuel is
introduced at an opening in front of the said oven or chamber, the said
opening being at the lower part of the chamber. The fuel is always
maintained at such a height as to cover the opening at which the air
enters. The whole of the air entering the chamber is thus made to pass
through the ignited fuel. The flame and heated air pass over a bridge
or division at the back of the oven or combustion chamber into the
puddling chamber of the furnace situated on or about the same level as
the said oven or combustion chamber.
Hazing explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to

page_text: describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in end elevation, and Figure 2 in side elevation, a
puddling furnace constructed according to my Invention; Figure 3 is a
vertical longitudinal section of the same; and Figure 4 is a horizontal
section of the same taken on the line a, Figure 3. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in each Figure.
b is the oven or combustion chamber, somewhat similar in form and
size to the ordinary fire-place, but the bottom of the said oven or
combustion chamber is closed or without firc-bars. The fuel to be
burned is supported upon the closed or unperforated bottom 6* of the
oven or combustion chamber. c is the puddling chamber situated on or
about the same level as the oven 6, the said puddling chamber being
separated from the oven by the bridge or division d. The flame and
heated air from the oven or combustion chamber 6 pass over the bridge d
into the puddling chamber c, and the waste heat escapes from the said
puddling chamber by the fluc e to the stack f. At the front end of the
oven or combustion chamber b and at the lower part thereof is an
opening ; at this opening 63 air enters the oven horizontally for
supporting the combustion of the fuel on the bottom of the said oven or
combustion chamber. It is through this opening only that the oven
or combustion chamber is supplied with air for combustion. The
opening b³ may communicate directly with the external atmosphere so
as to supply cold air to the oven or combustion chamber. I prefer
however so to arrange the parts of the furnace that the air supplied to
the oven or combustion chamber shall be heated before it enters the
said oven or combustion chamber; this I effect by making in the arch
or roof h of the oven or chamber 6 and puddling chamber c a horizontal
flue i, open to the atmosphere at the back end. The front end of the
flue i communicates with the vertical flue k at the front end of the
furnace, and the latter flue with the opening at the front end of the
oven or combustion chamber b. The flue i extends from side to side of
the roof of the furnace. By the passage of the cold air along the flue i
in the roof of the furnace, when the said furnace is in work, the said
air becomes heated before it enters the oven or combustion chamber b
by the opening b. The fuel is supplied to the oven or combustion
chamber 6 by the door (see Figure 2) in the side of the oven, or by a
hopper or opening at the top of the oven. The fuel in the oven or

page_text: chamber is always maintained at such a height as to cover the
opening at which air enters from the heated flues i, k. The heated
air is thus made to enter the oven or chamber 6 horizontally, the whole
of the air entering the oven passing through the ignited fuel. In
addition to cold air entering the flue i at air may be made to pass
through the ash-pit q and under the puddling chamber c, and rise up
vertical flues at c, c, in the walls of the said puddling chamber and
enter the flue i. By this means the air is heated before it enters the
flue i to be further heated by the said flue i. In order to increase the
combustion of the fuel on the closed or unperforated bottom b³ of the
oven or chamber b the fuel is lifted or stirred from time to time by
introducing a properly shaped tool at the opening m in the front of the
flue k, the said opening m when not in use for the purpose described
being closed by slides or doors at p, Figure 1. I also employ the
opening m for introducing a tool into the oven for removing the ash or
clinker from the bottom 6 of the oven or chamber 6 through the hole n
in the said bottom. The hole n opens into the ash-pit q beneath the
oven. This hole n is closed (excepting when the ash or clinker is being
removed from the oven) by a plate or fire-brick quarry.
The arrangement described of the parts of puddling furnaces is also
applicable to other reverberatory furnaces.
By constructing and arranging the parts of puddling furnaces and
other reverberatory furnaces in the manner described and illustrated in
the Drawing a commoner kind of fuel or small slack may be burnt than
can be burnt in furnaces of the ordinary kind, great heat is also obtained
and economy of fuel secured.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but
I claim as my Invention, the improvements in puddling furnaces used
in the manufacture of iron and in other reverberatory furnaces herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to
say, heating the said puddling or other furnaces by means of an oven or
combustion chamber without fire-bars arranged with respect to the
puddling or other chamber in the manner represented, the whole of the
air for supporting the combustion of the fuel entering the said oven or
combustion chamber horizontally by an opening at the front end and

page_text: lower part of the said oven or combustion chamber, and passing through
the ignited fuel, substantially as described and illustrated.
Also the arrangement of parts described and illustrated for heating the
air before it enters the oven or combustion chamber.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Halford, have hereunto set my
hand and scal; this Seventh day of April; in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness;
GEORGE SHAW:
JOHN HALFORD. (L.s.)