Year: 1854

page_text: easy and nearly as quick as the puddler changes the ordinary rabble by means
of two levers and a guide rod, one of which is connected to the coupling
box to connect or disconnect when required; the other lever takes out the hot
tool, and conveys it to the cooling cistern, and thus answers a double purpose.
When the boiling process is finished, a shorter tool is introduced in the same
manner, with this exception, viz., having a hole through the head opposite one in
the coupling box, through which a pin is fixed to keep it above the iron. This
tool, having but one leg, has several prongs attached similar to this
During the revolution the puddler with his paddle raises up the iron when
dropped out of the "boil" (as it is termed), which comes in contact with the
prongs above described, and separates it in pieces preparatory to balling.
3. The manner in which I apply the blast to puddling, heating, and other
furnaces, is in the form of a quadron or T pipe, with small holes in different
directions on the top side, and a larger hole in the end pointing under the
furnace plates. The blast whether cold or hot is regulated by a tap. This
pipe is fixed under the bars of the fire-grate, and may be built in the wall of
the ash-pit, being more convenient for cleaning the rubbish out.
By the above process and machinery I am enabled to use peat, raw or charr'd,
wood, sawdust, the finest of coal, slack, and coke, either separate or mixed,
thus obtaining any amount of heat required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isaac Hazlehurst in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC
HAZLEHURST, of Ulverstone, in the County of Lancaster, Iron and Steel Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Isaac Hazlehurst, Her special licence that I, the said Isaac Hazle-
hurst, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Isaac Hazlehurst, executors, administrators, 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,

page_text: 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 MANUFACTURE OF IRON BY BLAST AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND
MACHINERY FOR THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Isaac Hazlehurst, 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, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Hazlehurst, 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:
The nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, is as follows:-
First, the furnace bottom is circular or nearly so, as exemplified by the
annexed Drawings (see Fig. 1), where A, B, denote the furnace bottom.
Secondly, certain tools or apparatus of the nature and character hereafter
set forth are adopted and used in a furnace to which blast is applied (or an
air furnace), such apparatus or tools being of the form and construction which
is exhibited by the illustrative Drawings hereto annexed, and herein referred
to, being there marked as Fig. 2, which is a view of this apparatus in the form
it appears before it is introduced into the furnace; a view of the same open
as when at work being given at Fig. 3. This apparatus consists of three legs,
the two lower legs A, A, being connected to the main leg or shaft B, by a
double joint C, which when introduced into the furnace opens out in the form
exhibited at Fig. 3, as aforesaid, and being immediately connected, as shewn
at Fig. 4, by the coupling box G', to the upright shaft G, sustained in suitable
bearings, as ordinarily practised in mechanism, which, being provided with a
bevel wheel H, gearing with another bevel wheel L, on the horizontal shaft K,
mounted in suitable bearings as ordinarily practised in mechanism, is thereby
driven by steam, or water, or other suitable power, causing the aforesaid tool
or apparatus to revolve at a proper speed. The legs A, A, being equal in length
to the diameter of the furnace bottom, the whole of the boiling process can
be completed in very little time without any manual labor with the excep-
tion of changing the tools, which I effect as easily and nearly as quick as the
puddler changes the ordinary tools, by means of the levers and guide rods, one
of which L is connected to the coupling box for connecting or disconnecting
when required, whilst the other lever M takes out the hot tool, being con-

page_text: nected to it by the chain M', for conveying it to the cooling cistern, and
replacing a cold one, the tool being guided in an upright position by the
guide rod N, its end being of horse shoe shape for the chain to fall off.
Whilst the elongated form of the slut hole or holé in the crown of the
furnace permits the tool to be drawn up on one side the spindle G, without
contact therewith. When the boiling process is finished,. a shorter tool is
introduced (see Fig. 5) into the furnace in the same manner. This tool is
similar to that exhibited at (Figs. 1 and 2), with this exception, viz', that it
has a hole through the head opposite one in the coupling box, through which
a pin is placed to keep it above the iron. This tool having but one leg
has several prongs marked P attached (see Fig. 5). Whilst this tool is
revolving the puddler with his paddle raises up-the iron when dropped (as
we term it) from the "boil," which comes in contact with the prongs above
described, and separates it in pieces preparatory to "balling.”·
3dly, the manner in which I apply the blast to puddling, heating, and
other furnaces, is by a quadron or T pipe (see Fig. 6), and R, S, T, Fig. 4,
with small holes in different positions on the the top side S, and a larger hole
in the end T, pointing under the bottom of the furnace plates... The blast
whether cold or hot may be regulated by a tap. This pipe is fixed under the
bars of the fire-grate, as will be seen in Fig. 4, and may be built in the wall
of the ash-pit, being more convenient for cleaning the rubbish out. By the
above arrangements and process I am enabled to use peat, either raw or
charred, wood, sawdust, the finest of coal, slack, and coke, either separate or
mixed, thus obtaining any amount of heat required. The benefits of blast to
the heating furnace for the finishing of iron are various, the yield being much
greater, and the quality amazingly better, especially when heated upon a cinder
bottom furnace, it being much softer than can possibly be made when blast is not
applied. The article thus made being better adapted for all pure and polishing
purposes, and in great demand for all superior articles, such as rollers, rivets,
tin-plates, and steel.
Another important advantage to be derived from my Invention is, that
upwards of three tons of iron can be made from one furnace with thirty hundred
weight of fuel, in the same time that twenty-five hundred weight of iron takes
by the common process of puddling, especially when run from the blast or
refining furnaces in the liquid state, as by this latter appliance the enormous
quantity of five tons might be made.
Another important advantage to be derived is, that parties erecting works
would save above one half the outlay in the building of furnaces (fewer being
required). It will also be evident that the puddler's work will be far less

page_text: laborious, and would be far better remunerated with one-third of the present
price now paid for puddling by the ordinary mode, and to all those who are
practically acquainted with the puddling process, the fatigue otherwise attendant
will be almost avoided, it being well known in hot seasons that the quality
of iron is inferior when the puddler is unable to perform his duty from excessive
heat.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
First, the manufacture of iron by blast in the manner described.
Secondly, having the furnace bottom circular, or nearly circular.
Thirdly, having puddling tools of the character herein described, whether
such tools be introduced through the crown of the furnace, as illustrated by
the Drawings, or through the bottom plates, or through the doorway, as they
may be applied in either way according to the character of the furnace, though
I find the former the most advantageous.
4th, the application of blast to the furnace as described, although I do not
confine myself to the precise form of pipe for introducing the blast as given
in the Drawings, as any form of pipe provided with small holes pointing under
the furnace bars with a larger hole under the furnace plate to keep the same
cool might answer.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Hazlehurst, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
FRANCIS BARRATT.
ISAAC HAZLEHURST. (L.B.)