IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES AND PIPES FOR HEATING AIR For BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Crossley, of Greenscoe House, Dalton-
in-Furness, Lancashire, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES AND PIPES FOR HEATING AIR For
BLAST FURNACES."
Sealed the 15th November 1875, and dated the 11th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Crossley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th August 1875.
I, WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of Greenscoe House, Dalton-in-Furness, Lan-
cashire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES AND PIPES FOR
HEATING AIR FOR BLAST FURNACES," to be as follows :-
.
+
:―
This Invention of improvements in the arrangement of stoves and
pipes for heating air for blast furnaces consists in arranging the
ordinary hot-air stove and pipes, as commonly employed in one tier, in
successive tiers superimposed upon cach other in such manner that the

page_text: products of combustion in one chamber, having therein heated the pipes
conveying the blast, are led into another similar chamber with another
set of pipes, and after heating these pipes are again, if required, led into
another similar chamber and set of pipes, and so on as required.
In most cases 2 tiers are sufficient, one over the other. The lower
chamber is of brickwork, as ordinarily constructed, with its scries of
A pipes and communications, as usual, and supplied with a furnace or
furnace and inlet for the gases from the blast furnace. The crown of
the chamber is perforated to allow the heated gases to escape into the
upper and superimposed chamber, where it acts upon another series of
pipes similar to the set below. If no more heat is required to be
abstracted from the gases a third chamber is not required, but the crown
of the second chamber is fitted with a chimney or chimnies, by which
the heated gas, now deprived in great measure of its caloric, escapes into
the air.
It
The cold blast is led into the pipes of the upper chamber, successively
passing up and down through the series of A pipes, and having traversed
the whole series it is led into the series of the lower chamber, and after
traversing the whole of them is passed out hot to the blast furnace.
will thus be seen that the upper chamber, really heated by escaping and
ordinarily lost hot gas from the lower chamber, will communicate a
great amount of caloric to the air passing through the pipes, and that
the resulting high temperature over and above the temperature of the
entering cold air, as it will then enter the pipes of the second chamber,
is the measure of economy to be obtained by the adoption of this method
of arranging the hot air stoves and pipes for heating air for blast
furnaces.

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Crossley, Her
special license that I, the said William Crossley, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Crossley, my 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, 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 ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES AND PIPES FOR
HEATING AIR FOR BLAST FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Crossley, 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 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 William Crossley, 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 :-
This Invention of improvements in the arrangement of stoves and
pipes for heating air for blast furnaces consists in arranging the ordinary
hot-air stove and pipes, as commonly employed in one tier, in successive
tiers, superimposed upon each other in such manner that the products of
combustion in one chamber, having therein heated the pipes conveying
the blast, are led into another similar chamber with another set of pipes,
and after heating these pipes are again, if required, led into another
similar chamber and set of pipes, and so on as required.
In most cases two tiers are sufficient, one over the other. The lower
chamber is of brickwork, as ordinarily constructed, with its series of
A pipes and communications, as usual, and supplied with a furnace or,
furnace and inlet for the gases from the blast furnace. The crown of
the chamber is perforated to allow the heated gases to escape into the
upper and superimposed chamber, where it acts upon another series of
.

page_text: L
pipes similar to the set below. If no more heat is required to be
abstracted from the gases a third chamber is not required, but the crown
of the second chamber is fitted with a chimney or chimneys, by which
the heated gas, now deprived in great measure of its caloric, escapes
into the air.
The cold blast is led into the pipes of the upper chamber successively,
passing up and down through the series of A pipes, and having traversed
the whole series it is led into the series of the lower chamber, and after
traversing the whole of them is passed out hot to the blast furnace. It
will thus be seen, that the upper chamber, really heated by escaping and
ordinarily lost hot gas from the lower chamber, will communicate a
great amount of caloric to the air passing through the pipes, and that
the resulting high temperature over and above the temperature of the
entering cold air, as it will then enter the pipes of the second chamber,
is the measure of economy to be obtained by the adoption of this
method of arranging the hot air stoves and pipes for heating air for blast
furnaces.
The object in putting the chambers one above the other is with the
twofold view of taking advantage of increased height to get a good
draught, and of so arranging the arch as to properly distribute the zone
of combustion.
The accompanying Drawings forming part of this Specification will
more particularly set forth the manner of carrying the Invention into
practice. The like letters refer to like parts in all the Drawings.
Figure 1, side elevation; Figure 2, longitudinal section; Figure 3,
end elevation; Figure 4, transverse section; Figure 5, end elevation;
Figure 6, plan of upper chamber; Figure 7, plan of lower chamber.
A, Figures 2 and 4, is the chamber, in which cast-iron heating pipes
are placed, arranged in any of the approved modes. Into this chamber
the gases may be admitted and used in the ordinary manner, but the
method of combustion indicated is found to work satisfactorily.
B, Figures 2 and 4, a second or upper chamber, into which the gas is
conveyed through flues, indicated by the arrows, and in which similarly
constructed cast-iron pipes are arranged in a manner resembling that of
the lower or combustion chamber. In this upper chamber the pipes
may be fewer in number or less in size, and the metal used in the
construction of a less thickness than that of the pipes in chamber A.

page_text: A convenient number of pipes is 12 in the lower and 10 in the upper
chamber.
The blast is first conducted through the heating pipes in the upper
chamber, and these heated by the escaping gases from the lower one,
and in this manner it is found that the temperature of the blast may be
raised to 500 F., 260 C., which is a clear gain to this extent over the
system of heating blast now adopted in the old form of cast-iron hot-air
stove. The blast thus heated is then conveyed through ordinary cast-
iron pipes, which may be covered with non-conducting material or
encased within a brick chamber, in order that the blast may retain the
temperature already reached, into the heating pipes of the lower
chamber A, where it is further heated to the temperature required for
use in the blast furnace. This temperature may either be the same as
that ordinarily obtained from cast-iron stoves, in which case it will be
of a more uniform character, and obtained with less heating of the pipes,
consequently with less wear and tear, and at a saving of gas or other
fuel; or it may be of a temperature of 1150° F. (621° C.) which is
about 200° F. (932° C.) above the temperature safely obtainable in the
old form of stove, and can be secured without any higher temperature of
heating pipes than that usually adopted.
The power of the stove is so great, due to the draught caused by its
increased height, and also to the extent of the heating surface, as to be
found to give such control over the temperature of the blast that it may
be kept constantly at very nearly the same temperature, notwithstanding
disturbances in the weather or accidental occurrences at the furnaces,
which interfere with the quality or quantity of the gas.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said
Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim and
desire to secure in the herein in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The arrangement of superimposed chambers of hot-air pipes,
by which the escaping products of combustion or heated gases of the
lower chamber are conveyed and allowed to act upon the second series of
pipes of the upper chamber, substantially as described.
Secondly. The arrangement by which the entering cold air is sub-
mitted in a series of pipes in an upper chamber to the action of heated

page_text: gases escaping from a lower chamber, and then at a high temperature
passed along the second series of pipes in the lower chambers, and,
subjected to the increased temperature of these lower chambers, to be
used in blast furnaces, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Crossley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM CROSSLEY. (L.S.)