IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Heaton, of Langley Mill, in the County of
Derby, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BLAST FURNACES."
Sealed the 31st January 1868, and dated the 5th August 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Heaton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th August
1867.
I, JOHN HEATON, of Langley Mill, in the County of Derby, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BLAST FURNACES," to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is to avoid the necessity for the use of
blowing machinery to obtain the required blast in blast furnaces, and I
accomplish this object by connecting the upper part of the furnace with or
continuing it into a chimney of considerable height adapted to the draft

page_text: required, openings being provided for the introduction of the "charges." The
"tuyeres" receive their supply from the external air in place of from blowers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Heaton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HEATON, of Langley Mill, in the County of Derby, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Heaton, Her special licence that I, the said John Heaton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Heaton,
any 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 BLAST
FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others)' that I, the said John'
Heaton, 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 John Heaton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
The object of the improvements is to avoid the necessity for the use of
blowing machinery to obtain the required blast in blast furnaces, anil I
accomplish this object by connecting the upper part of the furnace with or
continuing it into a chimney of considerable height adapted to the draft

page_text: But that the Invention may be fully understood I will, by the aid' of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying
the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows
front view and Figure 2 a plan of a double cupola
blast furnace with a chimney for obtaining the required blast thereto according
to my Invention; Figure 3 shows a vertical section, and Figure 4 a
horizontal section of the same. In each of the Figures the same letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts, wherever they occur.
a, a, are the cupolas, which I prefer to be formed at their upper parts of boiler
plate iron with water spaces b surrounding them, but they may be formed of
brick if desired, provision being made when water is used as is well understood
in such cases for the supply and flow of fresh water and the avoidance of the
generation of steam; but when it is found desirable to make this water chamber
into a boiler for the generating of steam a receiver for the reception of such
steam will be attached. The mouths or openings c for the supply of fresh
charges is capable of being closed, as shown, after each supply by means of the
cones d which for facility of movement of them are each suspended by a
chain d from a pulley d affixed on a shaft d³, which is supported to turn freely
in bearings e carried by the gallery e, as shown, and each of these shafts d³
bas also affixed on it a wheel d' and a counterbalance weight to facilitate
its movement; fis the chimney for the desired blast, and g, g, openings
thereto from the cupolas; i, i, are the tuyeres which in carrying out my
Invention are simply open to the external atmosphere so that air
may freely
flow therein the force of the current obtained by the height of the chimney
used when the mouths of the cupolas are closed.
.
Figure 5 shows a single cupola furnace similarly arranged with the chimney
by the side of the cupola; Figure 6 shows another arrangement of blast
furnace built of brickwork with the chimney f forming a continuation of the
cupola. In each of these Figures the same letters indicate corresponding
parts as in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would bave it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details shown and described, as these may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I do claim

page_text: is, the obtaining the desired draft or blast in blast furnaces by continuing the
upper part of such furnaces into a chimney of the required height with
openings for the feeding of the charges, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Heaton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JOHN HEATON. (L.S.)