Certain Improvements in the Construction of Puddling and other ⚫ Furnaces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1892--Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in the Construction of Puddling and other
⚫ Furnaces.
.
I, JOHN LAW SMITH, of the West Hartlepool. Rolling Mills, West Hartlepool,
in the County of Durham, Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the class of furnaces known as puddling, mill, reheating,
and forge furnaces, or the like structures such as gas furnaces and soaking pits into
which air can be advantageously admitted in the manner hereinafter described.
In describing my invention I will in the first place refer to its application to
puddling and rebeating furnaces of the usual design.
Puddling and reheating furnaces are constructed with walls and roof of solid
brickwork, the whole of the air required for the combustion of the fuel being
admitted through the furnace grate. It is found in practice that although the
heat generated within the furnace in this manner is sufficient to effect its intended
purpose, a waste of heat results owing to a proportion of the elements of combustion
passing out of the furnace unconsumed and to the waste of the heat in the upper
region of the furnace which impinges upon the brickwork of the roof and
adjoining parts which in consequence require frequent renewal. I am aware that
in order to protect the brickwork and utilize the heat which impinges upon it,
flues or unobstructed passages have been formed taking a vertical direction in the
end wall and then running along the roof through which the outside air is drawn
into the furnace whereby the heat of the upper region of the furnace which has
hitherto expended itself in over-heating the brickwork is made to serve the useful
purpose of heating the incoming air, whilst the air so adinitted serves the useful
more perfect
purposes of keeping the brickwork cool and of promoting a
combustion within the furnace.
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in attaining the same
results, namely, to utilize the heat which impinges upon the roof and upper brick-
work of the furnace by heating air which is drawn through the said brickwork
into the furnace, by which the brickwork is kept cooler, and heated air is delivered
into the upper region of the furnace to assist in promoting the more perfect
combustion of gaseous products which otherwise escape in the form of smoke.
In applying my invention to a puddling or reheating furnace from which its
application to furnaces generally will be readily understood, I construct the roof
and upper brickwork wholly or in part of bricks specially moulded or constructed
for the purposes of my invention, that is to say, that brickwork so constructed
includes numerous interstices forming tortuous and intersecting passages or
ramifications through which outside air is drawn into the interior of the furnace
on the well known principle of chequer-work, and with a view of bringing the
incoming air into intimate contact with as large an area of, heated brick surface
as possible.
Any desired number of pores or openings communicating with the internal
interstices are provided as required to communicate with outside air on the outer
surface and with the interior of the furnace on the inner surface.
In furnaces constructed with my improved porous roofs or upper walls, the usual
grate is provided below or at the end of the furnace to support the combustion of
the fuel as in puddling and reheating furnaces of the ordinary construction.

page_text: In gas furnaces the grate is not required, the heated air and gas meeting at the
end or any part where combustion is required.
Dated this 1st day of March 1802
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in the Construction of Puddling and other
Furnaces.
I, JOHN LAW SMITH, of the West Hartlepool Rolling Mills, West Hartlepool
in the County of Durham, Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-—
My invention relates to the class of furnaces known as puddling, mill, reheating,
and forge furnaces, or the like structures such as gas furnaces and soaking pits into
which air can be advantageously admitted in the manner hereinafter described.
In describing my invention I will in the first place refer to its application to
puddling and reheating furnaces of the usual design. Puddling and reheating
furnaces are constructed with walls and roof of solid brickwork, the whole of the
air required for the combustion of the fuel being admitted through the furnace
grate. It is found in practice that although the heat generated within the furnace
in this manner is sufficient to effect its intended purpose, a waste of fuel results
owing to a proportion of the elements of combustion passing out of the furnace
unconsumed and to the waste of the heat in the upper region of the furnace which
impinges upon and is absorbed into the brickwork of the roof, and adjoining parts
which in consequence require frequent renewal.
I am aware that in order to protect the brickwork and utilize the heat which
impinges upon it, flues or unobstructed passages have been formed taking a vertical
direction in the end wall and then running along the roof through which the outside
air is drawn into the furnace whereby the heat of the upper region of the furnace
which has hitherto expended itself in over-heating the brickwork is made to serve
the useful purpose of heating the incoming air, whilst the air so admitted serves
the useful purposes of keeping the brickwork cool and of promoting a more perfect
combustion within the furnace.
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in attaining the same
results, namely, to utilize the heat which is absorbed into the roof and upper
brickwork of the furnace by heating air which is drawn through the said brickwork
into the furnace, by which the brickwork is kept cooler, and heated air is delivered
into the upper region of the furnace to assist in promoting the more perfect
combustion of gaseous products which otherwise escape in the form of smoke.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate my invention as applied to a puddling or reheating
furnace of the ordinary design, whilst Figures 7, 8, and 9, illustrate my invention
as applied to a soaking pit.
In applying my invention to a puddling or reheating furnace, from which its
application to furnaces generally will be readily understood, I construct the roof
and upper brickwork wholly or in part of bricks specially moulded or constructed
for the purposes of my invention and substantially in the form of which the
medifications required in constructing the furnace shown in Figures 1 and 2 are
illustrated in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive, that is to say that brickwork so constructed
includes numerous interstices forming tortuous and intersecting passages or
ramifications, through which outside air is drawn into the interior of the furnace
on the well known principle of chequer-work and with a view of bringing the

page_text: incoming air into intimate contact with as large an area of heated brick surface
as possible. Referring to Figures 1 and 2 in which the puddling furnace is of the
ordinary design, and the precise form indicated by the drawings is given for the
purposes of illustration only; a a a are holes in the breast of the furnace into
which the outside air is first admitted, the air then becomes diffused amongst
the passages and interstices until it reaches the bricks D in which openings d
are provided through which the air is discharged into the interior of the furnace
just beyond the furnace bridge e.
As it is essential that the above described interstices and passages be provided
without resorting to brickwork of unusual thickness it will be understood that
specially constructed bricks must be used; these special bricks as adapted for the
purpose of my invention take the forms shown in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive, that is
to say the central part of each brick is hollowed out, whilst the ends present the
usual faces for surface contact subject to such modification as the general
construction of the furnace may require, as for instance, Figure 3 is the form of
brick used at A; Figure 4 being the form of brick used at B: Figure 5 at e to
provide for the holes a communicating with the outside air, and at c¹ for
communicating end wise with the roof: and Figure 6 at D to provide for the
holes d communicating with the interior of the furnace. Any desired number of
pores or openings communicating with the internal interstices are provided as
required both on the outer surface to admit outside air and on the inner surface to
deliver the air so admitted into the interior of the furnace. In furnaces constructed
with my improved porous roofs or upper walls the usual grate is provided below or
at the end of the furnace to support the combustion of the fuel as in puddling and
reheating furnaces of the ordinary construction. is the usual fire grate which
draws in air through the bars in the usual manner to excite the combustion of the
fuel for generating gas, and g g g are stoke holes for stoking the fire.
Referring to Figures 7, 8, and 9, which illustrate my invention as applied to a
soaking pit, it will be observed that the interstices and passages are formed in the
side and end walls of the furnace, the air entering in at the openings a, and
threading its way along to the air ports h, where it combines with the gases from
the gas ports in the manner required to generate combustion. 7 is an annular
boiler constructed and erected to serve as the uptake for the products of combustion
the waste heat of which is thereby intercepted and utilized for generating steam.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be and can be performed I here declare
that I do not confine myself to the particular arrangement of parts shown in the
drawings, nor to the use of any invention with puddling or reheating furnaces
or soaking pits, as my invention is generally applicable where the air can be
advantageously drawn in through heated brickwork to combine with combustible
gases inside, for which suitable modifications of my specially constructed bricks and
their arrangement can be readily devised without departing from the characteristic
features of my invention, and in conclusion I declare that what I claim is :-
Firstly In connection with puddling and other furnaces in which air is
combined with combustible gases to generate combustion, the use and arrangement
of specially constructed bricks for forming interstices and passages in the brickwork
of the furnace through which the outside air is drawn into the furnace, substantially
as and for the purpose as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly-In the construction of interstices or passages in the brickwork of
furnaces the use of the special form of bricks, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of December 1892.
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.