IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ferrie, of the Monkland Iron and
Steel Works, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES."
Sealed the 14th June 1870, and dated the 21st December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ferrie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st December 1869.
I, WILLIAM FERRIE, of the Monkland Iron and Steel Works, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the development of the Invention described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to the present applicant,
and dated 10th June 1868 (No. 1888), and consists in simplifying and
improving the construction and working arrangements as herein-after
explained.
By the former Invention provision was made for coking the coal in
retorts constructed in the upper part of the furnace, and with the view of

page_text: concentrating the heat employed for coking upon the coals they were
introduced separately from the ores and flux. It was also an object of
this separate arrangement that the ores might descend in the centre of
-the furnace surrounded by fuel, which fuel would be interposed at the
hearth between the blast jets and the ores.
In practically carrying out the Invention, however, it has been found
that the coal may be sufficiently heated for the coking process,
although mixed with the ores and flux, as in ordinary blast furnaces,
whilst the advantages of coking the coal in the upper part of the
furnace may be realised by means of a simplified construction and
arrangement.
In carrying out the present Invention according to one modification
the top of the furnace is closed and arranged according to any known plan
with a pipe or main for leading away the gases, and with a conical cover
and valve for filling in the coal, ores, and flux. The upper part or throat
of the furnace is divided into four or other convenient number of com-
partments or retorts by vertical walls supported on arches and radiating
from the centre; theso partition walls and also the circumferential wall
or rather the lining of the latter are formed with flues through which
a portion of the gases taken off from the top are led and in which they
are burned by the aid of the requisite addition of atmospheric air
supplied by inlets situated at various points. By these means sufficient
heat is raised for the coking of the coal as it gradually works down
through the compartments or retorts along with the ores and flux.
In a similar way flues may be formed in the furnace lining at various
parts of the barrel of the furnace between the throat and the boshes, and
portions of the gases taken off from the top may be utilised by being
burned in these flues with the aid of air.
In another modification, the throat or upper part of the furnace -is
made to answer as a single, retort by being contracted in diameter
and increased in vertical. length so that the heat from the burning
gases in the surrounding flues may penetrate sufficiently to the centre.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said William Ferrie in the Great Seal Patent. Office
on the 20th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FERRIE, of the Monkland Iron and Steel. Works,, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, 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: William Ferrie, Her special licence that J,.
the said William Ferrie, my executors,. administrators, and assigns, or
such others-as I, the said William. Ferrie, 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 BLAST FURNACES," upon the con-.
dition (amongst others) that I,. the said William Ferrie, 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 Ferrie, 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 in writing, reference being, had. to the.
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the development of my earlier Inven-
tion described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and
dated 10th June 1868 (No. 1888), and consists in simplifying and
improving the construction and. working arrangements. as. herein-after
explained.
And in order that my present Invention and the manner of performing
La manasly undosatood Thava homounts annended two.

page_text: Sheets of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and
representing two modifications of blast or smelting furnace embodying
my improvements. In these Drawings the same reference numerals are
used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
By my former Invention provision was made for coking the coal in
retorts constructed in the upper part of the furnace, and with the
view of concentrating the heat employed for coking upon the coals,
they were introduced separately from the ores and flux. It was also an
object of this separate arrangement that the ores might descend in the
centre of the furnace surrounded by fuel, which fuel would be inter-
posed at the hearth between the blast jets and the ores.
In practically carrying out the Invention, however, I have found that
in some cases the coal may be sufficiently heated for the coking process,
although mixed with the ores and flux as in the ordinary blast furnaces,
whilst the advantages of coking the coal in the upper part of the
furnace may be realised by means of a simplified construction and
arrangement such as is shown on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings,
Or if preferred there may be used a second modification intermediate
between that shown on Sheet 1 and that of my former Patent, such
second modification being shown on Sheet 2 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 is a vertical section, and Figures 2, 3, and 4 are
horizontal sections as at the lines A-A, B-B, and C-C, respectively
in Figure 1. In the modification shown in these Figures the top of
the furnace is closed by fixed and movable cones 1, 2, admitting of the
introduction of the ores, flux, and fuel, in a well-known way, and has in
connection with it a pipe or main 3 for leading away the gases or some
of them. The upper part or throat of the furnace is divided into four
or other convenient number of compartments or retorts by vertical
walls 4 supported on arches and radiating from the centre. Thèse par-
tition walls 4, and also the circumferential wall 5, or rather the lining of
the latter are formed with flues 6, through which a portion of the gases
taken off from the top are led, and in which they are burned by the
aid of the requisito addition of atmospheric air supplied by inlets situated
at various points. The gas for the flues 6 I prefer to lead from the
furnace top by two diametrically opposite passages and pipes 7, one of
which is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. These pipes pass
vertically down the outside of the furnace. and communicate with

page_text: upper and lower casings 8, 9, from which the gas is admitted into the
various internal flues 6 by openings, which may be fitted with valves for
regulating the supply to the various points. Pockets 10 or receptacles
for dust are provided in connection with the casings 8, 9, and are
furnished with doors for cleaning out when required, access being
obtained to them by the galleries 11 formed round the furnace at various
heights. These galleries 11 also give access to openings leading into the
internal flues 6, so that the admission of air by these openings may be
suitably regulated by doors or stoppages of any convenient kind. The
internal flues 6 communicate by branch pipes 12, with a chimney or
funnel 13, by which the gaseous products of combustion finally pass off
from them. By those means sufficient heat is raised in the upper part
of the furnace for the coking of the coal as it gradually works down
through the compartments or retorts along with the ores and flux. The
flues 6 may also be continued, as shown, down the lining of the barrel
of the furnace between the throat and the boshes, so as to continue the
application of the heat to the contents of the furnace as they progress

page_text: By another modification the throat or upper part of the furnace may
be contracted and elongated further than as shown in Figure 5,, and thic
separate retorts 15 be dispensed with, when the small diameter of the
throat or single central retort 14 will allow of the heat from the flues 6
penetrating to the centre.
Instead of coking the coal in the retorts 15. or main body of the
furnace previously prepared coke may be used; the flucs 6. then serving
to heat such coke.
Also my improved furnaces herein described and' delincated are suitable
for operating upon raw or uncalcined iron ores,, either carbonaceous or
argillaceous.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details. herein described or delineated; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,. the
constructing and working of blast furnaces substantially in the improved
modes heroin-before described, and more particularly the provisions in
the upper part of the furnace for applying and burning the gases from
the furnace top, so as to heat and coke the coal. Also, the forming of
the throat or upper part of the furnace into an elongated contracted
chamber or retort heated by surrounding flues.
In witness whoreof, I, the said William Ferrie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy..
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
WILLIAM FERRIE. (L.S.)