IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE SMELTING OF IRON AND OTHER OBES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR
THE SMELTING OF IRON AND OTHER OBES."-A communication from abroad
by Samuel Washington Harris, of Hudson, in the State of New
York United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st January 1872.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
FOR THE SMELTING OF IRON AND OTHER ORES," to be as follows:-
"blast
This Invention relates to what are commonly known as
furnaces," in which a hot blast is used. It has for one of its objects the
economy of the gases evolved in the smelting process, and their conduct

page_text: in a cold dead state by proper channels to any desired place or places
where they are to be used for heating the pipe, ovens, or steam boilers, or
for illuminating and other purposes. Other objects of the Invention
are economy of fuel, increased production, and improved quality of the
metal, and the regulation of its quality and the increased durability of
the upper part of the furnace.
The improvements consist in providing the top of the furnace with a
cover in or under which (and above an opening or openings provided for
the exit of the gases to be utilized) are one or more pendent doors
which are capable of swinging open for the introduction of the ore, fuel,
and flux into the furnace, but of closing immediately after charging.
This cover is provided with a central opening of suitable size for the
escape of any surplus gas, which opening is fitted with a damper to
regulate the escape of the gas, and it is by the use of this damper that
the quality of the iron (when iron ore is being smelted) may be regulated
as respects its softness or hardness.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, 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 seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-

page_text: tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE SMELTING OF IRON AND
OTHER ORES," being a communication to me from abroad by Samuel
Washington Harris, of Hudson, in the State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention more especially relates to what are commonly known as
"blast furnaces," in which a hot blast is used. It has for one of its
objects the economy of the gases evolved in the smelting process, and
their conduction in a cold dead state by proper channels to any desired
place or places where they are to be used for heating the pipe, ovens, or
steam boilers, or for illuminating and other purposes. Other objects of
it are economy of fuel, increased production, and improved quality of
the metal, and the regulation of its quality and increased durability of
the upper part of the furnace.
The improvement consists in providing the top of the furnace above
an opening or openings for the exit of the gases to the place or places.
where they are to be utilized, with a cover having one or more charging
apertures capable of being opened and closed for the introduction when
smelting iron and other ores of the ore, fuel, and flux into the furnace,
and for preventing the escape of the gases by said aperture or apertures
after charging, such cover being also provided with an opening of suitable
size for the escape of any surplus gas, and with a damper to regulate
such escape.
As the Invention is more particularly applicable to blast furnaces for
...
"
1.
nauticularly desenihed with

page_text: reference to the smelting of those ores, though its mode of application
would be the same for the smelting of other ores, and the Invention may,
also be applied to furnaces and cupolas for melting iron and other metals,
and with like advantage as when applying it for reduction of the ore
direct, the escaping gases being utilized as herein-before specified for
heating a steam boiler.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in side view the upper
part of an ordinary blast furnace, having the Invention in one of its
forms or modifications applied; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the
same; Fig. 3 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in
the plane indicated by the line x, x, in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical
section of the top of the furnace, shewing a modified construction of the
cover with its charging aperture, made capable of being opened and
closed. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
several Figures.
Referring in the first instance or more particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4 of the Drawing, A represents the upper part of a blast furnace,
and a the trunnel head plate. On that plate at the edge of the furnace
mouth there are erected iron stanchions B, B, which support an iron
plate C, made in one or more pieces of polygonal form, and in the centre
of which is an opening 6, fitted with a damper D. This opening 6 forms
an outlet for the escape of surplus gases, and may be provided with an
escape pipe of any convenient height. Between the stanchions B, B,
are iron doors or shutters E, E, hung by hinges c, c, at their upper edges
from the above mentioned plate C, such doors resting when in place
against the interior surfaces of the stanchions at or close to the edges
thereof, and thereby effectually serving to close the spaces between the
stanchions. The 'stanchions, the top plate, the hinged doors, and the
damper form a complete cover, closing the mouth of the furnace, but
having openings capable of being easily exposed for introduction of the
ore, fuel, and flux into the furnace, and which are closed after charging
to prevent escape of the gases by them. At a short distance below this
cover there are provided in the sides of the furnace one or more
openings d, d, whence the gases from the furnace are conducted by
suitable pipes to the place or places where they are to be used.
In charging the furnace with fuel, ore, or flux the barrow con-
veying it is pushed against either of the doors or shutters E, E, causing
the latter to open by swinging inward, and allowing the contents of the

page_text: barrow to be dumped into the furnace.
The door afterwards being.
allowed to swing back by its own weight pushes back the barrow and
closes the opening between the stanchions, thereby preventing any,
further escape of gas than is unavoidable during the very short intervals:
actually occupied in depositing the ore, fuel, and flux, or than it is desirable
to let escape by the opening b:
By this Invention not only are the gases prevented from escaping and
conducted in a cold dead state to the place or places where they are to
be used, but the destruction of the top of the furnace is prevented, and
besides the saving of fuel effected an increased production and improved
quality of metal are obtained. The quality of the metal can also be
regulated by closing the damper D to prevent any escape of gases, or by
opening it more or less to permit of a greater or less escape a softer iron
being produced by reducing the escape at the opening 6, and allowing a
greater quantity to pass to the blast ovens, and a harder iron being
produced by increasing the escape at 6 and allowing less to pass to the
ovens. The change from making soft to making hard iron, or vice versa,
by thus varying the escape can be made in six hours, instead of occupying
three or four days, as with the method ordinarily practised in blast
furnaces.
The Invention can be applied to any furnace previously in use while
it is "in blast" without requiring any blowing out for the purpose.
:
Fig. 5 shows a modification in which each charging aperture through
the trunnel head a is provided with a circularly moving shutter E, hung
upon horizontal pivots and of a hollow cylindrical construction, cut.
away on the one side and working in free but close contact with a shield
or shields, projecting into the mouth of the furnace, whereby said
shutter when turned to adjust the opening in it above the trunnel head
forms a receptacle or measure for the material with which the furnace is
to be charged, but which may be turned to discharge its contents into
the furnace, the same in either position however operating as a door or
shutter to prevent the escape of gas through the charging aperture or
apertures in the trunnel head. One hollow shutter is represented in a
receiving and the other shutter in a discharging position in this Figure.
Of course there may be any number of charging apertures and shutters
to correspond.

page_text: Furnaces for the Smelting of Iron and other Ores," as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the cover applied to the
head of the furnace and provided with one or more charging apertures,
and means for closing the same, and also with an escape opening b, and
regulating damper, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
Furnaces for the Smelting of Iron and other Ores," as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the cover applied to the
head of the furnace and provided with one or more charging apertures,
and means for closing the same, and also with an escape opening b, and
regulating damper, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-