Apparatus there.
Year: 1884

page_text: Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES RILEY, General Manager to The Steel Company of Scotland, Limited,
of 150 Hope Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and
WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of 153 Queen Street, Glasgow, in the same County, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF STEEL, AND IN FURNACES OR APPARATUS. THEREFOR
to be as
follows, that is to say :—
=
»
Our said Invention has for its object to improve and modify the working of
steel-making plant so as to increase the out-put and thereby economise the manu-
facture. For this purpose, instead of charging each steol-making furnace with the
iron or materials in an unmelted state and melting them therein, we prepare the
materials by previously melting them, and, in some cases, partly treating them in
a separate furnace, which is by preference of a special kind hereinafter described.
With this improved arrangement, when a finished charge has been run off from the
main steel-making furnace, a fresh charge of ready melted metal may be at once
run into it, without any cooling down of the furnace and without the loss of time
ordinarily spent in introducing and melting the fresh charge...
In our improved furnace for the preparatory treatment or melting of the
materials a cupola and a reverberatory chamber are combined the bottom of the
cupola being formed so that metal or other substances melted in it may run into
the reverberatory chamber. The heating gases which act in the reverberatory
chamber pass on into the cupola and in it ascend through the raw materials their
heat being utilised, as, in ascending, they act on the cooler materials. The heat
may be supplied by means of an ordinary fireplace and grate constructed in con-
nection with the reverberatory chamber, or it may be supplied by means of gaseous
fuel formed in a gas producer constructed close to or at a distance from the
reverberatory chamber. The gases may be arranged to act in the reverberatory
chamber with an oxidising or with a reducing flame; and when the latter is used,
additional air may be injected to complete the combustion of the gases at a suitable

page_text: part of the cupola, so that the additional heat thereby obtainable may act on the
materials in the cupola. Or air may be injected in the reverberatory chamber so
as to blow down upon the metal, or so as to blow through it for the purpose of
purifying or treating it. The necessary air for the combustion of the gaseous fuel
either in the reverberatory chamber or cupola may be supplied by means of a fan
or blowing apparatus and may be heated by the waste heat of the furnace itself or
in other known ways and by means of any suitable known apparatus. The hearth
of the reverberatory chamber may be of a square, round, or other convenient form
in plan, and it may be either fixed or rotating.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel, and in Furnaces or
Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES RILEY, General Manager to The Steel Company of Scotland, Limited,
of 150 Hope Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and WILLIAM
CROSSLEY, of 153 Queen Street, Glasgow, in the same County, Engineer; do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF STEEL AND IN FURNACES OR APPARATUS THEREFOR," and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve and modify the working
of steel-making plant, so as to increase the out-put and thereby economise the
manufacture. For this purpose, instead of charging each steel-making furnace
with the iron or materials in an unmelted state and melting them therein, we
prepare the materials by previously melting them in a separate furnace, which is
by preference of a special kind hereinafter described. With this improved arrange-
ment, when a finished charge has been run off from the main steel-making furnace,
a fresh charge of ready melted metal may be at once run into it, without any
cooling down of the furnace, and without the loss of time ordinarily spent in
introducing and melting the fresh charge.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we horeunto append three sheets of explanatory

page_text: drawings to be hereinafter referred to and representing furnaces as constructed
with our improvements. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used
to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
On sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings, figures, 1, and 2, are transverse and
longitudinal vertical sections, and figure, 3, is a horizontal section, of a modification
of our furnace arrangements in which the heat is obtained by means of an ordinary
fire place and grate constructed in connection with the reverberatory or main
chamber of the furnace. In figure, 1, the section is as taken at the line A-B-C
in figures, 2, and 3.
On sheets, 2, and 3, another modification is shown in which gaseous fuel is to bo
employed, figure, 4, being a longitudinal vertical section, figure, 5, a plan, and
figures, 6, and 7, elevations of the opposite ends.
This
In describing the general features of our improved furnace arrangements we will
first do so with special reference to the modification shown on sheet, 1, of the
accompanying drawings, referring at the same time to the parts peculiar to that
modification. In our improved furnace a cupola, 11, and a reverberatory chamber, 12,
are combined the bottom, 13, of the cupola being formed so that metal or other
substances melted in it may run into the reverberatory chamber. The heating
gasos which act in the reverberatory chamber, 12, pass on into the cupola, and in
it ascend through the raw materials, their heat being utilised as in ascending they
act on the cooler materials. The upper part of the cupola, 11, is not shown in
figures, 1, 2, and 3; it may however be constructed and be provided with appliances
for charging it like ordinary cupolas for melting pig iron. In the modification
now being described the heat is obtained by means of an ordinary fireplace, 14,
and grate, 15, constructed in connection with the reverberatory chamber, 12.
fireplace, 14, is provided with a valved feeding hopper, 16, at the top, and the ash-
pit, 17, is closed, the air required for the combustion of the fuel being led into the
asbpit by a pipe, 18, from suitable blowing apparatus. Apertures, 19, are formed in
the roof of the fireplace, 14, for introducing stirring instruments; and the top of the
fireplace communicates in the usual way by a bridge flue, 20, with the reverberatory
chamber, 12. The gases may be arranged to act in the reverberatory chamber, 12,
with an oxidising or with a reducing flame; and when the latter is used, additional
air may be injected to complete the combustion of the gases at a suitable part of
the cupola, so that the additional heat thereby obtained may act on the materials
in the cupola. Or air may be injected in the reverberatory chamber, 12, so as to
blow down upon the metal, or so as to blow through it for the purpose of purifying
or treating it. The necessary air for the combustion of the gascous fuel either in
the reverberatory chamber, 12, or in the cupola, 11, may be supplied by means of a
fan or blowing apparatus, and it may be heated by the waste heat of the furnace
itself or in any other known way, and by means of any suitable known apparatus.
The modification shown on sheet, 1, of the drawings is provided with apparatus for
injecting heated air down upon the metal in the reverberatory chamber, 12, there
being a space, 21, formed in the inner wall of the fireplace, 14, into which air is led
from the blowing apparatus by a pipe, 22, and from which it passes into both ends
of a curved pipe, 23, extending across the roof of the furnace. The pipe, 23, has
connected to it a number of nozzles, 24, which penetrate through the roof of the
furnace and which are shaped so as to direct jets of the heated air in the desired
manner. The hearth of the reverberatory chamber, 12, may be of a square, round,
or other convenient form in plan; and it may be either fixed or rotating; whilst
the lining may be basic, or neutral, or acid.
In the modification of our improved furnace shown on sheets, 2, and 3, of the
drawings, a gas producer, 31, is constructed in immediate connection with tho
reverberatory chamber, 12, the producer gas passing from one to the other by a
passage, 32, which unites with an air inlet passage, 33, at the entrance into the
reverberatory chamber. The gas producer, 31, is provided with the usual fuel-
feeding hopper, 34, at the top, and is made with a contracted hearth or bottom, 35,

page_text: with an outlet, 36, and door, 37, for removing ashes. A pipe, 38, is fitted in con-
nection with the ashpit door, 37, for introducing a jet of steam or water and
apertures, 39, with covers are provided for introducing stirring instruments. The
air for combustion is supplied by means of a fan or blowing apparatus from which
it is led by a pipe (not shown) connected to two branch pipes, 40, 41, indicated by
dotted lines in figure, 5, one, 40, of these branch pipes being connected to a pipe, 42,
passing partly round the hearth, 35, and fitted with tuyeres, 43. The other branch
pipe, 41, leads air into a casing, 44, built into the wall round the lower part of the
gas producer, and in this casing the air becomes heated by radiation and conduction
from the hotest part of the fuel in the producer. From the heating chamber, 44, 1
the air passes by a pipe, 45, and two branch pipes, 46, up to a chamber, 47, formed
above the roof of the reverberatory chamber, 12, and after being further heated in
that chamber, 47, proceeds by the passage, 33, into the reverberatory chamber
itself. When it is wished to inject air at or below the surface of the metal in the
reverberatory chamber, 12, this may be done by means of tuyeres fitted to branch 1
pipes, 48, connected to the pipes, 46. The various pipes for supplying air are, of
coure, fitted with valves by means of which the quantity passing through each may
be regulated.
As it will be convenient, if not absolutely necessary, to provide for easily
getting access to the bottom of the cupola, 11, and to the passage communicating
between it and the reverberatory chamber, 12, the bottom, 13, is formed in a
removable block, 50, the cupola, 11, itself being carried upon a sole plate, 51, resting
on pillars, 52. The parts are constructed so that the bottom block, 50, can be
placed close against the wall of the reverberatory chamber, 12, and close up to the
bottom of the cupola, 11. For the purpose of placing or removing the block, 50, a
truck, 53, on wheels is provided, and the block when being moved rests upon the
truck by means of transverse girders, 54, fixed to its bottom. Side girders, 55, are
fixed at right angles to and below the transverse girders, 54; and when the
block, 50, is properly under the cupola, 11, these side girders, 55, are acted on by
screw jacks, 56, so as to raise the block, 50, up into contact with the bottom of the
cupola, 11. Long bolts, 57, are then used to connect the bottom plate of the
block, 50, to the sole plate, 51, of the cupola; after which the screw jacks, 56, are
lowered, so that the block then becomes as it were a part of the cupola and will
not be subjected to compressing or other strains which changes of temperature
might cause if the block were fixed independently of the cupola. The block, 50, is
held in contact with the wall of the reverberatory chamber, 12, by bolts, 58, which
being fixed to the casing of the reverberatory chamber enter slotted brackets, 59,
fixed to the block, 50, and have nuts screwed upon them against the outer sides of
the brackets. In figures, 4, and 5, are shown parts of a pair of inclined rails, 60, up
which a truck, 61, (figure, 4,) is drawn for elevating the materials and tipping them
into the feeding door, 62, of the cupola, the truck, 61, getting upon a tipping
plate, 63, at the top of the rails and being then tipped by the continued action of
the elevating chain, 64. In figure, 4, the upper parts of the cupola, 11, are shown
as though broken off and placed to one side of the lower part.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination with an open-hearth steel-making furnace, of a preparatory
furnace in which the materials are melted or melted and partly treated and from
which they are transferred in a melted state to the main or finishing furnace such
preparatory furnace being substantially such as is hereinbefore described.
2.-The combination of a reverberatory furnace with a cupola substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described.
3.-The combination of a gas-producer with a reverberatory furnace and a cupola
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.

page_text: 4.-The use of gaseous fuel in a compound furnace in which a reverberatory
chamber and a cupola are combined, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
5. The making of the cupola bottom and communicating part of a compound
furnace in which a cupola and reverberatory chamber are combined in a removable
block, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
"
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants Agent.