AN IMPROVED SMELTING FURNACE
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES BRAMALL of the Caledonian Works, Oughtibridge, near Sheffield in
the County of York, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "AN IMPROVED SMELTING FURNACE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved and more efficient
and simpler kind of smelting furnace than any of those heretofore in use, for
smelting or reducing iron ore or pig iron to a molten liquid for making into steel,
the invention being applicable to furnaces of all kinds, wherein an intense heat is
required.
The invention consists in so constructing and forming the furnace, which is
proposed to be made circular or of other convenient form, that air and gas can be
forced into it by means of an ordinary fan or blowing engine, both below or nearly
below, and nearly or at the top of the material being smelted, through suitably
arranged inlets pipes or tubes leading into the furnace from chambers or receptacles
containing the gas and the air, the said chambers or receptacles being built or
constructed and fixed outside the furnace walls at convenient distances apart, but
so that (for example) where four sets of chambers or receptacles are employed the
inlets, pipes, or tubes therefrom, say of two sets will be opposite each other, and
the inlets or tubes of the other two sets will also be opposite each other.
Separate chambers or receptacles are provided to contain the gas and the air, and
from each set of chambers the air inlet pipe or tube will have on each side of it one
or more of the gas inlet pipes or tubes.
The air and the gas being forced into the furnace by the fan or blowing engine,
the force of the air thus introduced will draw sufficient gas into the furnace where
the two will become united, and by their joint action upon each other will acquire
the intense heat so necessary for smelting.
According to this invention, no stack or chimney or anything of the kind, for
drawing in gas or air, will be required; but only the chambers or receptacles for
air to accumulate in and those for gas, to be held in reserve; and the admission
of air and gas therefrom into the furnace will be regulated by means of valves
conveniently placed outside each of the gas and air chambers or in any other
required position.

page_text: The furnace will be constructed with one or more charging doors at the front
and back, by preference opposite each other, at the lower part of the furnace, and
one or more similar charging doors at the top or upper part of the furnace; the
taps or outlets for the smelted or molten material will lead from the floor or
basement of the furnace, and the slag holes or holes will be conveniently situated
for their purpose.
.
Inside the furnace at suitable distances apart, projections will be fitted, which by
confining the material being smelted to the middle of the furnace will also serve to
regulate its downward supply.
At or near-the top of the furnace a suitable damper or dampers will be provided
and arranged to open and shut when required.
Dated this 3rd day of Januaro 1884

page_text: I CHARLES BRAMALL of the Caledonian Works Oughtibridge near Sheffield
in the County of York Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "AN IMPROVED SMELTING FURNACE " and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing and on reference being had to the accompanying
sheet of drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved, more efficient and
simpler description of smelting furnace, than heretofore in use-for smelting or
reducing iron ore or pig iron to a molten liquid for making into steel, and the
invention is applicable to smelting furnaces of all kinds.
In order that the carrying out of my invention in practice may be fully
understood, on the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings I have shown,
one form or mode of construction of my improved furnace, the same being that of
a cupola or blast furnace, arranged with five tuyers or inlet tubes or pipes; but
more or less may be arranged when desired.
Figure 1, on the drawings is a sectional front elevation of the furnace, and
Figure 2, a ground plan of the same.
The furnace A, is made of a circular form or it may be made of any other
convenient form.-The air and gas are forced into it by means of two ordinary
fans or blowing engines, one being for blowing in air and the other for blowing in
gas from the gas main or gas producer through the air and gas chambers or
receptacles C C from thence through the inlets, pipes or tubes B B¹ leading into
the furnace from the chambers or receptacles C C₁ one of which contains the gas
and the other the air.
The fans or blowing engines are not shown on the drawing, as they do not
constitute any novel feature of this Invention.
These chambers or receptacles C C' are built up or constructed of iron plates or
sheets and they are lined with refractory bricks and chequered brickwork, they
are fixed outside the furnace walls at convenient distances apart as shown
at C, C C C on Figure 2, and they are so arranged that where four sets of
chambers or receptacles are used the inlets pipes or tubes B, of two sets, will be
opposite each other, and the inlets pipes or tubes of the other two sets will also be
opposite each other. D, represents the tuyeres or inlet tubes or pipes leading into
the furnace.
It may here be stated that in both Figures of the drawings B¹, distinguishes the
air tubes or inlets, and B the gas tubes or inlets, separate chambers or receptacles
being provided to contain the air and the gas, and from each set of chambers the
air inlet pipe or tube B¹, has on each side of it one or more of the gas inlet pipes
or tubes B.
The linings of the furnace and of the chambers for the tubes and inlets are made
of refractory bricks or of gannister or other suitable refractory material.
No stack or chimney is required for drawing in the gas or air, but a chimney is
provided at either the front or back of the furnace as most convenient, for carrying
off the waste gases and dust &c through flues leading into the chimney; the
chimney and flues are not shown on the drawing as they do not constitute any
novel feature of this invention.
The admission of air and gas from the chambers or receptacles C C₁ into the
furnace is regulated by the valves E, which are made to open and shut as may be

page_text: required by means of a weighted chain and pulley arrangement as shown at E¹, 80
that when the pressure of air or gas is required to be increased, the valves E or
some of them are opened or partially opened and they are closed when sufficient
pressure has been attained, or partially closed when the pressure is to be reduced.
The furnace is constructed with one or more charging doors one only being
shown at F, situated at the back, but by preference at the top of the furnace;
and where more charging doors are required they will be placed opposite to each
other, which door or doors will act in the double capacity, both as a charging door
or doors and as a damper or dampers.
Taps or outlets H, for letting out the smelted or molten material lead from the
floor or basement of the furnace, and the slag hole is shown at G.
Inside the furnace, at suitable distances apart, projections which may be made
of the same material as the linings of the furnaces can be fitted if required, which
by confining the material being smelted to the middle of the furnace will also serve
to regulate its downward supply.
After the air and gas have entered the furnace, in the courses or directions
indicated by the arrows, they ascend up through the unmolten or unsmelted
material which is beated by the hot gases, the gases that have not been absorbed
by the material in the furnace then pass out of the furnace (in the directions
indicated by the arrows) into the tube I, placed above the furnace to receive the
waste gases, which then pass into the other two chambers C, at the opposite side,
and when they have become sufficiently heated the blast is forced through each of
them into the furnace, in the same way as already stated, from the two which
have already been blown through, carrying back with them the heat which has not
been absorbed by the material in the furnace but which has been retained by the
brickwork in the chambers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I have here to state
that I do not confine or limit myself to the precise details of the invention as
hereinbefore described and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, for
numerous modifications or variations can be made therein without departing from
the main features or principles of my invention, and in conclusion I declare that
what I claim is
The improved construction of smelting furnace, substantially as herein before
described, and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings-for smelting
or reducing iron ore or pig iron to molten liquid for making into steel.
Dated this third day of Antober 1884
CHARLES BRAMALL.
By his Agents,
A. M. & W Clark.