IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jabez Lones and Charles Vernon and Edward Holden
and Ralph Bennett trading as Lones Vernon and Holden of Sandwell Iron
Works Smethwick in the County of Stafford Manufacturers for an Invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jabez Lones, Charles
Vernon, Edward Holden, and Ralph Bennett at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 12th December 1883.
JABEZ LONES and CHARLES VERNON and EDWARD HOLDEN and RALPH BENNETT
trading as Lones, Vernon and Holden of Sandwell Iron Works Smethwick in the
County of Stafford Manufacturers " IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES AND
OTHER FURNACES
"
Our invention relates principally to such kinds of puddling furnaces used in the
manufacture of iron and steel as are worked by the combustion of gaseous fuel but
are also applicable to mill furnaces and furnaces generally which are worked by the
combustion of gaseous fuel.
Our said invention consists of the improvements herein-after described whereby
the air supplied to the furnace is highly heated by the waste heat of the furnace
and a great economy of fuel effected.
We will describe our invention in connection with a puddling furnace. In the
stack of the furnace and above the level at which the neck of the furnace opens
into the stack we construct an iron chamber protected by brickwork and we
connect this chamber by a flue or flues with a second chamber made of brick work
and below the level of the bed of the puddling chamber of the furnace. Both these
chambers become highly heated by the waste heat from the furnace. The lower
chamber contains a reticulated structure of brick work such as is commonly used
in regenerative furnaces.
In the stack we fix four or other number of vertical iron pipes the lower ends of
which open into the first described or iron chamber. The upper ends of the said
pipes which are turned nearly at right angles pass through the sides of the stack
Pine R71

page_text: and open into the atmosphere. We prefer to make these vertical tubes from twelve
to eighteen feet long but we do not limit ourselves to this length. The lower
chamber described has a horizontal flue passing under the neck of the furnace and
communicating by means of horizontal iron pipes with the hollow bridge of the
furnace through which the air for effecting the combustion of the gaseous fuel is
mainly supplied. The horizontal flue described has a valve or damper for regulating
the quantity of heated air supplied to the furnace.
By the construction and arrangement of parts described the air supplied to the
furnace passes from the atmosphere down the iron pipes in the stack. These pipes
are highly heated by the waste heat passing up the stack and the air passing down
them consequently becomes highly heated. The heated air from the said pipes passes
into the first described or iron chamber which is also highly heated by the waste
heat of the furnace and thence by the second or brick chamber and horizontal pipes
described to the hollow bridge.
In order the more effectually to mix the heated air and gaseous fuel and thereby
to effect a more perfect combustion we deliver a portion of the heated air at the
top of the puddling chamber immediately over the hollow bridge. This we effect
by connecting vertical flues opening respectively into the ends of the hollow bridge
with a cross flue passing over the crown or arch of the puddling chamber. Openings
on the underside of this cross flue deliver jets of heated air at the top of the furnace
and the gaseous fuel as it enter the puddling chamber is mixed as it passes the
bridge with ascending currents of hot air from the bridge and descending currents
from the cross flue.
Where the waste heat of the furnace is made to heat a steam boiler we fix the
vertical iron tubes by which the air is heated in the chamber in which the boiler
is set. This chamber is provided with a reticulated structure of brick work.
Where the waste heat of more than one furnace is utilised to heat a steam boiler
the annular space between the boiler and the chamber in which it is set is divided
by vertical divisions into compartments each furnace being connected with one of
the said compartments which compartment contains the vertical iron pipes by
which the air for the furnace connected with it is heated.
When the furnace or furnaces are connected with a stack at a distance the pipes
by which the air supplied to the furnace is heated are placed in the horizontal flues
connecting the furnace or furnaces with the stack. In this case the pipes may
either be straight or coiled and the horizontal flues may have reticulated structures
of brick work.
In mill furnaces and furnaces where the bottom does not require to be kept cool
as in puddling furnaces we construct under the bed of the furnace a chamber
having reticulated brick work in it. The air already heated in the manner
described passes through this chamber on its way to the bridge and becomes
thereby more highly heated.
The application of our invention to furnaces other than those described differs
in no essential respect from its application to a puddling furnace as herein
described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Jabez Lones, Charles Vernon, Edward Holden, and Ralph Bennett
in the Patent Office on the 10th June 1884.
JABEZ LONES and CHARLES VERNON and EDWARD HOLDEN and RALPH BENNETT
trading as Lones, Vernon and Holden of Sandwell Iron Works Smethwick in the
County of Stafford, Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES AND
OTHER FURNACES
"
Our invention relates principally to such kinds of puddling furnaces used in the
manufacture of iron and steel as are worked by the combustion of gaseous fuel but
are also applicable to mill furnaces and furnaces generally which are worked by the
combustion of gaseous fuel.
Our said invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described whereby
the air supplied to the furnace is highly heated by the waste heat of the furnace
and a great economy of fuel effected.
We will describe our invention in connection with a puddling furnace. In the
stack of the furnace and at about the level of the bed of the puddling chamber of
the furnace, a chamber made of brick work is constructed. This chamber becomes
heated by the waste heat from the furnace and contains a reticulated structure of
brick work such as is commonly used in regenerative furnaces. Air enters this
reticulated chamber at the bottom of the stack.
The chamber described opens into a nearly horizontal flue or second chamber
passing under the neck of the furnace and communicating by means of horizontal
iron pipes with the hollow bridge of the furnace through which bridge the air for
effecting the combustion of the gaseous fuel is mainly supplied. The horizontal flue
or second chamber described is filled with a reticulated structure and has a valve or
damper for regulating the quantity of heated air supplied to the furnace.
By the construction and arrangement of parts described the air supplied to the
furnace enters by the first chamber, passes through the second chamber and
horizontal pipes and is thereby heated before it enters the hollow bridge.
In order the more effectually to mix the heated air and gaseous fuel and thereby
to effect a more perfect combustion, we deliver a portion of the heated air at the
top of the puddling chamber immediately over the hollow bridge. This we effect
by connecting vertical flues opening respectively into the ends of the hollow bridge,
with a cross flue passing over the crown or arch of the puddling chamber. Openings
on the underside of this cross flue deliver currents of heated air at the top of the
furnace and the gaseous fuel as it enters the puddling chamber is mixed as it passes
the bridge with ascending currents of hot air from the bridge and descending
currents from the cross flue.
In addition to the supply of hot air last referred to, heated air may be supplied
to the cross flue through a series of horizontal pipes situated over the crown of the
gas producer and heated by the said crown.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section; Figure 2 in cross section
and Figure 3 in horizontal section, a puddling furnace worked by the combustion
of gaseous fuel, the said furnace containing our improvements in conjunction with

page_text: a gaseous fuel generator or producer constructed according to the patent granted
to us on the 13th day of November 1883, N° 5353.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1. 2 and 3
a is the stack of the furnace; b is the neck or waste heat flue passing into the
said stack and 63 is the damper of the same; c is the puddling chamber and e, f is
the gaseous fuel generator or producer, e being the combustion chamber and f the
ash pit, the two parts e f being separated by the grooved or ribbed rollers g, g as
described in the specification of the patent before referred to. We do not however
limit ourselves to this particular kind of gaseous fuel generator or producer. The
gaseous fuel escapes from the combustion chamber e by the opening h and passing
over the hollow bridge i is mixed with currents of heated air supplied as herein
after described, by the combustion of which mixture of gaseous fuel and heated air
the puddling chamber c is heated as is well understood.
The heated air is supplied to the gaseous fuel passing over the bridge ¿ in the
following manner.
In the stack a and at about the same level as the puddling chamber c, a brick
work chamber at k is constructed, the said chamber at k being filled with a
reticulated structure or chequer work, air entering the said chamber at the bottom
of the stack. The said reticulated chamber at % opens by the passage into the
air collecting flue or chamber m under the neck or waste heat flue b of the furnace.
This air collecting flue or chamber m is filled with a reticulated structure of brick
work but as the said structure is of the kind commonly used in regenerative
furnaces we have not thought, it necessary either to represent it in the said
chamber m or in the first or air receiving chamber at . By means of a valve or
damper n in the chamber m the quantity of heated air supplied to the furnace may
be regulated. The valve n is also used for closing the communication between the
chamber m and flue as herein after described. By means of horizontal iron pipes
P. P passing under the hollow bed of the puddling chamber c the flue or chamber m
communicates with the hollow bridge i as indicated by the arrows. The air
passing through the chambers k, m and pipes p, p is heated thereby and entering
the hollow bridge i rises up it and is delivered to the gaseous fuel passing over the
said bridge.
A portion of the heated air supplied to the hollow bridge i is delivered to the
top of the puddling chamber immediately over the hollow bridge. This is effected
by connecting vertical flues at q, q (see Figure 3) opening respectively into the ends
of the hollow bridge i with a cross fluc (see Figures 1 and 2) made in the crown
or arch of the puddling chamber. The underside of the said cross flue is provided
with openings 8, 8. 8. The heated air supplied to the cross flue ? from the bridge i
is delivered in currents by means of the said openings 8. 8. 8 into the top of the
furnace and the gaseous fuel delivered from the generator e as it passes over the
bridge is thus mixed with ascending currents of hot air from the said hollow
bridge and with descending currents of hot air from the cross fluer.
The gaseous
fuel is in this way effectually mixed with the heated air and a very perfect
combustion of the said gaseous fuel obtained.
Or in place of or in addition to connecting the cross flue at the crown of the
furnace with the hollow bridge i by means of vertical flues, heated air may be
supplied to the said cross fluer by means of the set of horizontal pipes t, t in the crown
of the gas producer e. Side horizontal pipes t², t² may also open into side passages
and the latter into the puddling chamber near the crown thereof (see Figure 2).
The outer ends of the pipes t, t2 open into the external air and over the said outer
ends is a guard or plate u between which plate and the end of the gas generator
the air passes before it enters the pipes t, 2. The pipes t, t2 are heated by the
crown and sides of the gas producer and the air passing through them consequently
becomes heated, the heated air entering the cross flue in the crown and in the
sides of the furnace and being delivered into the gaseous fuel as before described.
In working the furnace at the melting or first stage of the puddling process, air

page_text: passes through the chequer work or reticulated structure in the chambers k, m and
through the pipes p, p to the hollow bridge i, the said air being thereby heated.
In the second or boiling stage of the puddling process the damper b² in the flue b
is closed and the valve n in the chamber m is closed and the waste heat from the
puddling chamber c passes into the said chamber m and heats the chequer work or
reticulated structure therein. In the third or balling stage of the puddling
operation the damper 63 and valve n being opened, the air now enters the furnace
after traversing the chambers / and m and pipes p, p, the said air being heated
thereby as before described.
In order to increase the heat of the air supplied to the hollow bridge i the
horizontal pipes between the chamber m and the said bridge i may be fixed in
contact with the iron bottom of the puddling chamber c so as to be heated by the
said bottom. This modification is represented in longitudinal section in Figure 4;
horizontal section in Figure 5 and end elevation in Figure 6, where the air pipes
fixed in contact with the bottom of the puddling chamber are marked p², p². We
prefer to make these air heating pipes square in cross section and to fix them in
their places by side and bottom flanges as seen in Figure 6.
Where the waste heat of the furnace is made to heat a steam boiler we construct
a chamber around the boiler in place of the chamber at k. This annular chamber
is provided with a reticulated structure of brick work. Where the waste heat of
more than one furnace is utilised to heat a steam boiler the annular space between
the boiler and the chamber in which it is set, is divided by vertical divisions into
compartments, each furnace being connected with one of the said compartments.
In mill furnaces and furnaces where the bottom does not require to be kept cool
as in puddling furnaces, we dispense with the horizontal pipes represented and
construct under the bed of the furnace, a chamber having reticulated brick work
in it. The air already heated in the manner described passes through this chamber
on its way to the bridge and becomes thereby more highly heated.
The application of our invention to furnaces other than those described differs in
no essential respect from its application to a puddling furnace as herein described
and illustrated in the Drawings.
Having now described the nature of our invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed we wish it to be understood that We claim as our invention
of Improvements in such puddling and other furnaces as are worked by the
combustion of gaseous fuel ;-
First The construction and combination of the parts at k, l. m p, p² herein
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for supplying
heated air to the hollow bridge of the puddling or heating chamber to be mixe.!
with the gaseous fuel passing over the said bridge; also the modification described
where the waste heat of the furnace is made to heat a steam boiler and also the
modification described with respect to mill furnaces and furnaces where the bottom
does not require to be kept cool.
Secondly The construction and combination of parts herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for delivering currents of heated air at
the top or crown of the puddling or heating chamber immediately over the bridge;
that is to say, connecting the hollow bridge by means of vertical flues opening
respectively into the ends of the said bridge, with a cross flue at the crown of the
puddling or heating chamber, the said cross flue being provided with openings in
its underside so that the gaseous fuel entering the puddling or heating chamber is
mixed with descending currents of hot air from the said cross flue as well as with
ascending currents of hot air from the hollow bridge substantially as described and
illustrated.
Thirdly Supplying hot air to the cross flue in the crown and to the sides of the
puddling or heating chamber near the crown, by means of horizontal pipes t, t
heated by the crown and sides of the gaseous fuel producer substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, whether the said

page_text: air heating pipes t, 2 in the crown and sides of the gas producer be used alone or in
combination with the vertical flues passing from the hollow bridge to the cross flue
in the crown of the puddling or heating chamber.
In witness whereof I the said Jabez Lones have hereunto set my hand and seal
this Twenty sixth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty four.