IMPROVEMENTS IN MILL FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Job Tibbs, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Mill
Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MILL FURNACES USED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON."
Sealed the 1th December 1876, and dated the 28th June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Job Tibbs at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th June 1876.
JOB TIBBS, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Mill Manager.
IN MILL FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON."
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in mill furnaces
used in the manufacture of iron, the objects of my said improvements being to
prevent the accumulation of cinder or slag on the bed of the furnace, and the pro-
duction thereby of a dry bed, and the ready collection of the cinder or slag.
In constructing a mill furnace according to my Invention I make the bottom of
the furnace inclined from front to back, and at the back and near the flue end of the
furnace is a hole or channel for the cinder or slag to run out. The said hole or
channel passes through the back wall of the furnace, and opens into a small sup-
plementary chamber made outside the said furnace. The said supplementary chamber
is for the reception of a wagon in which the fused cinder is received; the supple-
mentary chamber is provided with a door for introducing and removing the wagon.
When closed the chamber is air-tight or nearly air-tight, whereby access of air to
the mill furnace and the cooling of the cinder or slag in the wagon is prevented.
A hinged door or a sliding door may be used for opening and closing the supple-
mentary chamber containing the wagon.
The inclined bottom of the furnace may be made of plates of iron, which are
covered with a fettling of oxide of iron from 31%, to 5 inches thick.
When the mill furnace is in use the cinder or slag formed passes to the outlet
hole or passage in the back wall of the furnace, and from thence trickles into the
wagon in the supplementary chamber. By this arrangement the cinder never
[Price 6d.]

page_text: accumulates on the bed of the furnace, but runs into the wagon as fast as it is
formed; a dry bed is thereby obtained. As the supplementary chamber is main-
tained at a high temperature the slag or cinder accumulating in the wagon cools
very slowly. The solidified cinder thus obtained is very dense, and forms an
excellent fettling for puddling furnaces. This fettling is superior to that obtained
by tapping the furnace from time to time, as is usually practised.
I do not limit myself to the exact position of the supplementary chamber con-
taining the cinder receiving wagon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Job Tibbs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd December
1876.
JOB TIBBS, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Mill Manager.
IN MILL FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON."
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention consists of the improvements hercin-after described in mill furnaces
used in the manufacture of iron, the objects of my said improvements being to
prevent the accumulation of cinder or slag on the bed of the furnace, and the pro-
duction thereby of a dry bed, and the ready collection of the cinder or slag.
In constructing a mill furnace according to my Invention I make the bottom of
the furnace inclined from front to back, and also from the fire-bridge to the flue
bridge, and at the back and near the flue end of the furnace is a hole or channel
for the cinder or slag to run out. The said hole or channel passes through the back
wall of the furnace, and opens into a small supplementary chamber made outside
the said furnace. The said supplementary chamber is for the reception of a wagon,
in which the fused cinder is received. The supplementary chamber is provided
with a door for introducing and removing the wagon. When closed the chamber is
air-tight or nearly air-tight, whereby access of air to the mill furnace and the
cooling of the cinder or slag in the wagon is prevented. A hinged door or a
sliding door may be used for opening and closing the supplementary chamber con-
taining the wagon.
The inclined bottom of the furnace may be made of plates of iron, which are
covered with a fettling of oxide of iron from three and a half to seven inches
thick.
When the mill furnace is in use the cinder or slag formed passes to the outlet
hole or passage in the back wall of the furnace, and from thence trickles into the
wagon in the supplementary chamber. By this arrangement the cinder never
accumulates on the bed of the furnace, but runs into the wagon as fast as it is
formed; a dry bed is thereby obtained. As the supplementary chamber is main-
tained at a high temperature the slag or cinder accumulating in the wagon cools
very slowly. The solidified cinder thus obtained is very dense, and forms an
excellent fettling for puddling furnaces. This fettling is superior to that obtained
by tapping the furnace from time to time, as is usually practised.
I do not limit myself to the position described of the supplementary chamber
containing the cinder receiving wagon.
I will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in end elevation, Figure 3 in
horizontal section, Figure 4 in transverse vertical section, and Figure 5 in longi-
tudinal vertical section, a mill furnace containing my improvements; the transverse
section, Figure 4, is taken on the line C, D, of Figures 1 and 3; and the longitu-
tudinal section, Figure 5, is taken on the line A, B, of Figure 2.

page_text: The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the furnace, the bottom b of which is inclined from front to back, that is, the
said bottom inclines towards the part c at the flue end d of the furnace, the bottom
of the furnace inclining both in the direction of its length and breadth, the lowest
part of the furnace bottom being situated at the end c of the furnace. The incli-
nation of the furnace bottom in the direction of its length is best seen in the longi-
tudinal section, Figure 5, and the inclination of the furnace bottom in the direction.
of its breadth is best seen in the cross section, Figure 4. The bottom of the furnace
is made of plates of iron e, covered with a fettling of oxide of iron marked b, the
said fettling being inclined as represented. At the back of and near the lowest
part of the furnace bottom b is a tap hole or channel f (see Figures 1 and 4) for the
cinder or slag to run from the furnace. The said tap hole or channel ƒ passes
through the back wall c of the furnace, and opens into the small supplementary
chamber g made outside the furnace. In this supplementary chamber g a wagon h
(or other convenient receptacle) is placed, working upon a tramway for receiving
the fused cinder from the furnace. The said wagon h when in its place in the
chamber g is situated under the tap hole or channel f. The said supplementary
chamber g is closed at top and is open at the front for the purpose of introducing
and removing the cinder wagon h. The said open front of the chamber g is closed
during the working of the furnace by the sliding door i, counterbalanced in the
manner represented in the Drawing. In the Drawing the door i is represented in
its raised position. When the counterbalanced sliding door i is depressed or lowered
the chamber g is closed air-tight or nearly air-tight, and access of air to the cinder
or slag in the wagon h and to the mill furnace is prevented.
Instead of the sliding door i a hinged door or doors may be used for opening and
closing the front of the chamber g. In the door i is a sight hole k, closed by the
hinged plate 1, for ascertaining the state of the cinder in the wagon and the proper
working of the tap hole f. An opening m is also made in the top of the chamber g
for permitting the workman without raising the door i to clear the tap hole f, or
to introduce into it a small block of coal or other block when it is required to
prevent the consolidation of the said slag in the said hole. The opening m is closed
by the dovetail slide p.
When the mill furnace is in use the cinder or slag formed in the furnace is con-
ducted by the inclined bottom to the tap hole or outlet passage fin the back wall
of the furnace, and from thence trickles into the wagon in the chamber g, as will
be understood by an examination of Figure 4. The slag or cinder is thereby
prevented from accumulating on the bed of the furnace, the said slag or cinder
being conducted into the wagon h as fast as it is formed, and a dry bed to the
furnace is thus obtained. The supplementary chamber g being maintained at a
high temperature the slag or cinder deposited in the wagon h cools very slowly,
and hence the solidified cinder has the qualities herein-before pointed out.
The parts of the mill furnace which I have not described are of the ordinary
construction, and constitute no part of my Invention.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,
the improvements in mill furnaces used in the manufacture of iron herein-befor o
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, whereby a dry bed or a bed
free or nearly free from fused cinder or slag is obtained during the working of the
furnace, that is to say, inclining the bottom of the furnace by preference from the
front to the back end of the furnace, and from the fire-bridge to the flue bridge, and
making a tap hole or outlet for the fused cinder or slag at the lowest part of the said
bottom, the said tap hole or outlet opening into a supplementary chamber outside
the furnace, in which chamber a wagon or other receptacle for the fused cinder or

page_text: slag is placed, the said fused cinder or slag running into the said wagon or recep-
tacle as fast as it is formed, the parts of the furnace being constructed and arranged
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Job Tibbs, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOB TIBBS. (L.S.)