IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING, HEATING, AND OTHER FURNACES."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Dougald McCorkindale, of Holytown, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Ironmaster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING, HEATING, AND OTHER FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Dougald McCorkindale
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th December 1870.
I, DOUGALD MCCORKINDALE, of Holytown, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Ironmaster, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING, HEATING, AND OTHER
FURFACES," to be as follows, that is to say :—
.
This Invention has for its objects to render puddling, heating, and
other furnaces more effective, economical, and durable than hitherto,
and it consists in the first place in providing for the introduction of
a second set of grate bars above the set in use so that the latter may
be removed, and along with them the clinkers and ashes be separated
from below the main body of fuel, and the fire be thus thoroughly cleaned
without the necessity of renewing the whole of it or stopping its action.

page_text: •
.
For this purpose a second transverse bearer is mounted at the inner
end of the grate, under against the bridge, upon cranks or arms, so that
it can be turned up and forward over the ordinary bearer by means of a
lever. An additional transverse bearer is also applied at the front of the
grate, and fresh grate bars are forced in, one by one, through the fire, so
as to rest by their front and back ends on the additional bearers at a
suitable distanco above the bars in use, which last are then withdrawn
and the clinkers and ashes under the fresh bars fall away. The bearers
of the fresh bars are next lowered or removed, and these bars take
the places of the preceding set, to be afterwards replaced in their turn
when the condition of the fire requires it. The fresh bars may be
introduced below instead of above those in use. The grate bars are
made of considerably less than the ordinary length, and the requisite
grate area is made up by increasing the width, the length of the bars
being made about two-thirds of the width of the grate and a more
cuniform body of flame is thereby caused to pass from the grate into the
reverberatory chamber. One or more holes are formed through the side
of the furnace in positions near the inner or outer end of the grate and
át a short distance above the ordinary level of the grate, to allow of the
introduction of a rod or tool for breaking up and dislodging clinkers
at the part where they are found mostly to form. Slides are fitted in
connection with such holes to prevent ingress of air.
combustion of the fuel gases is heated by means of the otherwise waste
gases passing off from the reverberatory chamber, an arrangement of
passages and flues being adopted which is similar to that described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Thomas Warren, and dated
6th May 1868 (No 1480), but which is modified and improved as herein.
after explained. The air passages and flues are according to one
modification in a chamber or space built below the ground level under
the furnace. The fire gases from the furnace pass first down a vertical
flue or flues; secondly, along a horizontal flue towards the grate end of
the furnace; thirdly, along a second higher horizontal flue back to the
other end of the furnace, and thence to the chimney. The air first
passes through a passage constructed at the ground level along the side.
of the furnace where the workers stand and so keeps their standing place
cool, it then descends by a passage constructed beside or between the
descending fire gas flue or flues at the back end of the furnace, and
passes along a passage above the upper horizontal flue to the grate
end after which it returns along a passage below the bottom flue,
The air to aid the
"

page_text: and then through passages heated by the continuation of the flue
towards the chimney, finally, again proceeding towards the grate end in a
passage between the two horizontal flues. From the last-mentioned
passage the heated air is led up to the point where it mingles with the
fuel gases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Dougald McCorkindale in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DOUGALD
McCORKINDALE, of Holytown, in the County of Lanark, Ironmaster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Dougald McCorkindale, Her special
licence that I, the said Dougald McCorkindale, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Dougald McCorkindalo
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PUDDLING, HEATING, AND OTHER FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Dougald McCorkindale, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument 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 samo 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 Dougald McCorkindale, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to render puddling, heating, and
other furnaces more effective, economical, and durable than hitherto; 5
and it consists in the first place in providing for the introduction of a
second set of grate bars above the set in use, so that the latter may be
removed, and along with them the clinkers and ashes be separated
from below the main body of fuel, and the fire be thus thoroughly
cleaned without the necessity of renewing the whole of it or stopping its 1
action.
:
By a second improvement one or more holes are formed through the
side of the furnace in positions near the inner or outer end of the grate
and at a short distance above the ordinary level of the grate to allow of
the introduction of a rod or tool for breaking up and dislodging clinkers, 1
at the part where they are found mostly to form.
'
By a third improvement the air to aid the combustion of the fuel
gases is heated by means of the otherwise waste gases passing off from
the reverberatory chamber, an arrangement of passages and flues being
adopted which is similar to that described in the Specification of 2
Letters Patent granted to Thomas Warren, and dated 6th May 1868
(No. 1480), but which is modified and improved as herein-after
explained.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood I hereunto append a Sheet of 2
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing a
reverberatory furnace as constructed with a modification of my improve-
ments.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section, and Figures 2 and 3 are vertical
sections at right angles to each other.
3
For the purpose of temporarily supporting the inner ends of the
.additional set 1 of fire-bars I fix at the inner side of the fire-place 2 and
along the bottom of the bridge 3, a second transverse bearer 4 a little
above and inwards from the ordinary transverse bearer 5, which supports
a set 6 of fire-bars in the usual position. I also provide movable 3
bearers 7 for the front ends of the additional bars 1, these bearers
resting by feet projecting between the lower bars 6 down upon the front
fixed transverse bearer 8. When the fire requires cleaning the additional

page_text: hars 1 are forced in, one by one, through the fire so as to rest by their
front and back ends on the additional bearers 4 and 7 at a suitable
distance above the bars 6 in use, and these last are then withdrawn and
the clinkers and ashes under the fresh bars 1 fall away. The front
bearers 7 of the fresh bars 1 are then removed, and the bars being
drawn forward a little their inner ends fall from the upper inner bearer 4
to the lower one 5, whilst their front ends come to rest on the front
fixed bearer 8. If preferred the upper inner transverse bearer 4 may be
carried by cranks or arms at the ends, by means of which it can be
turned up and forward over the fixed bearer 5 and afterwards be turned
back and downwards to lower the fresh bars to the fixed bearer 5. ▲
door 9 is fitted to the opening through which the fire-bars are intro-
duced and withdrawn. Instead of the bars entered above taking the
place of those in use they may be temporary bars or their equivalent to
be withdrawn when the bars 6 shall have been returned to their places
after being drawn out to allow the clinkers and ashes to fall.
"
I make the grate bars of considerably less than the ordinary length
and obtain the requisite grate area by increasing the width of the fire-
place. In other words I make the grate area of the proportions as
regards width A—A and length BB shown in Figure 1, and thereby a
more uniform body of flame is made to pass from the fire-place 2 by the
passage 10 into the reverberatory chamber 11. At 12 is shown the hole
which I provide for introducing a rod or tool for breaking up and dis-
lodging the clinkes, and I fit slides in connection with such holes to
prevent ingress of air. The air passages and flues by means of which
air entering by a passage 13 at the inner side of the bridge 3 is heated
by the otherwise waste gases passing away from the reverberatory
chamber 11 'by the flue 14 are built below the ground level and
principally under the reverberatory chamber. The course of the air is
indicated by blue arrows; it enters by a side inlet 15 into a space or
flue 16 immediately under the furnace bed 17, and keeps cool the side
wall near to which the workers stand; and it then passes by passages
on each side of the descending flue 14 and descends by passages 18 at
the back of the furnace to a horizontal passage or space 19, by which it
returns to the front end of the furnace. From one front corner of the
passage 19 the air passes by a short descending passage into a lower
horizontal passage 20, and from the opposite corner of the back end of
this descends to the bottom horizontal passage 21, whence it enters tho
vertical passage 13. The used fire gases indicated by red arrows pass by
r
b

page_text: the descending flue 14 first into a horizontal flue 22, leading to the front
end of the furnace between the air passages 19, 20, and descends from
one front.corner to a lower fluc 23, by which it returns to the back end
passing onwards thence to the chimney. Where more convenient the
air passages and fire gas flues may be constructed in a building above 5
instead of below the ground level.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but
that what I believe to bo novel and original and claim as the In- 1
vention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1. The constructing or arranging of the fire-places of puddling,
heating, and other furnaces so that bars can be introduced above
the set in use; and the cleaning of the fire, by introducing such 1
additional bars and withdrawing the bars previously in use, substantially
as herein-before described. .
2. The making of the grate area of about the relative proportions as
regards width and length shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings.
.
3. The applying of one or more holes (12) with closing slides in the
sides of the fire-place a little above the level of the grate bars for
introducing a tool to dislodge clinkers as hercin-beforo described.
2
4. The combining together of the air passages and firo gas flues in
connection with the reverberatory chamber in the manner shown in the 2
Drawings and herein-before described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Dougald McCorkindale, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
-
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
DOUGALD MCCORKINDALE. (L.S.)