IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wheeley Len, of the City of Worcester,
Chemist, and William Hunt, of Stoke Prior, in the County
of Worcester, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
Sealed the 9th March 1853, and dated the 22nd November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wheeley
Lea and William Hunt at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd November 1852.
We, JOHN WHEELEY LEA and WILLIAM HUNT, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON " to be as follows :-
This Invention has reference to the application of carburetted
hydrogen gas obtained from making coke in close ovens, to the
burning or calcining of iron cinder. Amongst the vast number of
coke ovens used about the iron works in South Wales, there are sonie
close ones, or ovens, which are heated externally for the purpose

page_text: of distilling off the tar (which is used largely in that district), but
the carburetted hydrogen which is evolved is conducted off by a fluc
leading to a chimney, and thence it makes its escape into the
atmosphere as though it were useless. Now we propose to utilize
this gas, by applying it to the burning of iron cinder.
To effect this object we build a kiln, and fill it with the cinder to
be burnt, and conduct the carburetted hydrogen through pipes to
the bottom of the kiln, where atmospheric air is admitted to effect
the combustion of the gases, and produce heat for the burning of
the cinder. Where close coke ovens are worked or employed
within such a distance as it may be practicable to convey the car-
buretted hydrogen gas to an iron forge, we propose to apply the gas
for heating furnaces employed for balling, puddling, or heating iron,
instead of using coal as at present.
In carrying out this part of the Invention, we conduct the gas
obtained from coking coal through ordinary pipes, from an ordinary
gasometer. In these pipes we put a stop cock for regulating the
supply, and cause the gas to enter at the end or sides of the
furnace, according to circumstances. The part or parts of the
furnace wall through which the gas enters should be made so as to
spread the jet, and under or over the gas passage should be an air
passage, made in such a shape as to direct the supply of air in
contact with the gas, to effect perfect combustion. The supply of
atmospheric air may be drawn in by the draft of a chimney con-
nected with the furnace, or it may be blown in by an ordinary
blower or fan; but as it is of importance to have the power of letting
on or stopping off the air, we propose to have a stop cock connected
with the air pipe for that purpose.
By the use of coal gas, or carburetted hydrogen, in heating,
puddling, balling, and heating furnaces, and by regulating the
supply of air to the furnace, we anticipate a great saving, not
only in the cost of fuel, but by the prevention to a great extent of
the waste of iron which now occurs in the processes above named,
both the supply of fuel and of atmospheric air will be completely
under the workman's control, whereas, under the present system, the

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Wheeley Lea and William Hunt
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc,
JOHN WHEELEY LEA, of the City of Worcester, Chemist, and
WILLIAM HUNT, of Stoke Prior, in the County of Worcester,
Manufacturing Chemist, send grecting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty second day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty two,
in the sixteenth year of Her Reign, did for Herself, Her heirs, and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said John Wheeley Lea and
William Hunt, Her special licence that we, the said John Wheeley
Lea and William Hunt, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Wheelcy Lea and William Hunt,
our 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
nake, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Wheeley Lea and
William Hunt, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar inonths next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Hunt, on behalf of
myself and of the said John Wheelcy Lea, do hereby declare the

page_text: nature of our Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the Letters and Figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
:-
Our improvements in the manufacture of iron consist in the
application of carburetted hydrogen, or coal gas, obtained from the
carbonization of coal, or the making of coke, to heating the furnaces
used in the various processes of making iron. In order to carry out
our improvements, we adapt an ordinary gasometer (by means of
pipes) to an ordinary coke oven, or series of coke ovens, for the
purpose of receiving the combustible gases which are conducted
thereto from the coke ovens. The combustible gases having been
thus collected, they may be conveyed, by means of pipes, from the
gasometer to the furnaces where they are to be consumed. It will,
of course, be understood that these supply pipes must have branch
pipes to each furnace, and must be provided with stop cocks, to
regulate the supply. We prefer to introduce the combustible gases
into the furnace at the end furthest from the exit flue, and they are
admitted to the interior of the furnace through a pipe perforated
with small holes, and which we therefore call the burner; the
quantity of holes, and size of the pipe or burner, depends upon the
quantity of gas required to be supplied. Under or above this gas
burner we make an air channel, and provide it with a slide or
damper for regulating the supply of the atmospherical air, which is
admitted to assist the combustion of the coal gases, and which is
drawn in by the chimney draft, or it may be forced in by a pump
or fan. We purpose using hot air, when convenient, in which case
we prefer to force the air in by means of an air pump, or fan, through
pipes which may be placed under the furnace bottom or in the walls
of the furnace, whereby the air would become heated, whether hot
or cold air be used; it should, in either case, be brought into close
contact with the coal gas at the point where the latter enters the
furnace, so as to effect a quick combustion of the gases, and thereby

page_text: produce intense heat. We wish it to be understood that coke or
coal, even anthracite coal, may be used in connection with carburetted
hydrogen, or coal gas obtained from making coke; and when we use
either coke or coal in connection with the above gases, we employ
the ordinary fire grate, or any modification of the same, in which
we put the coke or coal for combustion, and introduce the gases
about one fourth of the way up the coal or coke in the grate, so as
to cause it to percolate through the body of coal, in combination
with the unconsumed oxygen of the air, which will assist the
combustion.
Having thus generally explained the nature and object of our
Invention, we will now proceed to describe such an arrangement of
apparatus as we consider will effect the desired object in the inost
convenient manner, and cause the nature of the improvements to be
properly understood.
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section of a puddling furnace, with our
improvements adapted thereto. Fig. 2, is a front view of the same.
a, a, is a puddling furnace, of the ordinary construction; b, b, is the
furnace, or fire place where the gases are consuined or burnt, and
heat is generated for acting on and heating the iron; c, is a metal
gas pipe for conveying the carburetted hydrogen, or other com-
bustible gases, from the gasometer to the furnace. This pipe c, is
perforated with holes, so as to admit the gas in jets, and immediately
above is a channel or passage d, having a number of holes made
therein and communicating with the interior of the furnace; this
passage is provided with a sliding door or shutter e, whereby the
supply of air is regulated. The gases, when admitted to the interior
of the furnace from the pipe c, arc ignited, and their combustion is
assisted and promoted by the admission of atmospheric air, which is
supplied through the openings of the passage d.
Having now described our Invention, and the best means with
which we are at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect,
we claim, as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as afore-
said, the application to the manufacture of iron as aforesaid, of

page_text: carburetted hydrogen, or other combustible gases, obtained fron
the carbonization of coal, or during the manufacture of coke.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hunt, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this sixteenth day of May, in the
year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty three.
WILLIAM HUNT. (L.s.)
Witness,
EDWIN HUNT,
of Russell Street, Wednesbury.