IM- PROVEMENTS IN ANNEALING FURNACES, AND IN ANNEALING BOXES TO BE " USED THEREWITH
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Williams, of Bute, East Moors, Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorgan, Fire-brick Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ANNEALING FURNACES, AND IN ANNEALING BOXES TO BE
"
USED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 8th September 1877, and dated the 28th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Williams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th May 1877.
'
THOMAS WILLIAMS, of Bute, East Moors, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan,
Fire-brick Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANNEALING FURNACES, AND IN
ANNEALING BOXES TO BE USED THEREWITH.”
This Invention relates to improvements in annealing furnaces, and in annealing
boxes to be used therewith, and consists in constructing such furnaces with cast-iron
floor partitions, upon which the annealing boxes can be wheeled or rolled upon
rollers (preferably of spherical form), which lodge in furrows or grooves in the top
face of the floor partitions.
The floor partitions are at intervals between vertical brick pillars, which are
arranged with spaces between them for the passage of smoke, gases, and other
products of combustion from a series of bottom flues up to and over the boxes placed
in the furnace.
The bottom flues are continuous to enable part of the products of combustion to
travel along them, from whence they rise to near the top of the furnace at the back,
and re-unite with those which have passed over the tops of the boxes previous to
their escape by the uptake or chimney.
The heat of the boxes and of the surrounding brickwork, combined with the
expansion of the gases by their travel through the passages, will effect a perfect or
nearly perfect consumption of them before reaching the outlet, whereby great
economy of fuel is effected.
The fire-place of my furnace is formed of wrought-iron piping bent into U form,
One of the legs of each is extended to the outside, and the other bent downwards

page_text: within the front ledge or rest plate. These pipes, as bars, are each charged with
a flow of air not only to keep them cool, but to furnish the requisite quantity
to the ash-pit, which is hermetically closed to prevent atmospheric air of ordinary
pressure entering to feed the fire. By this method the air which is forced through
the hot bars is brought into a state most beneficial to mix with the nearly incan-
descent fuel and with the flame of the fuel for the perfect combustion of the gases
then generated, and great heat is the result.
The annealing boxes are of cast iron, with a thicker bottom than sides, and with
a series of ribs upon the under surface to form semicircular grooves for the spheres
to roll in while the boxes are being pushed in or pushed out or drawn out, which
they can be at either side of the furnace structure, each side being fitted with a
door capable of being opened and hermetically closed when desired.
Each box has a ledge on its exterior at bottom, upon which a kind of sleeve can
rest to enable the space between the sleeve and the box to be filled with sand up to
and over the top of the box proper, which is covered by a lid, the sand then being
covered by another lid. By this arrangement of box, the heat having to pass through
the sand, regulates the internal intensity and maintains a steady and invariable
temperature within the box, which by the ordinary single box method of annealing
is constantly changed by cool air passing through the furnace and flues.
In my furnaces I close the front of the ash-pit by a door to prevent the entrance
of air to the fire, except in a heated state, by the tube bars, and I fit a tall bridge
at the back of the bars to form a kind of gas chamber at the upper part of the fire-
box, and in a passage behind the bridge leading to the flues. The bottom of the
bridge is formed with passages to facilitate the removal of deposit from the flues,-
the front of the passages being temporarily closed by flaps.
.
Some or all of my pipe bars may have water passed through them to keep them
cool, air being supplied by some of them only, or in the ordinary manner through
the ash-pit, or by other means.
The annealing furnace and the boxes can be used in combination with ordinary
solid fire-bars in the furnace proper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th November
1877.
THOMAS WILLIAMS, of Bute, East Moors, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan,
Fire-brick Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANNEALING FURNACES, AND IN
ANNEALING BOXES TO BE USED THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to improvements in annealing furnaces, and in annealing
boxes to be used therewith, and consists in constructing such furnaces with cast-
iron or brick floor partitions, upon which the annealing boxes can be wheeled or
rolled (preferably on rollers of spherical form, in which case the spheres lodge in
furrows or grooves in the top face of the floor partitions). Ordinary boxes can
however be pushed in in the usual method, particularly if the floor be plain and not
fluted on the upper face.
The floor partitions are at intervals between short vertical brick pillars, which
are arranged with spaces between them for the passage of smoke, gases, and other
products of combustion from a series of bottom flues up to and over the boxes placed
in the furnace.
The bottom flues are continuous to enable part of the products of combustion to
travel along them, from whence they rise at intervals to near the top of the furnace
at the back, and re-unite with those which have passed over the tops of the boxes
previous to their escape by the uptake or chimney.
The heat of the boxes and of the surrounding brick work combined with the
expansion of the gases by their travel through the passages will effect a perfect or
nearly perfect consumption of thein before reaching the outlet, whereby great economy
of fuel is effected.
The fire-bars of my furnace are preferably formed of wrought-iron piping bent
into U form. One of the legs of each is extended to the outside, and the other bent
downwards within the front ledge or rest plate. These pipes, as bars, are each
charged with a flow of air not only to keep them cool, but to furnish the requisite
quantity to the ash-pit, which is hermetically closed to prevent atmospheric air of
ordinary pressure entering to feed the fire. By this method the air which is forced
through the hot bars is brought into a state most beneficial to mix with the nearly
incandescent fuel and with the flame of the fuel for the perfect combustion of the
gases then generated, and great heat is the result.
Ordinary fire-bars may be used, and the ash-pit be open, as is usual.
The annealing boxes are of cast iron, with a thicker bottom than sides, and may
have a series of ribs upon the under surface to form semicircular grooves for spheres
to roll in while the boxes are being pushed in or pushed out or drawn out, which
they can be at either side of the furnace structure, each side being fitted with a door
capable of being opened and hermetically closed when desired."
If the bottoms of my boxes be plain they can be inserted into and withdrawn
from the furnace sides in the ordinary manner as for front opening furnaces. The
wheels or rollers at the bottom of the boxes keep the bottoms off the floor for the
heat to pass under them.
Each box has a ledge on its exterior at bottom, upon which a kind of sleeve can
rest, to enable the space between the sleeve and the box to be filled with sand up to
and over the top of the box proper, which is covered by a lid, the sand then being
covered by another lid. By this arrangement of box, the heat having to pass
through the sand regulates the internal intensity, and maintains a steady and
unvariable. temperature within the box, which, by the ordinary single box method
of annealing, is constantly changed by cool air passing through the furnace and
flues.
In my furnaces I close the front of the ash-pit by a door to prevent the entrance
of air to the fire except in a heated state by the tube bars, and I fit a tall bridge at
the back of the bars to form a kind of gas chamber at the upper part of the fire-box

page_text: and in a passage behind the bridge leading to the flues. The bottom of the bridge
is formed with passages to facilitate the removal of deposit from the flues, the front
of the passages being temporarily closed by flaps.
.
Some or all of my pipe bars may have water passed through them to keep them
cool, air being supplied by some of them only, or in the ordinary manner through
the ash-pit, or by other means.
The annealing furnace and the boxes can be used in combination with ordinary
solid fire-bars in the furnace proper.
An example of my Invention is clearly shown in the annexed Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an annealing furnace; Figure 2, a horizontal
section through the line x, x; and Figure 3, a transverse section of same
through y, y.
A, A, is the masonry or brickwork; B is the fire compartment, the bars of which
are of wrought-iron piping bent into U form at the back, the front ends a, a, being
open for the passage of atmospheric air at ordinary pressure, or by injection under
some power agency, the air issuing from the turned down ends b, b, into the ash-pit
C, the front of which is completely closed by a door or front plate D.
The stoke and fuel charging hole is preferably at the side, as at E, but it
in the front if necessary.
may
be
The back of the fire-box has a high bridge F, over which the flame and products
of combustion pass and commingle for the development of heat within the down
chamber G previous to its passage through the apertures H in the the throat I, and
its expansion in the flues or passages J, K, the one I running to the rear and then
up to the top of the chamber by the back bridge L, where the escaping vapour meets
the vapour escaping from around the annealing boxes M, N, as indicated by the
arrows previous to entering the uptake or chimney P.
The up passages J, J, are in partitions Q, Q, and lead into top passages after the
heat has played or acted upon or against the boxes M, N, in the compartments
forined between the partitions Q, Q. Each compartiment has a cast-iron floor R,
against the bottom of which the products of combustion are caused to act while
passing along the bottom flue or flues I, and impart heat thereto.
The upper part of each of the iron floors R, R, is corrugated or formed with
rounded grooves, the vertical ribs or divisions S, S, serving to retain at distances
apart the spherical rollers T, T, upon which the annealing boxes M, N, rest, the
bottoms of these being also corrugated or grooved to facilitate the easy travel of the
boxes into and out of the compartments by either side of the structure, as indicated
by Figure 2, a door being arranged at each side for closing the entries after the boxes
are in place.
U is a passage in the bridge or partition F to facilitate the bottom flue being
cleansed from the front of the furnace, the front of the aperture being otherwise
closed by a flap W to prevent the entrance of air to the flues except from the fire-
box.
The bent iron tubes, as fire-bars X, X, are distinct from each other, and are
simply laid upon cross bars b¹, b¹, for easy removal in case of becoming burnt, or
froin other causes. They may however be connected in pairs for the passage of air
or water, or some of them only may be used for water, if desired, in order to resist
the great heat to which they may be subjected where a strong draught exists. The
furnace thus constructed may be made available for purposes other than annealing,
and with or without the ash-pit being closed in the front, as found convenient.
Ordinary fire-bars may also be used in the fire-box in lieu of the bent wrought
tubes before referred to, which bent tubes however can be adapted in ordinary
furnaces in order that the draught of air through the fire may be supplied in a heated
state if desired.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent views of the annealing boxes according to my
Invention.
Y is the cast-iron bottom of corrugated form, as before explained, for guiding the
boxes into the compartments of the furnace. The bottom Y has four vertical side

page_text: walls Z, and projecting bottom outer ledges c, c, with vertical ribs d, d, for the
reception of a four-sided outer wall casing e, e, leaving a space between the box y
and the casing e, e, for sand to be filled into the top edge all round. The plates to
be annealed are then put into the body of the box y, and a lid f put on to cover
them in. Sand is then laid upon this cover or lid to a convenient height, over
which another lid g is placed to retain the sand in the space, as will be understood
by the Drawings.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of annealing furnaces and annealing
boxes to be used therewith, in the manner described, and as shown in the annexed
Drawings.
Secondly. The arrangement of bottom flues in combination with vertical flues
therefrom in annealing furnaces, with iron top floors or with brick floors at intervals
for supporting annealing boxes that can be pushed in or drawn out from either
side of the structure, as described and substantially as shown in the Drawings,
whether the fire-box has bent wrought tubes as bars or ordinary furnace bars
within it.
Thirdly. The employment of wrought metal tubes of U form as furnace bars,
especially in annealing furnaces, one leg of sand tube being bent to direct heated air
into a closed ash-pit for feeding the fire, as described.
Fourthly. The construction of annealing boxes, and enclosing them in an exterior
casing and lids, whether said boxes have fluted or plain under surfaces, as
described.
In witness whereof I, the said Thomas Williams, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Williams
in the presence of
JOHN MORGAN,
11, St. John St.,
Cardiff.
THOMAS WILLIAMS. (L.S.)