IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND IRON AND OTHER METALS, AND IN FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 68, Fleet Street, in the City
of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND IRON AND OTHER METALS, AND IN FURNACES
EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE."-A communication from abroad
by the Société Coignet père et fils et Compagnie, of 17, Boulevart
Saint Martin. Paris, France.
Sealed the 3rd November 1868, and dated the 6th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1868.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
5 Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND IRON AND OTHER
MANUFACTURE," com-
METALS. AND IN FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE SAID
municated to me from abroad by the. Société Coignet père et fils et
[Price 8d.1

page_text: LOTOWS
The ores, minerals, metals, metalloids, oxides, sulphides, metallic or
metalliferous substances or compounds to be reduced, roasted, smelted,
converted, cast, manufactured, or treated, and the lime, clay, fluxes, or
other solid accessories used in such processes, and the fuel or carbon
required in the operations, or a portion of such fuel or carbon, are
reduced to a state of fine powder and mixed together in properly
regulated quantities, and triturated or agglomerated, or rammed and
compressed, the mixture being slightly moistened so as to obtain it in
a state of pasty powder or pulverulent paste, which is formed into blocks
and dried if required. The process of forming these blocks resembles
that adopted in forming the blocks of Coignet's well-known beton.
The blocks are fed into the furnace and exposed to the action of heat
therein.
An improved furnace is constructed in which the gaseous or aeriform
matters are drawn, forced, or driven downward through the mass and
pass out from the bottom of the furnace instead of from the top. For
this purpose a blast may be introduced at the top of the furnace, or the
down draft may be obtained by a fan blower or other mechanical
apparatus, or by a chimney or shaft placed beyond a hearth, chamber,
crucible, or receptacle situated at or near the bottom of the furnace.
The products of combustion travel from the bottom of the furnace
through or past the hearth, chamber, crucible, or receiver, which
receives the reduced cast or otherwise treated metal or the metallic or
metalliferous products of the operation. Thence the gascous, volatile,
or aeriform products of combustion pass, preferably through a refrige-
rator or condenser, on their way from the furnace, and part with their
waste heat, which can be utilized, and they are cooled before reaching
their chimney, draft apparatus, or receiver. The blocks are fed in at
the top of the furnace; they may be disposed in alternate layers with
additional fuel, or all the fuel may be in the blocks. The fire is lighted
at the top. The furnace recommended is oval in vertical section, but
whatever shape be adopted the bottom should be of contracted sectional
area to accelerate the flow of the descending gases. Orifices or passages
may be formed at various parts of the furnace for admitting currents
or blasts of air or the like.

page_text: I may-mention by way of illustration that in treating iron the quantity
of carbon in the blocks may be regulated to produce either cast iron or
steel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal -Patent Office on
the 6th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Michael Henry, Her special licence
that I, the said Michael Henry, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others, as I, the said Michael Henry, 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
THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND IRON AND OTHER METALS. AND IN FURNACES
EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE," a communication to me from abroad
by the Société Coignet père et fils et Compagnie, of 17, Boulevart Saint
Martin, Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Michael Henry, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office, within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, as communicated to me, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:-
According to this Invention the ores, minerals, metals, metalloids,
oxides, sulphides, metallic or metalliferous substances or compounds to
be reduced, roasted, smelted, converted, cast, manufactured, or treated,
and the lime, clay, fluxes, or other solid accessories used in such
processes, and the fuel or carbon required in the operations, or a portion
of such fuel or carbon, are reduced to a state of fine powder and mixed
together in properly regulated quantities and triturated or agglomerated,
or rammed and compressed, the mixture being slightly moistened so
as to obtain it in a state of pasty powder or pulverulent paste, which
is formed into blocks and dried if required. The process of forming
these blocks resembles that adopted in forming the blocks of Coignet's
well-known beton. The blocks are fed into the furnace and exposed to
the action of heat therein.
An improved furnace is constructed in which the gaseous or aeriform
products of combustion are drawn, forced, or driven downward through
the mass of solid material in the furnace, and pass out from the bottom
of the furnace instead of as usual from the top. For this purpose a
draft may be introduced at the top of the furnace, or a down draft may
be obtained by a fan blower or mechanical apparatus or by a chimney
or shaft placed beyond a hearth, chamber, crucible, or receptacle
situated at or near the bottom of the furnace. Thence the gaseous,
volatile, or aeriform products of combustion pass, preferably through
a refrigerator or condenser, on their way from the furnace, and part
therein with their excess of heat, which can be utilized, and they are
cooled before reaching the chimney or draft apparatus or other receiver.
The products of combustion travel from the bottom of the furnace
through or past the hearth, chamber, crucible, or receiver, which receives
the reduced cast or otherwise treated metal or the metallic or
metalliferous products of the operation. The blocks are fed in at the
top of the furnace; they may be disposed in alternate layers with
additional fuel, or all the fuel may be in the blocks. The fire is lighted
at top.
The furnace, recommended is oval in vertical section, but
whatever shape be adopted the bottom should be of contracted sectional
area to accelerate the down flow of the descending gases. Orifices or

page_text: passages may be formed at various parts of the furnace for admitting
currents or blasts of air or the like.
I may mention by way of illustration that in treating iron the
quantity of carbon in blocks may be regulated to produce either cast
iron or steel.
I now proceed more particularly to describe in what manner the
Invention may be carried into practical effect.
The ore to be reduced, together with the carbon for reducing the ore,
and lime, clay, or other ingredient or ingredients required for the pur-
pose, arc first. reduced to a very fine powder by crushing rollers or other
ordinary means, and either with or without previously drying the
materials. These pulverized materials thus reduced to a state of
powder are well mixed together in duly regulated chemical proportions,
that is to say, in their precise relative or proportionate quantities suit-
able for the operation and duly determined beforehand. When the
substances have been mixed together they are then treated in the same
manner as Coignet's agglomerated beton, that is to say, they are well
triturated, crushed, pounded, pressed, and rammed or agglomerated
by mechanical means. A suitable apparatus for the purpose is the
machinery described under the Letters Patent granted to me, bearing
date the 6th day of Dec. 1859, numbered 2757, and the Letters Patent
granted to me, bearing date the 29th day of April 1863, and numbered
1086, and the Letters Patent granted to me, bearing date 11th January
1867, numbered 77. The mixture is then slightly damped or moistened,
also in the same manner as is done in respect of agglomerated beton, so
that the mass is ejected from the apparatus in a condition of paste-like
powder or pulverulent paste. This readily results from the molecular
condition of the lime, clay, and powdered ores, which arc of a plastic
character.
The
The paste-like powder is next treated in presses or by Evrard's pug
mills, or by rams or other known contrivances, so as to be well mixed,
crushed, and agglomerated, and it is shaped into blocks, which are
baked or fired cither with or without previously drying them.
blocks thus obtained are hard and firm and without dust or minute
particles. They contain all the molecules of ore, carbon, and other
matters in a condition of intimate cohesion and minute reduction,
and this condition facilitates the eventual separation of the metal
when subjected to the process of reduction, and allows of its being

page_text: performed at a much lower temperature than is usual in metallurgical
reducing processes. This improved furnace is shown in sectional
elevation in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings. In this furnace
the gaseous or aeriform products of combustion are forced to descend
and pass away from the bottom of the furnace (instead of as is usual
from the top); this is done either by forcing or blowing in air at
the top of the furnace, so as to be driven down through the solid
mass, or by obtaining a draft or exhaustion by a draft chimney or
fan communicating with the lower part of the furnace.
A is the main portion or body of the furnace; B, fluc or passage for
admitting a draft or current of air; C, door used when the draft pipe B
is employed; D, hopper through which the furnace is charged with the
fuel, and also with the matters to be treated; E, passage for the exit of
the heated gaseous or aeriform products of combustion, and also of the
cast or molten or reduced metal and the şlag, which metal and slag
pass into the chamber F; G, refrigerating apparatus, an ordinary
refrigerator like that of a steam boiler may be used; H, draft apparatus.
Figure 2 shews a modification of this apparatus. The prepared blocks
and the fuel are arranged in the furnace in alternate layers. Sometimes
instead of separate layers of fuel all the fuel required both for the
reduction of the ore and the maintaining of combustion in the blocks
may be placed in and form part of the blocks themselves, being well
mixed with the other ingredients in preparing or forming the same
as above described; or a portion of the said fuel may be thus used in
the blocks. Coke, coal, or anthracite may be employed as fuel. When
the furnace is filled it is lighted from the top, and a strong down draft
is established, which may be done by forcing in air through the
passage B at the upper end; but it is preferred to obtain a draft by
the chimney H, or by other ordinary means of producing a down draft.
The heated aeriform products of combustion escape through the lower
part of the hearth or chamber F, and pass through the refrigerator G,
in which they part with their excess of heat (which heat may be after-
wards utilized), and from this refrigerator the cooled gases enter into the
chimney or other draft apparatus. When the draft is duly established
and the fire brisk at the upper part of the furnace the carbon contained
in the blocks and the fuel becomes ignited, the temperature rises
rapidly, and as the mass becomes rapidly reduced fresh charges are added
to keep the furnace constantly filled. The blocks ignite rapidly, and

page_text: the currents of air traverse the mass of blocks, so that the centre
becomes incandescent.
The now ignited currents of air are superheated by their passage
through the burning layers, and when in the centre of the mass come
in contact with carbon in a highly heated state, so that combustion is
here carried on at a very high temperature, which acts on the particles
of the blocks, so that less fuel than in ordinary blast furnaces is required
for purposes of reduction. The contracted form of the lower part of
the furnace aids the down draft. The molten metal and the slags pass
through the exit E into the chamber F.
This improved furnace may be employed for metallurgical operations
even when the above-described mode of forming the ore and the carbon
and other reducing materials into blocks is not used.
Blocks prepared according to the first head of this Invention may be
treated in ordinary furnaces. If necessary air may be introduced in a
warm or cold state in any required portion of the furnace through
passages provided for the purpose. When treating zinc, as the ore of
this metal is reduced at a lower temperature than iron, a portion of
the zinc will flow off in a molten state at an early part of the operation,
and by its gravitation descend to the bottom of the furnace. Another
portion of the zinc will remain mixed with the scoria and slags
volatilized in the form of oxide or vapour early in the operation.
These products before reaching the exit will have passed through the
layers of fuel, and the incandescent carbon will convert the carbonic
acid resulting from the first combustion into oxide, and will reduce the
oxide of zinc, so that only pure metallic zinc will escape, which will
be at once condensed, and oxide of carbon, slags, and scoria will flow
out through the lower part of the furnace.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The method herein-before described according to which ores,
minerals, metals, metalloids, oxides, sulphides, metallic or metalliferous
substances or compounds to be reduced, roasted, smelted, converted,
cast, manufactured, or treated, and the limc, clay, fluxes, or other
accessories, together with the fuel or carbon required, or a portion of
such fuel or carbon, arc reduced to a state of fine powder and mixed
together in properly regulated quantitics, and triturated or aggromcrated

page_text: or rammed and compressed (the mixture being slightly moistened);
substantially as described.
Second. The improved arrangement and combination of parts-con-
stituting the improved furnace herein-before described.
Third. The employment of refrigerating apparatus so disposed as to
cool the gaseous or æriform products of combustion on their exit from
the furnace, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
E. DE PASS.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)