IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING SOLID SUB- STANCES OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED
Year: 1884

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by Messieurs Pechiney et Compagnie, of
Salindres (Gard), in the Republic of France, Chemical Manufacturers.]
+
I, WALTER WELDON, of Rede Hall, Burstow, Surrey, do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING SOLID SUB-
STANCES OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL
EMPLOYED a communication from A. R. Pechiney et Cie., of Salindres, in the
Department of Gard, in the Republic of France, to be as follows:-
To heat solid substances out of contact with the products of the combustion of
the fuel employed has hitherto required that the substances to be so heated should
be placed within closed receptacles, such as crucibles, muffles, and the like, to which
receptacles heat is applied externally, heat being transmitted to the substances
contained in the said receptacles through the material of which the receptacles
containing them are formed. This method of applying heat is always costly, and
does not admit of the substances to which it is applied being heated to very high
temperatures.
The present invention consists in a means of heating solid substances out of
contact with the products of the combustion of the fuel employed, by which means
the substances treated can be heated to high temperatures very economically, and,
moreover, can be heated, if need be, in contact with a current either of air or of any
other desired gas. or gases.
By the said invention, masses of brick-work, or other suitable material, so.
arranged and disposed as to form convenient receptacles for the solid substance or
substances to be heated, are first raised to a sufficient temperature by being brought
into contact with products of combustion or other hot gases, which products of
combustion or other hot gases pass into and through the said receptacles, and when
the said masses of brick-work have been thus raised to a sufficient temperature, and
a sufficient quantity of heat has so been stored up in them, the admission into the
said receptacles of products of.combustion or other hot gases is suspended, and there
is charged into the said receptacles the solid substance or substances to which it is
•

page_text: desired to apply heat, and which then become raised to the requisite temperature by
absorption of some of the heat so stored up in the said masses of brick-work or
other material. When the said solid substance or substances have been sufficiently
heated in this way, they, or the residual products of heating them, as the case may
be, are discharged from the said receptacles, which receptacles are then again heated
as before, and so rendered capable of raising to the requisite temperature another
charge of the solid substance or substances to be treated.
The accompanying drawings represent an apparatus on this principle. Figure 1
is a vertical section showing four vertical chambers, A, A1, A2, and A³. These
chambers are of small diameter, but their walls or partitions are relatively thick.
The four chambers communicate with each other, alternately at their upper and
at their lower extremities, so that gases entering at the bottom of chamber A can
pass from the top of chamber A into chamber A¹, then from the bottom of
chamber A into the lower part of chamber A2, then from the upper part of
chamber A' into chamber A³, and then from the bottom of chamber A³ either into
the pipe M¹, or into and through one of the two regenerators, R, R, and R, R, and
thence into a chimney. It will be seen from the drawing that gases can equally
traverse the apparatus in the contrary direction, and in working the apparatus it
will be convenient that they should traverse it in the one direction and in the other
alternately. The substanco or substances to be heated in these chambers are
introduced thereinto by the openings B, B, B, B, which can be closed at will by
suitable covers, and the contents of the chambers are afterwards discharged by
doors at c, c, C, C.
The apertures d, d, d, d, capable of being opened or closed at
will, are for the purpose of enabling the interior of the chambers to be seen into
when required, and also for the introduction when need be of tools by which to
facilitate the discharge of the chambers.
The regenerators R, R, and R, R, are not essential to the apparatus, but will
usually be advantageous. As shown in the drawing, the apparatus is to be heated
by gaseous fuel; but it may equally be heated by the products of the combustion
of any kind of fuel burnt in whatever kind of fireplace.
Figure 2 is a section across the line C, D, of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a section
across the line A, B, of Figure 1. The same letters refer to the same parts in all
the figures.
It will be understood that the pipes M and M¹ will only be required either when
the substance or substances heated in the apparatus give off during such heating
gases or vapours which it is necessary to collect, or when the substance or sub-
stances heated are heated in a current of air or gas or vapour which it is not desired
should pass through the regenerators.
It will be readily understood that the number of chambers in an apparatus on
the principle of this invention may be either greater or less than four, and that the
chambers themselves, instead of being arranged vertically, as in the accompanying
drawing, may be arranged either horizontally or in an inclined position, and that
their form and disposition, and the proportion between their capacity and the
thickness of their walls, floors, or sides, must depend in each particular case upon
the nature of the substance or substances to be heated in the apparatus and the
temperature to which it is required to heat them.
It will also be understood that an apparatus constructed according to this
invention should preferably be encased externally by iron plates, coated with a
non-conducting material.
What is new in this invention consists in the above described means of heating
solid substances out of contact with the gases of the fuel employed, but, if need be,
in contact with either air or any desired gas or vapour, by which masses of brick-
work or of other suitable material are so arranged and disposed as to form convenient
receptacles for the solid substance or substances to be heated, and by which the
necessary heating of the said solid substance or substances is effected by first heating
to a sufficient temperature the walls, sides, or floors of the said receptacles by passing
into and through the interior of the said receptacles either products of combustion

page_text: or other hot gas or gases or the like, and then, when the walls, sides, or floors of
the said receptacles have thus had communicated to and stored up in them a
sufficient quantity of heat, suspending the admission thereinto of the said products
of combustion or other hot gas or gases, and introducing into the said chambers the
solid substance or solid substances to be heated, and so raising the said substance or
substances to the requisite temperature by the communication to them of some of
the heat previously communicated to and stored up in the walls, sides, or floors
of the said receptacles, substantially as is above described, and as is illustrated by
the accompanying sheet of drawings.
I, WALTER WELDON, of Rede Hall, Burstow, in the County of Surrey, Fellow
of the Royal Society, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING SOLID SUBSTANCES OUT OF CONTACT
WITH THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED," a communication
from Messieurs A. R. Pechiney et Compagnie, of Salindres (Gard), in the Republic
of France, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
To heat solid substances out of contact with the products of the combustion of
the fuel employed has hitherto required that the substances to be so heated should
be placed within closed receptacles, such as crucibles, muffles, and the like, to which
receptacles heat is applied externally, heat being transmitted to the substances
contained in the said receptacles through the material of which the receptacles
containing them are formed. This method of applying heat is always costly, and
does not admit of the substances to which it is applied being heated to very high
temperatures.
The present invention consists in a means of heating solid substances out of
contact with the products of the combustion of the fuel employed, by which means
the substances treated can be heated to high temperatures very economically, and,
moreover, can be heated, if need be, in contact with a current either of air or of
any desired gas, gases, vapour, or vapours.
By the said invention, masses of brickwork, or other suitable material, so
arranged and disposed as to form convenient receptacles for the solid substance or
substances to be heated, are first raised to a sufficient temperature by being brought
into contact with products of combustion or other hot gases, which products of
combustion or other hot gases pass into and through the said receptacles, and when
the said masses of brick work have been thus raised to a sufficient temperature, and
a sufficient quantity of heat has so been stored up in them, the admission into the
said receptacles of products of combustion or other hot gases is suspended, and
there is charged into the said receptacles the solid substance or substances to which
it is desired to apply heat, and which then become raised to the requisite
temperature by absorption of some of the heat so stored up in the said masses of
brickwork or other material. When the said. solid substance or substances have

page_text: been sufficiently heated in this way, they, or the residual products of heating them,
as the case may be, are discharged from the said receptacles, which receptacles are
then again heated as before, and so rendered capable of raising to the requisite
temperature another charge of the solid substance or substances to be treated.
The accompanying drawings represent an apparatus according to the present
invention. Figure 1 is a vertical section showing four vertical chainbers, A, A1, A³,
and A. These chambers are of small diameter, but their walls or partitions are
relatively thick. The four chambers communicate with each other, alternately at
their upper and at their lower extremities, so that, the pipe M being closed, gases
entering at the bottom of chamber A can pass from the top of chamber A into
chamber A¹, then from the bottom of chamber A' into the lower part of chamber A²,
then from the upper part of chamber A* into chamber A³, and then from the bottom
of chamber A³ either into the pipe M', or, if that pipe be closed, into and through
one of the two regenerators, R, R, and R, R, and thence into a chimney. It will
be seen from the drawing that gases can equally traverse the apparatus in the
contrary direction, and in working the apparatus it will usually be convenient that
they should traverse it in the one direction and in the other alternately, more
especially the hot gas or hot gases employed for heating the apparatus. The
substance or substances to be heated in these chambers are introduced thereinto by
the openings B, B, B, B, which can be closed at will by suitable covers, and the
contents of the chambers are afterwards discharged by doors at c, c, c, c.
The
apertures d, d, d, d, capable of being opened or closed at will, are for the purpose
of enabling the interior of the chambers to be seen into when required, and also for
the introduction when need be of tools by which to facilitate the discharge of the
chambers.
The regenerators R, R, and R, R, are not essential to the apparatus, but will
usually be advantageous. It will be well understood that they need not necessarily
be placed in the position, in relation to the rest of the apparatus, in which they
are shown in the accompanying drawing; but that they may be placed above the
other parts of the apparatus, or on the same level therewith; or below the other
parts of the apparatus, as may best accord with circumstances and convenience in
each particular case. As shown in the drawing, the apparatus is to be heated by
gaseous fuel; but it may equally be heated by the products of the combustion of
any kind of solid or liquid fuel burnt in any convenient fireplace from which the
products of its combustion can be passed into and through the working chambers
of the apparatus.
Figure 2 is a section across the line C, D, of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a section
across the line A, B, of Figure 1. The same letters refer to the same parts in all
the figures.
The pipes M and M¹ will only be required either when the substance or
substances heated in the apparatus give off during such heating gases or vapours
which it is necessary to collect, or when the substance or substances treated are
heated in a current of air or gas or vapour which it is not desired should pass
through the regenerators.
It will be readily understood that the number of chambers in an apparatus
according to this invention may be either greater or less than four, and that the
chambers themselves, instead of being arranged vertically, as in the accompanying
drawings, may be arranged either horizontally or in an inclined position, and that
their form and disposition, and the proportion between their capacity and the
thickness of their walls, floors, or sides, must depend in each particular case upon
the nature of the substance or substances to be heated in the apparatus and the
temperature to which it is required to heat them.
It will also be understood that an apparatus constructed according to this
invention should preferably be encased externally by iron plates, and be protected
as far as practicable, in any convenient way, from loss of heat by radiation.
In the disposition of apparatus shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying sheet of
drawings the gases used for heating the apparatus, and the gas or gases or vapour

page_text: or vapours, if any, with which the materials heated by means of the said apparatus
are treated, enter the four chambers or receptacles, A, A1, A2, A³, at the bottom
of A. or of A³, and pass off from the bottom of A³ or A; but the disposition of the
dividing walls may obviously be so modified that the said gases shall enter at the
top of A or of A³, and pass off from the top of A³ or of A, or that they may enter
at the top of one chamber and pass off at the bottom either of that chamber or of
another chamber, and vice versa, according to the number of chambers employed.
In working an apparatus according to this invention, say, for example, an
apparatus disposed as is represented in the accompanying sheet of drawings, the
first step is to heat up the four chambers or receptacles A, A1, A2, A³. To this end,
gaseous fuel is admitted by one of the two divisions, and air to burn it by the
other of the two divisions, of one of the two regenerators, R, R, and R, R. The
pipes M and M, if the purpose for which the apparatus be used be such as to
require these, the doors c, c, c, c, the covers above B, B, B, B, and the sight holes,
d, d, d, d, being all closed, products of combustion then traverse each of the four
chambers successively, and finally pass off by the other of the two regenerators,
from which they are conducted to a chimney. In order that the furnace shall be
heated uniformly, it will usually be best that the gaseous fuel and the air to burn
it should enter the apparatus, during this operation of heating it, first by one of
the two regenerators and then by the other, the alternations being repeated more
or less frequently. When the masses of brickwork or other material constituting
the sides, etcetera, of the four chambers or receptacles, A, A1, A2, A3, have absorbed
a sufficient quantity of heat, the admission into the apparatus of gaseous fuel must
be suspended, and the chambers charged, by the openings at B, B, B, B, with the
material which is to be treated therein, which material will then become heated
by communication to it of some of the heat previously absorbed by and stored up
in the masses of brickwork or other material constituting the sides etcetera of the
said chambers or receptacles. In cases in which the material treated requires
simply to be heated, and does not give off gases or vapours during the operation of
heating it, the pipes M and M' will not be required, and both they, if present in
the apparatus employed, and the two regenerators, should be kept closed during
the operation. In cases in which the material treated does give off gases or vapours
during the operation of heating it, these gases or vapours may pass off from the
apparatus either by one or both of the pipes M and M, or by one or both of the
regenerators, or otherwise as may be most suitable in each particular case.
cases in which the material treated requires to be heated in a current of air or of
other gas or gases or vapour or vapours, such air or gas or gases or vapour or
vapours may most conveniently be admitted by one of the two regenerators, and
the gas or gases or vapour or vapours which pass off from the apparatus may pass
off either by one of the pipes M and M', or by the other regenerator, according to
whether it is desired or not to collect the said gas or gases or vapour or vapours.
It will usually be best that the gas or gases or vapour or vapours in a current of
which the material treated is to be heated should enter the apparatus, during each
operation, alternately by each of the two regenerators, the gas or gases or vapour
or vapours passing off from the apparatus passing off either alternately by the
pipe M and by the pipe M¹, or by one regenerator and the other regenerator
alternately. In either of the three cases, when the charge in the chambers or
receptacles, A, A', A², A³, has been sufficiently heated, the residual product of
heating it, in a current of air or gas or gases or vapour or vapours, or by itself,
must be discharged by the doors c, c, c, c; and then, these doors, the pipes M
and M', if these pipes form part of the particular apparatus employed, and the
sight-holes, d, d, d, d, having been all closed, the apparatus will be ready to be
heated up again, for another operation.
In
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is the above described means of heating solid substances out of contact
with the products of combustion of the fuel employed, the said solid substance or

page_text: solid substances being heated either without admission to them during the operation
of heating them of any gas or vapour or gases or vapours, or in a current of either
air or any desired gas or vapour, by which means masses of brickwork or of other
suitable material are so arranged and disposed as to form convenient receptacles
for the solid substance or substances to be treated, and by which the heating of the
said solid substance or substances is effected by first heating to a sufficient
temperature the walls, sides, or floors of the said receptacles by passing into
and through the interior of the said receptacles either products of combustion or
other hot gas or gases, and then, when the walls, sides, or floors of the said
receptacles have thus had communicated to and stored up in them a sufficient
quantity of heat, suspending the admission thereinto of the said products of
combustion or other hot gas or gases, and introducing into the said chambers the
solid substance or solid substances to be heated, and so raising the said substance
or substances to the requisite temperature by the communication to them of some
of the heat previously communicated to and stored up in the walls, sides, or floors
of the said receptacles, the said receptacles being disposed either vertically, or
horizontally, or in an inclined position, and the substance or substances heated in
them being submitted or not, during the operation of heating them, to the action
of a current of air or of any desired gas or gases or vapour or vapours.