Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Blast Furnaces.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Blast Furnaces.
I, ALEXANDER EPHRAIM BROWN of Hamilton and Belden Streets, Cleveland State
of Ohio, United States of America, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
There has always been, previous to my invention, more or less serious trouble or
difficulty in the way of running blast-furnaces with the best practical results possible
on account of the imperfect manner of filling the furnace, it having been practically
impossible heretofore to always have the stock (the ore, fuel and flux) properly
distributed on the top surface of the mass composing the contents of the furnace.
To provide a means by which, in filling the furnace, (either through the medium of
automatically-working skip-cars or by the use of barrows manipulated by hand) the
stock fed to the furnace must inevitably be supplied to it and distributed therein in a
predetermined manner, is the main object of my invention, which to this end may be
said to consist, essentially, in combining with the furnace-top some suitable
automatically-operated device through an opening or openings in which the stock must
pass into the furnace, but which, either by an arbitary rotatory movement of said
device (if it has a single opening,) or by a predetermined manner of opening succes-
sively each of its ingress-orifices, (if it have more than one opening) insures the
depositing of the successive charges of stock brought to the furnace-top at such points
and in a manner such that the stock will be properly distributed in a predetermined
manner over the top surface of the mass of material contained within the furnace,
all as will be hereinafter more fully explained, and as will be more particularly pointed
out and concisely defined in the claims of this Specification.
To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to understand and
practice the same, either in the form or forms in which I have herein shown my
improvement carried into effect or under some modification not herein shown, I will
now proceed to more fully describe it, referring by letters to the accompanying
drawings, which form part of this Specification, and in which I have shown my said
invention carried out in two forms in which I have so far successively practised it, in
one of which the construction is specially adapted to a furnace designed to have the
filling done by hand-labour with ordinary wheelbarrows, and in the other of which
the structure is particularly designed for use in a case in which the stock is
elevated to and dumped into the furnace-top opening by automatically-worked
skip-cars which travel on an inclined track leading from the source of stock-supply to
the furnace-top.
As in each of the two forms of contrivance shown the details of construction vary
somewhat (as the circumstances require) from those of the other, though the same
principle is involved in both, it will be better to separately describe the said two forms
of apparatus. I will therefore first describe my invention with special reference to
the form of contrivance shown on Sheet 1 of the drawings, in which the stock is fed
or filled into the furnace by hand-labour, and then explain the construction seen at
Sheet 2, in which there is an automatic skip-car mechanism for bringing the stock up
to the furnace-top.
As the two forins of apparatus shown have certain parts in common, I have in the
respective drawings used the same reference letters for these parts.
Referring now only to Sheet 1,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the upper portion of an ordinary blast-furnace pro-
vided with the usual elevator, bridge, and top platform for filling by hand-labour, but
having my invention or improvement for insuring a perfect distribution of the stock
damped into the furnace-top from the wheelbarrows of the operatives

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan view of the furnace-top, showing the overhead shafting in
dotted lines, and in both these figures the same parts are marked with the same
letters.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view.
A is the upper part of the furnace, provided in the usual manner with a plat
form B for the men to travel on, a lateral extension of which communicates with the
upper part of the elevator structure D, and is supported by suitable trusses or beams C,
extending from said structure to the top of the furnace, all in a manner well known.
The furnace-top is provided with a hopper d and a hell F, the latter being raised and
lowered through the medium of the rod a, lever b, (fulcrumed in the standard c,)
and suitable operating mechanism, all after any one of the known and approved
modes.
E are the elevator cages or cars for bringing up the furnace-feeders and the
charges of stock carried in the wheelbarrows, one of which I have shown at P
as having its contents being dumped into the furnace by the operative who
handles it.
H is a shaft, which in the case shown carries at one end the rope-wheel J of the
elevator-cages and which at the other end is journalled in a suitable box n, mounted on
the apex of a metallic frame G. This shaft, which is rotated, of course, alternately in
opposite directions, has keyed on the end last referred to a bevel-gear K, which
engages with two horizontally-located bevel-wheels L and M, each of which is
mounted to turn freely on the vertical shaft l, and which acts alternately to drive the
said shaft always in one direction of rotation. Said shaft 7 is stepped at its lower end
in a suitable bearing-box r and has an upper journal-box at m, which is secured to a
cross-piece of the A-frame G, as shown, and on the lower end of this shaft is a small
chain-wheel or sprocket-pinion k, which operates to drive the link belt or chain j,
which is banded from said pinion, onto the rim-like chain-wheel i of a rotatory cover
or turn-table e, the operation and function of which will be presently explained.
As already remarked, the rotatory movements of the drive-gear K in first one and
then another direction (as first one and then the other of the elevator-cars ascends)
causes each of the bevel-gears L M to rotate in first one and then the other direction,
(see Fig. 3) but as each of these gears is mounted to turn on the shaft l, but is
indirectly connected with it through the medium of a pawl o, pivoted thereto at ono
end and having its other end in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel P, that
is fast on said shaft, it follows that the two gears L and M actuate the shaft only at
such times as they will operate to turn said shaft in a given direction of rotation. This
periodical or intermittent rotation of said shaft causes the turn-table or cover e to be
rotated always in the direction indicated by the arrow at Fig. 2, and at each move-
ment of said cover e its filling, opening, or ingress aperture f is shifted to a new
position, as indicated by the various positions of said aperture drawn in dotted lines
at Fig. 2 and numbered from 2 to 6, inclusive. The said turn-table e is preferably
made with a circular slightly-depending track on its under surface, which rests and
rides upon a series of small wheels or anti-friction rollers 9, (see Fig. 1,) the
spindles or axes of which rollers are mounted suitably in bearings formed in a
series of stand-like projections on the inner side of the hopper d, all as clearly
shown, and at each movement of travel of an elevator-car (that brings up a wheel-
barrow load or charge of stock) the drive-shaft H, through the system of gears
already explained, causes the said turn-table to make (in the case shown) one-sixth
of a revolution.
As is well known to those skilled in the art, there is always a great accumulation on
all the parts of any mechanism at the top of a furnace of coal-dust, the presence of
which operates to impede the action of the working or contacting parts of any
mechanism employed. A great advantage is therefore gained by mounting the
turn-table or rotary top plate of the furnace, so that the track is uppermost and
the wheels underneath the track, as hereinbefore shown and described. Of course
it is not material, so far as this part of my improvement is concerned, that the
track and wheels be located in precisely the manner shown in the drawings, sc

page_text: long as a circular track be employed that travels on top of a series of wheels,
which latter, by reason of their circular shape and rotatory motion, are not capable
of retaining on their contacting surfaces the dirt or dust which would accumulate
on the surface of the circular track were the latter arranged as usual, with
its contacting surface upward, and were the wheels mounted on or attached to the
turn-table.
In the operation of the contrivance so far described (and shown in Sheet 1 of the
drawings) the operative or filler attendant dumps his wheelbarrow-loads of stock
through the opening f of the turn-table e onto the bell F in the manner clearly shown
at Fig. 1, and by the subsequent descent of the bell F (in the usual manner) the stock
thus deposited on the bell is permitted to descend into the furnace.
After having
dumped in the first barrow-load, and by the time another wheelbarrow-load of stock
shall have been elevated to the level of the platform B. the turn-table e will have been
rotated the sixth part of a revolution, so as to bring the aperture into the position in
which it is drawn in dotted lines at 2, Fig. 2, and the operative will then be obliged to
wheel his barrow or charge of stock to a different point in order to dump it into or
through the same aperture fin its new position, and so on, so long as the furnace may
be run, will each successive charge have to be dumped through the same aperture fin
its different successive positions, the result of which of course is that the successive
charges are lowered into the furnace (whenever the bell may be lowered) in such
manner that the stock will be distributed over the entire top surface of the mass of
material contained within the furnace in a proper and predetermined manner, and so
that this proper distribution of the six charges is repeated as to every successive series
of six charges. It will be seen that since the changes in position of the aperture fare
automatically and inevitably produced synchronously with the delivery at the top of
the furnace of the successive charges of stock to be dumped (by hand-labour in this
instance) into the furnace the charges thas brought up must be put in so as to fill the
furnace in the desired. manner. There is nothing left to the judgdment of the opera-
tives. They cannot exercise any discretion, and the automatic movements of the
filling-in aperture f necessitate or enforce the filling of the furnace in accordance with
the described mode of operation of and with the result due to the use of the automatic
contrivance described.
The details of construction of the apparatus shown may be varied in many particulars
without departing from the spirit of my invention, the gist of which lies in a filling-
aperture which enforces the depositing of the charges either on the bell or within the
furnace-top when no bell is used at constantly-changing localities and so as to effect
always a proper predetermined distribution of the material. I deem the particular
form of turn-table shown, (when one may be used,) with a track on the under surface
resting on a series of wheels g, the axes of which are mounted in fixed bearing, not
only a preferable, but the most desirable form, since there can then be no accumula-
tion of dust and dirt on the track-surface to impede the easy action of the moving
parts, and of course the wheels. from their shape, are not liable to get clogged by any
collection of dirt on their peripheries.
It is not material that the particular manner or means shown for imparting the
proper movements to the turn-table be used in carrying out my invention, as any
other mechanism and any source of motive power will answer the purpose so long
as the proper and arbitrary shifting movements of the filling-in aperture f be
effected synchronously with the times of delivery at the furnace-top of the charges
of stock to be filled in.
Indeed, so far as the principle of my invention and its novel effects may be con-
cerned, a contrivance might possibly be made in which, in lieu of the revolving
cover with its aperture f, some sort of stationary cover might be employed,
provided with a series of trap-doors, which might be automatically opened and
closed successively by some suitable mechanism, so as to produce substantially the
same effect as accomplished by the apparatus shown and so far described.
Referring now to Sheet 2 of the drawings, in which I have shown my invention
as applied to a furnace provided with a wholly mechanical and automatic stock

page_text: feeding or filling contrivance, Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section of such a contrivance
with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 5 is a side view of the apparatus seen at
Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical
plan of the furnace-top and filling-hopper. Fig. 7 is a detail plan view, on an enlarged
scale, of some of the working parts; and Fig. 8 is a side view of the parts seen at
Fig. 6 and on the same scale.
In all the figures of this sheet the same parts are indicated by the same letters.
A is the upper portion of the furnace, and d the usual hopper, having combined
with it the ordinary bell F, the latter adapted to be raised and lowered through the
medium of its rod a, the lever b, (pivoted in a part c,) and suitable operating
mechanism, all in a manner well known.
B is a sort of duplex A-frame, mounted over the furnace, with the apices of its
parts connected by a cross-beam C, and having one side or set of the legs extended
obliquely down to the stock-house or the level at which the skip-cars D, which travel
on a track laid on said legs of said frame-work, are filled or supplied with the stock to
fill the furnace, all in a well-known and approved manner.
The construction and mode of operation of the cars D, the wheels or trucks e and f
of which travel on the peculiarly-arranged tracks a² and in such manner that when
the cars have been drawn up by the cable f2 to the position seen in the drawings
they will automatically dump their contents into the opening of the furnace top,
are well known by practical operation in public, and therefore need not be herein
described.
H is a rotatory feed-hopper, which, as shown, is formed with a chute-like extension t
at its lower or discharge end, and is arranged centrally over the furnace and with
its egress end inserted within a central opening in the top plate of the furnace,
all in such manner as to bring the lower end of its discharge chute or nozzle t
a little to one side of or relatively eccentric to the apex of the bell F, so that, as
clearly shown at Fig. 3, whenever the contents of one of the skip-cars D shall be
discharged into the said feed-hopper the charge of stock will freely descend through
the latter and will be deposited on one side of the bell, as illustrated at x. (See
Fig. 3.) This feed-hopper H is formed or provided at a level some distance below
its upper edge with an annular flange-like projection, which constitutes a circular
track that rests and travels (as will be presently explained) on a series of small
wheels s, which have their axes suitably mounted in stationary journal-boxes arranged
on the upper surface of the top plate of the furnace and just above said annular
flange or track. The said feed-hopper is provided with a toothed rim, with the
teeth of which engage the links of a drive-chain l. This chain is banded from said
toothed rim to a small sprocket-wheel m on the lower portion of a vertical shaft J,
that is stepped at its lower extremity in a suitable bearing, as shown, and that near
its upper end runs in a journal-box w, secured to the frame-work B.
As heretofore remarked with reference to the arrangement of track and wheels used
in connection with the turn-table, the similar arrangement of track and wheels used
in connection with the feed-hopper H involves the advantage already explained of an
avoidance of any undue collection of coal dust and dirt on the surface of the track
that would impede or interfere with the free action of the rotatory hopper. As already
explained, it is the inverted position of the track relatively to the wheels which is the
pith of my improvement in this direction, and it is of course immaterial whether
the location of this peculiar arrangement of circular track and wheels be precisely
such relatively to the hopper as is shown in the drawings or be somewhat different.
The upper end of shaft J carries a fast bevel-gear i, with which engages a similar
gear on one end of a short drive-shaft that is arranged within a bearing-box or
casting G, bolted to the upper portion of one set of legs of the duplex A-frame,
and that has keyed on its other end the rope-wbeel E, over which travels the
cable f³.
It will be seen that in a contrivance made as shown at Sheet 2 and thus far
described every time the skip-car D travels in one direction the rotation of the rope-
wheel E through the medium of its shaft and the bevel-gear h causes the rotation

page_text: that
engage
of the sprocket-pinion m through the medium of the shaft J and gear i, and that by
this rotation of the said pinion m the drive-chain is made to turn or rotate the
As the shaft J is rotated in
feed-hopper H a certain portion of one revolution.
first one and then the other direction, (during the back-and-forth travelling movement
of the skip-car on its track.) the pinion m is mounted to turn on the said shaft, but
with
Py
is connected therewith through the medium of a pawl or pawls
a ratchet o of said pinion, and that are pivoted to a fast collar 2 (see Figs. 6 and 7)
of said shaft, so that the hopper H is turned on its vertical axis of motion only when
the shaft J rotates in a given direction. In the case shown the relative sizes of
the elements of the drive-gearing are such that the hopper at each movement turns
less than one-third of a whole revolution and according to the diagram given at
Fig. 5-that is, starting with the nozzle t2 in the position seen at Figs. 3 and 5 the
first movement of the hopper H brings its discharge-nozzle to the point 2, the next
movement to No. 3, the next to No. 4, and so on, under which arrangement, it will
be seen, the charges (such as seen at x, Fig. 3,) will be dumped at the respective points,
(shown at Fig. 5,) the three charges of each nearly complete rotation of the hopper
overlapping each other, so to speak, all in such manner that in the aggregate of all
the filling operations all the charges will be informally and continuously distributed
in the most desirable predetermined manner. Of course some other subdivision of the
complete rotation of the hopper may be made, and it may be arranged and driven so
as to make the deposits of the successive charges closer together, more after the
fashion of those which occur in the other type of furnace contrivance shown in
Sheet 1.
As in the case of the form of apparatus shown in Sheet 1, the contrivance shown
in Sheet 2 may be modified in many particulars without departing from my invention,
so long as the revolving hopper (or some other device) is made to enforce the
depositing of the successive charges brought up by the skip-car at different
points, and so as to produce a perfect distribution evenly of the stock filled in to the
furnace.
I do not limit myself in carrying into effect my invention to any precise details
of constructions or to the particular character of the devices applicable to one or the
other of those two well-known and commonly-used types of blast-furnaces, which I have
elected to show.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim, broadly, is :
1. The combination, with the top opening or openings of the furnace and suitable
means or mechanism by which the successive charges of stock are conveyed from
the stock-room to the furnace-top, of mechanism operating, as specified, to insure
the depositing of said charges in succession at several different and predetermined
points, and that is actuated in its successive operations in unison with the operations
or movements of the said mechanism by which the charges of stock are carried up
to the furnace-top, the said combination being substantially such as and operating
in the manner hereinbefore more fully described.
2. In combination with the top opening of the furnace and suitable means for
conveying to the vicinity thereof from the stock-room the successive charges of
material to be fed to the furnace, a turn-table formed or provided with a suitable
aperture for the ingress to the furnace of said charges of stock, and mechanism for
rotating said turn-table automatically and in accordance with the action or operation
of the mechanism by which the charges of stock are conveyed from the stock-room
to the vicinity of the top opening of the furnace, all in substantially the manner and
for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
3. In combination with the furnace-top and a rotatory device for insuring or
enforcing the entrance into the furnace of successive charges of stock at different
points, as specified, a circular track arranged at the under side of said rotatory device

page_text: and travelling on top of a series of wheels by which it is supported and the axes of
which are mounted in fixed bearings, all substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1890.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.