Improvements in Gas-heated Forges.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-heated Forges.
I, THOMAS DENNIS ROCK of 62 Leadenhall Street in the City of London,
Mercantile Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is the improvement of smiths' and other forges
heated by gas. An important feature of my invention is the application of gas
made from anthracite or stone coal to the heating of the forge. Owing to the
great purity of this gas, ordinary welding operations can be carried out to much
greater perfection than heretofore.
In this
I can conveniently combine several hearths into one block, and supply them all
by one flow of air and of gas through the same regenerators and valves.
case the combined group of hearths takes the form of a long passage or flue
arranged at a suitable distance above the floor of the building in which it is
erected. In most cases the gas enters continuously from one end of the passage
or flue, or as otherwise convenient, and for its combustion a suitable supply of
air also enters after being heated by passing through two alternately used
regenerators.
The end of the passage at which the gas and air enter, and at which the
combustion commences and chiefly takes place, will be the hottest portion of the
forge and the temperature will gradually decrease toward the other end.
I put a
row of doors in each side of the passage or flue for the insertion of work by the
smiths, rivetters, etcetera. These doors are preferably placed in pairs opposite to
each other, and as each pair of doors admits to a part of the passage or flue
at a different temperature, I can select a temperature best suited for each class
of work.
Each door being opposite to another door, it is possible to insert a long piece of
metal and to heat any portion of it; and where it is desirable to heat a very small
or well defined portion of the work, I make the passage narrower and maintain its
sectional area by increasing its height. Or, I may adapt the section of the flue in
any other suitable way to the work which has to be performed.
1 may provide one or more chambers or recesses, placed in any convenient
position along the above described flue or passage, for the purpose of carrying on
the case hardening or annealing processes required in smiths' work. The cleanness
and purity of the anthracite gas, together with the advantage of being able to
select and regulate the temperature according to circumstances, enables me to carry
out these operations without injuring the material or oxidising the surfaces of the
articles treated.
Dated this Sixteenth day of December One thousand eight hundred and
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-heated Forges.
I, THOMAS DENNIS ROCK, of 62 Leadenhall Street in the City of London,
Mercantile 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 :-
The object of 'this invention is the improvement of smiths' and other forges

page_text: heated by gas. An important part of my invention consists in the means adopted
whereby gas made from anthracite or stone cual is successfully applied to the
heating of the forge. Owing to the great purity of this gas, ordinary welding
operations can be carried out to much greater perfection than heretofore.
In describing the manner in which this invention is to be performed, I make
reference to the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 is partly a side elevation and partly a section on the line C D (see Fig. 2).
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line E F (see Fig. 1).
Fig. 3 is a section on the line A B (see Fig. 1).
a is a long passage or gallery forming a continuous hearth.
b, b, are doors to permit of the introduction of work at any desired point along
the length of the gallery or hearth a.
c is the port or passage for supplying gas to the forge.
is the gas duct connecting the port with the gas main or producer.
e is a port or passage supplying air, which will generally be heated as hereafter
described, to the forge.
is a pipe or duct connecting the air port e with a reversing valve
with either of the two regenerators h, h.
and thereby
kis a flue or pipe conveying the products of combustion through the reversing
valve into either of the two regenerators h, h.
m is the chimney flue connected with the reversing valve g.
n is a pipe or duct for passing air or blast through the reversing valve / into
either of the regenerators h h, previous to its consumption in the forge.
o is a door to provide access to the regenerators.
The operation of the forge and its appendages is as follows:-A supply of gas is
sent into the forge through the pipe d and the port, and a supply of air, under
pressure or otherwise, is also sent in through the pipe or duct n, the reversing
valve l, one of the regenerators h h, the reversing valve 9, the pipe or duct f, and
the port e.
The gas being ignited, the flame passes, or the products of combustion therefrom
pass along the gallery or hearth a, through the pipe or flue k and the reversing
valve, then through that one of the two regenerators through which the air is
not passing, and finally into the chimney flue m by way of the reversing valve g.
That regenerator through which the heated products of combustion pass having
itself become heated, I operate the reversing valves and thereby direct the air
supply through the hot regenerator and the products of combustion through the
cool regenerator on their way to the chimney flue m. The forge being once in
operation I can operate the reversing valves whenever it may be desirable to do
so, and by always passing the air supply through a hot regenerator I secure a
constant supply of hot air for the due combustion of the anthracite gas.
The temperature of the continuous hearth or gallery will decrease from the
point of combustion to the point of exit of the burnt gases, and as I provide
access to it at a number of points in its length, I am enabled to select such a
part of the hearth as is most suitable, in respect of temperature, for the particular
work to be operated upon.
The doors being opposite to each other, I can heat any desired portion of a
long piece of work, and when it is desired to heat a small portion only of a bar
or other object, I may make the continuous hearth narrower in whole or in part,
and maintain its cross-sectional area by increasing its height.
1
The continuous hearth or gallery of hearths may have a greater or less number
of doors, and I may make special provision for the introduction of special work,
requiring modifications of the doors or other parts which would readily suggest
themselves in each case. The continuous hearth or gallery is not necessarily
straight, but may be curved, or turned at an angle, or otherwise adapted to special
circumstances. Neither are the regenerators necessarily placed beneath the con-
tinuous hearth, but may be placed in the most convenient position in each case.
The purity of anthracite gas renders it specially suitable for annealing purposes,

page_text: as it does not injure the surfaces of finished articles.
When I wish to use the
forge for annealing or case-hardening purposes [ may construct recesses or
chambers at the side of, or otherwise adjacent to, the continuous hearth for the
reception of the articles to be treated in order not to interfere with the general
working of the forge.
Work can be dealt with simultaneously at all the doors of the continuous
hearth.
Although I prefer to use anthracite gas in this forge, there is no reason why
other gas should not be used in it, and therefore I do not confine myself to the
use of anthracite gas in carrying out this invention.
By this invention I provide a forge at which a large amount of work can be
dealt with more conveniently, more economically, and more efficiently than
heretofore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
A gas heated forge consisting of a continuous hearth or gallery of hearths
substantially as described, combined with regenerators having reversing valves or
other means for alternating the flow of the heated products of combustion and
of the air, through said regenerators.
Dated this 15th day of September 1892.
T. DENNIS ROCK.