Improvements in the Construction of Cupolas and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1900-Accepted, 19th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Cupolas and the like.
I, ALEXANDER Eadie, Foundryman, in the employment of James Simpson &
Company, Limited, of Engine Works, Grosvenor Road, in the County of London
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of cupolas,
and the like, such as are employed in foundry work.
The present improvements are designed to further develop the invention
described in my previous application for patent dated October 21st 1898 and
numbered 22164.
According to my present improvements the cupola, or the like is arranged
substantially as described in the Complete Specification of my former application
as aforesaid, wherein the ordinary fire bricks are mainly or wholly replaced by
bricks, or equivalent forms of cast iron, either in tiers with the bricks keyed
into each other, or otherwise.
In my said former specification I described and showed air ways into the
hollow parts of the bricks, but my present invention is designed to further develop
and extend the use of air by forcing it into and through the hollow walls formeil
by the cored out, or hollow bricks, and to discharge such air at the top of the
cupola, or thereabouts.
In the case of a cupola provided with an air belt, or chamber, into which is
forced an air supply, by means of a blower or any suitable forcing means, and
thence to the tuyeres for the treatment of the metal, I arrange a pipe or series
of pipes having an opening, or openings into such air chamber and therefrom
the air is conducted by such pipe or pipes into the hollow wall around the
cupola, through openings in the hollow iron bricks and out at the top.
A convenient way is to convey the air by pipes to three points (say) around
the cupola, making the entrances through the second tier of hollow bricks so as
to allow a certain space below for any accumulations of dust, or rubbish, and
the exit openings may be at a like, or other, number of points around the
top tier of such bricks, or the air may blow out at the open ends of the top tier
of bricks, in cases, where the lining is sufficiently thin to allow of a free, passage
and where no fire brick closes those openings, or passages may be formed in
equivalent fashion.
'
Improvements in the Construction of Cupolas and the like.
I, ALEXANDER EADIE, Foundryman, in the employment of James Simpson &
Company, Limited, of Engine Works, Grosvenor Road, in the County of London,
Price 8d.]

page_text: 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:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of cupolas
and the like.
The principle object of my invention is to provide a cupola so constructed,
that it shall present smooth surface all the way down, and thereby avoid all
risk of the charge hanging up, and by preventing any hanging up of the charge
to avoid waste of fuel in the bed charge of coke and consequently eliminating
any possibility of risk of uncertainty as to the period of output, and for this
purpose I line my improved cupola with iron bricks which are formed' hollow
and intercommunicating and into and throughout the series of hollow or cored
out cast iron bricks forming the lining of the cupola I force air by means of a
pipe or series of pipes, or air conduit the supply of compressed air being obtained
by the use of an air blower or any suitable air forcing means.
My invention is distinguished from other hollow brick lined cupolas of the
character described in that with the ordinary firebrick lining, when charging
up a cupola the falling pieces of iron chip and cut up the skin very considerably
damaging and shortening the life of the cupola whilst when the cast iron brick
lining is used there is absolutely no damage done in this way, as the cast iron
surface, is as stated, by its smoothness of surface not liable to afford hold to
the falling iron and by its toughness resists the impact.
.-.
The travelling current of air passing through the hollow bricks forming the
lining serves to equalize and temper the heat of the cupola lining.
In the case of a cupola provided, as in the construction illustrated in the
drawings, with an air belt, or air chamber, into which is being forced an air
current supplied by a blower or any other suitable air forcing means, such as
being heated by the cupola and thence fed to the tuyeres and by them directed
into the cupola to aid in the treatment of the metal utilize a portion of this
air under pressure to obtain the current of air through the cast iron brick hollow
lining referred to, by connecting a pipe, or pipes with openings into. sucli air
chamber and with the hollow wall of the cupola through openings in the hollow
iron bricks, allowing the air to escape thence into the upper open portion of
the cupola near the top of the hollow wall thereof.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and
in which similar letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a cupola embodying my invention, so much only of the
cupola being shown as will serve to explain my invention in its connection
therewith, a portion of the upper part of the cupola, above the closable feed
opening being broken away for convenience of the drawing.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a cupola as shown by Fig. 1 but taken at
right angles to the face of the cupola as seen in that fig.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 shows a transverse section of the hollow lining taken on the line a, a,
Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 shows a transverse section of the cupola at about the line b, b; Fig. 2..
Fig. 6 shows a plan view of one of the hollow bricks forming the lining drawn
to a much enlarged scale.
Fig. 7 shows edge view to the same scale of the brick shown by Fig. 6.
Figs: 8 and 9 show two views, side view and edge view respectively of a
wedge block for keying together the bricks, such as shown by Figs. 6 and 7,
by being inserted in the inclined half grooves formed in the abutting side sur-
faces of those bricks. The hollow brick cast iron lining is in my present inven-
tion, brought into combination with the lower portions of the cupola the air
chamber and the air supply apparatus (not shown) and the usual upper structure
-the air chamber and the air spaces in the hollow cast iron bricks being put in
connection by the air pipes.

page_text: a is the furnace outlet chamber.
6 is the tuyere chamber.
ccc are the tuyere openings of the part b.
d shows the contraction of the cupola shaft between the usual solid fire brick
portion e below the hollow cast iron brick portion f and the narrower part b.
findicating a point of entry for a pipe 9 connected with the air chamber h,
said' chamber being supplied with air, under pressure, from any suitable source
of supply by the bifurcated channel i, through the trunk pipe j, k, kare
levers operating valves in the channels i, i, to control the supply of air passing
therethrough. f f indicate openings in the uppermost course of the hollow
cast iron bricks of the lining for escape of the air passing through the lining.
is the cast iron external casing. Although herein I have described and in
the drawing Fig. 2 I have shown the air outlet as being formed on the inner
sides of the topmost tier of hollow iron bricks these openings may be formed
in the second or other convenient tier instead, or partly in one tier and partly
in another tier, or, if the circumstances permit, these outlets may be in the
upper surface of the top tier in cases where the lining above is sufficiently thin
to allow of a free passage for the escaping currents of air and there exist no
obstructing brickwork.
Each hollow iron brick f³ is of cast iron cored out hollow through its vertical
length and is provided at each end with a slightly tapered slot f, so that when
two bricks are in the construction of the lining butted end to end each pair of
slots will coincide and be the means of locking the adjacent and abutting
bricks together with the aid of a correspondingly tapered key f inserted therein.
The bricks are thus arranged end to end in a series of superimposed circles
to the required height around the inside of the cupola and are keyed together
to form each circle. Through the outer curve in three or four of the bottom
row of bricks, or of a row adjacent thereto, pipes are led as described to the air
belt and blast of the cupola, There is a clear space round the entire ring for
the circulation of air this being provided for by cutting out a piece from each
end of each brick and shortening the key, in the lowest row.
The next course
of hollow bricks is arranged so that the abutting end joints come in position in
the circle immediately over and under the central spaces of the bricks in the
circles below and above, the effect being that the currents of air through the
hollow lining take zig zag courses through the whole system upwards until the
air escapes from the outlets in the inner curves of the top course.
In some cases space may be left for deposit of dust or rubbish by making the
entries for the air above the bottom course and leaving the bottom course unused
to receive such deposit.
By the use of my improved cupola a great annular saving in waste of fire
bricks, fire clay, ganister, builders time and the like will accrue.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a cupola, the combination with the superstructure, and the understruc-
ture, thereof, the tuyeres, air supplying pipes and air belt therefor, of a hollow
cast iron brick lining, pipes led from the air belt to the lower course of the
cast iron lining, and air outlets in the upper course of said lining.
2. In a cupola, the combination with the fire brick and fire clay portions of
the superstructure and understructure of a lining of cast iron hollow bricks, keyed
together in a series of circles superimposed one upon another, a lower circle
having air ingress holes, and an upper circle air egress holes, pipes of supply for
air led from the air belt of the blast supply to the air ingress holes in the lining.
3. In a cupola, tlie combination with the fire brick and fire clay portions of the
structure, of a lining of cast iron hollow bricks keyed together in a series of

page_text: circles superimposed circle upon circle, air ingress holes, air egress holes pipes
of supply for air, led from said ingress holes to air forcing means.
4. In a cupola, a lining of hollow cast iron bricks keyed together in circles,
superimposed circle on circle, the keyed hollow iron bricks of each course being
laid so as to break joint with the courses of hollow iron bricks above and below
it forming zig zag passages for passage of air under pressure, in combination
with inlets and outlets for air, substantially as described.
721 011
1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.