IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE DISPOSAL OF SLAG FROM FURNACES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Francis Jones, of Middlesbro'-on-Tees, in the
County of York, for an Invention of "IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS
FOR EFFECTING THE DISPOSAL OF SLAG FROM FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Francis Jones at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th August 1881.
EDWIN FRANCIS JONES, of Middlesbro' on Tees, in the County of York.
"IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE DISPOSAL OF SLAG
FROM FURNACES."
As is well known, where the manufacture of pig iron is conducted on a large
scale the production of slag is so great that the disposal of it becomes a matter of
considerable difficulty. As only a small proportion has been found available for
profitable purposes the greater part is usually deposited on land, which is thereby
depreciated in value. In some districts however the slag is now carried out to sea
in barges with hopper bottoms, and there is sunk, and my Invention refers to this
method of disposal.
Instead of running the slag into thick blocks, as is now usual, I run it into
comparatively thin cakes of large horizontal area (say, conveniently about 12 inches
thick x 6'0" x 7' 0" more or less), in order that the slag may cool more rapidly
by radiation, and may afterwards by the means hereinafter described be broken
up. When it has become sufficiently cold I remove it in the bogies wherein it has
been run to a tipping apparatus, leading to a shoot or inclined fixed hopper which
forms the boundary of the shipping wharf. Immediately below the tipping
apparatus are knife edged castings, on which I cause the cakes of slag to fall when
it is tilted over, and thus the cakes are broken into fragments that fall down into
the hopper or shoot.
At the lower part of the shoot is a sluice or door which can be raised, lowered,
swung, or shut by machinery, which prevents the slag from falling out when it is
closed.

page_text: An arrangement for this purpose is as follows:-A door, which when closed
stands in a vertical plane, or nearly so, is carried on pivots or trunnions. It is
operated by apparatus worked by fluid pressure and provided with the necessary
valves, cocks, etc., whereby the said apparatus may be regulated so as to hold the
door in a vertical or inclined position, accordingly as it is required to prevent or
allow the passage of the slag. A bunker, hopper, or collecting box is thus formed,
in which a certain weight of slag can be stored when no barges are available for
its removal. Hence it will be understood that the number of shoots employed and
the cubic contents of each may be adapted to the service of the barges, that is to
say, to the time occupied by the barges in their trips out to sea and home again.
When a barge is moored alongside, the contents of the bunker can be shot out
quickly by merely raising or opening the sluice, after which the latter is closed
and the bunker is ready to be refilled. It is obvious that the barge service will
be regulated in a great measure by the state of the tides, and that the height of
the lower edge of the shoot above the surface of the water will of necessity vary
very considerably, so that at times the shipping of the slag cannot be carried on.
To in a measure obviate this difficulty I attach to the lower edge of the shoot a
hinged flap that forms a prolongation of the shoot capable of being raised or
lowered, and of thus accomodating itself to the position of the barge as determined
by the state of the tide.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by.
the said Edwin Francis Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th February 1882.
EDWIN FRANCIS JONES, of Middlesbro' on Tees, in the County of York.
"IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE DISPOSAL OF SLAG
FROM FURNACES."
As is well known, when the manufacture of pig iron is conducted on a large
scale, the production of slag is so great that the disposal of it becomes a matter of
considerable difficulty. As only a small proportion has been found available for
profitable purposes the greater part is usually deposited on land, which is thereby
depreciated in value. In some districts however the slag is now carried out to
sea in barges with hopper bottoms and there is sunk, and my Invention refers to
this method of disposal.
Instead of running the slag into thick blocks as is now usual, I run it into
comparatively thin cakes of large horizontal area (say conveniently about 12 inches
to 15 inches thick by 6 feet by 7 feet, more or less), in order that the slag may
cool more rapidly by radiation, and may afterwards by the means hereinafter
described be broken up. When it has become sufficiently cold I remove it in the
bogies, wherein it has been run to a tipping apparatus hereinafter described,
leading to an inclined fixed hopper which forms the boundary of the shipping
wharf.
Immediately below the tipping apparatus are knife-edged castings, on which I
cause the cakes to fall when it is tilted over, and thus the cakes are broken into
fragments that fall down into the hopper. At the lower part of the hopper is a
sluice or door which can be raised, lowered, swung, or shut by machinery which
prevents the slag from falling out when it is closed. An arrangement for this
purpose is as follows:-A door which when closed stands in a vertical plane, or
nearly so, is carried on pivots or trunnions; it is opened by the weight of slag
against it and regulated by fluid pressure and provided with the necessary valves,
cocks, &c., whereby the said apparatus may be worked so as to hold the door in a
vertical or inclined position, accordingly as it is required to prevent or allow the
passage of the slag. A bunker, hopper, or collecting box is thus formed in which a
certain weight of slag can be stored when no barges are available for its removal.
Hence it will be understood that the number of hoppers employed and the cubic
contents of each may be adapted to the service of the barges, that is to say, to the
time occupied by the barges in their trips out to sea and home again. When a
barge is moored alongside, the contents of the hopper can be shot out quickly by
merely raising or opening the sluices, after which the latter is closed and the hopper
is ready to be re-filled.
It is obvious that the barge service will be regulated in a great measure by the
state of the tides, and that the height of the lower edge of the shoot above the
surface of the water will of necessity vary very considerably, so that at times
the shipping of the slag cannot be carried on. To in a measure obviate this
difficulty I attach to the lower edge of the hopper a hinged flap, which forms a
prolongation or shoot capable of being raised or lowered, and of thus accomodating
itself to the position of the barge as determined by the state of the tide.
This plan is also applicable to low levels with tipping apparatus and one or
more shoots to barge.

page_text: In order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same by the assistance of the
following description of the Drawings :—
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OF AN ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR
EFFECTING THE DISPOSAL OF SLAG ACCORDING TO MY INVENTION.
Figure 1 is a general sectional elevation; Figure 2 is a general front elevation
of the same looking from barge.
A is the slag bogie containing a slag cake 12" to 15" thick by 7' 0" by 6′ 0″;
B is the tipping apparatus comprising two curved rails and supports, by means of
which the slag bogie A is tilted so as to throw the slag cake out and to cause it
to fall upon the knife-edged castings C, upon which it is broken into pieces ready
for loading into barge; D is the inclined fixed hopper down which the broken slag
slides to the barge, and in which the broken slag is stored or detained by the
swinging doors E until it is convenient to load the barge K, when the swinging
doors E are allowed to open as far as desirable by means of the door-regulating
cylinders F and stop cocks G; H is the winch used for raising and lowering the
shoots J, which can thus be adjusted to the height of the barge from the water;
K is the hopper barge, into which the broken slag is allowed to slide and which is
thereby loaded in a very short space of time, obviating the large amount of labour
required by the present methods of loading.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be or may be performed, I would have it understood that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to me by the
Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited is,-
(1.) The improved method of effecting the disposal of slag from furnaces,
substantially as described.
(2.) In apparatus for effecting the disposal of slag from furnaces the use of knife-
edges for the purpose of breaking up the slag cakes upon which the slag cakes are
caused to fall, substantially as described.
(3.) In apparatus for effecting the disposal of slag from furnaces the use in
combination of knife-edges to break up the slag cakes and an inclined fixed hopper,
provided with a sluice or door that can be raised, lowered, swung, or shut, to
receive, store (if necessary), and deliver the broken slag to barges, as described.
(4.) In apparatus for effecting the disposal of slag from furnaces the use in
combination of an inclined fixed hopper to receive, store, and deliver the slag, and
a hinged flap that forms a prolongation or shoot, capabale of being raised or
lowered to accommodate itself to the position of a barge below it, substantially as
described.
(5.) The improved combined apparatus for effecting the disposal of slag from
furnaces constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as described and shewn
in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Francis Jones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.