CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON."-A communication.
Sealed the 16th October 1857, and dated the 27th May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th May 1857.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the puddling of iron by mechanical means, the
principle of the Invention being that of agitating and working the fluid or
semi-fluid iron in the puddling furnace by means of an instrument which
passes through the roof of the furnace, and is actuated by steam or other
mechanical power.
In the roof of the furnace a cylindrical block of iron is inserted, so as to
admit of its receiving a semi-rotary motion. Through the block passes a
hollow stem, provided with a cross piece, and in both the stem and cross
piece a tube is inserted, the branches of which are open at their ends. By

page_text: means of a flexible tube a current of air or water is conducted to and caused
to circulate through the stem and cross piece, and pass off at a suitable vent.
When air is employed as the circulating medium, it will be conveyed from
the blowing cylinder to the internal tube by a flexible tube, as stated, and by
a similar tube attached to the outlet pipe it may be conveyed to the blast
furnace directly or through the ordinary heaters. Secured to the top of the
puddling furnace is a frame, supporting at the top an inverted toothed sector
or rack, into which gears a pinion, the axle of which is supported by vibrating
arms having their fulcrum in the frame. A crank on this axle carries the
hollow stem, which dips into the molten metal. The vibrating arms are
set in motion by a crank and connecting rod, actuated by steam or other
mechanical power; and as these arms vibrate, the crank axle carrying the
hollow stem will receive rotary motion, which motion will be reversed at the
termination of each vibration to right or left. It will thus be evident, that
during the rotation of the crank axle both ends of the hollow stem will per-
form cycloidal movements through space; and, moreover, that whilst the
general course of the upper end of the stem will be part of a circle, the
general course of the lower end will be a straight line, parallel to the bottom
of the hearth. The hearth being charged with fluid metal, the cross piece
of the stem will dip into it with a nearly vertical movement, and that after
having performed a certain number of cycloidal movements along the hearth,
it will pass out of it also nearly vertically, the motion being immediately
after reversed. The cross piece again dips into the metal and performs a
retrograde cycloidal movement along the hearth. By this alternating action,
viz., the reversed rotation, combined with the general retrograde motion, the
heaping up of the metal at either end of the hearth is effectually prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF IRON," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates to the puddling of iron by mechanical means, the principle of the
Invention being that of agitating and working the fluid or semi-fluid iron in
the puddling furnace by means of an instrument which passes through the
roof of the furnace, and is capable of being actuated by steam power. The
operation of the puddling instrument on the fluid metal within the furnace is
regulated by mechanism placed without the puddling furnace, the instrument
being at the same time protected against the heat of the furnace by means of
a current of air or water which is caused to circulate through it.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a partial longitudinal
section, and Fig. 2 a transverse section, of a puddling furnace with the
Invention applied thereto. a is the flue or passage, leading from the ordinary
fire-place to the hearth; bis the bridge wall, forming also a vent c for the
escape of the heated gases to the chimney; d is the arched roof of the furnace,
and e, the hearth on which the iron is converted or puddled; f is a dam, for
retaining the fluid iron; g, a passage closed by a valve h, through which the
puddled metal is discharged from the hearth, or the furnace may be charged
and the metal removed through the door or ways in the side of the furnace;
l is a cylindrical block of iron, inserted in the furnace roof, and mounted so

page_text: Through this block passes
In both the stem and cross
as to admit of its receiving a semi-rotary motion.
a hollow stem m, provided with a cross piece n.
piece a tube n', n¹, is inserted, the branches of which are open at n¹. By
means of a flexible tube attached to the protruding end of the tube n³, a
current of air or water is conducted to and caused to circulate through the
stem and cross piece and pass off at m¹ to a suitable conductor: When air
is employed as the circulating medium, it will be conveyed from the blowing
cylinder to the internal tube n¹, n³, by a flexible tube, as stated, and' by' a
similar tube attached at m¹ it may be conveyed to the blast furnace directly or
through the ordinary heaters. o, o, is a frame, firmly secured to the top of the
puddling furnace, and supporting at the top an inverted toothed sector or
rack o¹, into which gears a pinion p, the axle p¹ of which is supported by
vibrating arms q, having their fulcrum in the frame o. The axis p is pro-
vided with a crank p", to which latter the hollow stem m is connected. To
one of the vibrating arms 9 a crank is connected by means of a connecting
rod, and the axle 1 of the said crank is actuated by steam or other
mechanical power.
It is evident that the rotation of the crank r will give a
reciprocating motion to the arms q, accompanied by a rotary motion of the
pinion p, which rotary motion will be reversed at the termination of each
vibration of the arms q to the right or left. It will also be evident, that
during the rotation of the pinion and its crank axle both ends of the hollow
stem m will perform cycloidal movements through space; and, moreover, that
whilst the general course of the upper end of the stem will be part of a circle,
the general course of the lower end will be parallel to the bottom of the
hearth. The hearth being charged with fluid metal, it will further be seen
that the cross piece n of the stem will dip into it, and by continuing the
rotation of the driving shaft the hollow stem will be moved along the hearth
(puddling the metal contained thereon) and then drawn out of the metal.
The motion being now reversed, the cross piece will again dip into the metal
and perform a retrograde movement along the hearth. It will be seen that a
great object, never before attained in puddling, viz., that of elaborating every
portion of the metal alike, is attainable by the means described, as that by it
every particle of metal is turned up from below to the surface, and thereby
exposed to the action of the heat and oxygen in rapid succession, thus effect-
ing a speedy decarbonization and conversion of the metal into malleable iron.
By disconnecting the machine from the motive power, when the vibrating
arms q and crank are both in a vertical position, as shewn in Fig. 2, the
cross piece n will become suspended under the roof in the middle of the
furnace out of the way, so as to admit of the hand tools being introduced for

page_text: the removal of the converted metal to the hammers or rollers of the forge.
It is preferred to charge the hearth with fluid metal from the blast furnace or
cupola, but pig iron may be fused on the hearth in the usual manner previous
to applying and putting the puddling mechanism in operation.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Certain Improved
Apparatus to be used in the Manufacture of Iron," as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim applying to puddling furnaces a mechanical
stirrer or puddler, constructed and operating substantially in the manner above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
5 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON.
(L.S.)