IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND HEATING FURNACES
Year: 1880

page_text: $6
LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
PUDDLING AND HEATING FURNACES." A communication from abroad by
William Stubblebine, of Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th January 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND HEATING FURNACES." A
communication from abroad by William Stubblebine, of Bethlehem, Northampton
County, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in the puddling and heating furnaces
described in the Provisional Specification accompanying my application for Letters
Patent, dated the Thirteenth day of January 1880, No. 154.
In carrying out the present Invention there is built above the fireplace a
structure enclosing a chamber, across which extends a bridge, and this chamber
communicates with the fire chamber through two sets of openings in the roof, on
which the bridge is built, one set of these openings being on one side, and the
other set of openings on the opposite side of the said bridge. Across the interior
of the chamber between the top of the same and the top of the bridge extends a
horizontal partition, the rear portion only of which is perforated. A blast pipe is
employed having two branches, one of which extends into that portion of the
chamber which intervenes between the top of the same and the partition, whilst
the other branch of the said blast pipe terminates in a chamber below the bed of
the furnace, which chamber communicates with the ash pit, or the second branch
may communicate directly with the ash pit as the construction of the puddling or
heating furnace may suggest.
Each of the branch pipes is furnished with a suitable valve or cock, so that air
under pressure may be directed to the chamber above the partition or to the ash
pit, or to both. When the furnace is in operation and the valve of the first branch
pipe is open, the air introduced into the chamber above the partition will pass
through the perforations in the same and downward into the fire chamber through
one set of openings in the roof, and this course, pursued by the air, will induce the
gaseous products of combustion with more or less flame at the front of the fire
chamber to pass upward through the other set of openings in the roof and over the
bridge where the gases will become mixed with the air, the latter being at the

page_text: same time heated, and the mixture of air and gas will pass together through the
rear openings in the roof into the rear portion of the fire chamber near the bridge
wall, and will intensify the heat of the furnace.
In feeding the fire chamber of ordinary furnaces with fuel, and especially if the
latter be bituminous coal much of the gaseous products of combustion will pass off
unconsumed or partially consumed into and from the chimney, but in the Invention
described the volatile products of combustion are effectually consumed before they
reach the bed of the furnace, and a great saving of fuel is thereby effected, while
in puddling furnaces the iron is of superior quality.
It will be well to observe the following rules as regards the regulating of the
blast:-
Immediately after the introduction of every fresh charge of fuel into the fire
chamber the valve of the branch pipes should be so opened that the volume of air
introduced into the chamber above the partition will be increased and that
introduced into the ash pit decreased; the result of this will be the rapid ascent of
the quickly generated gaseous products of combustion through the openings into
the chamber, the gases being accompanied with more or less flame of a character
which indicates the incomplete ignition of the products, which however on passing
over the bridge become so intimately mixed with the air that their complete
ignition is assured, as they re-enter the fire chamber near the bridge wall.
After the charge of fuel approaches an incandescent condition and the volume of
unconsumed gaseous products is decreased the upper blast may be reduced, &
the blast to the ash pit increased until the furnace demands a fresh supply of fuel.
This method of inducing the unconsumed or partially consumed gaseous products
of combustion to pass from the front portion of the fire chamber by means of
compressed air, & of returning the gases mixed with the air to the rear portion
of the fire chamber near the bridge may be carried into effect by structures differing
from that described.
The character of the furnace may in many cases demand a modification of the
structure by which the Invention is carried out.
The bridge is not absolutely indispensable or it may be carried up a very short
distance, but the blast should be introduced into the chamber at such a point, or
the perforations in the partition should be so arranged that the air will force the
gases downward into the fire chamber near the bridge wall while it induces the
gases and flame at the front of the fire chamber to enter the gas chamber. The
object of the perforations in the partition is to so subdivide the volume of air that
its intimate admixture with the gases may be assured.
According to a modification of the preceding arrangement a chamber is formed
above the fire chamber, and the blast is introduced into the said passage from a
box having a number of orifices so inclined that the air will induce the gases to
pass into the entrance of the chamber, and will be discharged mixed with the air
through outlets near the bridge.
Many other modifications applicable to different kinds of furnaces will readily
suggest themselves.'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
July 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND HEATING FURNACES."
A com-
munication from abroad by William Stubblebine, of Bethlehem, Northampton
County, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in the puddling and heating

page_text: furnace for which Letters Patent we granted to me, dated the Thirteenth day of
January 1880, No. 154, and the improvements consist of the combination in a
puddling or heating furnace of the fire chamber, a gas chamber having a partition
and communicating with the said fire chamber through openings, some of which are
on one side and others on the opposite side of the said partition with a blast pipe for
so directing air into the gas chamber that there shall be a more determined ascent
of the gaseous products of combustion into the said gas chamber, a more thorough
admixture of air and gases therein, and a more positive and uniform discharge of
the air and gas into the said fire chamber than in the furnace described in the
Specification to the said former Letters Patent.
The improvements further consist of the combination of the said gas chamber, its
partition, a partly-perforated plate, and a blast pipe, so that air may meet the
gaseous products of combustion in the form of jets discharged above the outlet
openings from the said gas chamber to the fire chamber.
The improvements further consist of the combination of the fire chamber, ash pit,
the gas chamber and its partition with blast pipes having suitable valves for
regulating the blast to the ash pit and gas chamber, substantially as hereinafter
described.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a
puddling or heating furnace having the said Invention applied thereto, and
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken along the line 1, 2, (Figure 1).
A is the fire chamber; H, the puddling chamber; D, the ash pit provided with
the usual doors d; a, the feed opening for the fuel; G, the bridge wall; B, the
grate; g, the hollow chills surrounding the puddling bed.
Above the fire chamber is erected a structure similar to that described in the
Specification to my said former Letters Patent, but differently arranged internally,
the chamber M being divided into two communicating compartments w and w¹ by
a transverse partition h.
The fire chamber has a direct communication with the compartment w through a
series of inlet openings f in the roof m of the said fire chamber near the front of
the furnace, the compartment w¹ communicating with the said fire chamber through
outlet openings e at the rear of the fire chamber near the bridge wall G, and
the two compartments having free communication with each other above the
partition h.
K is a blast pipe having two branches k, k¹, each of which is provided with a
valve or cock i, the branch k¹ communicating with the ash pit, and the branch k
with the chamber M. It is important that the air introduced into this chamber
should be directed toward the outlet openings e, and should be deflected away from
the inlet openings. It is also preferable that the air should be introduced into the
chamber in a number of jets.
In order to bring about this result a horizontal plate or partition n is placed
across the structure F so as to make an air chamber P above the gas chamber M,
and this plate is imperforate above the compartment w, but perforated above the
partition h and above the compartment w¹.
The blast pipe k extends into the chamber P, and the air from this pipe recoils
and passes through the perforations into the chamber M. In the meantime the
gases evolved from the fuel and accompanied with more or less flame of a character
indicating incomplete combustion pass upward through the openings fin the roof
of the fire chamber and meet the jets of air above the partition h, and there is a
thorough admixture of the gas and air at this point, and within the compartment w
the thoroughness of the admixture being assured by the large chamber in which it
takes place.
The mixture of air and gas passes through the outlet openings e into the fire
chamber near the bridge wall where it is thoroughly consumed and intensifies the
heat of the furnace.
The good results attending the use of the said Invention are due, it is believed,
first, to the mode of so directing the blast into the chamber that there shall be a

page_text: more free passage of the gases into the same from the fire chamber than in the
device described in the before mentioned former Specification, and a more
determined return of these gases combined with air to the said fire chamber; and
second, to the thorough admixture of air and gases in an extended chamber before
they can escape into the fire chamber, better results being attained by this means
than by a junction of the air and gas immediately at the outlet into the fire
chamber, or in constructed passages communicating with the outlet.
It will be well to observe the following rules as regards the regulation of the
blast-Immediately after the introduction of every fresh supply of fuel into the
fire chamber the valves of the branch pipes k and k should be so adjusted that the
volume of air introduced into the chamber M will be increased, and that introduced
into the ash pit decreased. The result of this will be the rapid ascent of the
quickly generated gaseous products of combustion into the chamber M at the point
near the front of the furnace, and the return of these gases intimately mixed with
air to the said fire chamber near the rear of the same. After the charge of fuel
has reached an incandescent condition and the volume of unconsumed gaseous
products is decreased the upper blast may be reduced, and the blast to the ash pit
increased until the furnace demands a fresh supply of fuel. It should be understood
however that the blast introduced to the ash pit is much less forcible than that
usually employed. Hence the liability is obviated of forcing ashes and other
particles of fuel into the puddling bed, which has such an injurious effect on the
iron in ordinary puddling furnaces. The upper blast, too, is less forcible than
that commonly used when jets of heated air are forced into the furnace above the
bridge wall.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. In a puddling or heating furnace the fire chamber, a gas chamber M,
having a partition h, and communicating with the said fire chamber through
openings on one side of the partition and openings e on the opposite side of the
partition in combination with a blast pipe, from which the air introduced into
the said gas chamber is directed toward the openings e, all substantially as berein-
before described.
Second. The combination in a puddling or heating furnace of the chamber M
having a partition h, and communicating with the fire chamber, the partly
perforated partition n, and blast pipe k, substantially as herein before described.
Third. The combination of the fire chamber and ash pit of a puddling and
heating furnace with the gas chamber M, communicating with the said fire chamber,
the partly perforated partition n, and the two blast pipes k, k¹, each provided with
a suitable valve, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)