IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES, AND IN CHARGING THE SAME
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Broomau, of 166, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BLAST FURNACES, AND IN CHARGING THE SAME."-A communication from
Scaled the 16th March 1866, and dated the 21st September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st September 1865.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BRCOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES, AND IN CHARGING THE SAME," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in dividing the top or mouth of blast furnaces into
several parts, and in charging blast furnaces in manner hereafter explained.
I place an open grating over the top or mouth of the furnace, in which there
are arms or ribs radiating from the centre, which consists of a ring; trapezoidal
openings exist between the ribs and the inner and outer rims of the grating;
these apertures have inserted in them either covers for closing the apertures
or cases containing materials, fuel, ores, and fluxes to be charged into the
Di S21

page_text: furnace. For the hermetically closing of the apertures, whether by the covers
or the cases, they are surrounded by a gutter or trough, which on being filled
with liquid or pulverized substances forms a tight joint. The cases to contain
the charge are constructed with movable bottoms in two parts or flaps, made
to hook on to and to be free from each other as required by known means
from the outside. The cases are provided with covers with depending rims,
which dip into a trough containing liquid at the top of the cases. In the
ordinary state the covers close the apertures in the grating, and the gases
escape by lateral passages, and are collected in the ordinary manner.
To charge the furnace the cases filled with fuel, ore, and fluxes are placed
in the apertures in the grating in substitution for the covers. Then the movable
bottoms are released, and the contents of the cases fall into the furnace. The
empty cases are afterwards removed, and the covers replaced in their stead.
A cylindrical case is used to fill the annular space in the centre of the grating.
The cover, or that which is substituted for it, is formed inside this cylindrical
case, and consists of two flaps, which are made to rise and fall, and thus close
all passage through the case or allow the charge to fall through into the
furnace. Each flap is fixed to an axis which passes through the case; handles
are applied to the axes to turn the flaps up and down.
It will be understood that the top or month being divided by what I terma
charging grating any convenient shape may be given to the apertures therein,
and the charging through them may be effected by hoppers or other means,
the main feature in this Invention consisting in the division of the surface of
the top or mouth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Flect Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty- year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Broomän, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES, AND IN
CHARGING THE SAME," (communicated to me from abroad by Alexandre Lebrun-
Perloy, of Paris, France,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I,the said Richard Archibald Brooman,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. thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-.
This Invention consists in dividing the top and mouth of blast furnaces into
several parts, and in charging blast furnaces in manner hereafter explained.
I place an open grating over the top or mouth of the furnace, in which
there are arms or ribs radiating from the centre, which consists of a ring;
trapezoidal openings exist between the ribs and the inner and outer rims of
the grating; these apertures have inserted in them either covers for closing
the apertures or cases containing materials, fuel, ores, and fluxes to be charged
into the furnace. For the hermetically closing of the apertures, whether by
the covers or the cases, they are surrounded by a gutter or trough, which on
being filled with liquid or pulverized substances forms a tight joint. The
cases to contain the charge are constructed with moveable bottoms in two parts
or flaps made to hook on to and to be freed from each other as required by
known means from the outside. The cases are provided with covers with
depending rims, which dip into a trough containing liquid at the top of the
cases. In the ordinary state the covers close the apertures in the grating,
and the gases escape by lateral passages and are collected in the ordinary
manner.
To charge the furnace the cases filled with fuel, ore, and fluxes are placed
Then the
in the apertures in the grating in substitution for the covers.
movable bottoms are released, and the contents of the cases fall into the

page_text: furnace. The empty cases are afterwards removed and the covers replaced in
their stead. A cylindrical case is used to fill the circular space in the centre
of the grating. The cover, or that which is substituted for it, is formed inside
this cylindrical case, and consists of two flaps, which are made to rise and fall,
and thus close all passage through the case or allow the charge to fall through
into the furnace. Each flap is fixed to an axis which passes through the case;
handles are applied to the axes to turn the flaps up and down.
It will be understood that the top or mouth being divided by what I terin
a charging grating, any convenient shape may be given to the apertures therein,
and the charging through them may be effected by hoppers or other means,
the main feature in this Invention consisting in the division of the surface
of the top or mouth.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents my charging grating
applied to a blast furnace with a round top or mouth. In this case the
grating is formed of ten pieces, similar to that marked L, M, N, O, aud
resting upon the walls of the furnace, which are level with the curved line
P, Q. Figures 2, 3, and 4 are sections through the lines A, B, C, D, and
E, F, respectively of Figure 1, showing the manner of connecting the pieces.
The charging grating thus consists of ten trapezoidal openings similar to that
marked P, Q, R, S, and a circular opening in the centre. The charge of the
furnace is divided among these eleven openings. The ten trapezoidal openings
are each covered with a case of corresponding form. One of these cases is
represented in front view at a, Figure 5, in plan at Figure 6, in vertical
transverse section at Figure 7, in vertical longitudinal section at Figure 8, and
in horizontal section at Figure 9. These cases rest upon the grating in such
manner that their inner sides form a continuation of the trapezoidal openings,
as seen in Figure 7. The cases are provided at the top with covers b, having
vertical flanges which dip into a trough or gutter c containing liquid to form a
hydraulic joint; at the bottom the cases are furnished with two flapsd, which
are closed when required from the outside by acting with levers on the
extremities of their axes e. When the doors are closed they may be held in
position by a bolt which fills the space T, U, Figure 8, and is worked outside
by a small lever. When it is required to fill the case to perform the charging
of the furnace I close the flaps d which intercept the passage of the gases,
and I then raise the cover b. I supply the case with fuel, ores, and fluxes
according to requirement, close the cover b,and afterwards withdraw the bolt
which supports the flaps d. The flaps are thus opened and allow the charge
to fall into the furnace. The charge is guided in its descent by plates, held
between the radial arms or ribs of the grating. It is also guided or supported

page_text: by the sides of the furnace and by the sides of the case placed over the central
opening. This circular space in the centre of the grating is filled by a
cylindrical grating g, represented in plan at Figure 10, in vertical section at
Figure 11, and in horizontal section at Figure 12. It rests by means of an
outer angle iron upon the inner ends of the parts forming the charging
grating. It is prolonged below the grating in order to guide the charge in
its descent as above mentioned. It is provided with a cover dipping into a
trough i containing liquid, and is fitted in the interior with two semicircular
flaps j for intercepting the passage of the gases when the charge is being
effected and to receive the fuel, ores, and fluxes.
The flaps are operated from the exterior by means of levers made to act on
the extremities of their axes K, and each flap when closed is held by a bolt
operated by a lever as before described in reference to the flaps of the
trapezoidal cases. The case g is filled in the manner already described.
The cases are represented as being fixed, but they may be made movable
and be placed upon the charging grating after they have been filled with fuel,
ores, and fluxes. The charging grating may be made square or rectangular
although the interior of the furnace is circular or elliptical. A chimney may
be constructed above the whole of the cases a of the charging grating in order
to carry off any gases which escape while the charging is being effected.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that 1 claim, dividing the top
or mouth of blast furnaces into several parts, and charging blast furnaces
substantially in the manner herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)