IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND THE HEATING AND MELTING OF IRON, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ellis, of North Ormesby, near Middlesborough-
on-Tees, in the County of York, Refiner of Iron, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND THE HEATING
AND MELTING OF IRON, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
FURNACES."
Sealed the 12th May 1865, and dated the 16th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
December 1864.
I, JOHN ELLIS, of North Ormesby, near Middlesborough-on-Tees, in the
County of York, Refiner of Iron, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND THE
HEATING AND MELTING OF IRON, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
OTHER FURNACES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of constructing and arranging the parts of furnaces
used in the manufacture and heating and melting of iron, and for other

page_text: purposes, essentially in the manner herein-after explained, whereby perfect
combustion of the fuel by which the furnace is heated is effected and the iron
or other metal or substance readily and economically melted. I will describe
my Invention in connection with a reverberatory furnace for melting iron; I
make the furnace with parallel sides, the back end being semicircular, and
the front end of a V shape, but I do not limit myself to this figure. In the
front of the furnace is a chamber separated by a vertical wall from the fire-
place of the furnace; this wall is perforated, the perforations opening over the
fire-grate. A pipe situated at a higher level than the fire-grate conveys blast
to the chamber described, which blast passes through the perforations in the
vertical wall to the fire on the fire-grate; the perforations are made through
a brick or bricks or other suitable material in the vertical wall, the middle
perforations being made perpendicular to the said wall, and those on the sides
in an inclined or diagonal direction so as to make the currents of blast con-
verge on to the fire. There is a second blast pipe opening into the ash-pit
of the fire-grate. The said second or lower pipe conveys blast to the ash-pit,
which blast rises through the fire-bars to the fuel on the grate. By means of
the currents of air described, perfect combustion of the fuel on the grate is
effected, and the heat generated is projected on the iron or other metal to be
melted on the bed of the furnace. The bed of the furnace is situated between
the fire-place and the back of the furnace, the said bed being divided into
two parts by a neck or contraction, the said neck carrying an arch through
which the iron melted on the front part of the bed passes to the back part,
from whence the melted iron is tapped through holes in the sides of the
furnace. The bed of the furnace is inclined, the highest part being that
situated nearest the fire-place. The reverberating arch of the furnace over
the front part of the bed is depressed or inclined at a suitable angle, the
bottom of the said inclined arch being situated a short distance above the
bed, and at or near the middle where the before mentioned contraction is
situated. Over the back part of the bed a low arch is made, the said low
arch opening into the chimney or stack. The heat from the fire is deflected
by the inclined arch on to the iron on the front part of the bed, which heat
combined with the heat projected on to the bed by the currents of air readily
melts the said iron. The melted iron passes from the front to the back part
of the bed through the arch between them, from whence it is tapped. The
chimney or stack at the end of the furnace is furnished with a damper, by
which the draught through the furnace can be regulated. The fire holes for
the fire-grate are situated at the sides of the furnace or other convenient posi-

page_text: tion, and the charge hole, or holes for charging the iron or other metal or
substance on to the front part of the bed is situated at one side of the furnace
Or other convenient position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN ELLIS,
of North Ormesby, near Middlesborough-on-Tees, in the County of York,
Refiner of Iron, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Ellis, Her special licence that I, the said John Ellis, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Ellis, 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
FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND THE HEATING AND MELTING OF IRON,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER FURNACES," upon the con--
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Ellis, my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 John Ellis, 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, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of furnaces
used in the manufacture, and heating, and melting of iron, and for other
purposes, essentially in the manner herein-after explained, whereby perfect

page_text: combustion of the fuel, by which the furnace is heated is effected, and the
iron or other metal or substance readily and economically melted. I will
describe my Invention in connection with a reverberatory furnace for
melting iron. I make the furnace with parallel sides, the back end being
semicircular, or square, and the front end of a V shape, or square, but
I do not limit myself to these figures. In the front of the furnace is a
chamber separated by a vertical wall from the fire-place of the furnace.
This wall is perforated, the perforations opening over the fire-grate.
A
pipe, situated at a higher level than the fire-grate, conveys blast to the
chamber described, which blast passes through the perforations in the vertical
wall to the fire on the fire-grate. The perforations are made through a brick
or quarry, or other suitable material in the vertical wall, the middle per-
forations being made perpendicular to the said wall, and those on the sides in
an inclined or diagonal direction so as to make the currents of blast converge on
to the fire. There is a second blast pipe opening into the ash-pit of the fire-
grate, the said second or lower pipe conveys blast to the ash-pit, which blast
rises through the fire-bars to the fuel on the grate. By means of the currents
of air described perfect combustion of the fuel on the grate is effected, and the
heat generated is projected on the iron or other metal to be melted on the
bed of the furnace. The bed of the furnace is situated between the fire-place
and the back of the furnace, the said bed being divided into two parts by a
neck or contraction, the said neck carrying an arch, through which the iron
melted on the front part of the bed passes to the back part, from whence the
melted iron is tapped through holes in the sides of the furnace. The bed of
the furnace is inclined, the highest part being that situated near the fire-
place. The reverberatory arch of the furnace over the front part of the bed
is depressed or inclined at a suitable angle, the bottom of the said inclined arch
being situated at a short distance above the bed, and at or near the middle
where the before-mentioned contraction is situated. Over the back part of
the bed a low arch or bridge is made, the said low arch or bridge opening into
the chimney or stack. At the entrance into the said chimney a perforated
brick or quarry is placed either perpendicularly or horizontally across the
opening in the chimney with a damper at the back or above it. The heat
from the fire is deflected by the inclined arch or bridge on to the iron on the
front part of the bed, which heat, combined with the heat projected
borizontally on to the bed by the currents of air readily melts the said iron.
The melted iron passes from the front to the back of the bed through the arch
between them, from whence it is tapped. The chimney or stack at the end

page_text: of the furnace is furnished with a damper, by which the draught through
the furnace can be regulated. The fire-boles for the fire-grate are situated at
the sides of the furnace or other convenient position, and the charge-hole or
holes for charging the iron or other metal or substance on to the front part of
the bed are situated at one side of the furnace or other convenient position.
The bed of the furnace may be composed of sand or other suitable material.
In lieu of the perforated brick or quarry for the blast, as herein-before.
described, I use a perforated pipe or pipes. For the production of large
quantities of melted iron I use an arrangement which I call a double furnace,
being two of the furnaces described, excepting that the melted metal
from the double furnace runs into one basin-shaped receptacle arranged
for it.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the same
may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section a reverberatory furnace
for melting iron and other metals constructed according to my Invention, and
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in both Figures; a is the fire-grate, and a³ the ash-
pit; b, c, is the bed divided into two compartments by the neck or contraction
at d, communication between the parts b, c, being effected by the arch e,
carried by the said neck d. The front part 6 of the bed is inclined, and the
back part c has the concave or basin form represented; f is the stack or
chimney, and g, g³, the reverberating arch of the furnace. That part 9 of the
arch situated over the bed 6 is inclined at the angle represented, the said arch
contracting the space between it and the bed as it approaches the division d.
The arch g still further contracts the space over the bed c. In the front of
the furnace is a chamber marked h separated from the fire-grate a by the
vertical wall i. The said chamber h may either be square, as represented in
Figure 1, or nearly of a V shape, as represented in Figure 2. A pipe h*
conveys blast to the chamber h. The vertical wall i is perforated at k, the
perforations being so arranged that the blast is made to converge on to the
fire. These perforations may be made through a brick or quarry or other
material situated in the wall i; or a series of perforated pipes may be placed
in the wall. The blast from the chamber h passes through the perforations
at k, and impinges on the fire upon the grate a in the form of a series of jets
or currents. Below the ash-pit as is a second pipe of the form represented,
which pipe conveys blast to the said ash-pit, which rises between the fire-bars

page_text: to the fuel on the grate a. By means of these currents of air passing.
through the perforations at k above the grate a, and those passing between
the grate supplied by the pipe 1, perfect combustion of the fuel is effected.
The heat from the fire-place a is deflected by the inclined arch g on to the
iron on the bed b, the currents from the chamber h also tending to give the
heat a horizontal direction as well as perfecting the combustion; the iron on
the bed is thereby readily melted. The melted iron passes from the front
bed b through the arch e to the back bed c, from whence it is tapped through
the hole c*. At the junction of the furnace with the chimney f I place a
perforated brick or quarry m, through which the heated air from the furnace
passes to the said chimney f. In front of the perforated part m of the
chimney is a damper n, and in the chimney f is another damper o. By means
of the perforated part m of the chimney, in combination with the dampers n, o,
and the ordinary damper p, the draught through the furnace can be regulated
with great nicety. 7 is one of the fire holes for charging the grate a with
fuel, and r is the charge hole for charging the iron or other material on to
the front bed b. When large quantities of melted iron are to be produced,
I prefer to combine two of the furnaces described together. In this case I
so arrange the parts that the melted metal from the two furnaces passes into
one basin-shaped bed or receptacle made between the two furnaces or other-
wise conveniently situated.
The arrangement or combination of the parts described for effecting perfect
combustion of the fuel, as well as that for regulating the draught of the
furnace, may be applied to reverberatory furnaces for heating aud puddling
iron and steel, and for heating other metals, and also to furnaces for other
purposes, such as heating the stoves for blast furnaces and heating the steam
boilers of marine, locomotive, and stationary engines.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of reverberatory
furnaces for melting and heating iron and other metals herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, the arrangement or combination of the parts described and
illustrated for producing perfect combustion of the fuel of furnaces used in
the manufacture, heating, and melting of iron and other metals, and furnaces

page_text: for other purposes, that is, by means of a cross blast above and below the
fire-grates of the said furnaces.
Thirdly, the arrangement or combination of the parts described and
illustrated for regulating the draught of reverberatory and other furnaces
used in the manufacture, heating, and melting of iron, and for other purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ellis, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
o Witness,
VYVYAN H. MOYLE,
Curate in charge of North Ormesby,
Nr. Middlesbrough-on-Tees.
JOHN ELLIS. (L.S.)