IMPROVE- MENTS IN BLAST AND CUPOLA FURNACES AND IN THE METHOD OF WORKING THE SAME
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOSIAH SWAIN of 140, Shaw Road Oldham, in the County of Lancaster
Foundry Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BLAST AND CUPOLA FURNACES AND IN THE METHOD OF WORKING THE
SAME to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to the blast furnaces and cupolas used in the smelting of
iron ore and in the melting and purifying of iron and other metals, the principal
object being to obtain increased economy in fuel and in purifying metals.
My invention consists in making, between the walls of the furnace, a chamber
or passage leading from the lower part of the furnace and extending from below or
about the level of the tuyers to the upper part of the cupola: the gases in a highly
heated state are forced through this chamber from the lower to the upper part of
the cupola, and heat is thus imparted to the tuyers (which are laid in the chamber)
and so to the air for combustion which is forced into the furnace through the
tuyers When applying my Invention to a Cupola or furnace for melting iron I
form in the walls of the cupola, or outside, a chamber preferably extending over
two heights of tuyers and the tuyers pass through this chamber into the furnace
and are heated by the gases in the chamber and the air passing through the tuyers
is thus highly heated. In this chamber I place chloride of sodium: the bottom
and the top of the chamber communicate with the furnace by passages and the
blast from the furnace forces the gases through the lower passages into the
chamber over the chloride of sodium from which fumes are raised and these fumes
with the other gases are forced from the chamber through the upper passages into
the furnace at or about the point of fusion of the metal and thus purify the metal
and accelerate the fusion.
The upper and lower passages connecting the chamber with the furnace may be
at any suitable level and above or below the tuyers. The chambers would extend
all round a common cupola, but a chamber may be formed at each side of the
cupola when convenient or when a receiver is used.
When the cupola is provided with a receiver I may when simply melting and
not purifying iron form a chamber above the metal in the receiver in which

page_text: chamber I place cold air pipes to be heated by the metal or gases in the receiver
and I make a sluice in the bottom of the furnace extending to the inside of the
receiver for the discharge of slag at the back of the furnace.
The intention is that the gases in the cupola may be reverberated and that the
furnace may be fed with highly heated gases and highly heated volatile fumes
from chlorine or chloride of sodium to purify the metal. When the cupola is
provided with a receiver I may cause the heated gases to flow through the receiver
and I may increase the number of orifices in the receiver for the discharge of gases
and for the discharge of slag.
I may in some cases dispense with the chamber or chambers and discharge the
gases into open air or convey the hot gases through pipes lined with refractory
material from the lower to the upper part of the furnace without heating the cold
air before entering the furnace.
I do not use chlorine when melting brands of iron that do not need purifying.
Dated this 8th day of August 1884

page_text: J, JOSIAH SWAIN, of 140, Shaw Road, Oldham in the County of Lancaster,
Foundry Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BLAST AND CUPOLA FURNACES AND IN THE METHOD OF WORKING THE
SAME and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the blast furnaces and cupolas used in the smelting of
iron ore and in the melting and purifying of iron and other metals, the principal
object being to obtain increased economy in fuel and in purifying metals.
My invention consists in making between the walls of the furnace, a chamber
or passage leading from the lower part of the furnace and extending from below or
about the level of the tuyers to the upper part of the cupola; the gases in a highly
heated state are forced through this chamber from the lower to the upper part of
the cupola and heat is thus imparted to the tuyers (which are laid in the chamber)
and so to the air for combustion which is forced into the furnace through the
tuyers.
When applying my invention to a cupola or furnace for melting iron I form in
the walls of the cupola, or outside, a chamber preferably extending over two
heights of tuyers, and the tuyers pass through this chamber into the furnace and
are heated by the gases in the chamber and the air passing through the tuyers is
thus highly heated. In this chamber I place Chloride of Sodium: the bottom and
the top of the chamber communicate with the furnace by passages and the blast
for the furnace forces the gases through the lower passages into the chamber over
the Chloride of Sodium from which fumes are raised and these fumes with the
other gases are forced from the chamber through the upper passages into the
furnace at or about the point of fusion of the metal and thus purify the metal and
accelerate the fusion. The upper and lower passages connecting the chamber with
the furnace may be at any suitable level and above or below the tuyers. The
chamber would extend all round a common cupola without a receiver, but a
chamber may be formed at each side of the cupola when convenient, or when
a receiver is used.
When the cupola is provided with a receiver I may when simply melting and
not purifying iron form a chamber above the metal in the receiver in which
chamber I place cold air pipes to be heated by the metal or gases in the receiver
and I make a sluice in the bottom of the furnace extending to the inside of the
receiver for the discharge of slag at the back of the furnace.
The intention is that the gases in the cupola may be reverberated and that the
furnace may be fed with highly heated gases and highly heated volatile fumes
from Chlorine or Chloride of Sodium to purify the metal. When the cupola is
provided with a receiver I may cause the heated gases to flow through the receiver
and I may increase the number of orifices in the receiver for the discharge of gases
and for the discharge of slag.
I may in some cases dispense with the chamber or chambers and convey the hot
gases through pipes lined with refractory material from the lower to the upper
part of the furnace without heating the cold air before entering the furnace.
I do not use Chlorine when melting brands of iron that do not need purifying.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had
to the Figures and letters marked thereon,

page_text: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a cupola furnace and receiver for melting
and purifying metals to which part of my improvements are applied. Fig. 2 is a
section on the line A. B. Fig. 1. and Fig. 3 is a side view of part of the cupola
showing the passages and the tuyers and the air pipe for supplying the blast to
the same. Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section, of the receiver provided with my
improved chamber for heating the air supplied to the tuyers.
In the walls a of the cupola is formed a chamber b in which are laid two rows
of tuyers c c respectively, passing through the chamber b into the furnace d: the
bottom and the top of the chamber communicate with the furnace by
passages b¹ and b³ respectively. I place Chlorine or Chloride of Sodium in the
bottom of the chamber b, when the metal treated requires purifying. The blast is
supplied to the tuyers c, c¹, and so to the furnace d through the pipe e f is the
sluice for the discharge of slag, through the spout f¹, formed in the bottom of the
furnace d and extending to the inside of the receiver g: h is a tapping spout for
the discharge of the molten metal from the receiver.
In the arrangement illustrated by Fig. 4 which may be used instead of or in
conjunction with the chamber b for the purpose of heating the air for combustion
supplied to the furnace through the tuyers c, c¹, I form a chamber above the
receiver g, and connect the blast pipe to the pipes ; placed in the chamber:
the hot gases from the receiver g pass through an opening into the chamber i
and out at the top of the chamber through an opening it thus highly heating the
pipes and the air for the blast contained in them. The pipes j are connected near
the bottom of the chamber i to a pipe el which, when the arrangement is used in
conjunction with the chamber b, is connected to the chamber which incloses the
air supplied to the tuyers cc' or, when this arrangement is used alone, the pipe e'
may be connected directly to the tuyers and the passages b₁ b¹ connected to the
passages 6262 by pipes lined with refractory materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I declare that what I claim is,
1. The combination of parts forming the improved furnace, substantially as
and for the purposes herein shewn and described.
2. Taking gases from a cupola or blast furnace at one level and returning them
at a higher level and the means for effecting the same, substantially in the manner
and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. The use and application of Chlorine or Chloride of Sodium substantially in
the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.
4. The chamber i substantially as and for the purpose shewn and described.
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