IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HEAT BY THE COM- BUSTION OF FUEL FOR METALLURGICAL AND OTHER OPERATIONS WHERE HEAT 18 REQUIRED, AND IN THE MEANS FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT FROM BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Fothergill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
December 1867.
:
I, RICHARD FOTHERGILL, of Abernant House, Aberdare, in the County of
Glamorgan, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HEAT BY THE COM-
BUSTION OF FUEL FOR METALLURGICAL AND OTHER OPERATIONS WHERE HEAT 18
REQUIRED, AND IN THE MEANS FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT FROM BLAST
FURNACES," to be as follows:-
It has been proposed to effect the combustion of fuel for producing heat
required in furnaces by causing such fuel to descend in a more or less divided
state on to a bath or stratum of molten iron or other metal contained in the
bottom of a chamber communicating with the furnace, above which bath of
molten metal a blast of air is introduced to effect the combustion of the fuel....
Now one part of my Invention consists in producing the requisite heat for
metallurgical and other processes by effecting the combustion of the fuel de-
scending through the chamber upon a bath or stratum of molten slag or cinder
without the use of the bath of molten metal before mentioned, such molten
slag or cinder being produced from the fuel itself either alone or in conjunc-
tion with such well-known ingredients or fluxes mixed therewith that will aid
in their reduction to a fluid state, or by the use of slags from blast and other
furnaces, the said slag or cinder being maintained in a molten state by causing

page_text: a portion of the flames produced by the combustion of the fuel with the blast
of air entering the chamber to play upon, through, or underneath the said
bath or stratum. As the said molten slag or cinder accumulates it is pre-
vented from rising beyond a certain level by being caused to run off through
one or more outlet apertures formed at such level, and if requisite a portion of
the flames are also made to play through such apertures to keep the slag or
cinder liquid. The flames and hot gases produced by the combustion of the
fuel in the chamber are conducted thence through one or more apertures to
the furnace or other apparatus where they are to be utilized. I am aware
that in the processes before employed a layer of molten slag or cinder has
of necessity been formed upon the bath or stratum of molten metal, but my
Invention consists in burning the fuel upon a bath of molten slag or cinder
alone without the use of the molten metal, and maintained in a fluid state as
before described.
Another part of my Invention consists in utilizing the waste heat or flames
that issue from the lower part of blast furnaces by constructing in connection
with such blast furnaces reverberatory or other furnaces or hearths communi-
cating therewith by openings, flues, or passages in such manner that the flames
and hot gases that are usually allowed to escape into the air from apertures in
the lower part of the blast furnace. are caused to pass through such before-
mentioned openings, flues, or passages into the reverberatory or other furnaces
so as to act upon the materials contained therein. Such reverberatory or
other furnaces are constructed in the usual manner with the exception that
they need not be provided with fire-places, unless it may be desired at any
time to work them independently of the blast furnace. The passages or flues
connecting the latter with the former are provided with dampers to regulate
the quantity of flames and hot gases passing into the reverberatory or other
furnaces according to the requirements of the process carried on therein, as
also to cut off the communication altogether when required..