Improvements in Smelting and Refining Furnaces.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
Improvements in Smelting and Refining Furnaces.
I, JAMES MOSS BENNETT, of Saint Mungo Chemical Works, Ruchill, in the County
of Lanark, Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to furnaces for smelting and treating gold, silver, copper,
lead, zinc, tin, nickel, iron and other metallic ores and the precipitates thereof and for
refining the metals produced therefrom, and it consists in a cupola or blast furnace
of suitable height and dimensions closed at the top by a gas tight cup and cone or
other suitable arrangement through which the furnace is charged with fuel flux and
ores. In the plate on the top of the furnace several holes are made for the admission
of poking rods these holes being closed by removable plugs. The furnace has one or
more inlets or tuyeres for a pressure blast of hot air near the top, but preferably
somewhat under the surface of the burden. This hot air blast. distils or partially
consumes the fuel and produces a supply of inflammable or reductive gases which
pass downwards through the burden to the bottom of the furnace where they are met
and consumed by a pressure blast of hot air issuing from a series of tuyeres around
and near to the bottom of the furnace. A sufficient heat is maintained in the stack of
the furnace and throughout the burden by the admission of the pressure hot air blast
near the top, and also, when required, by a series of similar blasts through tuyeres at
various points in the height of the furnace, each tuyere having a controlling or stop-
valve. The gaseous products of combustion pass out by one or more gates or passages
at the bottom of the furnace and thereafter they pass through one or more covered
receivers or reservoirs which are lower than the sole of the furnace and into which
the molten metals and slag escape regularly as they are produced in the zone of fusion
at the bottom of the furnace. In each receiver the molten mass is allowed to settle
and the slag is run off therefrom the molten metal being from time to time tapped off
and run into pigs or bars. The heat maintained in the receiver by the heated
gaseous products of combustion passing through it, may be intensified if required by
the addition of a hot air blast which will ignite and consume part of the inflammable

page_text: gases escaping from the bottom of the furnace, the products of combustion so escaping
when a sufficient supply of fuel is maintained in the furnace being highly charged
with such gases. After passing through the receiver the products of combustion pass
over a bridge or through a short flue into an open hearth refining or reverberatory
furnace, at the entrance to which or within which they are met by a hot air blast
sufficient to consume the inflammable gases and to produce a white heat and an
oxidising blast, if required for acting on the molten mass of metal in the said refining
or reverberatory furnace. The waste products of combustion from the refining or
reverberatory furnace pass along a short flue and through passages in a brick or other
stove or regenerator by which the air blasts for the furnaces are heated. The metal
tapped from the receiver is or may be used for charging the refining or reverberatory
furnace, but the cupola or blast furnace along with its receiver can be used, without
the refining or reverberatory furnace for making pigs or unrefined metal and when
so used the air blast and fuel is or may be so regulated as to consume all or nearly all
the inflammable gases at the bottom of the furnace or in the receiver, the waste gases
passing to the stove, either through the refining or reverberatory furnace or through
a flue provided for that purpose. The waste gases after passing through the stove or
heater can be made to pass under boilers for raising steam to drive the blowing engine
for the blast and for other purposes and any valuable products in the waste gases may
be trapped before the gases are allowed to pass off by the chimney or otherwise.
Either coke, coal, charcoal, wood or any other suitable fuel may be used in the
cupola or blast furnace and instead of the hot air blasts the molten metal in the
Receiver or in the Reverberatory furnace, may be treated with superheated steam or
it may be treated with both combined.
This Invention enables the fuel used in furnaces for smelting and Refining ores,
metals and precipitates to be consumed so as to completely develop in the furnace and
receiver the full amount of the available heat therein, and it provides an arrangement
for smelting and refining ores and precipitates more successfully and conveniently and
at less cost than hitherto.
Dated this Fourth day of January 1888.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Smelting and Refining Furnaces.
I, JAMES MOSS BENNETT of Saint Mungo Chemical Works Ruchill in the County
of Lanark, Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This Invention relates to furnaces for smelting and treating gold, silver, copper,
lead, zinc, tin, nickel, iron and other metallic ores and the precipitates thereof and
for refining the metals produced therefrom, and as seen in part elevation and part
vertical longitudinal section at figure 1, in horizontal section at figure 2 and in
transverse section at figure 3 of the annexed drawings, the improved furnace consists
of a cupola or blast furnace A, of suitable height and dimensions closed at the top by
a gas tight cup B, and cone C, or other suitable arrangement through which the
furnace is charged with fuel flux and ores. In the plate D, on the top of the
furnace several holes are or may be made for the admission of poking rods, these
holes when provided having removable closing plugs. The furnace has one or more
inlets or tuyeres E, for the admission of a pressure blast of hot air near the top,
but preferably somewhat under the surface of the burden. This hot air blast
distils or partially consumes the fuel and produces a supply of inflammable or
reductive gases which pass downwards through the burden to the bottom of the
furnace where they are met and consumed by a pressure blast of hot air issuing from
a series of tuyeres F around and near to the bottom of the furnace. A sufficient heat
is maintained in the stack of the furnace and throughout the burden by the admis-
sion of the pressure hot air blast near the top and also when required by a series of
similar blasts through tuyeres G, at various points in the height of the furnace,
each tuyere having a controlling or stop valve. The gaseous products of combustion
are conducted out through the passage H, at the bottom of the furnace into and
through one or more covered receivers or reservoirs I, which are lower than the
sole of the furnace and into which the molten metals and slag also escape regularly
through the passage H as they are produced in the zone of fusion at the bottom of
the furnace. In the receiver the molten mass is allowed to settle and the slag is run
off therefrom through the tap hole J, the molten metal being from time to time
tapped off through the spout K, and run into pigs or bars. The heat maintained in
the receiver by the heated gaseous products of combustion and unconsumed gases
passing through it, may be intensified if required by the addition of a hot air blast
introduced through tuyeres into the receiver and which will ignite and consume
part of the inflammable gases escaping from the bottom of the furnace A, the
products of combustion so escaping when a sufficient supply of fuel is maintained in
the furnace A, being highly charged with such inflammable gases. From the receiver
the products of combustion pass through short flues L, into open hearth refining or
reverberatory furnaces M, at the entrance to or within which they are met by hot
air blasts conducted through tuyeres N, the said blasts being sufficient to consume
the inflammable gases and to produce a white heat. An oxidising blast if required
for acting on the molten mass of metal in the said refining or reverberatory furnaces

page_text: is introduced through tuyeres O the exits from which are situated below the level of
the surface of the molten mass the said tuyeres being so arranged as to cause the
molten mass to sweep around the furnaces M, with a swirling or circular motion
the effect of which in treating iron and steel gold, silver, copper and other metals
is that the "matte" is more perfectly freed from its impurities. The wasto products
of combustion from the refining or reverberatory furnaces M pass along short flues P
and through passages in a brick or other stove or regenerator by which the air blasts
for the furnaces are heated: The metal tapped from the receiver is or may be used
for charging the refining or reverberatory furnaces but the cupola or blast furnace A
along with its receiver I, can be used, without the refining or reverberatory furnaces
for making pigs or unrefined metal and when so used the air blast and fuel is or
may be so regulated as to consume all or nearly all the inflammable gases at the
bottom of the furnace or in the receiver, the waste gases passing to the stove either
through the refining or reverboratory furnaces M, or through flues Q, provided for
that purpose, dampers R, being arranged in conjunction with the furnaces M, and
with the flues Q to regulate the direction of the passage of the waste gases. The
waste gases after passing through the stove or heater can be made to pass under
boilers for raising steam to drive the blowing engine for the blast and for other
purposes and any valuable products in the waste gases may be trapped before the
gases are allowed to pass off by the chimney or otherwise.
Either coke, coal, charcoal, wood or any other suitable fuel may be used in the
cupola or blast furnace and instead of the hot air blasts the molten metal in the
receiver or in the reverberatory furnace may be treated with superheated steam or it
may be treated with both combined.
This Invention enables the fuel used in furnaces for smelting and refining ores,
metals and precipitates to be consumed so as to completely develop in the furnace and
receiver the full amount of the available heat therein, and it provides an arrange-
ment for smelting and refining ores and precipitates more successfully and con-
veniently and at less cost than hitherto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a cupola or blast furnace, a receiver or receivers for the
molten metal from said furnace, a reverberatory furnace or furnaces and air heating
stoves the products of combustion in the cupola passing through the receiver or
receivers, or through the receiver or receivers and the reverberatory furnace or
furnaces, to the stoves substantially as described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
2. The combination with a cupola or blast furnace of a receiver or receivers for
the molten metal the said receiver or receivers having tuyeres for supply of hot blast
to consume within it or them the or a portion of the inflammable gases from the
cupola substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination with a cupola or blast furnace of a receiver or receivers for the
molten metal from the said furnace and through which the products of combustion pass
and a reverberatory furnace or furnaces having tuyeres for the admission of hot and
oxidising blasts substantially as and for the purposes set forth with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
1000