IMPROVEMENTS IN WELDING OR UNITING PLATES, TUBES, AND OTHER FORMS OF IRON OR STEEL, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William. Seddon Sutherland, of Warrington,
in the County of Lancaster, Engincer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WELDING OR UNITING PLATES, TUBES, AND OTHER
FORMS OF IRON OR STEEL, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN.
"
Sealed the 2nd August 1872, and dated the 6th February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Seddon
Sutherland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 6th February 1872.
I, WILLIAM SEDDON SUTHERLAND, of Warrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN WELDING OR UNITING PLATES, TUBES, AND OTHER FORMS.
OF IRON OR STEEL, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as.
86
follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in and connected with that
system of and means or apparatus for welding or uniting iron and.

page_text: First. As means for economizing fuel and obtaining a high tempe-
rature quickly I heat the air used to support combustion, or the gaseous
fuel, or both, previous to admixture and combustion in the furnace,
constructed under my Patent of 1869 above mentioned, or with the
improvements hereafter set forth. The air is heated by being made to
pass through or over tubes heated from a furnace or otherwise.
Second. As further means for economizing fuel and obtaining high
temperatures during combustion in mixing in a chamber or passage air
preferably heated with the gaseous fuel, or gaseous fuel with the air, in
both cases in such quantity that an explosive mixture is not formed
previously to allowing the said mixed gas and air, or air and gas, or air
only, to come into contact and be consumed in the combustion chamber.
In practice I prefer to add air to the gaseous fuel, say twenty per cent.,
by volume.
Third. As means for preventing scale and fused oxide or metal from
falling into the combustion chamber or coming into contact with the
sides thereof and choking the pipes or passages supplying the gaseous
fuel and air, I place the furnace as a whole over the plate, tube, or other
article to be welded, and employ fire-brick or other non-conducting
material underneath the surfaces to be welded so as to ensure that such
surfaces are thoroughly heated. In this arrangement the products of
combustion are allowed to escape from the heating orifice past the article
being heated. It will be evident that a slight back pressure results from
inverting the furnace.
* Fourth. As means for ensuring that a considerable length of tube or
other article may be uniformly heated for welding I employ a series of
tubes and annular orifices to conduct the gaseous fuel and air from their
respective containers to the combustion chamber. These tubes and
annular orifices terminate in the said combustion chamber, and they are
so disposed that they form a long straight or curved line, or series of
lines, in such manner as to give a line of flame of uniform length of
the full extension of the combustion chamber.
Fifth. As means for preventing the issuing gaseous fuel and air from
striking against the sides of the combustion chamber and thereby fusing

page_text: such sides, I dispose the tubes and orifices for the outflow of the air and
gaseous fuel in such manner that the lines of outflow converge
towards the longitudinal centre line of the heating orifice.
Sixth. As means for concentrating the flame at the heating orifice,
and ensuring that the gaseous fuel and air become thoroughly mixed as
combustion proceeds, I make the ends of the tubes for air or gaseous
fuel, preferably air, and the annular spaces around the ends of the said
tubes for gaseous fuel or air, preferably gaseous fuel, of a taper form, the
narrowest ends being at the termination in the combustion chamber.
· Seventh. As means for causing the gaseous fuel and air, whether
mixed or separate, to issue in the desired and requisite proportion at all
the tubes and openings of the series terminating in the combustion
chamber, I insert in the respective gaseous fuel and air chambers
diaphragms, or their equivalents, so disposed that they intercept the
entering gaseous fuel or air, and direct them to each opening at the same
pressure and speed. The diaphragms may be arranged in a zig-zag
manner or they may be of varying heights in the chambers.
Eighth. As means for moving a tube when heated and to be welded
from the furnace to the hammer, I employ a draw bench or other
appliance, using carrying rollers outside and inside the tube if
necessary.
Ninth. As means for facilitating welding. or uniting generally,
employing in combination with a furnace having any or all of the
improvements above described, a hammer and anvil mounted on a
carriage or otherwise arranged, as explained in my Patent of 1869
aforesaid, or instead of a hammer and anvil two hammers working
opposite each other may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Seddon Sutherland in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th August 1872.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Seddon Sutherland, Her
special licence that I, the. said William Seddon Sutherland, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Seddon Sutherland, 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 WELDING OR UNITING PLATES,
TUBES, AND OTHER FORMS OF IRON OR STEEL, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Seddon Sutherland, my executors or administrators, 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 William Seddon Sutherland, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had, as regards
certain parts, to the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
-
My Invention relates to improvements in and connected with that
system of and means or apparatus for welding or uniting iron and steel,
for which I obtained Her Majesty's Letters Patent, No. 2487, of the
year 1869.
First. As means for economizing fuel and obtaining a high tempera-
ture quickly I heat the air used to support combustion, or the gaseous
fuel, or both, previous to admixture and combination in furnaces con-
structed under my Patent of 1869, above mentioned, or with the
improvements hereafter set forth. The air is, heated by being made to
pass through or over tubes heated from a furnace or otherwise.

page_text: Second. As further means for economizing fuel and obtaining high
temperature during combustion in mixing in a chamber or passage air.
preferably heated with the gaseous fuel, or gaseous fuel with the air, in
both cases in such quantity that an explosive mixture is not formed
previously to allowing the said mixed gas and air, or air and gas, or air
only, to come into contact and be consumed in the combustion chamber.
In practice I prefer to add air to the gaseous fuel, say twenty per cent.,
by volume.
Third. As means for preventing scale and fused oxide or metal
from falling into the combustion chamber or coming in contact with
the sides thereof and choking the pipes or passages supplying the
gaseous fuel and air, I place the furnace as a whole over the plate,
tube, or other article to be welded, and employ fire-brick or other
non-conducting material underneath the surfaces to be welded so as to.
ensure that such surfaces are thoroughly heated. In this arrange-
ment the products of combustion are allowed to escape from the heating
orifice past the article being heated. It will be evident that a slight
back pressure results from inverting the furnace.
Fourth. As means for ensuring that a considerable length of tube or
other article may be uniformly heated for welding I employ a series of
tubes and annular orifices to conduct the gaseous fuel and air from their
respective containers to the combustion chamber. These tubes and
annular orifices terminate in the said combustion chamber, and they are so
disposed that they form a long straight or curved line or series of lines
in such manner as to give a line of flame of uniform length of the
full extension of the combustion chamber.
Fifth. As means for preventing the issuing gaseous fuel and air from
striking against the sides of the combustion chamber and thereby fusing
such sides, I dispose the tubes and orifices for the outflow of the air and
gaseous fuel in such manner that the lines of outflow converge towards
the longitudinal centre line of the heating orifice.
Sixth. As means for concentrating the flame at the heating orifice
and ensuring that the gaseous fuel and air become thoroughly mixed as
combustion proceeds, I make the ends of the tubes for air or gaseous
fuel, preferably air, and the annular spaces around the ends of the said.
tubes for gaseous fuel or air, preferably gaseous fuel, of a taper form, the
narrowest ends being at the termination in the combustion chamber.
:

page_text: Seventh. As means for causing the gaseous fuel and air, whether
mixed or separate, to issue in the desired and requisite proportion at all
the tubes and openings of the series terminating in the combustion
chamber, I insert in the respective gaseous fuel and air chambers
diaphragms, or their equivalents, so disposed that they intercept the
entering gaseous fuel or air, and direct them to each opening at the same
pressure and speed. The diaphragms may be arranged in a zig-zag
manner or they may be of varying heights in the chambers.
.
Figs. 1 and 2 show respectively transverse section and longitudinal
section of a furnace embodying parts of my improvements; Fig. 3 is a
sectional plan through the gas and air chamber; and Fig. 4, enlarged
view of the ends of the tubes and gas and air orifices, and also the
combustion chamber and heating orifice.
The air having been heated as aforesaid (first head) by being made to
pass through or over tubes heated from a furnace, or otherwise, or by
other means or appliance mixed or in other condition (second head) as
is understood, passes into the end of the overhead (third part) upper
chamber or container A from the pipe or passage B. Under the said
chamber A is the perforated plate C which holds up the line of tubes
D, D, D (fourth head). In order that the air may pass equally down
these tubes (seventh head) the diaphragm or guide plates E, E, E, are
inserted as shown, and to still further assist the air to flow at an equal
rate down the tubes the top of the chamber is inclined so as to deflect
the air to the diaphragm plates E, E, E. Instead of these plates 3
E, E, E, other means may be employed, or the air may be made to flow

page_text: '
The
in a. zig-zag direction by means of plates suitably arranged.
tubes D, D, D, pass through the chamber F and their lower ends are made
taper, as shown in the Fig. 4; it will be seen that the tubes are so
disposed that the lines of their outflow converge (fifth head) towards
the longitudinal centre line of the heating orifice. Under the
chamber F is the perforated plate G, which has taper orifices (sixth head)
drilled in it to correspond with the ends of the tubes D, D, D. The
perforated plate G is drilled and set so that an annular space is formed
between the taper end of each tube D and the side of the corresponding
taper orifice in the perforated plate G. The combustion chamber H is
situated. under the plate G, and from the Drawings it will be seen that
the directions of outflow converge towards the heating orifice I. The.
gaseous fuel in this instance flows into the chamber F through the pipe
or passage K, and a pipe or passage L is conveyed into the said pipe K
for the purpose of conducting air, preferably heated, into and amongst
the gaseous fuel. The end of the pipe L terminates in a nozzle
perforated with a number of small holes in order that the air 'may mix
thoroughly with the gas. Diaphragm plates P, P, P, (seventh head)*
are placed in the chamber F so.as to cause the gas and air to flow in a
zig-zag direction, and prevent the said gas and air from rushing to the
end of the chamber F and thereby form eddies..
The air is forced by means of a blowing engine (Root's blower or
other appliance or means) into the chamber A, thence is conducted by
the tubes D, D, D, into the combustion chamber H, where it meets with
the mixture of gaseous fuel and air, which pass from the chamber F by
means of the annular orifices between the ends of the tube D, D, D, and
the plate G.
The gas with or without air may likewise be forced into its or their
chamber F by means of a blowing engine, Root's blower, or other
means and appliance, but in practice I prefer the mixture to flow under
a slightly lower pressure than the air.
On the furnace being ignited an intense.heat is produced at the heating
orifice I, and the intensely heated products of combustion are driven
violently against the surfaces M, M, of the tube or other article N to be
welded. Under the surfaces M, M, and the adjacent parts of the tube is
placed the line of fire-brick or other refractory material 0, 0, 0, which
reflects back upon the surfaces M, M, the heat which is conducted through
the metal; the joint of the tube or other article is thus brought up to a

page_text: thorough welding heat all through. The waste gases pass from the
heating orifice past the tube or other article being heated and rise round
the furnace, thus preventing loss of heat.
The sides of the combustion chamber H are made of fire-brick or
other refractory and non-conducting material, and in this case the rest
of the furnace is made of wrought iron, but it is evident other material
may be used and other forms and articles besides tubes heated and
welded.
*Suitable valves or other appliances are used for regulating the proper
flow of the air and gaseous fuel, and ensuring that the proper proportions
of each are obtained.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry
my improvements into effect, I claim, the means and appliances arranged,
combined, and operating substantially in the manner and for the
purposes set forth.
:
In witness whereof, I, the said William Seddon Sutherland, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two. In the presence of
WILLIAM SEDDON SUTHERLAND. (L.S.)
Witness,
HENRY HOWARD,
Coombs Wood Patent Tube Works,
Old Hill, near Dudley.