Improvements in and in Appliances for Use in Heating Files and other Articles of Steel Preparatory to Hardening them.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1895-Accepted. 13th Apr., 1895.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Appliances for Use in Heating Files and
other Articles of Steel Preparatory to Hardening them.
1, SAMUEL SAYLES, of 32 Bloxcidge Street, Langley near Birmingham, File
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An appliance, constructed according to this invention; for the purpose of heating
files and other articles of steel preparatory to hardening them, consists of a heating
chamber on the floor of which is spread a layer of charcoal, and of a furnace grate
arranged conveniently beneath the heating chamber and communicating through
the floor thereof at one end or side. The floor of the heating chamber consists,
preferably, of a metal plate of which the underside is exposed to the direct heat of
the fire. This plate is stopped short near one end or side of the furnace to form the
flue through which the furnace grate communicates with the heating chamber.
An outlet flue is carried up from the end of the heating chamber which is the
further from the opening through the floor thereof.
The files or other articles to be heated are placed upon the charcoal within the
heating chamber, and are turned over as may be required to ensure their being
heated equally throughout. The charcoal prevents sharp points, such as the teeth
of files, from being injured, and replaces the carbon of steel articles placed thereupon
which is dispelled by the heat, and thus maintains and even improves the quality
of the metal.
A blast of air may be blown into the furnace to quicken the combustion, if
desired.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in and in Appliances for Use in Heating Files and
other Articles of Steel Preparatory to Hardening them.
I, SAMUEL SAYLES, of 32 Bloxcidge Street, Langley near Birmingham, Fil
Manager, 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 :-
An appliance constructed according to this invention, for the purpose of heating
files and other articles of steel preparatory to hardening them, consists of a heating,
chamber on the floor of which is spread a layer of charcoal, and of a furnace grate.
arranged conveniently beneath the heating chamber and communicating therewith;
through suitable flues. The floor of the heating chamber, which may consist
conveniently of a metal plate or of a slab or slabs of refractory earthenware (such
for instance as Stourbridge fire goods are made of) has the underside exposed.
the heat of the products of combustion. An outlet flue is carried through the roofi
of the heating;chamber.
Air may be blown into the furnace to quicken the combustion, if desired.
ita

page_text: The files or other articles to be heated are placed upon the charcoal within the
heating chamber, and are turned over as may be required to ensure their being
heated equally throughout. The charcoal prevents sharp points, such as the teeth
of files, from being injured, and replaces the carbon of steel articles placed thereupon
which is dispelled by the heat, and thus maintains and even improves the quality
of the metal.
In order that the manner of carrying out the invention may be clearly understood,
I will now proceed to describe the apparatus employed by reference to the
accompanying drawings, of which
Figure 1 an end view of a combined furnace and heating chamber constructed
and fitted up in a manner suitable for the purpose of heating files, though the same
furnace may of course be used for heating other steel articles preparatory to
hardening them;
Figure 2 is a section taken on the vertical centre line of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a section through the centre of the apparatus taken at right angles to
the section shewn by Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a sectional plan taken at the level of the line of Figure 3.
A is the heating chamber, which is formed open at each end and is fitted with
doors a capable of being raised and lowered within vertical guides b, by means of
counterbalanced levers, such as c. Either or both ends of the chamber may thus
be opened and closed at will. The chamber may, however, when its size and the
purpose for which it is required make it convenient, be formed to open at one end
only. B is the furnace grate in position immediately below the heating chamber.
The bottom d of the heating chamber may be formed of a cast iron plate. It is
preferred, however, to be formed (as shewn in the illustration) of slabs d' (or a
single slab if the dimensions of the chamber admit thereof) of refractory material
such as above indicated. The fuel is charged to the furnace grate through
openings C one on each side thereof (or through a single opening at one side in the
case of a small apparatus). In the apparatus illustrated, the heating chamber is
about three feet long by two feet six inches wide. The products of combustion
from the furnace rate pass through flues e (shewn in Figure 3 by broken lines
only) into the heating chamber A, the direction of flow being indicated by arrows.
An outlet flue is carried through the roof of the heating chamber, and the products
of combustion issuing therefrom are led by a sheet metal hood D into the bottom E
of a chimney through which they pass away. A blast box F closes in the
underside of the fire bars which are preferably cast together to form a grating G.
This grating is hinged at one side at g (see Figure 2) and is supported at the other
side by means of a legh which rests upon the bottom of the blast box. The
bottom of the blast box is hinged at j, and the other side is normally held up by a
catch k, which may conveniently be in the form of a spring catch so that it may
automatically catch the bottom i as it is closed up. When it is desired to clear the
ashes from the blast box and grating, the bottom i is unfastened and lowered down,
the grating of course turning down also. The blast is supplied through piping H,
and passes preferably through a receiver J before passing into the blast box F.
The volume thus always within the receiver tends to equalise the pressure of blast
passing into the blast box. The blast may be shut off by means of a suitable plate
or valve such as /.
If air is not blown into the furnace grate, the outlet flue f from the heating
chamber must connect with a suitable chimney so as to ensure the required draught;
and a damper should be arranged in position between the outlet from the chamber A
and the chimney, or in the lower portion of the chimney.
If large files or articles of like thickness or bulk are to be heated preparatory to
hardening them, a layer of charcoal of about half an inch thick is spread upon the
bottom d of the heating chamber; but for small files or articles of like thickness or
bulk a layer of charcoal of about one quarter of au inch thick will suffice. The
charcoal should be in a granular form, the particles being about the size of peas or
less according to the thickness or bulk of the files or articles to be heated.

page_text: Any suitable fuel, such as coke or coal may be burnt in the grate.
In order to prevent the hot gases within the heating chamber A flowing out
against the attendant when he is standing in front of an open door of such chamber
(in a case in which an air blast is used), a blast pipe m is carried along outside each
end of the chamber in position immediately below the level of the bottom of the
door opening, and a slit or series of perforations is formed through the side of each
pipe in position to direct a sheet or streams of blast towards the door opening and
thus keep back the hot gases; and in order that each pipe m may be carried close
up to the corresponding fore-plate t, the upper edge of each fore-plate is chamfered,
as shewu. The blast is preferably shut off from a pipe m when or as the corre-
sponding door is shut; but is turned on when or as such door is opened. The
turning on and shutting off the blast to and from a pipe m may be effected
automatically as a result of the movements of the door in opening and closing,
respectively, such as in the manner shewn by Figure 1; that is to say, a lever n of
a valve or cock p may have a weight q on its outer end and be connected by means
of a chain with an arms fixed to the door. As the door is raised the lever is
lifted and the valve opened, and as the door is lowered the weight 7 closes
the valve.
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 improvements in heating files and other articles of steel preparatory to
hardening them, which consist in subjecting the same to heat within a heating
chamber while resting upon a layer of charcoal spread upon the bottom of such
chamber, substantially as described.
2. The appliance for use in heating files and other articles of steel preparatory to
hardening them, which comprises a heating chamber on the floor of which is spread
a layer of charcoal, a furnace grate by means of which such chamber is heated, and
preferably means by which blast is blown into such grate, substantially as described
and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 15th day of January 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.