IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Caddick, of the Ebbw Vale Iron Works, in
the County of Monmouth, Mason, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PUDDLING FURNACES."
Sealed the 3rd July 1855, and dated the 11th May 1855.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said David Caddick at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 11th May 1855, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
CADDICK, of Ebbw Vale Iron Works, in the County of Monmouth, Mason,
do hereby declare that the nature of the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PUDDLING FURNACES," and in what mauner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say:-
This Invention consists of improvements in puddling furnaces. These
furnaces, as heretofore, are constructed for the most part of fire bricks; but, in
place of having the ordinary iron plates and angle iron for giving strength to
the front and back sides as heretofore, they are each constructed with a
wrought-iron plate on each back and front side, extending from top and bottom
and from end to end of the furnace, with suitable openings. The "tool
boshes" have flues formed thereto, leading into upright flues formed in th

page_text: angles of the shaft or chimney, by which the steam generated (by the hot tools
being put into the water in the "tool boshes") passes away outside of the
lining of the shaft, and thus tends to keep the shaft or chimney cool; and a
flue is made at the back side of a puddling surface leading to the flues outside
of the shaft or chimney, through which a rush of air passes, and mixes with
the steam from the "tool boshes," and this aids in keeping the parts cool.
The flue which leads from the furnace to the shaft is made with a moveablo
iron bottom, which (when the furnace is at work) is supported so as to close
the bottom of the flue; but when the flue is to be cleaned, the iron bottom
is caused to descend, and thus to leave the slag and cinder unsupported, by
which these matters may be more readily got at and removed than heretofore
has been the case in the flues of puddling furnaces. In order to cool the
bed of the furnace after a charge of iron has been withdrawn, an apparatus
is applied to the exterior of the furnace, by which blasts of air can be thrown
on or projected against the hot bed, and thus to cool it.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows an external view of a puddling furnace constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; Figure 3, a
horizontal section; and Figure 4 are transverse sections thereof. In each of
these Figures the same letters of reference indicate the same parts; and such
is also the case in respect to Figures 5 and 6, which show a plan in section
and an end view of two similar puddling furnaces constructed back to back.
A is the body of the furnace; B, B, are the fire-places; C is the preparatory
chamber; D is the water bosh for tools, which is arranged with flues or
openings d, d, to admit of the steam passing away from the boshes under the
body of the furnace A into the angles formed in the angles between the
external casing and shaft L. By this means the exterior of the lower part
of the shaft L is kept cool, and also the under part of the furnace itself is
kept cool; and thero is the further advantage arising from the steam from the
water bosh passing in such direction, as it does not, as heretofore, interfere
with the workman by coming out from the water bosh into his face. E is the
bottom of the chamber, which moves on a hinge or axis, but when the
furnace is at work, it is supported as shown, so as to close the bottom of
the flue. When the flue is to be cleansed, the iron bottom is to be allowed to
descend, and thus leave the slag and cinder in the flue unsupported, by which
these matters may be more readily got at and removed than heretofore has been

page_text: the case in the flues of puddling furnaces where the bottoms of the flues have
not been made moveable. G are the bearers of the furnace, and H are the
bearers of the fire bars. These bearers, it is preferred, should be hollow or
tubular, as shown. I is the front plate, which is of wrought iron, with openings
formed in it for the working door and the feed opening. There is a similar
plate of wrought iron at the back, but without openings. These plates are
connected together and strengthened by straps or narrow plates of wrought
iron J, J. By thus using wrought-iron plates I, in place of cast iron, as
heretofore, greater durability is obtained to the furnace. M is a portion of a
blast pipe, the lower part of which is supported by and turns freely on an
axis N. The upper end of this pipe is fixed, and is connected with a pipe
leading to the blowing machinery, and such pipo has a valve to shut off or
admit air as the same may be required. When it is desired to cool the interior
of the furnace, the lower part of this pipe is turned so as to bring its outlap
into the working hole, which is shown covered by the lifting door O, and a
blast of air is to be allowed to pass through this pipe and into the furnace, by
which means the furnace will be quickly cooled.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
construction or combination of puddling furnaces herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Caddick, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
5 Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
DAVID CADDICK. (L.s.)