IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO PUDDLING FURNACES, HEATING FURNACES, BALLING FURNACES, AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Russell, of Forest Vale Iron Works,
Cinderford, near Newnham, in the County of Gloucester, Ironmaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO PUDDLING
FURNACES, HEATING FURNACES, BALLING FURNACES, AND OTHER FURNACES
T
Sealed the 15th September 1870, and dated the 15th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th July 1870.
I, JAMES RUSSELL, of Forest Vale Iron Works, Cinderford, near
Newnham, in the County of Gloucester, Ironmaster, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO
PUDDLING FURNACES, HEATING FURNACES, BALLING FURNACES, AND OTHER FURNACES
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," to be as follows :-
My Invention consists of the improvements in or additions to the said
furnaces herein-after described, the object of the said improvements or

page_text: additions being to screen and protect the puddler or workman from the
distressing heat of the said furnaces, to which he is ordinarily exposed
during the puddling or other operation performed in the said furnaces.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a puddling furnace :-I
support parallel to and at a short distance from the front of the furnace
three vertical screens, two of the said screens covering the front of the
furnace on either side the puddling door, and the third screen nearly
covering the said door, the hole in the said door through which the
puddler's rabble passes being left exposed. Each screen is made by
preference of a plate or slab of wrought iron. The edges of the middle
screen or plate project over the inner edges of the side screens or
plates, and the said middle screen is supported by a chain passing over
pulleys and provided with a counterbalance weight. The side plates or
screens are supported in front of the furnace by being hooked or
otherwise fastened thereto.
The heat radiated from the furnace at that side at which the puddler
stands during the puddling operation is received upon and absorbed by
the screens or plates described, and the said puddler is thus protected
from the distressing heat of the said furnace.
The protecting plates or screens are kept cool by the following
arrangement:-At the bottom edge of each plate and at the outer side
thereof a trough is fixed, the trough of the middle plate or screen being
situated above and its ends project over the troughs of the side plates
or screens. The troughs of the side plates are connected together by a
pipe. Near the top and outside the plates or screens is a horizontal
water pipe pierced with a number of small holes a short distance apart;
this water pipe is supplied with water under pressure, a stop-cock
regulating the passage of the water. The water from the said pipe is
projected in the form of a series of small jets on to the outer side of
the screens or protecting plates of the furnace and runs down the said
plates in a continuous stream, and thereby keeps the said plates cool.
The water running down the said plates passes into the troughs at the
bottom thereof, and from thence escapes into the bosh or water box
used for cooling the puddler's tools, or is conveyed elsewhere as may be
required.
When the puddling door is required to be raised for removing a ball
from the furnace the middle plate or screen is lifted by its chain and
counterbalance weight so as to uncover the said door.

page_text: When required the side plates may be unhooked from the side of the
furnace and when the furnace is in operation again hooked to the said
furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
.
• filed by the said James Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
RUSSELL, of Forest Vale Iron Works, Cinderford, near Newnham, in
the County of Gloucester, Ironmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Russell, Her special licence
that I, the said James Russell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Russell, 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 OR ADDITIONS
TO PUDDLING FURNACES, HEATING FURNACES, BALLING FURNACES, AND OTHER
FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Russell, 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 James Russell, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say -

page_text: My Invention consists of the improvements in or additions to the
said furnaces herein-after described, the object of the said improvements
or additions being to screen and protect the puddler or workman from
the distressing heat of the said furnaces, to which he is ordinarily
exposed during the puddling or other operation performed in the said
furnaces.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a puddling furnace :-I
support parallel to and at a short distance from the front of the furnace
three vertical screens, two of the said screens covering the front of the
furnace on either side, the puddling door and the third screen nearly
covering the said door, the hole in the door, through which the puddler's
rabble passes being left exposed. Each screen is made by preference of a
plate or slab of cast or wrought iron. The edges of the middle screen
or plate project over the inner edges of the side screens or plates, and
the said middle screen is supported by a chain passing over pulleys and
provided with a counterbalance weight. The side plates or screens are
supported in front of the furnace by being hooked or otherwise fastened

page_text: door e, to remove a ball from the furnace.
Each of the side plates a, c,
is fastened and supported in its place by the two hooks m, m, near its top.
One of these hooks is represented on a larger scale in Figure 5. The
fastening hooks m engage with the top edges of the ordinary furnace
plates p, p, in the manner best seen in the end elevation Figure 3. The
screens or plates a, c, are fastened to the hooks m by means of screw
bolts and nutq passed through the said screens or plates and the flanges
m² of the said hooks, the flat faces of the flanges abutting against the
inner sides of the screen plates a, c, in the manner represented in Figures
2 and 3. The vertical position of the screen plates a, c, is adjusted by
the distance bolts » near the bottoms of the said screen plates. One of
these distance bolts is represented on a larger scale in Figure 6. The
stems of the bolts are inserted and fixed in the furnace plates p, p, and
the screen plates are fastened to the flanges or heads ² of the said bolts
r by screw bolts and nuts s. Each of the screen plates a, b, c, is provided
at bottom and on its outer side with a trough marked respectively a², b², c²,
the said troughs being rivetted or bolted to the said plates. An end
elevation of one of these troughs is represented on a larger scale detached
in Figure 7. The ends of the trough 62 of the middle screen 6 project
over the troughs a², c², of the outer or side screens a, c.
The troughs
a², c², are connected together by the pipe t. The screens or protecting
plates a, b, c, are kept cool during the use of the furnace by the hori-
zontal water pipe u at the top and outside the said screens or plates. The
pipe u is supplied with water under pressure, and is supported at one end
by the eye or bracket v, and at the other end by the supply pipe. The
passage of water is regulated by the stop-cock w. That part of the water
pipe which is presented to the screen or plates a, b, c, is pierced with
a number of small holes through which holes a series of small jets of
water are projected on to the outer sides of the screens or protecting plates,
the said water running down the said plates in a continuous stream. The
water passes from the screens into the troughs a², b³, c², and from thence
is conveyed by the pipe x into the bosh or water box y used for cooling
the puddler's tools. The same quantity of water usually supplied to
the ordinary bosh or water box for colling the puddler's tools is sufficient
for keeping cool the protecting screens or plates.

page_text: or plates a, b, c, and the puddler thus protected from the heat of the
furnace, the said screens or protecting plates being kept cool by the jets
of water projected upon them from the water pipe u. The same set of.
screens or protecting plates may be used for several puddling furnaces.
When it is required to remove the screen plates from the furnace for
applying them to another furnace, or for other purpose, it is only necessary.
to detach the middle screen 6 from its chain h and unhook the plates a, c,
from their bearings on the top of the ordinary furnace plates p, p.
If however the hooks in use at one furnace are not suited to the shape or
position of another furnace to which the screen plates are to be applied
it is then necessary to remove the screw bolts of the fastening hooks m.
and distance bolts r of the side plates or screens a, c, and substitute for
them hooks and distance bolts proper for the purpose.
I do not limit myself to the number, position, or means of fixing and
supporting the screens or protecting plates of the furnace. Neither do I
limit myself to making the middle screen or plate capable of a vertical
sliding motion, as the said middle screen or plate may have a lateral
motion given to it to remove it from the front of the puddling door when
access to the furnace is required.
In applying my Invention to balling furnaces, and other furnaces
used in the manufacture of iron and steel, I adopt the arrangement or
combination of parts described and represented, such changes of detail
only being made as will fit the said parts to the particular furnace to
which they are to be applied.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention but I claim as my Invention the improvements in or additions
to puddling furnaces, heating furnaces, balling furnaces, and other
furnaces used in the manufacture of iron and steel, herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, applying
to the said furnaces one or more vertical screens or protecting plates for
screening and protecting the puddler or workman from the distressing
heat of the said furnaces during the puddling or other operation performed
in the said furnaces, the said screens or protecting plates being constructed

page_text: and applied to the said furnaces and kept cool substantially in the
manner described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Russell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
WILLIAM HENRY HODGES,
Cinderford,
Gloucestershire.
JAMES RUSSELL. (L.S.)