AN APPARATUS FOR ECO- NOMISING COAL AND OTHER FUEL TO BE USED WITH HOT OR COLD BLAST IN THE SMELTING OF IRON ORES AND REMELTING OF PIG IRON
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brond, Manager of Blast Furnaces and Iron
Works, late of Ulverston, in the County of Lancaster, now of Handsworth,
in the County of Stafford, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS FOR ECO-
NOMISING COAL AND OTHER FUEL TO BE USED WITH HOT OR COLD BLAST IN THE
SMELTING OF IRON ORES AND REMELTING OF PIG IRON."
Sealed the 18th January 1861, and dated the 20th July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Broad at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1860.
I, JOHN BROAD, Manager of Blast Furnaces and Iron Works, of Ulverston,
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "AN APPARATUS FOR ECONOMISING COAL AND OTHER FUEL TO BE USED WITH HOT
OR COLD BLAST IN THE SMELTING OF IRON ORES AND REMELTING OF PIG IRON," to
be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to reduce the cost of and economise the
coals or other combustibles now used for the smelting of iron ores or the
remelting of pig iron, and this I effect by using refuse or small coal, commonly
called slack, breeze from the coke yard and coke ovens, however small,
and the small and now waste particles of charcoal and small peat, as
commonly used where best charcoal iron is being made, as well as the uncon-

page_text: sumed particles of combustible matter from puddling, hot air and other furnaces
or fire-places in and about large iron-works. And in partly using this hitherto
refuse combustible matter, instead of wholly using large coals as now practised
for the smelting of iron ores and remelting of pig iron, I use it in such a way,
as will be hereafter seen, that the hearth of the furnace (where the greatest
heat is required to reduce the ore or pig iron to a state of fusion) shall be
supplied and supported with the combustibles used, free, and with the blast,
thereby permitting a thorough mingling of the oxygen with the carbon so
essential in producing and maintaining the heat required, and by the heat
thus produced and maintained the ore or pig iron mixed with the coal as
ordinarily used, and supplied at the top of the furnace or cupola with the
mine or iron in the usual way will gradually work down as the iron and
other silicious and fusible matter becomes melted and runs to the bottom
of the furnace or cupola. And in carrying my Invention into effect I require
no alteration whatever or addition to the blast furnaces or cupolas as now
commonly used, and which I purpose to charge in the ordinary way with
coal and mine or pig iron as required at the top; and in connection with the
main blast or blowing pipe at a convenient distance from the twyres. I apply
my apparatus, which consists of a funnel formed top fitted to a vertical cylinder
or tube into which I fit a top and bottom valve to be arranged and worked in
any convenient way, such as by a lever or levers which may work on fulcrums
secured to the top rim of the funnel before named. To the inner end of this
lever a rod or rods may be attached, and so connected with the valves that
when the top valve is open the lower one shall be closed and vice versa.
When the lower one is open the top one shall be closed, and into the funnel
of this simple apparatus I place the fine refuse combustible matter before
named in a dry state, and by means of the lever or otherwise, as before stated,
the top valve is opened and the contents allowed to descend into the cylinder
before named; and now the top valve must be closed and the under ono
opened, as desired, when the small dry particles of combustible matter will
descend into the air-way, and be carried forward by the force of the blast
through the twyres to the burning mass within, which, as before stated, from
its free contact with the oxygen of the blast, will not only support the neces-
sary amount of combustion required in the hearth of the furnace, but will, from
the manner of supply, tend greatly to increase the heat in that part of the
furnace where the greatest heat is required, thereby greatly deminishing the
quantity of coal necessary, or that is now commonly used in smelting and
remelting iron.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Broad in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN BROAD,
Manager of Blast Furnaces and Iron Works, late of Ulverston, in the County
of Lancaster, now of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Broad, Her special license that I, the said John Broad, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Broad, my executors, administrators, or 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 "AN APPARATUS FOR
ECONOMISING COAL AND OTHER FUEL TO BE USED WITH HOT OR COLD BLAST IN THE
SHELTING OF IRON ORES AND REMELTING OF PIG IRON," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Broad, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 John Broad, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
The object of my Invention is to reduce the cost and to economise the
quantity of coal, coke, or other combustibles that are or may be used for the
smelting of iron ore, ironstone, or the remelting of pig iron. And in giving
effect to my Invention, I purpose using refuse or small coal, commonly called
slack or lime coal, fine or small breeze from the coke yard and coke ovens,
however small, and the small and now waste particles of charcoal and fine
peat, a description of fuel used largely where best charcoal iron is being made,
as well as all the unconsumed particles of combustible matter from puddling,
heating, balling, air or other furnaces or fire-places, in and about large iron-
works. And in utilizing this hitherto refuse combustible matter, instead of

page_text: wholly using large coal, coke, or charcoal, as now generally practised for the
smelting of iron ores, as well as the remelting of pig iron, I purpose using it
in such a way as will be hereafter seen that the hearth or lower part of the
furnace or cupola where the greatest heat is required, shall be supplied with
the description of combustibles before named, freely, and with the hot or cold
blast, thereby permitting a thorough mingling of the oxygen of the atmosphero
or blast with the carbon of the combustibles, so essential in producing and
maintaining the desired heat, to further fuse or act on the iron, iron ore, lime-
stone, or other silicious and fusible matter, as it gradually separates and
descends to the hearth from the main charge of coal supplied with it at the top
of the furnace or cupola. And in carrying my Invention into effect, I require
no alteration or additions whatever to the blast furnaces or cupolas as now
commonly used, and which I purpose to charge in the ordinary way at the top
to a certain extent with the coal, coke, limestone, ironstone, and pig iron,
desired to be used and melted, and in connection with the main blast or
blowing pipe, at a convenient distance from the tuyeres. I apply my Inven-
tion, which consists of a suitable funnel-shaped vessel, supported on a vertical
circular chamber or tube, which I prefer to increase gradually in size from the
top to the bottom of its length, into which I fit a suitable top and bottom
valve, to be arranged and worked in any convenient way, such as by a lever
or levers, which may work on a fulcrum or fulcrums secured to the vessel or
funnel before named; and to the inner end of these levers a rod or rods may
be so connected with the valves that when the top valve is open the lower one
shall be closed, and when the top valve is closed the lower one may be opened;
so that by placing fuel, as before described, into the top vessel or funnel, and s
the top valve being opened, the fuel (which should be in a dry state) will
descend down into the circular chamber or tube before referred to, and the top
valve being now closed and secured so as to be capable by its own weight of
resisting the pressure of the blast, the lower valve may be opened as desired,
when the small dry particles of combustible matter will descend into the air-way s
and be carried forward by the force of the blast through the tuyeres to the
heated mass within, which (as before stated) from its free contact with the
oxygen of the blast, will not only support the necessary amount of combustion,
so essential in the bearth of the furnace, but will from the manner of supplying
tend greatly to increase the heat by its promoting and sustaining perfect and s
rapid combustion, thereby diminishing the quantity of coal, coke, or other fuel
necessary, or that is now commonly used, more especially the quantity of large
or superior coals, coke, or charcoal, or other fuel supplied at the top of the
furnace with the materials to be smelted or remelted. And in connection

page_text: with my apparatus I purpose applying, when required, a self-acting valve in
the air-way, that in case of any combustible gases being generated by the
decomposition of water from leaky or defective water tuyeres combining with
the combustible gases of the materials in the furnace and accumulating in the.
hearth, and passing out at the tuyeres, that the valve shall instantly close by its
own gravity, and cut off all connection from such explosive gases, that other-
wise would continue to go along and pass through the air-way to the air chest'
chambers, or regulators, and which, from its chemical combination and:
character, is frequently rendered explosive, to the serious injury to life and
property that not unfrequently takes place in connection with hot blast
furnaces in the event of water escaping from the aforesaid leaky tuyeres.
'
Having now given a general description of the object and purpose of my
Invention, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, which
I believe to be the simplest and most inexpensive way of giving effect to my:
Invention.
Fig. 1 represents a part vertical section, with the circular chamber A, as
well as the lower valve rod B, B, broken, for the convenience of space. C, C,
is a funnel, which may be made of sheet iron, rivetted at the bottom to a cast-
iron neck piece marked D, D, to which the circular chamber A may also be
attached; the top of the funnel is bound or supported by a cast or wrought.
iron rim, simply for affording additional strength, marked E, E, and standing
across the top of the funnel (shown in section at the ends) is a T-formed iron.
stay, marked F, with a thickened up boss in the middle for the valve rod B to
work through; and for the purpose of maintaining a smooth and perpendicular
action of the valve rod through this part a metal collar may be used, as here
shown, tapped or otherwise fitted in the boss of the stay F marked G. HI is.
a vertical standard, secured to the stay F, supporting the pins or fulcrums on
which the levers I and J work, the inner end of the lever I being attached to
the valve rod by the connecting rod K, for the purpose of allowing the valve
rod to work up and down perpendicularly, the part K being shown in a.
reversed view, marked with the same letter, at Fig. 6, attached to the valve
rod, which is represented broken. The bottom valvo L may be attached to
the rod in any suitable way, and which rod extends down and works through a
concentric hole formed in the transverse bar, guide, or support M; this.
bar is of wrought iron, and secured by means of a slot or groove formed
in the casting or otherwise, as shown in a separate top view at Fig. 7.
N, N, and N, N, is a short separate pipe, cast for the purpose of convenient.
connection with the air-way, and is secured and connected by the flange.
to the base of the circular chamber A, marked O, O; this valve may

page_text: be made hollow, but of sufficient substance, so as to permit of its being
turned and fitted nicely with the part 0, 0, in contact with it, which is also
turned and ground and fitted to match, so as to cut off the escape of the
blast, hereafter to be referred to; the elevating of the end of the lever I will
allow of this valve to descend, but which will immediately return by freeing the
lever partly from the pressure of the blast, and the counterpoising effect of the
weight P. The top valve Q has a hole through it to permit of its working up
and down, over and upon the lower valve rod B; this valve is supported on a
fork connecting rod, here shown in section, marked R, R, attached to side
projecting pins, as represented in a front view at Fig. 2. S, S, is the blast
or air-way passing, say, in the direction of the arrows, the part S' terminating
with the pipes leading to the tuyeres, and in close proximity to them. The
part S, S, where it comes in contact with N, N, is represented in an end view
at Fig. 3, showing projecting lugs at T, T, for carrying the axis of the valve,
which is shown in dotted lines; this simple mode of connection permits of the
end of this part to be planed, so as to form of itself a seat for the valve, which
is shown in a distinct front view at Fig. 4, the valve being marked U, U; the
projecting flanges represented in dotted lines at V, V, simply show that this
part may be cast of any given length or shape, for the purpose of readily
This
adapting my improvements to the air-ways of blast furnaces now in use.
self-acting valve, however, may be made and hung in a separate box or air-way
from the casting marked N, N, N, N, but in every case I prefer placing it
out of the control of any one, and it cannot fail to shut or close whenever the
blast is taken off the furnace, or the blast engine should be stopped.
is a top view of Figure 1, showing the transverse stay-piece I supporting the
vertical standard H, as also a top view of the lever J, J, and the fork con-
necting rod R, R.
F
Fig. 5
The operation of the apparatus may be simply described; first, as regards
the supplying of fuel; and, secondly, the prevention of explosions. The small
and hitherto partly refuse fuel, as before described, is placed in the hopper G,
when the lever J may be pulled down, elevating the valve Q. thereby allowing
the fuel to descend into the circular and vertical chamber A, when the valve Q
may be allowed to drop on its seat, and being of solid iron it will maintain its
position against the force of the blast at the time of the lower valve being
opened, which we will now suppose to be the case, when the fuel in the
vertical chamber A will descend around the annular space between the conical
surface of the valve L and its sent down into the air-way, where it will be
carried forward, as before described, by the force of the blast entering in the
direction of the arrows, elevating the valve U, rushing forward through the

page_text: for the attainment of my object, which is simply the economising of the coal
and other fuel necessary for the smelting or re-melting of iron ore, ironstone,
or pig iron; not that I purpose confining myself to the exact action of the
valves and general details, as here represented and described, as other
équivalent means may be used, such, for instance, as throttle, slide, and other
kind of valves may be substituted, as well as the means of actuating the same.
Nor have I thought proper to exhibit the means by which the funnel may be
conveniently supported to or against the side of the furnace, or otherwise, as
may be found desirable, with such fence, rail, or rails, and stage for supporting
and protecting the man attending on the apparatus, as all this may be varied
as desired, and would be well understood by any practical operative connected
with such works; but I believe the working plan here shown, from its general
simplicity of construction and action, to be the most efficient, as the surfaces
intended to be closed being turned and fitted, are not liable to be fouled or
clogged by the fuel passing over them, and yet afford a perfect division of the
chambers and ways when in contact.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Broad, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
1 JAMES S. COCKINGS, Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
JOHN BROAD. (L.S.)

page_text: tuyeres to the furnace, carrying before it or with it the small particles of fuel
that will be permitted to descend as frequent as the valve L may be lowered
for that purpose, at which time it may be held in position by a pin placed in
either of the holes desired of the standard W. And it will be readily seen
that at the moment of any explosive gas being generated in the hearth of the
furnace, from the causes herein-before stated, and extending its influence
through the tuyeres and blowing pipes to the air-way, that the valve U will
instantly descend and cut off all connection with the air chest and regulator,
thereby confining the explosive gases to the furnace, where they will find their
way out at the forepart of the furnace under the tymp as fast as generated,
and escape off without injury, and mix with the common atmosphere.
I do not profess to have invented the application of supplying fuel to blast
or other furnaces through the tuyeres, as the same has been attempted by
various persons at different times. I myself conceived the idea of blowing
charcoal dust into furnaces, by the blast and through the tuyeres, as early as
1845; but I could not at that time overcome the difficulty arising from the
pressure of the blast by simple and efficient means. But prior to this date the
experiment was tried at Mr. Banks's works, near Bilston, not only with
charcoal, but breeze and fine coal, but I believe they failed from the same
cause that subsequently hindered my further prosecuting the idea, namely,
the pressure of the blast; and as early as 1834 and 1835 tho experiment was
tried with more success by my late brother, James Broad, at that time
manager of the Cinderford Iron Works, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, and
he effected the object with cold blast, by filling the leather bags or flexible
connectors of the blastway by simply removing the band or hoop on the one
end that secures the bag to the iron tube or blast pipe, then filling the bag
with the fine particles of charcoal, and re-connecting it with the blast pipe,
and by beating the bag during the time of the blast being on, or blowing
through the air-way, the particles of charcoal were carried on and through the
tuyeres into the furnace, and this, for some time, he repeated every time of
casting; and this fact, no doubt, is remembered by the elder branches and
employes of the company. And at a later period, Mr. Gibbons, an extensive
ironmaster, tried the experiment at his works, but discontinued it on account
of the difficulty or the incompleteness of his apparatus to overcome the force
of the blast. So that the experiment may be considered old, and more or less
successful, according to the appropriateness of the means used for effecting this
object. But what I profess to have invented, and seek to protect by these
my in part recited Letters Patent is, the general apparatus as herein described
and exhibited, and which I have found from recent experience to answer well