THE SMELTING OF IRON BY MEANS OF TURF OR PEAT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE COMBUSTION OF THE PEAT AND COLLECTION, OF THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Rees Reece, of Athy, Chemist, for the Invention of
"THE SMELTING OF IRON BY MEANS OF TURF OR PEAT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH
THE COMBUSTION OF THE PEAT AND COLLECTION, OF THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM."
Sealed the 3rd November 1854, and dated the 10th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Rees Reece at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
May 1854.
I, REES REECE, of Athy, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "THE SMELTING OF IRON BY MEANS OF TURF OR PEAT SIMULTANEOUSLY
WITH THE COMBUSTION OF THE PEAT AND COLLECTION OF THE PRODUCTS THERE-
FROM to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the application of my method of effecting the com-
bustion of peat by means of blast, secured to me by Letters Patent dated the
Twenty-third day of January, One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, to
the smelting of iron simultaneously with the carrying on of the processes
described in the Specification of the Letters Patent aforesaid.
The furnaces (being similar to those ordinarily used for smelting purposes)
are filled with ordinary air-dried turf or peat, set on fire, and the blast turned
When the furnaces have arrived at fair working condition for distilling
the turf, the blast is heated to from 300 to 700 Farenheit. Ore and the usual
on:

page_text: flux are then mixed with the turf in the furnaces, the quantity of ore and
flux being small at first, and gradually increased till the furnaces are fully
loaded. The iron is removed from the furnaces in the usual way, and the
products of combustion collected simultaneously.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Rees Reece in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, REES
REECE, of Athy, Chemist, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Rees Reece, Her special licence that I, the said Rees Recce, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Rees
Reece, 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 "THE SMELTING OF IRON BY MEANS
OF PEAT OR TURF SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE COMBUSTION OF THE PEAT, AND COLLEC-
TION OF THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others) that J,
the said Rees Recce, 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 Rees Reece, 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 to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "the Smelting of Iron by means of Peat or Turf simul-
taneously with the Combustion of the Peat, and Collection of the Products
therefrom," consists in the adaption and application of my method of effecting
the combustion of peat by means of blast, secured to me by Letters Patent,

page_text: dated the Twenty-third day of January, One thousand eight hundred and forty-
nine, to the smelting of iron (that is to say): whereas under my former Patent
the Invention was confined to the treatment of peat in the manner described
in the Specification thereof, it is now combined with the smelting of iron;.
and the manner in which this combination is effected, so as to carry on the
process of smelting iron simultaneously with the combustion of the peat, and
collection of the products therefrom, will be understood on reference to the
accompanying Drawings and the following description thereof:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation, shewing a blast furnace combined with a condenser
and scrubbers; Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal view, shewing the arrangement
of the furnaces and their connection with the condensers and scrubbers;
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the furnace; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical
section of the condenser; and Fig. 5 is a section of one of the scrubbers. In
these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, A, are the furnaces, similar to those which are ordinarily used for the
smelting of iron; but I case them on the outside with sheet iron so as to render
them air-tight, and on the top I place a cover plate, as at B, (Fig. 3,) to
which is fixed a feeding hopper C and valve D. Each furnace is provided
with two outlet pipes E, E, which terminate in the hydraulic main F, to which
is connected the condenser or condensers G, G. The extent of this condensing
apparatus is regulated according to the capacity of the furnaces, so as to be
adapted for cooling down to ordinary temperatures the products of.combustion
proceeding therefrom. H, H, are the scrubbers or apparatus (connected with
the condensing apparatus) for washing the gases with water, so as to deprive
them of the naptha, tar, and ammonia, which are mechanically carried away,
with them. These scrubbers are filled with layers of small stones, (sec Fig. 5,)
also with the ordinary float valve I and water distributor K. The mode of
arranging these scrubbers and the apparatus for supplying water to them is
shewn at Figures 1 and 2. When these scrubbers become choked with tar,
they may be cleansed by means of steam; the steam is blown into the
scrubbers open, and continued until the temperature be sufficient to melt all
the tar. The scrubbers communicate with an under-ground flue for conveying
the inflammable gases thus separated and purified to the various fires in
which they are required to be used.
Thus will be seen the general arrangement of the apparatus for carrying on
the combined processes of smelting iron and treating peat. I now proceed to
describe the mode in which I carry on these processes in such apparatus._
The furnaces A, A, are filled with peat or turf, as dry as it can be procured;
this is set on fire, a gentle blast is put on, the hoppers C are closed, and the

page_text: products of combustion sent from the furnaces through the pipes E, E, into
the hydraulic main F, and thence through the condenser, passing through its
several arnis or portions; the blast is then gradually increased to its ful
extent; the furnaces being replenished as-the-turf-becomes-consumed, so that
they may be constantly kept full. When the furnaces have been in blast for
some days, and in good working condition for distilling the turf, the blast is
heated to from three hundred degrees to seven hundred degrees of Fahrenheit
iron ore and the usual flux are then mixed with the turf in the furnaces, the
quantity of ore and flux being small at first, and gradually increased until the
furnaces are fully loaded. The iron is removed from the furnace in the usual
way. The products of combustion, consisting of tar, water, and inflammable
gases, are collected; the water and tar in the hydraulic main F, condenser G
and scrubbers H; the gases are conveyed therefrom by proper flues, direct to
the various fires required in the works, and used therein as fuel; the water,
consisting of acetate and carbonate of ammonia, and of methylic alcohol, or
wood spirits, is used for the manufacture of these substances; and the tar, con-
sisting of paraffine and paraffiné oil, is converted into these bodies.
I would here remark that I have not thought it necessary to describe in
detail the several parts of the apparatus herein-before referred to, as they
well known, and my Invention does not relate to them.
are
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not mean or
intend to confine myself to the precise forms and arrangements of the parts
represented and described; neither do I claim as of my Invention any of those
parts and arrangements otherwise than as used in combination for the purposes
described; but what I do claim as of my Invention is, the smelting of iron by
means of turf or peat simultaneously with the combustion of the peat, and
collection of the products therefrom; as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Rees Reece, have hereunto set my
-hand-and-seal, the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JOHN Y. RATHBONNE..
REES REECE. (L.S.)