IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SMELTING OF IRON AND IN FURNACES THEREFOR
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Dyson, of Tudhoe, in the County of Durham,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SMELTING OF IRON AND IN
FURNACES THEREFOR."
Sealed the 12th March 1867, and dated the 17th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Dyson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
September 1866.
I, GEORGE DYSON, of Tudhoe, in the County of Durham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SMELTING
OF IRON AND IN FURNACES THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
The process of smelting iron from the ores as practised in England and
most other countries is now performed in blast furnaces varying in height
from 30 to 100 feet. The ores, fuel, and fluxes are poured in at the top of
the furnace either mixed or in alternate charges. During the progressive
descent of the materials the ores are reduced and fused along with the fluxes,
the fuel being consumed and the metal separating from the earthy matters
falls to the bottom of the hearth, whilst the residue flows off at a somewhat
higher level in the form of scoria. When the fuel to be used consists of
coal rich in bituminous or tarry matter it is necessary to manufacture it into

page_text: coke by a preparatory process of charring or distillation, and this is effected in
kilns, ovens, retorts, or in heaps on the ground in the open air. It is also
usual to prepare the ores for smelting, especially those which are carbonates
or protocarbonates of iron, by roasting or calcination, and this process is like-
wise commonly conducted in kilns or in heaps on the ground.
Now my Invention consists in improvements in the construction and
arrangement of the parts of blast furnaces whereby the coking, calcining, and
smelting processes are more economically and effectively performed than by
the use of the ovens, kilns, and blast furnaces now employed. Over or upon
any ordinary blast furnace I erect a separate chamber or chambers, which may
be divided for conveniency into cells, and in these chambers or cells the pre-
paratory process of coking, roasting, calcining, and of reduction, more or less
are to be effected; the materials thus prepared are to be dropped whilst still
hot through suitable trap doors or other openings at the bottom of the chambers
or cells into hoppers, funnels, or other suitable channels into the mouth of
the blast furnace below. The gases resulting from the distillation or coking
of the coal are to be conducted through flues into the adjoining chambers or
cells in which the ores are charged, and being there brought into contact
with them they, the ores, will thereby be roasted, calcined, and more or less
reduced. I prefer that the mouth of the blast furnace should be of the close
kind, and that the waste gases evolved from the combustion of the fuel in the
lower part of the furnace should be received in pipes, and conveyed away for
use in any of the modes now known and used; but in some cases it may be
advantageous to convey these gases from the blast furnace to the cells or
chambers above described for the purpose of assisting in the preparatory
processes before mentioned.
By the use of the improvements herein described a considerable saving in
fuel and labour will be attained, firstly, by economizing and utilizing the
waste heat and gases evolved during the process of coking, and applying the
same to the calcination and reduction of the ores; secondly, by discharging
from the chambers or cells into the furnace the coke and ores whilst red
hot the process of smelting will be greatly expedited, and will be completed
with much less fuel than is usually required; thirdly, the labour employed
in refilling and removing the materials will be considerably diminished.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Dyson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DYSON, of Tudhoe, in the County of Durham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Dyson, Her special licence that I, the said George Dyson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Dyson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE SMELTING OF IRON AND IN FURNACES THEREFOR,"
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Dyson, 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.
upon the
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Dyson, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say :-
The process of smelting iron from the ores as practised in England and most
other countries is now performed in blast furnaces varying in height from 30
to 100 feet. The ores, fuel, and fluxes are poured in at the top of the furnace
either mixed or in alternate charges. During the progressive descent of the
materials the ores are reduced and fused along with the fluxes, the fuel being
consumed and the metal separating from the earthy matters falls to the bottom
of the hearth, whilst the residue flows off at a somewhat higher level in the
form of scoria. When the fuel to be used consists of coal rich in bituminous or
tarry matter it is necessary to manufacture it into coke by a preparatory process

page_text: of charring or distillation, and this is effected in kilns, ovens, retorts, or in heaps
on the ground in the open air. It is also usual to prepare the ores for smelting,
especially those which are carbonates or protocarbonates of iron, by roasting
or calcination, and this process is likewise commonly conducted in kilns or in
heaps on the ground.
Now my Invention consists in improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of the parts of blast furnaces whereby the coking, calcining, and smelting
processes are more economically and effectively performed than by the use of the
ovens, kilns, and blast furnaces now employed. Over or upon an ordinary
blast furnace I erect a separate chamber or chambers, which may be divided-
for convenience into cells, and in these chambers or cells the preparatory
processes of coking, roasting, calcining, and of reduction more or less are to
be effected. The materials thus prepared are to be dropped whilst still hot
through suitable trap-doors or other openings at the bottom of the chambers
or cells into hoppers, funnels, or other suitable channels into the mouth of the
blast furnace below. The gases resulting from the distillation or coking of the
coal are to be conducted through flues into the adjoining chambers or cells in
which the ores are charged, and being there brought into contact with them
they, the ores, will thereby be roasted, calcined, and more or less reduced.
I prefer that the mouth of the blast furnace should be of the close kind, and
that the waste gases evolved from the combustion of the fuel in the lower part
of the furnace should be received in pipes and conveyed away for use in any
of the modes now known and used. But in some cases it may be advantageous
to convey these gases from the blast furnace to the cells or chambers above
described for the purpose of assisting in the preparatory processes before
mentioned.
By the use of the improvements herein described a considerable saving in
fuel and labour will be attained, firstly, by economizing and utilizing the waste
heat and gases evolved during the process of coking, and applying the same to
the calcination and reduction of the ores; secondly, by discharging from the
chambers or cells into the furnace the coke and ores whilst red-hot the
process of smelting will be greatly expedited, and will be completed with much
less fuel than is usually required; thirdly, the labour employed in refilling
and removing the materials will be considerably diminished.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DR AWAR

page_text: of the Drawing show different parts, the nature of each of which is stated on
the Drawings.
A is the hearth; B, the mouth; the line C, D, is the level of the filling.
platform upon which cast or wrought iron columns are fixed supporting a
series of arched girders; these girders form the basis on which the coking
and calcining cells E, E, and F, F, are erected, and which are provided with
cast-iron or fire-brick covers, and also with trap doors G, G, for discharging.
the contents through the funnel H into the mouth of the furnace. I prefer
that the coal to be coked should be placed in the outer series of cells E, E,
and the iron ore in the inner series F, F. The carburetted bydrogen
and other gases liberated from the coal during the process of coking pass
through the small apertures K, K, into and through the cells containing
the iron ore, and then through the apertures L, L, escape into the central
funnel M. The lower part of the blast furnace it will be observed does
not differ substantially from those in ordinary use. The materials on
being dropped through the trap doors G, G, fall through the funnel H
upon the cone or bell N, which is lowered by means of a windlass as
commonly practised in closed blast furnaces, so that the materials pass into
the furnace. The dimensions of modern blast furnaces may be adopted in
applying my Invention, but I prefer that the height should not exceed 50 feet
from the hearth to the mouth or throat, and that the coking and calcining
cells should not exceed 20 feet in height. The internal diameter may be
varied according to the taste or opinion of the smelter. I prefer that the
internal diameter of the blast furnace should be from 22 to 26 feet at the
widest part, and that the number of cells should be from twenty-four to thirty.
The time occupied in coking will depend upon the nature of the coal; if it
be highly bituminous each cell when in regular work and at its full heat
will coke a charge of about two tons in about eighteen hours, and if eighteen
cells be provided for coking this will allow of one charge of coke in every
hour being withdrawn from the cells and dropped into the furnace. The
roasting and partial reduction of the ore will in all ordinary cases be
sufficiently well done in half the number of cells which will be required
for coking, or in balf the time if the number of cells be equal. When
limestone is used for flux I prefer to roast it in one of the inner series of
cells, but if desired this may conveniently be done in the cells used for coking;
it must not be placed in the same cells at the same time with the iron ore
lest fusion takes place during the roasting. Each cell is to be a little wider
at the bottom than at the top, so that the coke and roasted ore may fall
freely and not adhere to the sides. If it be desired to apply a portion of

page_text: the gases generated in the lower part of the blast furnace for heating the
coking or calcining cells, this may be done by connecting a pipe with the
main pipe W, and conveying the gases into the cells at any convenient
height. I do not, however, recommend this to be done, as sufficient heat for
roasting the ores is generated by the gases produced in coking, consequently
the waste gases from the blast furnace may be more advantageously applied
in raising steam and heating the blast, or otherwise, as now commonly
practised.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim
to the processes or the furnaces and cells separately; I would also state that
the details in the construction of the blast furnace as well as of the cells may
be greatly varied; but what I claim is, the combined arrangement of coking
and roasting cells above an ordinary smelting or blast furnace in such
manner that the materials may be dropped whilst red-hot into the smelting
chamber of the blast furnace, and the waste heat and gases produced in
coking the coal be utilized in calciuing, roasting, and partially reducing the
ore preparatory to their being passed into the blast furnace.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Dyson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.