A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF PRESERVING THE TUYERES OF BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Corbett, of Brierley Hill, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF
PRESERVING THE TUYERES OF BLAST FURNACES."
Sealed the 4th July 1856, and dated the 5th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Corbett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
January 1856.
I, JOSEPH CORBETT, of Brierley Hill, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
METHOD OF PRESERVING THE TUYERES OF BLAST FURNACES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the following method for giving warning, on the
occurrence of any stoppage or deficiency of supply of water to water tuyeres, by
means of the blowing of a whistle, or other such like signal. Water is supplied
to the hollow tuyere from a cistern, situated at a level considerably higher
than the said tuyere, the said water enters the said tuyere at the back, and
rising to the upper part, passes off by a pipe at the top. The last-named pipe
delivers the water into a cistern higher than the tuyere, but lower than the
first-named cistern. The water runs out of the second cistern by a waste.pipe
in its side. A float in the second cistern is connected with a valve, by opening
which, air from the blast is let into the whistle or other signal. When water
from the tuyere is delivered regularly into the second cistern, the float is
buoyed up, but if any thing interrupts the free circulation of the water, the
level of the water in the second cistern sinks; the float descending, opens the

page_text: valve connected with the whistle or other signal, and gives an alarm. By the
use of my Invention, a timely notice or warming will be given to the keeper or
person in charge of the furnace and tuyeres, of any stoppage or deficiency in
the supply of water to the tuyeres, and by this means the risk of injury or
accident is avoided.
SPECIFICATION--in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Corbett-in-the-Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL (COME, I, JOSEPH
CORBETT, of Brierley Hill, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our-Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her. heirs and successors, give and. grant unto me,
the said Joseph Corbett, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Corbett,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others' as 'I''the said
Joseph Corbett, 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, tuse,
exercise, and vend; within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED
METHOD OF PRESERVING THE TUYERES OF BLAST FURNACES, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Corbett, my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands. and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Joseph Corbett, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:
'My Invention consists of the method bercin-after explained, and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, of preserving the tuycres of blast furnaces by
giving warning on the occurrence of any stoppage or deficiency of supply of
water to the said tuyeres; the said warning being given by means of a
whistle or other. such like signal. The Drawing represents in vertical section

page_text: a tuyere with my Invention applied thereto. a is the blast pipe; b, the tuyere;
water is delivered into the said tuyere at the bottom part thereof by means of
a pipe c, connected with a cistern situated at a level considerably higher than
that of the said tuyere b. The water rising from the lower to the upper part
of the tuyere is conducted by the pipe d into the cistern e, which said cistern
is fixed at a higher level than the tuyere b, but at a lower level than the
cistern with which the pipe c is connected. The water runs out of the cistern
e by means of the pipe f; a float, in the cistern e, is buoyed up by the water in
the said cistern, but when any thing interrupts the free circulation of the
water, the level of the water in the cisterne sinks, and the float in e falls.
The said float, when buoyed up, closes the passage between the pipe g and
the whistle h, and when the float in e descends, the communication between g
and h is opened. The pipe g communicates with the blast pipe a, and when
from deficiency of water, the float in e sinks, the condensed air from the
blast pipe a has access to the whistle h, and, by sounding the said whistic,
gives notice or warning to the person in charge of the furnace and tuyeres
that there is a stoppage or deficiency in the supply of water to the said
tuyeres. By this means the risk of injury to the tuyeres by overheating
is avoided.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but
I claim as my Invention the method herein described, and represented in the
accompanying Drawing, of preserving the tuyeres of blast furnaces, that is to
say, causing a deficiency of water to the tuyeres to occasion the sinking
of a float, and thereby open a communication between the blast pipe and a
whistle, or other signal, capable of being worked by condensed air.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Corbett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOSEPH CORBETT. (L.S.)