IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH ROTATING PUDDLING VESSELS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH ROTATING PUDDLING VESSELS."-A
communication from abroad by William Sellers and John Sellers,
the younger both of Philodolnie Tinited States of America
aled the 9th June 1876, and dated the 20th December 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th December 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH ROTATING PUDDLING
VESSELS," a communication to me from abroad by William Sellers and.
John Sellers, the younger, both of Philadelphia, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the operation of puddling vessels rotating
about a horizontal axis, and having fixed flues for the supply of flame
or fuel, and the discharge of the products of combustion.

page_text: As heretofore constructed these vessels, whether open at both ends
or at one end only, have had the joints between the rotating vessel and
the fixed flues formed by broad rings on the end or ends of the vessel,
and on the face or faces of the flues the breadth given to the surfaces of
the joint being designed to prevent the escape of flame between these
surfaces which could not be brought into actual contact.
In most cases one and generally all of these broad surfaced rings havo
been provided with water circulation for the purpose of lowering the
temperature of the joints, it having been the theory of operation in such
machines that these provisions were essential to the maintenance of a
practical joint.
It has however been discovered in practice by my foreign corre-
spondents that broad surfaces and lowered temperatures do not conduce
to the maintenance of a proper joint, but that on the contrary they are
mainly the occasion of the difficulties which have been encountered in
maintaining such joints, and that this difficulty arises from the fact that
with the broad joint and the lowered temperature induced thereby,
whether with or without the water circulation, the cinder which during
the boiling stage of the puddling operation overflows and penetrates
the joint is chilled therein, clings to the surfaces thereof, and accumu-
lates upon itself as the operation continues, the accretion building
irregularly around the revolving surface, and almost entirely upon the
lower side of the stationary surface, the whole of it attaining a degree of
toughness which renders its removal extremely difficult after the opera-
tion is completed. In its conditions during the puddling operation this
viscous accumulation produces great friction, and causes a gradual
enlargement of the joint upon one side. In order to resist this tendency
great pressure has been resorted to, and this pressure, while measurably
retarding the enlargement, greatly increases the friction, and consequent
loss of power.
Now this Invention has for its object applying the aforesaid discovery
in such a manner as to avoid the difficulties heretofore encountered
without resorting to such pressure as has heretofore been employed, and
it consists in maintaining the joint surfaces between the revolving fur-
nace and its fixed flues at such an elevated temperature as will not only
prevent the overflowing cinder, which will penetrate the joint from
becoming cold and sufficiently tough to build up on the surfaces of the

page_text: "
joint, but by avoiding the chilling of the cinder to maintain it in so
friable a condition that it will be ground up between the surfaces of the
joint, and instead of building up irregularly upon the joint it will be
discharged therefrom in small grains or powder. This result is accom-
plished (without any change in the character, supply, or application of
the flame or fuel) by dispensing with any cooling circulation about the
joint, and by making the surfaces of the joint rings on the open ends of
the vessel and on their corresponding flues narrower than those heretofore
employed.
In the practice of this Invention the joint surfaces should be main-
tained at or near a red heat, and in order to enable them to withstand
such temperature without the aid of a water circulation, and resist
the wear from the cinder to which they are exposed during the operation
of the machine, it is preferred to make the rings of wrought iron or
steel.
It has been found in practice that with gaseous fuel a joint the sur-
faces of which have a breadth of one and a half inches meets all the
requirements of the improved operation, but it is obvious that a greater
or less breadth may be found compatible with the maintenance of the
proper conditions of the joint and the cinder, as above set forth, but all
such variations will be comprised within the knowledge of the con-
structor or opeartor.
In carrying out this Invention as applied to a rotating puddling vessel
closed at one end a base plate is employed encircling the mouth of the
puddling vessel, and a similar one is employed enclosing the flues,
through which flues the flame or fuel enters the vessel, and the products
of combustion are discharged. To these base plates the joint rings are
secured, by preference by means of rivets, in such a manner as to admit
of their being conveniently removed. The rings are flanged, in order to
afford a means of securing them to the base plates without exposing the
fastenings to wear during the operation of the machine.
When the rotating puddling vessel is open at both ends the whole of
the joint rings are constructed and operated in a manner similar to that
herein-before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirth-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license, that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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 “IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED
WITH ROTATING PUDDLING VESSELS," a communication to me from abroad by
William Sellers and John Sellers, the younger, both of Philadelphia,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, 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 per-
formed, 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 Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
The said Invention relates to the operation of puddling vessels rotating
about a horizontal axis, and having fixed flues for the supply of flame or
fuel, and the discharge of the products of combustion.

page_text: As heretofore constructed these vessels, whether open at both ends or
at one end only, have had the joints between the rotating vessel and the
fixed flues formed by broad rings on the end or ends of the vessel, and
on the face or faces of the flues, the breadth given to the surfaces of the
joint being designed to prevent the escape of flame between these sur-
faces which could not be brought into actual contact.
In most cases one and generally all of these broad surfaced rings have
been provided with water circulation for the purpose of lowering the
temperature of the joints, it having been the theory of operation in such
machines that these provisions were essential to the maintenance of a
practical joint.
It has however been discovered in practice by my foreign corre-
spondents that broad surfaces and lowered temperatures do not conduce
to the maintenance of a proper joint, but that on the contrary they are
mainly the occasion of the difficulties which have been encountered in
maintaining such joints, and that these difficulties arise from the fact
that with the broad joint and the lowered temperature induced thereby,
whether with or without the water circulation, the cinder which during
the boiling stage of the puddling operation overflows and penetrates the
joint is chilled therein, clings to the surfaces thereof, and accumulates
upon itself as the operation continues, the accretion building irregularly
around the revolving surface, and almost entirely upon the lower side of
the stationary surface, the whole of it attaining a degree of toughness
which renders its removal extremely difficult after the operation is com-
pleted. In its conditions during the puddling operation this viscous
accumulation produces great friction, an causes a gradual enlargement
of the joint upon one side. In order to resist this tendency great
pressure has been resorted to, and this pressure, while measurably
retarding the enlargement, greatly increases the friction and consequent
loss-of power.
Now this Invention has for its object applying the aforesaid discovery
in such a manner as to avoid the difficulties heretofore encountered
without resorting to such pressure as has heretofore been employed, and
it consists in maintaining the joint surfaces between the revolving fur-
nace and its fixed flues at such an elevated temperature as will not only
provent. the overflowing cinder, which will penetrate the joint, from
becoming cold and sufficiently tough to build up on the surfaces of the

page_text: joint, but by avoiding the chilling of the cinder to maintain it in so
friable a condition that it will be ground up between the surfaces of the
joint, and instead of building up irregularly upon the joint it will be
discharged therefrom in small grains or powder. This result is accom-
plished (without any change in the character, supply, or application of
the flame or fuel) by dispensing with any cooling circulation about the
joint, and by making the surfaces of the joint rings on the open ends of
the vessel, and on their corresponding flues narrower than those hereto-
fore employed.
In the practice of this Invention the joint surfaces should be main-
tained at or near a red heat, and in order to enable them to withstand
such temperature without the aid of a water circulation, and resist the
wear from the cinder to which they are exposed during the operation
of the machine it is preferred to make the rings of wrought iron or
steel.
It has been found in practice that in the use of a puddling vessel,
such as that shewn in the accompanying Drawings, with gascous fuel a
joint the surfaces of which have a breadth of one and a half inches,
meets all the requirements of the improved operation, but it is obvious
that a greater or less breadth may be found compatible with the main-
tenance of the proper conditions of the joint and the cinder, as above set
forth, but all such variations will be comprised within the knowledge of
the constructor or operator.
In the accompanying Drawings, which illustrate one mode of car-
rying out this Invention, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a
puddling vessel and its flues constructed upon what is known as Sellers'
system, but with the improvements which form the subject of the
present Invention applied thereto; Figure 2 is an elevation of one of
the joint rings with the base plates to which it is attached; Figure 3 is
an enlarged section of the ring and base plate showing the mode of
attachment.
The base plate A encircles the mouth of the puddling vessel, and a
similar one B encloses the flues, through which flues the flame or fuel
enters the vessel, and the products of combustion are discharged.
To these base plates are secured the joint rings C, C, by preference by
_means of rivets in such a manner as to admit of their being conveniently
removed. The rings are flanged, in order to afford a means of securing

page_text: them to the base plates without exposing the fastenings to wear during
the operation of the machine.
When the rotating puddling vessel is open at both ends the whole of
the joint rings are constructed and operated in a manner similar to that
herein-before described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the method,.
substantially as herein-before described, of maintaining the joint sur-
faces at a temperature so high as to keep the overflowing cinder in a
friable condition during its passage through the joint for the purposes
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and