IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT OF COKE FURNACES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wheeley Lea, of the City of Worcester,
Chemist, and William Hunt, of Stoke Prior, in the County
of Worcester, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT OF COKE FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wheeley
Lea and William Hunt at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 16th November 1852.
We, JOHN WHEELEY LEA and WILLIAM HUNT, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING THE
WASTE HEAT OF COKE FURNACES" to be as follows:-
In
This Invention consists in utilizing the heat arising from the
coking of coal, and applying it to the manufacture of iron. It is
well known that a great heat is generated by the combustion of
gases during the coking of coal, and that it is in general allowed to
pass off and expend itself in the surrounding atmosphere.
order to utilize this heat we propose to apply it to the burning
or calcining of silicate of iron (better known as iron cinder), and
obtained in the ordinary mode of manufacturing iron. In carrying
out this object we build a kiln at that end of the coke oven at which
the heat passes off, and charge it with broken iron cinder, conducting

page_text: into it the heat of the coke furnace through a suitably constructed
flue. The top of this kiln may be connected with a flue which leads
to a chimney shaft for carrying off the gases. We provide two
outlets for the hot gases at the exit end of the coke oven, one of
which leads directly to the kiln as already stated, the other being
intended to conduct off the heat derived from the coking furnace
when the cinder has been sufficiently burnt. As soon as the cinder
has become sufficiently roasted the heat is diverted from the kiln,
and the cinder is allowed to cool, and may then be drawn.. The
kiln is next re-charged, and the heat is again conducted into the kiln.
The time required for burning each charge of cinder under ordinary
circumstances will be about twenty-one days.
Instead of directing the heat into, and making it circulate amongst
the cinder in the manner of an ascending current, we may spread
out the cinder on a floor, and.cause the heat to pass over or be de-
flected on to its surface, and thus effect the calcining operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent; filed by the said John Wheeley Lea and William Hunt
in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 16th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN WHEELEY LEA, of the City of Worcester, Chemist, and WILLIAM
HUNT, of Stoke Prior, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturing
-Chemist,-send-greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the 2
year of our Lord One thousand eight-hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Wheeley Lea and
William Hunt, Her special license that we, the said John..Wheeley.
Lea and William Hunt, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, a
or such others as we, the said John Wheeley Lea and William Hunt,
"our 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,

page_text: 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 UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT OF COKE FURNACES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Wheeley Lea
and William Hunt, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Wheeley Lea and William
Hunt, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention consists in utilizing the heat arising from the coking
of coal, or evolved during the manufacture of coke, and applying it
to the manufacture of iron, or the reduction of iron ore or iron cinder.
It is well known that a great heat is generated by the combustion of
the gases evolved during the manufacture of coke, and that this heat
is in general allowed to pass off by the flue, and be wasted in the
surrounding atmosphere. In order to utilize this heat we propose
to apply it to the burning or calcining of silicate of iron, better
known as the iron cinder, which is produced in the ordinary process
of manufacturing iron. In carrying out this object we build either
a kiln or calcining chamber at the back end of the coke oven, from
which the heat passes off into the kiln or calcining chamber, which
is to be previously charged with broken iron cinder or iron ore.
The heat from the coke oven or furnace is conducted into the kiln
or calcining chamber through a suitably constructed flue, which is
furnished with a damper to cut off the communication when required.
In carrying out our improvements we prefer, and find it convenient
to adapt, one kiln or calcining chamber to two or more ovens, and
the kiln or calcining chamber is connected at one end with a flue
which leads to a chimney shaft, whereby the unconsumed and in-

page_text: combustible gases are carried off into the atmosphere. When the
waste heat from the coke ovens is to be conducted into a kiln we
provide at the exit end of the coke ovens two outlets for the escape
of the hot gases; one of these outlets leads directly to the kiln as
already stated, the other being intended to conduct off the heat and
gases generated in the coking furnace while the communication
between the ovens and kiln is cut off. When the cinder has been
sufficiently burnt in the kiln, the contents are allowed to cool, and
then the charge may be withdrawn, during which time it is of course
absolutely necessary to cut off the communication between the coke
ovens and the kiln. The kiln may afterwards be re-charged, and
the heat is again conducted into the kiln to operate upon the fresh
charge. The time required for burning cach charge of cinder under
ordinary circumstances will be about twenty-one days.
Instead of directing the heat into and making it circulate amongst
the cinder in the manner of an ascending current, as will be the case
when a kiln is adapted to the ovens, the cinder may be spread out
on the horizontal floor of a calcining chamber, which is to be built
at the back of the ovens, and into which the heat may be conducted
therefrom, and made to pass over or be deflected on to the surface of
the cinder, and thus effect the calcining operation.
In order, however, that our improvements may be clearly under-
stood, we have shewn in the accompanying Drawing the best methods
with which we are at present acquainted for carrying the same into
effect. Fig. 1, is a longitudinal vertical section of a coke oven,
with a kiln built at the back end thereof. Fig. 2, is a plan or
horizontal sectional view of the same. a, a, are coke ovens of the
ordinary construction; b, b, is a kiln, which is supplied in any con-
venient manner with its charge of iron cinder to be operated upon;
c, is a short horizontal flue connecting the ovens a, with the kiln b,
and is provided with a damper d, for cutting off the communication
when required; e, is a long horizontal flue extending across the top
or crown of the ovens, and is provided with a shutter or damper f,
to close the opening that connects the ovens with the flue e. At
the lower end of the kiln b, there is a tapping hole g, which is stopped

page_text: with sand, and may be opened when required, either to admit air or
to allow any slag or fluxed cinder to run out. While the charge is
being withdrawn from the kiln the damper d, must be closed, and
the communication between the oven and the flue e, opened in order
to allow the gases from the oven to pass into the chimney as usual;
but immediately that the kiln is re-charged the damper, must be
closed, and the damper d, opened, in order to allow the heat and gases
from the oven to circulate through the mass of cinder in the kiln.
Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 4, a sectional
plan view of an arrangement for adapting a horizontal calcining
chamber to the back end of two or more coke ovens; a, a, are the
ovens, and b, b, the calcining chamber, which is built in the form of
long horizontal flue at the back of the ovens, with which it com-
municates by means of the short flues or openings c, which are pro-
vided with dampers d, as in the former arrangement. The calcining
chamber b, is charged with cinder through the opening h, at top, and
the charge may be withdrawn through the door i.
Having now described our Invention, and set forth the best means
with which we are at present acquainted of carrying the same into
effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim the application of
the waste heat of coke ovens to the calcination of iron ore or iron
cinder, as above shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Wheeley Lea and William
Hunt, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three.
30
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JN W. LEA. (L.S.)
WILLIAM HUNT. (L.S.)