AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLECTING THE INFLAMMABLE GASES EVOLVED FROM BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah Timmis Smith, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLECTING THE INFLAMMABLE GASES EVOLVED FROM
BLAST FURNACES."
Sealed the 4th April 1862, and dated the 21st October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah Timmis Smith, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
21st October 1861.
I, JOSIAH TIMMIS SMITH, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lan-
caster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLECTING THE INFLAMMABLE GASES EVOLVED
FROM BLAST FURNACES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing a dome or arched cover near the top
of the blast furnace, which said dome or cover is situated above that part of
the furnace at which the mixture of materials charged into the furnace
accumulates. In the centre of the said dome or cover is an opening into
which a pipe is fitted. The said pipe, after rising vertically for a short distance,

page_text: proceeds horizontally, and then descends to the boilers or the hot air apparatus,
or wherever else it may be wished to conduct the gases. Surrounding the
central pipe is a larger hollow cylinder of brickwork which protects the
central pipe from the action of the heat produced by the combustion of that
portion of the gas which escapes from the top of the furnace at or near the
lower edge of the dome or cover; a series of semicircular openings are made at
equidistant points, the said openings being for the passage of the materials
charged into the furnace. The said materials are charged upon the top of the
dome or cover or into hoppers situated above the said. holes, and as the
materials in the interior of the furnace sink down, the materials on the top
of the dome or in the hoppers pass into the interior of the furnace, there
always being left a clear space underneath the dome unoccupied by the said
materials.
Although I prefer to make the pipe by which the gases are conveyed away
from the furnace rise from the summit of the dome or cover, yet the said pipe
may pass out of the side of the furnace in a horizontal direction, the mouth of
the pipe opening into the space between the materials in the interior of the
furnace and the under side of the dome. Although one' pipe is enough to
carry away the gases, yet more than one pipe may be employed when it is
desirable to divide the gases, or for any other reason.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Josiah Timmis Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
TIMMIS SMITH, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Josiah Timmis Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Josiah Timmis
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Josiah Timmis Smith, 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

page_text: make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLECTING THE INFLAMMABLE GASES.
EVOLVED FROM BLAST FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others). that I,
the said Josiah Timmis Smith, my executors or administrators, by an instru-.
ment 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Josiah Timmis Smith, 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 improvement or improvements herein-after
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in constructing blast
furnaces so as to readily collect the inflammable gases evolved from the said.
blast furnaces.
My Invention consists in constructing a dome or arched' cover near the top
of blast furnaces or furnaces used for smelting iron ores, the said dome
or cover being situated above that part of the furnaces at which the mixture
of materials charged into the said furnaces accumulates.
Figure 1, of the accompanying Drawing represents in vertical section,
and Figure 2 in horizontal section, a portion of the top of a blast furnace:
containing my improvements. The section, Figure 1, is taken through the
line A, B, of Figure 2, and the section Figure 2 is taken through the line C
of Figure 1. a is the dome or arched cover situated near the top of the-
blast furnace b. In the centre of the dome or cover a is an opening c into.
which a metal pipe d is fitted.. The said pipe d after rising vertically opens.
into the horizontal pipe e, from which pipe e other branch pipes descend to
the boilers or hot air apparatus, or wherever else it may be wished to conduct
the gases evolved from the furnace. Surrounding the metal pipe d is a
cylinder or casing f, of fire brick, which protects the pipe d from the action
of the heat produced by the combustion of that portion of the gas which
escapes from the furnace and burns in the annular spaces 9, 9, in Figure 1.
The metallic tube d is also lined internally by a lining of brickwork h, by which
it is defended internally from the action of the heated gases passing up the
pipe d. Around the dome or cover a, a series of nearly semicircular openings į

page_text: are made at equidistant points, the said openings being for the passage of
the materials charged into the blast furnace. The said materials are charged
upon the top of the dome or cover a, through charging holes in the sides of
the furnace; one of these charging holes is represented in Figure 1 and
marked 2. As the materials in the interior of the furnace sink down, the
materials on the top of the dome or cover pass into the interior of the furnace,
there always being left a clear space underneath the dome unoccupied by the
said materials.
I prefer to build the centre of the dome or cover a of six blocks of fire-
clay or other fire-resisting material having the figure which will be understood
by an examination of Figure 2, in which Figure 2 the six blocks are marked
l, m, n, o, p, q, respectively. The said blocks l, m, n, o, p, q, constitute a
central ring to which the abutments r, s, t, u, v, and w, are built, the said
blocks and abutments constituting the perforated dome or cover a. I do not
however limit myself to any particular method of building or constructing the
said dome or cover, as the method of building or constructing it. may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention. Although I prefer to
make the pipe by which the gases are conveyed away from the furnace rise
from the summit of the dome or cover, yet the said pipe may pass out of the
side of the furnace in a horizontal direction, the mouth of the pipe opening
into the space between the materials in the interior of the furnace, and the
under side of the dome. Although one pipe is enough to carry away the gases,
yet more than one pipe may be employed when it is desirable to divide the
gases or for any other reason.
By my Invention the collection of the inflammable gases evolved from blast
furnaces is much facilitated, the use of a dome or arched cover through which
the materials are charged into the furnace. always preserving a clear or open
space between the top of the materials in the furnace and the end of the
pipe, by which the gases are collected and conveyed from the said furnaces.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and represented in the
accompanying Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of my Invention, but I claim as my Invention the improvement or
improvements in collecting the inflammable gases evolved from blast furnaces
herein-before. described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is.
to say, covering the top of blast furnaces with a dome or arched cover, through
openings, in which dome or cover the materials are charged into the said

page_text: urnaces, the said dome or cover always preserving a clear or open space
above the said materials from which space the inflammable gases are collected
by means of a pipe or pipes.
In witness whereof I, the said Josiah Timmis Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
JAMES BIGG, Clerk,
Barrow-in-Furness.
JOSIAH TIMMIS SMITH. (L.S.)