IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE PUDDLING OF IRON OR STEEL
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Astley Paston Price, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED
WITH THE PUDDLING OF IRON OR STEEL." A communication from abroad by
Jean Emile Arthur B. de Langlade, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Astley Paston Price at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1878.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE PUDDLING OF IRON OR STEEL," A
communication from abroad by Jean Emile Arthur B. de Langlade, of Paris, in the
Republic of France.
This Invention has for its object obviating the disadvantages which have hitherto
attended all attempts at puddling in regenerative furnaces by the employment of
coal gas or gases obtained from combustibles of analogous nature, that is to say,
which yield a gaseous mixture containing carburet of hydrogen, and it consists in
subjecting the gas previously to its introduction into the furnace to a washing or
cooling process by the aid of suitable apparatus.
The washing apparatus employed may be constructed of various forms and
arrangements, the essential feature consisting in the prompt action of the apparatus.
It is therefore nessary that the gas should be mixed with water in a fine state of
division, either in jets, in spray, or in sheets, as near as possible to the generator,
and that this mingling should be renewed as often as the locality and supply of
water at hand will allow. The water which has been employed for the washing
may be conducted into tanks, where the useful products it has carried with it may
be collected.
As a convenient mode of carrying out the Invention the gas generated in a
furnace is conducted up a vertical flue or chimney into a horizontal passage, com-
municating with the upper part of a washing apparatus termed a compressor, and

page_text: consisting of a vertical cylinder or tube, into which water is introduced through a
pipe situate at the upper part, and down which it is caused to fall in a finely divided
condition by means of a perforated plate of sheet iron provided for this purpose
immediately above the aperture for the admission of the gas from the furnace. The
gas and water pass together to the bottom of the tube or cylinder, which is in com-
munication with a horizontal passage or chamber, in which the water is collected
whilst the gas passes into a second washing apparatus termed an anti-compressor,
similar in construction and action to the one herein-before described, excepting that
it is somewhat shorter, and the gas enters at the bottom instead of at the upper
part, being thus caused to travel in an opposite direction to the falling water, so as
to counteract any excess of pressure which may have been caused by the action of
the first washing apparatus, its effect depending upon the quantity of water
employed and the height of its fall.
The gas leaves this apparatus by a passage situate at the upper part, and is con-
ducted to a third washing apparatus consisting of a tube or cylinder, the gas being
admitted at the upper part, and water being introduced by a pipe near the lower
part in the form of a jet, which meets the gas as it enters at the top, and falls back
with it to the bottom. The gas is then conducted along a horizontal passage, into
which water is introduced in the form of spray or jets through suitable pipes. The
water collects in a sheet on the bottoms of the passages, and is drawn off through
overflow channels.
The draft may be augmented or diminished by increasing or reducing the supply
of water to the compressor and ante-compressor, or by modifying the height and
sectional area of either of these apparatus. The pressure of the gas may thus be
regulated at will, and it will be necessary to adjust it in such a manner as that the
gas may always reach the furnace under a slight pressure. Portions of this apparatus
may be dispensed with, according to circumstances, or equivalent apparatus may be
employed capable of producing the same results.
The gas on leaving the horizontal passage last herein-before described passes into
a puddling furnace constructed upon the principle of what is known as Siemens'
regenerative furnace, or into a furnace of any similar construction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Astley Paston Price in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
November 1878.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE PUDDLING OF IRON OR STEEL." A
communication from abroad by Jean Emile Arthur B. de Langlade, of Paris, in the
Republic of Franco.
The said Invention has for its object obviating the disadvantages which have
hitherto attended all attempts at puddling in regenerative furnaces by the employ-
ment of coal gas or gases obtained from combustibles of analogus nature, that is to
say, which yield a gaseous mixture containing carburet of hydrogen.
It has been ascertained that the use of gas for puddling would be productive of
great advantages if it were found practicable to remove the difficulties which have
hitherto been experienced in the practical working of the process.
These advantages may be enumerated as follows:-
First. Facility for the use of fuel of inferior quality, which for the purpose
required is nearly equal in its effect to fuel of superior quality.
Second. Enabling the puddling process to be carried out at a much more elevated
temperature, and consequently obtaining a product of superior quality.
Third, Avoiding the introduction into the puddling chamber of cinders and
clinkers, which become imbedded in the iron and give rise to flaws and air holes.
Fourth. Reducing the consumption of fuel.
Fifth. Producing less waste of metal.
The difficulties which have hitherto presented themselves are three in number.
First. Rapid deterioration of the furnace from overheating.
Second. Obstruction of the passages or flues between the puddling chamber and
the chimney with dust of scorice and oxide of iron issuing from the puddling
chamber.
Third. Obstruction of the passages or flues for the gas with soot and tar.
According to the present Invention these disadvantages are overcome by sub-
mitting the gas before introducing it into the furnace to a process of washing carried
out in a manner adapted to the object in view.
The effect of such process of washing the gas, and the manner in which it
operates, will be understood from a consideration of the causes of the defects which
are incidental to the ordinary methods of puddling by the employment of gas.
For example,
1. The over-heating, which rapidly destroys the furnaces, results from the fact
that at the moment of introducing the fuel into the gas generator an abundant dis-
tillation of hydro-carburretted products is produced for a relatively short space of
time. These products cause the temperature of combustion to rise to a very high
degree, and the puddler is not always able to prevent its destructive effect by
reducing the supply of air and gas. Now the washing process will have the effect
of cooling the gas and consequently causing the whole of the condensible hydro-
carburet which it contains to be condensed; it will, moreover, remove the carburretted
dust mixed with the gas, which also tends to raise the temperature, and the pro-
portion of steam will be rendered uniform. The gas will consequently be of a
uniform composition, and the liability to overheating will be obviated.
2. The obstruction of the passages between the puddling chamber and the
chimney is principally caused by the ebullition which takes place when hydro-
carburets or carbonaceous particles are mixed with the liquid oxidised slag or
scoriæ in which the puddling process is effected. The elimination by washing of
the hydro-carburets and similar carbonaceous particles from the gas will remove
this second disadvantage, the most serious of the three.
3. The obstruction of the passages for the gas with soot and tar will be retarded
when the gas is suddenly cooled on leaving the generator, and washed in such a

page_text: manner as to remove with the water the objectionable matter which would have
otherwise been deposited by slow cooling in the passages or flues.
In addition to the advantages which result from the removal, by means of the
said Invention, cf the difficulties attending the ordinary method of puddling by
the employment of gas, a more uniform temperature is obtained, so that the puddler
is consequently enabled to modify this temperature without danger of the furnace
becoming unexpectedly overheated, and the product obtained is more uniform and
of an improved quality.
The washing process has also the advantage of enabling the tars and condensible
oils to be more completely collected.
The washing apparatus employed may be constructed of various forms and
arrangements, the essential feature consisting in the prompt action of the apparatus.
It is, therefore, necessary that the gas should be mixed with water in a fine state
of division, either in jets, in spray, or in sheets, in as close a proximity as possible
to the generator, and that this mingling should be renewed as often as the locality
and supply of water at hand will allow.
The water which has been employed for the operation of washing may be con-
ducted into tanks where the useful products conducted along with it may be
collected.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan showing a
mode of arranging the apparatus in carrying out the said Invention.
In this arrangement it is assumed that the gas generator is constructed with a
grate and for a natural draft, but a generator of any description with or without a
grate, and with or without a forced draft, may be employed to obtain the same
result with this process.
It is assumed that the puddling furnace employed is constructed on the principle
of Siemens' regenerating furnace, but any furnace may be adopted in which gas is
employed as fuel, and in which the waste heat of the furnace is employed for
heating the air and gas or one of these elements prior to their combustion.
In the arrangement illustrated in the Drawing the gas is generated in a furnace
A, and passes up a vertical flue or chimney B, into a horizontal passage B', commu-
nicating with the upper part of a washing apparatus C designated a compressor.
This apparatus consists of a vertical cylinder or tube, into which water is introduced
through a pipe a situate at the upper part, and down which it is caused to fall in a
finely divided condition by means of a perforated plate e provided for this purpose
immediately above the aperture for the admission of the gas from the furnace. The
gas and water pass together to the bottom of the tube or cylinder C, which is in
communication with a horizontal passage or chamber C', in which the water is
collected whilst the gas passes into a second washing apparatus D designated an
anti-compressor. This apparatus is similar in construction and action to the appa-
ratus C herein-before described, with the exception that it is somewhat shorter and
that the gas enters at the bottom instead of at the upper part, being thus caused to
travel in an opposite direction to the falling water, which is introduced at the upper
part through a pipe a' and perforated plate c'. By this means any excess of pressure
which may have been caused by the action of the first washing apparatus is counter-
acted, the effect of the second washing apparatus depending upon the quantity of
water employed and the height of its fall.
The gas leaves the cylinder D by a passage D' situate at the upper part, and is
conducted to a third washing apparatus E, consisting of a tube or cylinder, the gas
being admitted at the upper part and water being introduced by a pipe all near the
lower part in the form of a jet, which meets the gas as it enters at the top and
falls back with it to the bottom. The gas is then conducted along a horizontal
Tassage F, into which water is introduced in the form of spray or jets, through

page_text: pipes a, a The water collects in a sheet on the bottoms of the passages, and is
drawn off through suitable overflow channels.
These washing apparatus should be made of dimensions adapted to each par-
ticular case, according to the space at disposal, and the relative positions of the gas
generators and furnaces.
The draft may be augmented or diminished by increasing or reducing the supply
of water to the compressor and anti-compressor, or by modifying the height and sec-
tional area of either of these apparatus. The pressure of the gas may thus be
regulated at will, and it will be necessary to adjust it in such a manner as that the
gas may always reach the furnace under a slight pressure; portions of this apparatus
may be dispensed with according to circumstances, or equivalent apparatus may be
employed capable of producing the same results.
The gas on leaving the horizontal passage F passes into a puddling furnace O,
constructed, for example, upon the principle of what is known as Siemens' regene-
rative furnace.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I will 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, puddling with the employment of gas obtained from coal
or gas, obtained from combustibles charged with hydro-carburetted products in gas
furnaces in which the waste heat is employed for heating the air and gas, or either
of these elements, prior to their combustion, the gases being washed and cooled on
leaving the gas generator, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Astley Paston Price, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this First day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, (L.B.)