IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CARRYING SUCH IMPROVEMENTS INTO EPPECT
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, of Seend, near
Melksham, in the County of Wilts, Engineers, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, AND APPARATUS TO
BE EMPLOYED FOR CARRYING SUCH IMPROVEMENTS INTO EPPECT.”
Sealed the 2nd April 1874, and dated the 6th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hyde and
John Hyde at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 6th October 1873.
"
We, JOSEPH HYDE and JOHN HYDE, of Seend, near Melksham, in the
County of Wilts, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, AND
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CARRYING SUCH IMPROVEMENTS INTO EFFECT," ፡፡.
to
be as follows:-
Our improvements relate substantially to the employment of anthracite
or other coals and of coke instead of as is now customary employing coke
alone in the manufacture or smelting of iron, so that the iron made
may not only be of better quality on account of the greater heat the
coal will evolve, but that it may be produced at a much smaller cost.

page_text: The advantages of using anthacite or bituminous coals in the manu-
facture of iron when it is possible so to employ them is well known,
but the practical objection to their use is found to be that when
supplied into the furnace in the usual manner combustion takes place
and their greatest heating qualities are lost in the throat of the furnace,
and before they reach those parts where their heating qualities are
required.
Now according to our Invention we propose by the means herein-after
described to supply the coal into the tuyeres or blast pipes, so that it may
come at once into the crucible and into direct communication with the
iron whilst in a state of fusion.
In order to carry our Invention into effect we employ the following
apparatus for that purpose:-The coal to be employed is first crushed to
a proper degree and then placed in a hopper, which we provide at the
top of the furnace and upon a level with the platform. Underneath tho
said hopper is a slide which when removed or drawn back admits the
fuel into a receiver of proper size provided, where it remains until
another slide which is at the bottom of this receiver is removed or
drawn back, when the fuel drops into a pan which is caused to revolve
by a driving wheel on the outside, worked by a band or other suitable
mechanical contrivance. The coal is thus fed as required in a continual
stream into the blast pipe at its most convenient point. It is then carried
by the current of air passing through the blast pipe, and as it arrives in
the crucible combustion immediately ensues and it is found that the
coal containing relatively so much greater an amount of carbon than
coke generally employed, a much greater degree of heat is generated,
and consequently the iron manufactured is of superior quality and
produced at a less cost than by the present method.
Although we have spoken of the fuel as consisting of anthracite or
other coal it will be understood that a certain proportion of the said fuel
will consist of coke.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOSEPH
HYDE and JOHN HYDE, of Seend, near Melksham, in the County of
Wilts, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, Her
special licence that we, the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE Manufac-
TURE OF IRON AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CARRYING SUCH IMPROVEMENTS
INTO EFFECT," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
Our improvements relate substantially to the employment of anthracite
or other coals and of coke instead of as is now customary employing coke
alone in the manufacture or smelting of iron, so that the iron made

page_text: unty not only be of Detter quality on account o the greate
удо
coal will evolve, but that it may be produced at a much smaller cost. .
The advantages of using anthracite or bituminous coals in the manu-
facture of iron when it is possible so to employ them are well known,
but the practical objection to their use is found to be that when sup-
plied into the furnace in the usual manner combustion takes place
and their greatest heating qualities are lost in the throat of the furnace,
and before they reach those parts where their heating qualities are
required.
Now according to our Invention we propose by the means herein-after
described to supply the coal into the tuyers or blast pipes, so that it may
.at once come into the crucible, and into direct communication with the
iron whilst in a state of fusion.
In order to carry our Invention into effect we employ the following
apparatus for that purpose :-The coal to be employed is first crushed to
a proper degree, and then placed into a hopper, which we provide at the
top of the furnace and upon a level with the platform. Underneath the
said hopper is a slide which when removed or drawn back admits the
fuel into a receiver of proper size provided, where it remains until
another slide which is at the bottom of this receiver is removed or
drawn back, when the fuel drops into a pan which is caused to revolve
by a driving wheel on the outside worked by a band or other suitable
mechanical contrivance. The coal is thus fed as required in a continual
stream into the blast pipe at its most convenient point. It is then carried
into the furnace by the current of air passing through the blast pipe, and
as it arrives in the crucible combustion immediately ensues and it is
found that the coal containing relatively so much greater an amount
of carbon than coke generally employed a much greater degree of heat
is generated, and consequently the iron manufactured is of superior
quality and produced at a less cost than by the present method.
Although we have spoken of the fuel as consisting of anthacite or
other coal it will be understood that a certain proportion of the said fuel
will consist of coke.

page_text: A is the body of an ordinary blast furnace; B, D, are the cast-iron
standards supporting the same by means of the ring 0; D is the blast
main communicating with the tuyeres by means of blast pipes, one of
which is shewn at E; F is the gallery for the supply of materials to the
mouth of the furnace.
In carrying out our Invention we provide a vertical tube or chamber
G having an upper sliding plate or valve H, and a similar lower valve I.
Anthracite coal broken sufficiently small or other fuel is fed in at the top
of the hopper & which is open to the gallery F. During the filling of
the hopper K the valve H is kept closed and the fuel rests thereupon.
The lower valve I is next closed, and the upper valve H is opened when
the charge of fuel descends and rests upon the lower valve I. The
upper valve H is now closed and the lower valve I is opened. The fuel
is thereby allowed to fall into the fan or feeder L, by the slow revolution
of which a constant and regulated supply of fuel is admitted to the
pipe M, which communicates with the blast main D immediately over
one of the blast pipes E. The fuel falls across the blast main D and
into the blast pipe E, and is then propelled into the furnace by the force
and velocity of the blast. The alternate use of the valves H and I
prevents the escape of the blast upwards during the time that the tube
or chamber G is being charged with fuel. The said valves may be
worked from any convenient spot by means of some well known arrange-
ment of levers, rods, or chains, or other suitable mechanical appliances.
The fan or feeder L may be caused to revolve at the required speed by
means of a belt, or of toothed wheels driven by a steam engine or other
motive power.
We have described and shewn our Invention applied to the blast pipe
E only, but it is evident that a similar apparatus may be applied to
each blast pipe, and an uniform supply of fuel may be thus ensured
at as many points in the circumference of the hearth of the furnace
as there are blast pipes and tuyeres.
Although we have only described and shewn one method of regulating
the supply of fuel to the blast pipe of a blast furnace, yet we do not
limit ourselves to that one method as the details may be varied or any
other equivalent means may be employed without departing from the
nature of our Invention, but what we desire to claim as the Invention
to be protected by the hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—.

page_text: the introduction of anthracite coal or other solid fuel into blast
furnaces for smelting through the pipes and tuyeres which convey the
blast of air to the said furnaces.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of April,
in the year of our Lord 1874,