IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING FURNACES
Year: 1884

page_text: We JAMES WOOLLEY SUMMERS of the Globe Iron Works, Stalybridge in tho
County of Lancaster, Iron Manufacturer, and TREVELYAN SHARP, employed at the
said Works, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HEATING FURNACES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (and
accompanying Drawings) that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to mill furnaces or furnaces used in the heating of iron or
steel and has for its object to prevent the accumulation of slag or melted scoria or
cinder on the furnace bottom.
Previously to our Invention attempts have been made to run off this slag
continuously as it is produced by so forming the furnace bottom as that the slag
has tended towards an opening in the back wall of the furnace through which
opening it was intended that the slag should flow. Owing however to the cooling
of the slag in passing through the furnace wall the said opening has sooner or later
become closed by the accumulation of the viscid slag.
In our Invention we make the said opening in the furnace bottom near the back
wall or at such a distance from the wall as will ensure the maintainence of a
thoroughfare through the said opening or we situate the said opening in any
convenient part of the furnace bottom. The furnace bottom is inclined so that the
slag determines to the said opening and passes immediately into a wagon or
receptacle which is brought close up to the crown of a space below the furnace.
In some or in all cases we convey heated air to the said opening or into the said
wagon or receptacle. We prefer to form a seating upon the bottom plate of the
furnace below the said opening to receive a removable casting or part in which a
hole or slot is formed for the passage of the slag.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood we have attached hereto
In the said
a Sheet of Drawings to which reference will be made hereinafter.
Drawings Fig. 1 made to a scale of about one inch to the foot represents an interior
plan of the part of the furnace in which the aforesaid opening is formed; Fig. 3 is
a vertical section on the line A B in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the

page_text: An
line CD in the same Fig. In the said Figs. a is the discharge opening and b is the
wagon or receptacle. The floor of the furnace is shaped to slope in all directions
towards the opening a so that the slag or melted matter shall tend to flow to the
said opening. On the plate c which is one of the plates which sustain the furnace
bottom is formed a seating for a casting d which is of a horseshoe form.
opening e is formed in the wall of the furnace and is closed on the outside by
means of a hinged door f. The forked ends of the casting extend to the said door
or thereabouts the other end of the casting being below the opening a so that the
rounded end of the slot or space in the casting in fact constitutes the permanent
opening in the furnace bottom. When the furnace bottom is made or repaired the
fettling or material forming the said bottom is brought over the end of the casting
so as to shield the same from the heat as much as possible but so as not close the
opening through the casting. Below the space c is formed a plate g to receive a
wagon b. It will be seen that the plate c declines inwards and that the top of the
wagon slopes to correspond the intention being that when the wagon is run into
the space the top of the wagon shall fit as closely as is practically convenient against
the plate so as to exclude as much as possible the entrance of cold air into the
wagon whilst it is in position to receive the slag. Fig. 5 illustrates another method
for obtaining a corresponding result. In this example a plate i which forms the
floor of the space g is arranged to be lifted after the wagon is run in so as to press
the top of the wagon against the plate c which need not have an inclination or
slope. The plate i is sustained by means of four bell-crank levers k, k, which are
fixed in pairs upon two rocking shafts which are connected by means of links
with a worm quadrant m whereby the plate can be readily raised and lowered as
required. When in operation the slag or melted scoria flows to the opening a and
through the said opening directly into the wagon so that the accumulation of slag
within the furnace is prevented. In practice the exclusion of cold air from the
underside of the opening by reason of the close fitting of the wagon is generally
sufficient to prevent the opening from being closed by the cooling of the slag but
in the event of such closing the door f is opened and a tool is introduced to clear
out the opening. If necessary the casting d can be readily withdrawn and be
. cleared out and replaced or if much burnt a new casting can be inserted in its
place. It will be seen that the said casting is made of a horseshoe form in order to
facilitate this clearing and withdrawal but we do not confine ourselves to the
indicated formation. In some cases we may arrange for water or air to circulate
through the said casting in order to prevent it from being burnt or melted but
hitherto we have not found this to be necessary. In Fig. 3 n is a pipe which
conveys heated air which is discharged as near as is conveniently possible to the
opening a in order to check the cooling of the slag as it flows through such
opening. The air may be heated by flowing through a pipe or pipes exposed to
heat at the bridge and the air be impelled by means of a sinall jet of steam. The
heated air by flowing into the wagon effectually prevents the admission of cold air.
We may provide the space g with a door or with doors so that it can be closed to
exclude the cold air but we do not consider this to be necessary so long as the
opening a is shielded from the cold air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The opening for the flow of slag or melted scoria or matter directly through
the furnace bottom into a wagon or receptacle brought into position below
such opening substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated
hereinbefore and in and by the accompanying Drawings.
2. The renovable casting or part d substantially as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated.

page_text: 3. Lifting the wagon or receptacle for the slag or otherwise causing it to fit
closely against the under plate in order to exclude cold air from access to the
opening in the furnace bottom substantially as set forth and indicated.
4. Conveying a blast or current of heated air to the said opening and into the
wagon or receptacle for the slag by means of a suitable pipe or conduit..
Dated this 15th day of July 1884.
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent.