Improvements in Smiths' Hearths or Forges.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1898-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Smiths' Hearths or Forges.
I, WILHELM LINDEMANN, of Brandenburgerstrasse 2, Rathenow, in the Empire
of Germany, Forge Master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:.
This invention relates to a new or improved smith's hearth or forge, and has
for its object the attainment of a fire clear of ash and coal dust and the prevention
of these impurities from becoming mixed with the red-hot forging on the hearth.
This is attained by a special construction of hearth in which the cinder and im-
purities are automatically removed. The air blast is of circular form issuing
from an annular outlet by which the blast is concentrated towards the middle
of the fire, causing it to become hot very quickly, and to attain a high tem-
perature, and in consequence of which the removal of all ash and dust is effected
through the outfall provided for the purpose by reason of the pressure of the coal
above.
For the prevention of the rapid wasting away of this hearth through the burn-
ing of the parts adjacent to the fire, it can be supplied with a water-cooling
arrangement, and this kind of construction shall be described and explained in
what follows, as an example of its construction; in the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1. Longitudinal section through a smith's hearth with water cooling
arrangement.
Fig. 2. Section of the same on the line - Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. Longitudinal section of a smith's hearth without water-cooling arrange-
ment.
The smith's hearth (Fig. 1 and 2) is of circular form and consists of an upper
part A, an under part B, and the head piece C, which forms along with the upper
part A the air-chamber D. The blast-pipe E leads into the air-chamber D
through the upper part A, and the water pipe F leads to the waterspace G. H is
a steam pipe for conducting away waste steam. The head-piece C, which rests
loose on the under part B, has on the thin edge of the rim a of the ash pan c, three
or more projections b, which ensure that the head-piece C shall be accurately in
the centre, by bearing against the under sides of the annular air outlet I, which
forms the lower edge of the fire-space. In the bottom of the ash-pan c there is
an outfall for ash d, which widens downwards and passes through the opening e
in the under part B. The upper flange L of the under-part B fits against the
upper part A, and thus forms the bottom of the air-chamber and of the water-
space, being made tight-fitting by means of asbestos packing. In a suitable
place in this flange at the bottom of the air-chamber D), there is an opening for
cleaning purposes g, which can be closed by the plug f, and serves to remove
any ash etcetera which may collect there.
The putting together of the new smith's hearth is performed as follows;-
The head-piece C with its conically-widening opening d over the opening in the
under part B which widens out also to form the base of the cone h, so that this

page_text: head-piece C is carried by the under part B, is inserted into the central opening
of the upper part A until the flange L closes against the upper part A, and the
projections butt against the sides of the air outlet I which forms the lower
edge of the fire-space.
When this is done the screws are tightened up, whereby all the parts of the
hearth are firmly held together. Underneath the outfall for the ash a cistern
may be placed for the purpose of slaking the cinders.
The method of use is as follows;--
After the pipe E has been connected to the blast-pipe, and the tube F con-
nected to a water-cistern placed at a proper height, and the steam exhaust pipe
led out into the open air, the fire is lighted and the blast started. The blast
passes through the pipe E into the circular air-chamber D thence through the
narrow annular outlet I, and forms in consequence of the manner of construction
of the latter, and the shape of the lower edge of the fire-space, an upward-rushing
cone of wind, which produces a concentration of the blast in the centre of the
fire, and in this way the heating takes place very quickly and an unusually high
temperature is obtained whilst in consequence of the sloping walls of the fire-
space and the ash-pan, which is underneath, the removal of the ash etcetera through
the outfall d is effected by the unburnt coal pressing downwards towards it on
all sides.
By this new construction of hearth there is obtained a fire free from cinder,
ash and coal-dust, which has not hitherto been obtained, and thereby the mixing
of these impurities with the forging completely avoided.
•
For the prevention of the rapid waste through burning of the parts exposed to
the fire, these parts are surrounded by the circular water-chamber G, to which
water is conducted by the tube F, and from, which the steam is conducted away
into the open air through the waste steam pipe.
Fig. 3, shows the same smith's hearth without the arrangement for water-
cooling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
-
1. A smith's hearth with or without water-cooling arrangement, constructed
with an annular outlet for the air-blast, which as it issues is guided by the upward
directed edges of the lower part of the fire space and forms a conical blast, con-
centrating the air in the centre of the fire, whilst the pressure of the unburnt coal
on the sloping sides of the fire-space and of the ash-pan causes the automatic
discharge of ash and dust through the outfall for that purpose, substantially as
described.
2. A smith's hearth having the several parts constructed and arranged in com-
bination, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 25th day of July 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, & London, Patent Agents.