An Improved Construction of Heating Furnace for Steel Sleepers and other. Metallic Articles and Apparatus Connected therewith.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 24th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 25th Mar., 1887.
An Improved Construction of Heating Furnace for Steel Sleepers
and other. Metallic Articles and Apparatus Connected therewith.
I, WILLIAM EVANS, of Merthyr Tydvit, in the County of Glamorgan, Manager of
Iron and Steel Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention of improvements in apparatus for manufacturing steel sleepers and
other metallic articles comprises an improved construction of heating furnace and
means for conveying plates from shears into the heating furnace.
The objects of the invention as respects the furnace are to provide and maintain an
uniform distribution of heat without impingement of flame upon or over-heating of the
plates under treatment, to provide an inlet door that shall act automatically, shall not
be liable to injury by the heat and which shall be easily accessible for repairs, and to
operate the outlet door in such a manner that the lift of the door can be adjusted by
the use of pulleys of different sizes.
The furnace according to one arrangement comprises an iron shell braced together
by tie-bolts whereby the internal brick-work is held together. At each end of
the furnace there is a fire grate from which flues pass underneath the bottom of the
furnace and up the ends over bridges into the heating chamber. At the centre of the
furnace and over the heating chamber is placed a chimney fitted with regulating
damper to carry off the products of combustion. The doors in connection with the
furnace work automatically, there being an inlet door at one side and an outlet door
at the opposite side. The inlet door is in section in the form of a quadrant hinged
outside the furnace clear of the heat. The arrangement is such that when a sleeper
plate or other piece of metal to be heated is pushed on to that part of the door which
normally is horizontal or approximately so, the weight of the sleeper plate or piece of
metal will press the door downward into an inclined attitude, whereupon the sleeper.
plate or piece of metal will slip off the door into the furnace. Suitable means such as
balance weights capable of adjustment and fixed on lever arms effect the closing of the
door. On the top surface of the door are fastened narrow strips at right angles to the

page_text: length of the door to reduce the friction of the sleeper plate or piece of metal whilst
slipping into the furnace.
The outlet door is actuated by the press by means of chains working over pulleys,
the closing of the door being effected by its own weight; the lift of the door need no
be limited by the exact stroke of the press, but can be adjusted by applying pulleys
of different sizes.
As respects the apparatus for conveying sleeper plates or pieces of metal from shears
into the heating furnace, the objects are to dispense with manual labour for this
purpose, to expedite the transfer, and thereby prevent the sleeper plates or pieces of
metal from cooling. The apparatus employed for this purpose comprises a steam or
hydraulic cylinder with piston, piston-rod, and cross-head. To the latter are attached
fingers that push the sleeper plates or pieces of metal from live rollers along an inclined
plane or slide on to the horizontal part of the furnace door or into the furnace. The
fingers are so constructed that on the return stroke of the cross-head on coming in
contact with a sleeper plate or piece of metal that is in position for shearing, the
fingers give way and are dragged over the top of such sleeper plate or piece of metal
into a position behind it, whereupon they resume their operating attitude in readiness
on the return stroke to push the plate to the furnace. The transferring apparatus is
placed above the inclined plane or slide, in which position it is clear of scale from the
sleeper plates or pieces of metal dropping on to the working parts.
As will be evident the details of construction may be more or less modified to suit
circumstances without departure from the distinctive features of the invention whether
used in combination or otherwise in the manufacture of steel sleepers or of other articles
in the shape of iron and steel requiring to be heated pressed and punched or to be
subjected to some of such operations.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Construction of Heating Furnace for Steel Sleepers
and other Metallic Articles and Apparatus Connected therewith.
I, WILLIAM EVANS, of Merthyr Tydvil, in the County of Glamorgan, Manager of
Iron and Steel Works, 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 of improvements in apparatus for manufacturing steel sleepers and
other metallic articles comprises an improved construction of heating furnace and
means for conveying plates from shears into the heating furnace.
The object of the invention as respects the furnace are to provide and maintain a
uniform distribution of heat without impingement of flame upon or over heating of the
plates under treatment, to provide an inlet door that shall act automatically, shall not
be liable to injury by the heat, and which shall be easily accessible for repairs, and to
operate the outlet door in such a manner that the lift of the door can be adjusted by
the use of pulleys of different sizes.
The furnace according to one arrangement comprises an iron shell braced together
by tie-bolts whereby the internal brick-work is held together. At each end of
the furnace there is a fire grate from which flues pass underneath the bottom of the
furnace and up the ends over bridges into the heating chamber. At the centre of the
furnace and over the heating chamber is placed a chimney fitted with regulating
damper to carry off the products of combustion. The doors in connection with
furnace work automatically there being a an inlet door at one side and an outlet door at
the opposite side. The inlet door is in section in the form of a quadrant hinged
outside the furnace clear of the heat. The arrangement is such that when a sleeper plate
or other piece of metal to be heated is pushed on to that part of the door which
normally is horizontal or approximately so, the weight of the sleeper plate or piece of
metal will press the door downward into an inclined attitude, whereupon the sleeper
plate or piece of metal will slip off the door into the furnace. Suitable means such as
balance weights capable of adjustment and fixed on lever arms effect the closing of the
door. On the top surface of the door are fastened narrow strips at right angles to the
length of the door to reduce the friction of the sleeper plate or piece of metal whilst
slipping into the furnace.
The outlet door is actuated by the press by means of chains working over pulleys
the closing of the door being effected by its own weight; the lift of the door need not
be limited by the exact stroke of the press, but can be adjusted by applying pulleys of
different sizes.
As respects the apparatus for conveying sleeper plates or pieces of metal from shears
into the heating furnace, the objects are to dispense with manual labour for this
purpose, to expedite the transfer, and thereby prevent the sleeper plates or pieces of
metal from cooling. The apparatus employed for this purpose comprises a steam or

page_text: hydraulic cylinder with piston, piston-rod, and cross-head. To the latter are attached
fingers that push the sleeper plates or pieces of metal from live rollers along an inclined
plane or slide on to the horizontal part of the furnace door or into the furnace. The
fingers are so constructed that on the return stroke of the cross head on coming in
contact with a sleeper plate or piece of metal that is in position for shearing, the
fingers give way and are dragged over the top of such sleeper plate or piece of metal
into a position behind it, whereupon they resume their operating attitude in readiness
on the return stroke to push the plate to the furnace. The transferring apparatus is
placed above the inclined plane or slide in which position it is clear of scale from the
sleeper plates or pieces of metal dropping on to the working parts.
As will be evident the details of construction may be more or less modified-to suit
circumstances without departure from the distinctive features of the invention
whether used in combination or otherwise in the manufacture of steel sleepers or of
other articles of iron and steel requiring to be heated pressed and punched or to be
subjected to some of such operations.
Referring to the accompanying four sheets of drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal
section in the line A, B, Fig. 4 of a heating furnace according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line C, D Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse
sections in the lines E F and G H respectively of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shews in elevation
to a smaller scale the general arrangement of transferring apparatus for conveying
sleeper plates or pieces of metal from shears into the heating furnace shown in section.
In this view is also shown a press of which a moving part is employed for operating
the exit door of the furnace. Fig. 6 is a plan or top view.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the heating furnace comprises a metal shell 1. braced
together by tie bolts 2; it is provided with a roof, end walls, and hearth of brickwork 3,
4 and 5 are fire grates situate at the opposite ends of the furnace.
6 and 7 are
horizontal and vertical flues respectively through which flame and hot products of
combustion pass from each fire-grate over a bridge 8 into the heating chamber 9.
10 is a chimney arranged above the centre of the heating chamber 9; it is provided with
a regulating damper 11 for controlling the exit of the products of combustion. 12 is
an inlet door having in transverse section the form of a quadrant; it is hinged at 13
clear of the furnace heat and is provided with lever arms, one of which is shown at 14
(Fig. 4) that carry adjustable balance weights 15. By this arrangement of the inlet
door when a sleeper plate or other piece of metal (hereinafter called a sleeper plate) to
be heated is pushed on to the top or horizontal part of the door the weight of the
sleeper plate will press the door downward into an inclined attitude whereupon the
sleeper plate will slip off the door into the furnace, through the opening 16; the door
will then be returned to its closed position by the action of the counterweights 15.
Narrow strips 17 of metal, one only of which can be seen in Fig. 4, are secured to the
top surface of the inlet door 12 at right angles to its length to reduce the friction of
the sleeper plate whilst slipping into the furnace. 18 is an outlet door for closing the
opening 19; it is raised or opened by a moving part 20 of a press 21 (see Fig. 5). A
chain 22 one end of which is connected to the moving part 20 of the press is connected
at its opposite end to one of a pair of pulleys 23. From the other of the said pair a
second chain 22" is led over a pulley 23 to the door 18. By varying the diameter
of the two parts of the pulley 23 the lift of the door may be made greater or less
than the lift of the moving part of the press. The closing of this door is effected by
its own weight when the moving part 20 rises.
Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, 24 is a steam or hydraulic cylinder with piston, piston
rod 25, and crosshead 26. 27, 27 are fingers pivotted to the crosshead 26 and
provided with spurs 27* which are normally in contact with a solid part of the cross-
head, the arrangement being such that the fingers are rigidly held in the position shown
in Fig. 5 during their forward movement, to push a sleeper plate from the line rollers 28
up an inclined plane or slide 29 on to the inlet door 12, or into the furnace, but on
coming in contact, during the return movement, with a sleeper plate that is in position
for shearing, they give way and are dragged over the top of such sleeper plate as
hereinbefore described. 30, 30 are guide rods for the crosshead 26 and attached

page_text: 21
piston rod. 31 represents the position of steam shears for shearing the sleeper plates.
9 is the heating chamber of the furnace of the construction hereinbefore described.
is a press to which the sleeper plates are delivered after being sufficiently heated in the
chamber 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. A heating furnace for steel sleepers and other metallic articles in which a uniform
heating of the said articles is obtained by admitting products of combustion at both
ends, from grates situated beneath the furnace bed, and connected with its interior by
flues passing longitudinally beneath it, the arrangement being such that the heat
entering at one end of the furnace is derived from a grate at the opposite end,
substantially as described.
2. In conjunction with a heating furnace, a balanced door hinged outside of the
furnace, and so arranged that articles to be heated placed on one portion of it, are
automatically delivered into the furnace, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The outlet door 18 lifted from the moving part 20 of the press 2.1. by means of
chains, and pulleys of different diameters, substantially as described with reference to
the drawings.
4. The use of transferring apparatus arranged to deliver sleepers or other articles to
the furnace substantially in the manner described.
5. The improved heating furnace constructed substantially as described with
reference to and illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings.
6. The combined apparatus for transferring and heating steel sleepers and other
metallic articles constructed arranged and operating substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.
Dated this 24th day of February 1987
187
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.