IMPROVE- MENTS IN EFFECTING THE PROTECTION OF IRON AND STEEL SURFACES, AND IN THE FURNACES EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bower and Anthony Spencer Bower, both of
Saint Neots, in the County of Huntingdon, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN EFFECTING THE PROTECTION OF IRON AND STEEL SURFACES, AND
IN THE FURNACES EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIONleft by the said George Bower and Anthony
Spencer Bower at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th
September 1880.
GEORGE BOWER and ANTHONY SPENCER BOWER, both of Saint Neots, in the
County of Huntingdon. "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING THE PROTECTION Of
IRON AND STEEL SURFACES, AND IN THE FURNACES EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Our Invention, which relates to improvements in effecting the protection of iron
and steel surfaces, and in the furnaces employed therein, has especial reference to
an arrangement of furnace best adapted to performing the operations of oxidizing
and deoxidizing the surfaces of iron and steel, as described in the Specification to
Letters Patent granted to us, dated April 1st, A.D. 1878, and numbered 1280; but
the Invention also embraces the production of a protective coating by the com-
bustion of hydrocarbons, whether in the gaseous, liquid, or solid state, the operation
being performed either in our improved furnace or in any other suitable furnace.
In carrying out our present Invention we construct within the furnace a gas
generating chamber, from which combustible gas is caused to issue continuously
and to flow, under the control of a damper, along a suitable channel, the gas passing
out through apertures or outlets at the end of the said channel.
As the gas issues it meets a current of hot air rising up through a passage leading
from the lower part of the furnace, and at this stage the gas is caused to be con-
sumed, and the products of combustion flowing along a passage or chamber situate
beneath the oxidizing chamber, where the said products are thoroughly mixed by
the act of passing through rows of open brick work cross walls within the said
passage or chamber.
From this passage or chamber the products of combustion flow back along a side
passage, and issuo through ports formed at the top of the said side passage into
CD..

page_text: the oxidizing chamber. After passing among the articles to be coated, and leaving
a coating upon them, the waste products escape downwards through ports into a
side passage leading into a regenerator chamber, within which are arranged a series
of pipes which are heated by the waste products as they pass among them, the
said products finally escaping from the regenerator into the chimney flue.
The cold air enters the furnace through a channel provided with a regulating
valve under the control of the furnace tender, and passes through the tubes within
the regenerator chamber, the air thereby becoming highly heated and capable of
developing greater heat when burnt with the combustible gas flowing from the gas
generator, as herein before described.
It will thus be seen that the combustion is perfected before the products there-
from are admitted to the chamber containing the articles to be coated, and that
the furnace is one in which continuous regeneration takes place, so that the
operations are effectively performed under the most economical conditions. The
oxidizing or deoxidizing process takes place according as the air or gas is in excess,
and this is readily controlled by the gas damper and air regulating valve herein-
before described.
With our improved furnace may be used any suitable gas producer, but au
important feature of our Invention consists in the use of hydrocarbons, whether
solid, gaseous, or liquid.
It is not essential that the gas generator should form a part of the furnace-
proper; on the contrary, -in-many_situations it will be found convenient to place
the gas-generator-at.some distance from the furnace proper. A-close-muffle_or_
retort may also be placed within the oxidizing-chamber, and thus be heated exter-
nally by the common producer gases, while the articles to be coated may be place:
within the muffle or retort, and coal gas or other hydrocarbon may be consumed
with varying quantities of air within the muffle. In some cases common coal gas
or hydrocarbon gas may be used both for heating the chamber and for oxidizing,
and such gas may be obtained from any independent source, such, for example, as
from an ordinary gas works.
Rusty articles placed within the oxidizing chamber may have the rust upon
them reduced to a protective coating by passing coal gas or other hydrocarbon
among them without any mixture of air whatever. This operation can also be
effectively performed in the oxidizing chamber by opening out the gas damper and
only allowing sufficient air to pass through the regulating valve to keep up the
heat required in the chamber. In this manner a strongly reducing flame is
obtained which is quite sufficient to reduce very rusty articles in a few hours.
In lieu of employing coal gas or other hydrocarbons, pure hydrogen gas may be
used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Bower & Anthony Spencer Bower in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th March 1881.
GEORGE BOWER and ANTHONY SPENCER BOWER, both of St. Neots, in the County
of Huntingdon. "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING THE PROTECTION OF IRON AND
STEEL SURFACES, AND IN THE FURNACES EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Our said Invention, which relates to improvements in effecting the protection of
iron and steel surfaces, and in the furnaces employed therein, has especial referenco
to an arrangement of furnace best adapted to performing the operations of oxydising
and deoxydising the surfaces of iron and steel, as described in the Specification to
Letters Patent granted to us dated April First, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy eight, and numbered 1280.
In carrying out our present Invention, the furnace is so constructed that the
carbonic oxide from the generator, being caused to meet with a current of hot air,
combustion takes place, which is perfected before the products herefrom aro
admitted to the chamber containing the articles to be coated, and the wasto
products of combustion are caused to pass on their way to the chimney over and
amongst a series of pipes through which the cold air required for combustion is
admitted so as to become heated and prepared for admixture with the carbonic
oxide, as before mentioned, continuous regeneration therefore takes place, and the
operations are effectively performed under the most economical conditions.
The present Invention also relates to the production of a protective coating upon
iron and steel surfaces by the combustion of hydro-carbons, whether solid, gaseous,
or liquid, such, for example, as ordinary coal gas (carburetted hydrogen), or the gas
or vapour from hydrocarbon oils, the operation being performed either in the
improved furnace or in any other suitable furnace.
And in order that our said Invention may be perfectly understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same improved furnace, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents longitudinal section of the
furnace taken along the line 1, 2 (in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6); Figures 2 and 3
are transverse vertical sections of the same taken respectively along the lines 3-4
and 5-6, Figure 4; and Figures 4, 5, and 6 are horizontal sections taken
respectively along the lines 7-8-9-10 and 11-12, Figures 1, 2, and 3.
a, a, a, are the producers for gasifying the fuel employed, which is supplied
through hoppers b, b, b. The carbonic oxide from the combustion of the fuel in
the producers a, a, a, passes along a conduit d (its flow being controlled by a
slide c) to the opening e, where this combustible gas meets a current of hot air
ascending through a passage fand is consuined. The products of combustion are
thence conducted along a passage g, where they are thoroughly mixed by open
brickwork cross walls h, and then return along a passage i, whence they enter
through the oblong holes the chamber K, in which the articles to be coated aro
arranged.
After having passed over and among the articles to be coated, the waste escapes
downwards through ports m into regenerator chambers p, and thence to the
chimney flue s, heating in its passage the tubes t composing the regenerator,
and which are securely supported by the cross wall u. Cold air enters tho
apparatus atv through a channel provided with a regulating valve under the control
of the furnace tender. This air then passes along the lower rows of regenerator
tubes and back through the upper tubes, thus becoming highly heated by the
waste gases and capable of developing greater heat when burnt with the com-
bustible gas, as herein before described. The oxidising and deoxydising processes

page_text: take place according as the air or gas is in excess, and this is readily controlled by
the gas damper and air regulator herein before described.
When common coal gas or any solid or liquid hydrocarbon gas is used as the gas
producing agent, a furnace constructed in the manner heroin before described may
also be employed for conducting the operations of producing the protective coating.
In many situations it will be convenient to place the gas producers some distance
from the furnaces proper. A close muffle or retort may also be placed within the
oxidising chamber, and thus be heated externally by the common producer gases,
while the articles to be coated may be placed inside the muffle or retort, and coal
gas or gases made from solid or liquid hydrocarbons may be consumed with varying
quantities of air within the muffle. In some cases common coal gas or other hydro
carbon gas may be used both for heating the chamber and for oxidizing, and such
gas may be obtained from any independent source, such, for example, as from an
ordinary gas works.
Rusty articles placed within the oxidizing chamber may have the rust upon them
reduced to a protective coating by passing the coal gas or other hydrocarbons
among them without any mixture of air whatever. This operation can also be
effectively performed in the oxidising chamber by opening out the gas damper and
only allowing sufficient air to pass through the valve v to keep up the heat required
in the chamber. In this manner a strongly reducing flame is obtained, which is
quite sufficient in a few hours to reduce the surfaces of very rusty articles to a
rustless surface.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the bereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting a furnace
for performing the operations herein set forth, the furnace being so constructed
that combustion is perfected before the products therefrom are admitted to the
chamber containing the articles to, bo coated, and that a continuous regeneration
takes place, all substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described.
Second. The production of a protective coating upon iron and steel surfaces by
passing over and among the articles to be conted the products obtained by the
combustion of solid or liquid hydrocarbons, such products of combustion being
rendered oxidizing or deoxydising at will, according to the quantity of air allowed
to mingle with the said gases, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Bower and Anthony Spencer Bower,
have to this our Specification set our hands and seals, the Eleventh day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and eiglity one.
COR POWER
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