IMPROVE- MENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES, AND IN OTHER FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Kirk, of Workington, in the County of
Cumberland, Iron Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES, AND IN OTHER FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
Sealed the 16th November 1869, and dated the 31st May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Kirk at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st May 1869.
I, PETER KIRK, of Workington, in the County of Cumberland, Iron
5 Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING FURNACES, AND IN OTHER FURNACES EMPLOYED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the puddling, balling, re-heating, and other
similar furnaces employed in the manufacture of iron and steel, and
more particularly to the fire-places of such furnaces and to means for
supplying the same with air. When constructing a puddling furnace

page_text: in accordance with my Invention I form the fire-grate in two portions
namely, an upper and a lower portion. The upper portion is formed
by preference of a circular, hexagonal, or polygonal shape in plan with
the sides perforated or slotted and sloping downwards and towards the
centre, and is made of a suitable material, as for example, of cast iron,
which material I have found to be very suitable.
The said upper
portion is usually formed in two or more segments capable of being
fitted or united together, and also so suitably formed as that it may
be fitted, arranged, or suspended in the furnace in such a manner as
that the air admitted or supplied to the under side of the grate may
have free access to the under side of the said upper portion, and to tho
perforations, slots, or air passages formed therein, and also that the
lower grate may be readily cleaned as will be herein-after explained.
The said lower grate is also usually formed of cast iron in one or mare
portions, but wrought iron or other material may be employed if pre-
ferred or if found to be suitable. The said lower grate is formed with
perforations, slots, or air passages and is of a size suitable to the size
of the upper portion of the grate being fixed at a short distance below
the lower edge of the upper grate, and extending a short distance
beyond the said lower edge in an outward direction, a space being left
between the outer edge or edges of the lower grate and the sides of the
furnace. One or more openings which may he fitted with a door or with
doors is or are formed in the side or sides of the furnace at about the
level of the space between the lower grate and the upper one, in order
that a hooked rod or other suitable tool may be introduced when it is
required to clean the grate, in which operation the clinkers and other
refuse are drawn and pushed off the lower grate and fall over the edges
of the said grate, and through the space or spaces between the said
edges and the sides of the furnace into the space under the grate. Air
may be admitted to the ash-pit or to the space under the grate in the
ordinary or any suitable manner, but I prefer to enclose the said ash-
pit with a door or with doors, and to force a supply of air into the said
enclosed space by means of a jet or of jets of steam which is or are
allowed to blow through an air tube or opening or through air tubes
or openings, and thereby to force or induct a current or currents of air
into the said space; or, if preferred, a fan or other suitable means may
be employed. The air or mixture of air and steam is by preference
admitted to the under side of the puddling hearth, and is allowed to
come into contact therewith and with the side and bridge plates in

page_text: order that it may abstract heat therefrom, and flows into the ash-pit
where it receives additional heat radiated from the ashes lying therein
and from the grate, the said air or mixture of air and steam after being
thus heated flowing through the slots or perforations in the grates, and
through the space between the said grates as afore-mentioned. In some
cases a portion of the air or of the aforesaid mixture of air and steam
is allowed to flow through a passage or through passages whence it
has access to the space over the fire-grates, in order that it may mix
with the gases evolved from the fuel and may assist in the combustion
thereof. A perforated partition may be placed or fixed between the
ash-pit and the space under the puddling hearth, and also to protect
the enclosing doors of the said ash-pit an inclined plate or partition
may be so placed as to direct the falling ashes away from the said doors.
The arrangements herein-before described may be variously modified
without departing materially from the principle of my Invention, as
for example, the lower grate may be hinged to the upper one or may
be otherwise made capable of being lowered to some extent therefrom,
in which case the space between the two grates may be lessened or
may be dispensed with, and also the sides of the upper grate may be
caused to slope outwardly instead of inwardly as herein-before men-
tioned, or may be made vertical, or the rod employed when cleaning the
grate or grates may be introduced through an opening in the side or
in one of the sides of the upper grate instead of or in addition to being
introduced between the two grates as aforesaid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Kirk in the Great Seal Patent Office on.
the 29th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
KIRK, of Workington, in the County of Cumberland, Iron Manufac-
turer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Peter Kirk, Her special license

page_text: that I, the said Peter Kirk, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Peter Kirk, my 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,
slrould 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 IN PUDDLING FURNACES AND
OTHER FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL,"
the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Peter Kirk, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
upon
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Kirk, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, 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 :-
My Invention relates to the puddling, balling, reheating and other
similar furnaces employed in the manufacture of iron and steel, and
more particularly to the fire-places of such furnaces, and to means for
supplying the same with air. When constructing a puddling furnace
in accordance with my Invention I form the fire-grate in two portions
namely, an upper and a lower portion. The upper portion is formed by
preference of a circular, hexagonal, or polygonal shape in plan with the
sides perforated or slotted and sloping downwards and towards the centre
and is made of a suitable material, as for example, of cast iron which
material I have found to be very suitable. The said upper portion is
usually formed in two or more segments capable of being fitted or united
together, and also so suitably formed as that it may be fitted, arranged,
or suspended in the furnace in such a manner as that the air admitted
or supplied to the under side of the grate may have free access to the
under side of the said upper portion and to the perforations, slots, or air
passages formed therein, and also that the lower grate may be readily
cleaned as will be herein-after explained. The said lower grate is also
usually formed of cast iron in one or more portions, but wrought iron or
other material may be employed if preferred, or if found to be suitable.
The said lower grate is formed with perforations, slots, or air passages,

page_text: and is of a size suitable to the size of the upper portion of the grate,
being fixed at a short distance below the lower edge of the upper grato
and extending a short distance beyond the said lower edge in an
outward direction, a space being left between the outer edge or edges
of the lower grate and the sides of the furnace. One or more openings
which may be fitted with a door or with doors, is or are formed in the
side or sides of the furnace at about the level of the space between the
lower grate and the upper one, in order that a hooked rod or other
suitable tool may be introduced when it is required to clear the grate,
in which operation the clinkers and other refuse are drawn and pushed
off the lower grate and fall over the edges of the said grate and through
the space or spaces between the said edges and the sides of the furnace
into the space under the grate. Air may be admitted to the ash-pit or
to the space under the grate in the ordinary or any suitable manner,
but I prefer to enclose the said ash-pit with a door or with doors, and
to force a suply of air into the said enclosed space by means of a jet
or of jets of steam which is or are allowed to flow through an air tubo
or opening or through air tubes or openings, and thereby to force or
induct a current or currents of air into the said space, or if preferred a
fan or other suitable means may be employed. The air or mixture of
air and steam is by preference admitted to the under side of the puddling
hearth, and is allowed to come into contact therewith and with the
side and bridge plates in order that it may abstract heat therefrom and
flows into the ash-pit where it receives additional heat radiated from
the ashes lying therein and from the grate, the said air or mixture of air
and steam after being thus heated flowing through the slots or per-
forations in the grates and through the space between the said grates as
afore-mentioned. In some cases a portion of the air or of the aforesaid
mixture of air and steam is allowed to flow through a passage, or
through passages, whence it has access to the space over the fire-grates,
in order that it may mix with the gases evolved from the fuel, and may
assist in the combustion thereof. A perforated partition may be placed
or fixed between the ash-pit and the space under the puddling hearth,
and also to protect the enclosing doors of the said ash-pit a sloping plate,
partition, or surface may be so placed as to direct the falling ashes away
from the said doors. The arrangements hercin-before described may bo
variously modified without departing materially from the principle of
my Invention, as for example, the lower grate may be hinged to the
upper one or may be otherwise made capable of being lowered to some

page_text: extent therefrom, in which case the space between the two grates may
be lessened or may be dispensed with, and also the sides of the upper
grate may be caused to slope outwardly instead of inwardly as herein-
before mentioned, or may be made vertical, or the rod employed when
cleaning the grate or grates may be introduced through an opening in
the side or in one of the sides of the upper grate instead of or in addition
to being introduced between the two grates as aforesaid.
In order that the nature of my said Invention may be fully under-
stood I have furnished a Sheet of Drawings to accompany this Speci-
fication, on which said Sheet is represented a puddling furnace having
my improved furnace or fire-place adapted thereto, the form and con-
struction of the said fire-place being such as I have found to be suitable
when carrying my said Invention into practical effect.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal
sectional elevation of the said puddling furnace, and Fig. 2 is a plan
thereof representing the upper portion or roof, as having been removed
in order to shew the interior. The said Figures are drawn to a scale of
about one and a quarter inches to the foot, and are marked with letters of
reference, similar letters indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
In the said Figures a, a, is the upper grate, b is the lower grate, and
c is the puddling hearth or furnace bottom, which may be of any
ordinary or suitable form and construction. In the example illustrated
both the upper and the lower grates are represented as being formed of
cast iron. The upper grate a, a, consists of six seperate castings arranged
in the form of a hexagon, or nearly, the said castings being sustained in
position by the cast-iron beams or bearers d, d, which are built into the
walls of the furnace. Each of the said castings a, a, is formed with an
upper projecting flange e which bears upon the bearer d, and with
vertical ribs, which bear against the sides of the bearer or against
vertical ribs cast thereon, each casting being thus suspended in position,
and as the upper walls g, g, of the fire-place rest on the said castings
they are firmly retained in position. The face of each of the castings
a, a, which is towards the fire is inclined towards the said fire, and is
formed with a number of perforations, air passages, or slots h, h, it being
preferred that the bottoms of the said air passages shall slope downwards
towards the face, as represented in Fig. 1. The castings a, a, may be
bolted or otherwise connected together if preferred, in which case the
form of each casting and of the bearers d, d, may be slightly modified,

page_text: but it will be found to be most convenient to keep each casting detached
from the others for the reason that renewals may then be more readily
effected. The lower grate bis represented as a cast-iron grating formed
in a single piece, but it may consist of two or more portions either
attached together or merely laid side by side; or it may consist of single
bars arranged to form a grating, as preferred, so long as the main
features of my Invention are retained. The said lower grate is suspended
at a short distance below the lower edge of the upper grate, being
sustained by the bars i, i, which said bars are either built into the walls
of the furnace or are made capable of being raised or lowered in order to
increase or decrease the distance between the two grates. The slots or air
passages formed in the said lower grate may be made of a width suitable
to the description of fuel intended to be employed, the improved grate
admitting of the said air passages being made of a less width than the
spaces between the bars of an ordinary furnace. A sliding door or pair
of doors is shewn at k, the said door or doors when open admitting
the afore-mentioned hooked rod or other tool, by means of which the
clinkers and refuse are drawn and pushed off the surface of the lower
grate. It will be seen that as the said clinkers may be drawn or pushed
in every direction from the centre towards the outer edge or edges of the
lower grate, and as there is a clear space entirely around the said grate,
through which the said clinkers may be discharged, the clearing of the
said grate may be readily effected. The ash-pit is represented as fitted
with doors l, and a portion of the bottom of the said ash-pit is made to
slope away from the said doors in order to direct the falling ashes and
clinkers away therefrom; as herein-before mentioned. When the ash-pit
is enclosed in such a manner as to render necessary the employment of
means for forcing air into the furnace, the supplying of the air may be
effected by means of an air pump, fan, or other mechanical equivalent, or
by the means represented in the Drawings, that is to say, a current or
currents of air may be forced into the ash-pit by a jet or by jets of steam,
and as the cost of construction and of maintenance of the apparatus is
less than when air pumps or fans are employed, and as the action of the
said jet or jets is sufficient I prefer to use it or them for the said purpose.
In Fig. 1 a single jet of steam is represented as being discharged from
the nozzle m attached to a pipe which supplies the steam. The said jet
is discharged into the funnel n which communicates with the passage o
opening into the space under the furnace bottom, the air inducted by the
said jet flowing in the direction of the arrows into the ash-pit and

page_text: through the spaces and air passages in and between the grates, the
mixture of air and steam having free access to the "bottom," "side,"
"jamb," and "bridge plates," whereby the said mixture becomes heated
or receives additional heat, and at the same time the aforesaid plates are
cooled to some extent.
As herein-before mentioned passages may be formed in the walls of
the furnace through which air may flow into the space above the upper
grate, but no such passages are shewn in the Drawings as the required
effect may be obtained by allowing air to flow through the upper per-
forations or slots in the upper grate and over the fuel. The fuel rests
upon and in the improved grates in the manner as indicated on one half
portion thereof, the remaining half being represented without fuel in
order the better to shew the construction of the said grates as will be
nnderstood. The fuel is fed through a door or opening at p in Fig. 2, the
said door being situated in the side of the furnace removed in Fig. 1, and
therefore does not appear in the said Figure, but the said door or opening
may be of any ordinary or suitable form or construction.
I would here remark that I am aware that the effect which I have
sought to obtain may be attained in a lesser degree without causing the
upper grate to extend entirely around the fire, as, for example, the said
upper grate may be in two portions, one being situated on each of two
sides of the fire-place, the remaining sides being formed of fire-brick or
otherwise as found to be suitable. In this case the lower grate may be
so fixed and arranged as that the clinkers and refuse shall be drawn and
pushed off the two ends or the two sides thereof instead of all around as
in the example illustrated in the Drawings. Also the space between the
upper and the lower grates may be considerably reduced or may be
dispensed with 'as has been already remarked herein, and various other
modifications may be made without departing from the main features of
my Invention. The method of adapting my Invention to other furnaces
than puddling furnaces as aforesaid will be readily understood without
it being necessary to describe the said method herein or to illustrate the
same in the Drawings.
Having now fully described the nature of my Invention, and methods
of carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it to be distinctly
'understood that I do not claim the employment of the closed ash-pit nor
of a forced draught excepting when used in conjunction with my
improved grate, nor of the steam jet or jets excepting when applied in

page_text: the manner herein-before described and as will be mentioned in my last
claim, but what I desire to claim is,-
First. The construction and use of fire-grates for furnaces employed
in the manufacture of iron and steel when the said grates are formed,
arranged, and worked, substantially as herein-before described and as
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The employment in the said furnaces of an upper grate or
of upper grates with vertical or sloping sides, and of a lower horizontal
or nearly horizontal grate.
Thirdly. So fitting, suspending, and arranging the fire-grate or the
lower fire-grate of any one of such furnaces as aforesaid as that thero
may be a clear space around or nearly around the outer edge or edges of
the said grate or extending along the sides of the said grate or along the
greater portion thereof, through which space or spaces the clinkers and
other refuse may be discharged from off the surface of the said grate.
And, lastly. The employment of steam for the purpose of inducing a
draught of air to supply the fires of such furnaces as aforesaid in such a
manner in each case as that the mixture of air and steam shall and when
flowing towards the fire have free access to the surfaces of portions of
the bottom," "bridge," and "side plates," or of portions of the furnace
answering thereto, and generally to all the exposed surfaces situated in
the space or spaces under the fire-grate or grates and the hearth or
furnace bottom, the said mixture being permitted to come into contact
with such surfaces for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Kirk, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.