IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTING OR PUDDLING FURNACES FOR DECARBONIZING IRON
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTING OR
PUDDLING FURNACES FOR DECARBONIZING IRON."-A communication from
.,abroad by James Montgomery, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th July 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTING OR
PUDDLING FURNACES FOR DECARBONIZING IRON," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to decarbonize cast iron by a mechanical
process/instead of by the laborious operation of hand puddling, as here-
tofore.

page_text: In carrying out the Invention the furnace is made in a circular form,
and is mounted on rollers or castors so that it may be rotated horizon-
tally on its vertical axis by means of a pinion or worm wheel taking into
a circular rack which passes all round the furnace. The ore or metal
that is to be melted is placed in a set of crucibles, or the molten metal
that is to be decarbonized is placed in a vessel above the rotating furnace
and is heated thereby. In the decarbonizing furnace a series of hollow
perforated stirrers are employed, and are supplied with superheated
steam and highly heated air, and as the apparatus is carried round the
steam and air issue from the stirrers and percolate through the molten
mass, thereby carrying off or consuming the carbon contained in the
metal. The furnaces and crucibles may be of various forms, and the
hollow perforated stirrers may be made to rotate either vertically or
horizontally. The furnaces or melting chambers are provided with
moveable covers, which may be hinged so that they may be lifted up by
suitable tackle in order to obtain access to the interior. In some cases
it will be found convenient to melt the iron in a crucible or other vessel
heated by the waste heat from the converting furnace, into which the
molten metal may be run when fused in the crucible. Provision may
also be made for running the converted metal into any moulds in which
it may be desired to make castings, such as railway wheels or tyres. The
moulds may be run under an opening in the furnace by mounting them
on a table or carriage provided with wheels which run upon rails
provided for the purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 should 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CONVERTING OR PUDDLING FURNACES FOR DECARBONIZING IRON,"
being a communication to me from abroad by James Montgomery, of
the City and State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
The object of this Invention is to decarbonize cast iron by a mecha-
nical process instead of by the laborious operation of hand puddling, as
heretofore.
.
In carrying out the Invention the furnace is made in a circular form,
and is mounted on rollers or castors so that it may be rotated horizontally
on its vertical axis by means of a pinion or worm wheel taking into a
circular rack which passes all round the furnace. The ore or metal that
is to be melted is placed in a set of crucibles, or the molten metal that
is to be decarbonized is placed in a vessel above the rotating furnace
and is heated thereby. In the decarbonizing furnace a series of hollow
perforated stirrers are employed, and are supplied with superheated
steam and highly heated air, and as the apparatus is carried round the
steam and air issue from the stirrers and percolate through the molten
mass, thereby carrying off or consuming the carbon contained in the
metal. The furnaces and crucibles may be of various forms, and the
hollow perforated stirrers may be made to rotate either vertically or

page_text: horizontally. The furnaces or melting chambers are provided with move-
able covers which may be hinged so that they may be lifted up by
suitable tackle in order to obtain access to the interior. In some cases
it will be found convenient to melt the iron in a crucible or other vessel
heated by the waste heat from the converting furnace, into which the
molten metal may be run when fused in the crucible. Provision may
also be made for running the converted metal into any moulds in which
it may be desired to make castings, such as railway wheels or tyres.
The moulds may be run under an opening in the furnace by mounting
them on a table or carriage provided with wheels which run upon rails
provided for the purpose.
In Sheet 1, of the acompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation
of the improved converting furnace; Fig. 2, a front view of the same;
Fig, 3, a cross section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a
cross section taken in the line 3, 4, of the same Figure.
A is a circular iron furnace having a dome top B and a descending
central flue C; the grate D is made circular and formed with an iron
frame; its outer and inner rims have semicircular grooves on their
under side. Base rails similarly grooved are furnished with spherical
balls, and on these balls the frame before named is carried, and revolves
in a similar manner to the dome of an observatory. The grate D is
rotated by means of a rack d cast on the edge of the frame, and into this
rack da worm or threaded screw e engages (see Fig. 3), the shaft of
which screw passes through the case of the furnace; on one end of the
screw there is a wheel or handle e¹ to turn the same, at the other end is
mounted a belt pulley e. The grate may be made to revolve by motive
power, the pulley e being driven by strap from the pulley es on the
shaft on, one of a pair of cone-shaped pulleys e, e, and to vary the speed
of the grate the relative situation of the belt on the cone shaped pulley
may be changed by a well known apparatus. The coal bunker E, shewn
at Fig. 1, has an orifice g for the discharge of coal automatically or
continuously on the revolving grate. F is an annular crucible in which
liquid cast iron, wrought iron, or wrought or cast iron turnings, or other
iron or steel, is to be placed for the purpose of being melted. The
annular crucibles employed may be corrugated in any suitable direction,
vertically or horizontally, in order to give the crucible greater strength
and equalize the expansion and contraction. The bottom is also to be
corrugated and arched upwards (as shewn in Fig. 1), and through its

page_text: centre is an opening F¹ forming a passage to the vertical flue C leading
to the horizontal flue G below the ground.
In Fig. 4 the crucible is shewn with externally curved sides, eight in
number, curving inwards, with a central vertical opening F', as shewn
also at Fig. 5, which is a sectional view of a modification of the crucible
having less vertical depth. The crucible, as shewn at Figures 1 and 4,
is enclosed in the walls of the circular furnace and touches the same
where the points of the curves join, resting upon eight abutments or
projections from the walls of the furnace. The walls of this furnace are
firmly enclosed with plates of iron clamped with massive wrought-iron
screw hoops. Between the inner face of the furnace and the arched
sides of the crucible are spaces which form flues for the passage of the
flame and gases upwards to the top or dome of the furnace. A top or
cover is fitted to the crucible (in some cases) to keep out foreign sub-
stances, and over this top the flame passes horizontally, then downwards
through the central opening F of the crucible, and through the vertical
flue C into the underground flue G. In order to kindle the fire in the
furnace a flue may be provided to pass the heated products upwards for
the purpose of facilitating the draft at starting; the damper in such
flue should then be closed, and the flame and heated gases will then
descend to the underground flue G, the effect of which combination is
the application of intense heat to the bottom of the crucible, to the
outside through flues h to the crucible top, and the central opening in
the crucible, thus completely surrounding the crucible with flame and
heated gases.
Fig. 6 represents a modified form of crucible, which is divided into six
sections, having curved sides out and inside and at the bottom. The
dome B of the furnace is constructed in two halves, each half is hinged
to the cylindrical portion of the furnace at b, and hand or motive power
may be employed to open the hinged top by means of the chain
pullies 6' and chains 6, which are attached to the halves of the hemi-
spherical top or dome. The molten metal is drawn off for the purpose
of casting or otherwise through the nozzle or pipe f (see Fig. 1 and may
be received in crucibles carried on small rail trucks. The casting of
railway wheels will be facilitated by a series of rail trucks, on which the
flasks containing the moulds may be placed, which when filled are to be
pushed aside to make room for another, and so on for any number of
castings or ingots until the charge is exhausted.

page_text: The apparatus for the introduction of superheated steam, air, or other
gaseous bodies into the mass of molten metal in the crucible consists
of a vertical hollow shaft I. At its lower end are four or more
horizontal tubes J, and pendent therefrom are sets of vertical tubes j,
provided with a series of nozzles j¹ (see Fig. 4). The vertical shaft I
and its accessories are suspended from the pulley I' by a chain, its upper
end slides within a tube I, and is supplied with the desired gaseous
body through the branch tubes I, I, the air or steam or combination of
the two entering the tube I through perforations. Around the lower
end of the tube I is formed a water casing i, i, to protect it from the
effects of the fire. This vertical tube I is rotated by means of the bevil
wheel I', mounted loose on the tube I with a feather and groove for the
purpose of being lifted out of gear (when necessary) with the bevil
wheel I' on the horizontal shaft I, which may receive its rotation from
any prime mover through the pulley I. Previous to the fires being
lighted in the furnace and the crucibles charged up with metal to be
melted or prepared, the pullies b¹ are made to revolve from each other
backwards, so as to wind up the wire rope and draw backwards the
halves of the dome B, thereby exposing the crucible in the furnace.
The pulley I is now made to wind up the wire rope or chain and draw
upwards the vertical hollow shaft I, raising the perforated tubes j out
of the furnace. The crucibles may then be charged and the hemi-
spherical top or dome B lowered by the apparatus that raised it (as
before described). The fires are at first slowly urged and gradually
increased up to the highest temperature which may be known by the
inelter, tapping a very small quantity of metal from the pipe or top f
Fig. 1, or lowering a small testing crucible, kept at white heat, through
a small opening in the hemispherical top at 63; by thus drawing a
sample the temperature or fluidity can be ascertained, and tests can be
made by the same means as the process advances, and when the highest
temperature is obtained (consequently the greatest degree of fluidity)
the hemispherical tops are rapidly thrown open, and the system of
perforated agitating tubes j are by the means before described lowered
into the metal, and the bevil wheels I' and I thrown into gear, the halves
of the hemispherical top immediately lowered to their original positions,
and the hollow vertical shaft I caused to revolve in the direction of
rotation opposite to that in which the mouths of the nozzles j point.
Immediately in front of said mouths j a vacuum is formed in con-
sequence of the rapid passage of the mouths or nozzles j', which will

page_text: greatly facilitate the discharge of superheated steam, air, or other
gaseous bodies into the molten metal. Living steam is drawn from a
steam generator under high pressure into a steam reservoir of a known
capacity, and there superheated by the waste heat from the furnace up
to a temperature of about six hundred degrees. A second reservoir of
known and suitable capacity is now filled with air of about a pressure
from one pound up to the pressure the vessel will bear, say about one
hundred pounds, this in like manner is superheated to about six
hundred. This steam and air pass by separate pipes from each vessel
into a single pipe provided with a cock so arranged that any per centage
of atmospheric air or steam can be drawn from their respective super-
heaters, so that in the composition of superheated steam and air one
or other may predominate in such quantities as may best suit the
manufacturer. This mixture is now carried through a coil and subjected
to the waste heat of the furnace, it is there heated to the highest point
the air will permit. This compound matter is now carried into the
hollow vertical shaft I through the horizontal pipes I³, I³, and passes
down into the vertical perforated or bent tubes j, and out of the
perforations or nozzles of these tubes (which are being rapidly rotated)
into the molten metal.
Another type of furnace required for certain processes in the manu-
facture of iron is constructed with an elevated chamber arranged so that
the iron or ore to be converted is first melted by the waste heat from the
converting furnace, after which it is allowed to flow by its own gravity
into the converting crucible in several small streams down clay coated
pipes extending within a short distance of the bottom of the crucible,
so as to prevent injury to the same, and also to save heat, as well as to
increase the amount of work in such furnace in a given time. I do not
confine myself to the exact form of crucible as I am sometimes com-
pelled to use dished or hemispherically formed crucibles corrugated on
both sides, or plain, according to the kind of work required.
A furnace of different form, but involving the same priciples as the
one just described, is shewn in Sheet II, of the accompanying Drawings,
in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, Fig. 2, a cross section of the
same, and Fig. 3, an enlarged view of the revolving hollow "rabble."
The arrangement of this furnace is somewhat like a reverberatory
furnace, having an arched or curved diaphragm G about .nidway
of the top and bottom of the furnace, but inclining downwards to a

page_text: cup shaped crucible E. Mounted over the furnace A is an inclined
pipe E', which allows the liquid iron to flow down into the large
converting crucible D. The diaphragm and crucibles may be plated
with heavy boiler plate well caulked at the sides and furnished with
a paving of good fire-bricks well wedged down to prevent the bricks
from floating in the molten metal.
In this arrangement of furnace a crucible of any form that may be
desired may be employed, and the diaphragm G before referred to is to
receive the iron or iron ore which is to be melted on its inclined surface.
A fierce heat is thrown under and over the crucible E and diaphragm G
by the flame on its passage from the furnace A, Fig. 1, for the time
required to melt down the charge lying upon the inclined diaphragm G.
The flame curls upward and passes towards the end of the diaphragm
and over the same on its way to the chimney stack of the furnace. The
flame and gaseous products thus reverberate over this diaphragm as well
as over the metal contained in the large crucible D below, which crucible
slowly fills as the metal melts and runs down the inclined plane of the
diaphragm above. After the charges are completely melted on the
diaphragm G the damper H may be thrown into the position shewn in
Fig. 1, and the after end of the crown of the furnace, which is hinged
and made capable of being turned into the position shewn by red lines
in Fig. 1, may be lifted up like the lid of a chest by a similar apparatus
to that described with reference to the furnace shewn in Sheet I., or the
crown of the furnace may be raised and lowered (as shewn in Fig. 1 in
red lines) by means of two steam or hydraulic cylinders L, L', the piston
rods of which are connected by link rods I, I, with the respective halves
of the crown of the furnace. A revolving hollow "rabble" wheel K. is
now lowered down into the molten metal contained in the crucible D;
this wheel K (shewn enlarged at Fig. 3, Sheet II.) is carried by two
hollow wrought-iron arms K2; these arms communicate freely with the
hollow shaft of the wheel K, which is mounted in journals formed on
the arms K. A strong wrought-iron tube K¹ passes through and fits
closely, and remains stationary within the hollow shaft K, a portion of
the tube is cut away (see Fig. 3), so as to supply air or gas (which
enters this apparatus through the tube O) only to those arms K' of the
wheel which are immersed in the molten metal, and to cut off the
communication with the arms K' whenever they are raised out 01
the molten metal by the revolution of the wheel K.
This hollow

page_text: wheel K is perforated near the lower edge of the arms K', and wrought-
iron nipples are screwed therein, similar to those before described. Slots
are made at each side of the furnace to admit the hollow shaft K
carrying the wheel passing down to its position (as shewn in Fig. 1);
the end of the hollow shaft K is provided with a pinion.
The apparatus L, L*, for raising and lowering the wheel K from out
of the crucible is similar to that for raising the crown of the furnace.
When lowered into position the pinion on the end of the shaft of the
wheel K will gear into a fixed spur wheel, whereby rotatory motion may
be communicated to the wheel.
This arrangement of furnace is peculiarly adapted to the production of
molten iron for casting ordnance and for large and small railway wheels.
In Sheet III. I have represented another arrangement of the furnace
with a modified form of crucible. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section,
Fig 2 is a cross section of the same. The crucible E is in this case of
rectangular form, and the shell of the furnace above the fire-place is
arranged for generating and superheating steam by the superabundant
heat passing away; D³ is a water space surrounding the throat and flue,
and D a steam space.
a is a pipe for conveying steam to the agitating
wheel K (more clearly shewn in Fig. 3, Sheet II.); this wheel being
rapidly revolved in the molten metal, and at the same time discharging
air or steam therein has a more thorough effect in producing combustion
of the gases and decarbonization than the common method of delivering
the air blast into the bottom of the crucible. In this furnace the
flame and heated gases are shewn as passing under the converting
crucible as well as over the same, the passage being commanded by the
damper H'. The common method of supplying the air from a fan
through a hollow rabble having a flexible tube connected to it may be
employed if preferred.
In Sheet IV., Fig. 1 is a sectional view of another arrangement of the
furnace A, shewing a modification in the form of crucible employed;
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same. The crucibles consist of broad
shallow dishes B, well supported at the bottom to sustain a great weight
of metal. Figures 3 and 4 represent in sectional elevation and plan
view pie dish-shaped crucibles, also well supported on brickwork.
The important object sought by the herein-described construction and
arrangement of crucibles is to enable large clay crucibles to be used to
contain large amounts of metal, whereby a great economy of fuel and

page_text: labor is effected, clay crucibles being better adapted for converting
purposes than those made of plumbago, as now used. These crucibles
are all to be arranged so that the flames shall pass under and over them,
as represented in Sheets II. and III.
In Sheet V. I have represented in sectional and plan views, Figures 1
and 2, another arrangement of furnace calculated to work an economy
of fuel by a better application of the heat, which in a great measure is
now expended in the stacks in consequence of the want of space for
the perfect combustion of the gases in contact with the charge. This
arrangement is also calculated to greatly facilitate charging and
regulating the process of converting iron. I make a very broad circular
dish-shaped furnace A with the top made in sections B, B, of boiler
plate, and arranged to be lined with fire-brick properly secured and
luted, having openings C in each section for charging; these sections
should be ten or more in number, and the charging should be done in
regular order, through one after the other of the said sections at suitable
intervals of time, whereby the quantity of the charge may be kept
constant by being supplied as fast as it is worked up. The charge so
applied will rest on the inclined wall D and the bottom E, and may be
kept as thick as found best in practice. The fire is supplied with air or
steam (singly or combined) by means of the tuyeres F and central
vertical tube G. Any number of these tuyeres may be employed, and
they are arranged to deliver their jets of air or steam tangentially to a
circular line, say about midway between the centre and the wall D of
the furnace and the vertical tube G, whereby the molten metal will be
made to flow around the bottom in a stream. These tuyeres are supplied
from an annular reservoir H, into which the air is conducted by a pipe I
from a heater K (erected in the chimney stack L) and supplied by the
pipe M. The air, steam, or compound gaseous body is conducted up and
down the said heater, as indicated by arrows, so as to obtain the greatest
results from the heat passing up the chimney stack. The central pipe G
is also supplied from the heater K.
With this description of furnace it is proposed to employ two chimney
stacks, in one of which the air is to be heated, as shewn and described;
the other chimney stack N receives the heated gases of combustion,
which are passed through a tall cylindrical annular boiler for generating
steam to be afterwards used either in conjunction with the heated air
supplied to the fire, or for other purposes, as required. Below the

page_text: furnace bottom E a chamber P is provided, into which cars carrying
crucibles may be run, and the metal may be thus drawn off and
afterwards conveyed to the refining furnaces, or otherwise as required.
These furnaces may be of great diameter, so as to give ample space for
the most perfect combustion of the gases in the presence of the charge,
and thereby to economise greatly the fuel required. In consequence of
this ample breadth, the chimney stacks may be built very much less in
height than is ordinarily the case.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements
in converting or puddling furnaces for decarbonizing iron, as com-
municated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. The construction and arrangement of the several decarbonizing
furnaces herein shewn and described, and the mode of operating the
same.
Second. The mode herein set forth of decarbonizing the iron by
bringing air or steam or other decarbonizing agent into intimate contact
with the molten metal for the purpose of decarbonizing the same, and
the apparatus shewn and described for effecting this object.
Third. The construction and arrangement of furnaces, whereby the
waste heat is utilized, as herein set forth.
Fourth. The form and construction of crucibles herein shewn and
described for melting the metal or substance to be operated upon.
Lastly. The construction of furnace shewn in Sheet V., and the mode
herein set forth of causing the steam and air to act in combination on
the charge in the furnace.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S).