IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST OR CUPOLA FURNACES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brown, of Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST OR CUPOLA
FURNACES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brown at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd of February 1882.
JOHN BROWN of Cannon Street, in the City of London Engineer "Improve-
MENTS IN BLAST OR CUPOLA FURNACES"
This Invention relates to improvements in cupola furnaces having tuyeres
enclosed within an annular belt or chamber, the object of the Invention being to
provide simple and efficient means whereby the supply of air to cach tuyere can be
regulated according to requirements while the cupola is at work.
In carrying out my Invention I fit to each tuyere, within the annular air
chamber, a hinged lid or cover, or a slide, valve, or door, such lid, cover, slide, valve
or door being provided with any suitable arrangement to allow of the lid, cover,
slide, valve, or door being operated when required from the outside of the annular
air chamber. By thus providing means of regulating each tuyere, the supply of
air to the cupola can be so controlled that the speed of melting, may be diminished,
increased or kept uniform as required, and the heat of the metal can also be varied,
if such is required, when running heavy and light castings at the same blow.
My improvements further consist in rendering the operation of the tuyeres
(enclosed within the belt as herein before described) automatic, for which purpose,
the lid, cover, valve or door is so hinged and balanced that the cover or lid of each
tuyere will move or open under the pressure of the blust but will partially or
wholly close on the blast ceasing or on a tuyere becoming choked or otherwise.
The lids or covers of the tuyeres are so balanced as to allow of their being
regulated from the outside of the air chamber to suit different pressures of blast
and means are also provided for keeping the lids or covers as above mentioned:
either entirely or partly open or closed independently of the blast.
The said lids or covers may be connected to a signal which will indicate when ·
the blast falls below the required pressure.
In some cases it will be found advantageous to employ the automatic arrange-
ments for regulating the action of the tuyeres as above mentioned in connection:
with one or more supply pipes.
.:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd August
1882.
JOHN BROWN of Cannon Street in the City of London, Engineer
MENTS IN BLAST OR CUPOLA FURNACES"
"IMPROVE-
This Invention relates to improvements in cupola furnaces having tuyeres
enclosed within an annular belt or chamber, the object of the Invention being to
provide simple and efficient means whereby the supply of air to each tuyere can
be regulated according to requirements while the cupola is at work.
In carrying out my Invention, I fit to each tuyere, within the annular air
chamber, a hinged lid or cover, or a slide, valve or door, such lid, cover, slide, valve
or door being provided with any suitable arrangement to allow of the lid, cover,
slide, valve or door, being operated when required from the outside of the annular
air chamber. By thus providing means of regulating each tuyere, the supply of air
to the cupola can be so controlled that the speed of melting, may be diminished,
increased or kept uniform as required, and the heat of the metal can also be varied,
if such is required, when running heavy and light castings at the same blow.
My improvements further consist in rendering the operation of the tuyeres
(enclosed within the belt as herein before described) automatic, for which purpose,
the lid, cover, valve or door is so hinged and balanced that the cover or lid of
each tuyere will move or open under the pressure of the blast but will partially or
wholly close on the blast ceasing or on a tuyere becoming choked or otherwise.
The lids or covers of the tuyeres are so balanced as to allow of their being
regulated from the outside of the air chamber to suit different pressure of blast
and means are also provided for keeping the lids or covers as above mentioned
either entirely or partly open or closed independently of the blast.
The said lids or covers may be connected to a signal which will indicate when
the blast falls below the required pressure.
In some cases it will be found advantageous to employ the automatic arrange-
ments for regulating the action of the tuyeres as above mentioned in connection
with one or more supply pipes.
In order to enable my Invention to be better understood I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to tho accompanying Drawing in which Figure 1, is
an elevation, and Figure 2, a plan of a cupola furnace provided with my
improvements; Figures 3, and 4, vertical sections of the furnace taken at right
angles to one another; Figure 5, horizontal section on line A, B, of Figure 3, and
Figure 6, horizontal section on line C, D, of Figure 4. Similar letters in all the
Figures represent similar parts.
A, is the annular belt or air chamber of the cupola; t, t, the upper row of
tuyeres and T, T, the lower row of tuyeres; to each of the tuyeres I fit a hinged
lid or cover those for the upper row of tuyeres being marked D, and those for the
lower row of tuyeres being marked D'; to each of the said doors D, and D', is fixed
a quadrant Q, and to each quadrant is connected by means of a chain, a rod R,
which rods pass through the top of the annular air chamber A, and to the upper
ends of the said rods are connected chains C, which pass over pullies P, the end of
each chain carrying a weight W.
By this arrangement the doors of the tuyeres are so balanced that they will
automatically move or open under tho pressure of the blast but will partially or
wholly close on the blast ceasing or on a tuyere becoming choked or otherwise.
The weights W, may be increased or diminished to suit different pressures of
blast as will be understood.

page_text: S, S, are screws passing through the annular air chamber A; the said screws
can be operated from the exterior so as to be pressed against the quadrants Q, for
the purpose of keeping the lids or covers D, and D¹, entirely or partly open or
closed independently of the blast.
In Figures 1, 3, and 4, of the Drawing the doors D, of the upper row of
tuycrest, t, are shewn open and the doors Ď¹, of the lower row of tuyeres T, arc
shewn closed.
The rods R, may be connected in any suitable manner to a signal which will
indicate when the blast falls below the required pressure.
In some cases as for example when melting ore or mine in blast furnaces it will
be found advantageous to employ the automatic arrangements for regulating the
action of the tuyeres as above mentioned in connection with one or more supply
pipes whereby the necessity of "teasing" will be avoided.
When the automatic opening and closing of the lids or covers of the tuyeres is
not required, the chains C, pullies P, and weights W, may be dispensed with in
which case any suitable device may be adapted to the upper ends of the rods R, to
allow of the lids or covers being operated when required from the outside of the
annular air chamber A.
I have described and shewn my improvements as applied to a cupola furnace;
its application to a blast furnace will be understood without further description.
Having thus described my Invention and the best means I am acquainted with
for carrying the same into effect I wish it to be understood that what is claimed
and intended to be protected by the herein-in-part recited Letters Patent is :-
Firstly. Providing the tuyeres of cupola and blast furnaces (within the annular
air chamber) with a hinged lid or cover or its equivalent the said hinged lids or
covers being either balanced so as to operate automatically under the pressure of
the blast, or provided with means whereby they may be operated from the exterior
of the annular air chamber, for the purpose of regulating each tuyere as and for the
purposes described.
Secondly. In a cupola or blast furnace I claim the combination with each tuyero
of a hinged lid or door and a weighted quadrant arranged and operating
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The method of keeping the hinged lids or covers either partly or
entirely open or closed by the employment of screws or their equivalents operated
from the outside of the annular chamber substantially as hercinbefore described
and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof I the said John Brown have hereto set my hand and
seal this Second day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and cighty two
Witness,
G. F. REDFERN,
Patent Agent,
4, South St.,
Finsbury,
London.
JOHN BROWN. (L.S.)