IMPROVEMENTS IN SMITHS' FORGES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Howe, of Millwall, Poplar, for the Invention
IMPROVEMENTS IN SMITHS' FORGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Howe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
September 1858.
I, THOMAS HOWE, of Millwall, Poplar, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SMITHS' FORGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to portable and stationary forges, and consists in
constructing cylindrical or other forms of metal vessels, sliding or moving one
within the other, and fitted with suitable valves for the admission of air at the
atmospheric pressure and for its escape at the degree of pressure which may
be required; these are substituted for the ordinary leather bellows heretofore
employed. I employ two or more of such apparatus connected together by
means of lever handles, cranks, or their equivalents, for suitably communi-
cating motion to the moveable cylinders, or other form of air vessel, and so
connect the escape valves communicating with the nozzle pipe or tuyer that a
continuous blast is produced, and by any of the ordinary means I regulate
the amount of pressure at which the air shall be delivered out of the nozzle
pipe or tuyer.
I prefer to construct the air vessels in the form of cylinders, and by making
the moving cylinder smaller in diameter than the fixed cylinder, it is caused
to move up and down, or back and forwards within the fixed cylinder which
has the outlet or discharge valves at the bottom part or end thereof, whilst the top
or one end of the moving cylinder has openings made therein, which openings

page_text: are fitted with suitable valves opening inwards on the ascent or outward
motion of the vessel.
To prevent the escape of air between the two vessels I employ a simple
packing fitted to the outer vessel. I mount two or more of these vessels in a
frame, and connect their escape openings with a common blast pipe to the
nozzle or tuyer of the forge back in a portable forge, the hearth may be
supported by or upon the same frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Howe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
Howe, of Millwall, Poplar, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Howe, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Howe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Howe, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SMITHS' FORGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Howe, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly described 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 calender months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent,
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Howe, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and accompanying Drawing:-
This Invention relates to portable and stationary forges, and consists in
constructing cylindrical or other forms of metal vessels, sliding or moving one
within the other, and fitted with suitable valves for the admission of air at the

page_text: atmospheric pressure, and for its escape at the degree of pressure which may
be required; these are substituted for the ordinary leather bellows heretofore
employed. I employ two or more of such apparatus, connected together by
means of lever handles, cranks, or their equivalents, for suitably communi-
cating motion to the moving cylinders or other form of air vessels, and so
connect the escape valves communicating with the nozzle pipe or tuyer that a
continuous blast is produced; and by any of the ordinary means, I regulate
the amount of pressure at which the air shall be delivered out of the nozzle
pipe or tuyer.
I prefer to construct the air vessels in the form of cylinders, and by making
the moving cylinder smaller in diameter than the fixed cylinder, it is caused
to move up and down, or back and forward, within the fixed cylinder, which
has the outlet or discharge valves at its bottom part or end thereof, whilst the
top or one end of the moving cylinder has openings made therein, which
openings are fitted with suitable valves, opening inwards on the ascent or
outward motion of the vessel.
To prevent the escape of air between the two vessels, I employ a simple
packing fitted to the outer vessel. I mount two or more of these vessels in ȧ
frame, and connect their escape openings with a common blast pipe to the
nozzle or tuyer of the forge back in a portable forge, the hearth of which may
be supported by or upon the same frame.
I place the blowing cylinders or vessels either under the hearth or behind
the forge back, and where a lever is employed to work two of these cylinders
I connect them to the said lever either by means of connecting links, or by
means of slots formed in the lever to secure the correct vertical action of each
moving cylinder within the stuffing box or gland of the outer cylinder or case,
or instead of connecting the lever handle direct to or through the medium of
links, with the top of the moving cylinder. I prefer in certain cases to connect
to the top of the cylinder a bent arm or sliding guide piece, which may work
in a vertical slot or guide attached to or formed in the outside cylinder or
fixed case, or by means of an arched frame connected at its crown or centre
with the crown of the moving cylinder, the legs or lower parts of the frame
being made to slide vertically in grooves or slots formed in or attached to the
outside cylinders. The lower ends of the curved arms or arched frames slide
vertically as just described, so as to ensure the true action of the inner or
moving cylinder within the outer case, and by having projecting studs or pins,
a connection is effected between the crank or cranks, and the lever or levers
employed for actuating or giving motion to the blowing cylinders, thus also
affording a longer connecting rod or link; I either apply the inlet valves at

page_text: the bottom of the fixed cylinder or at the top of the moving cylinder according
to circumstances; as for some purposes I prefer the latter, whilst for other
purposes the former is more suitable.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portable forge,
the hearth being removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through
the centre of the blowing cylinders and the blast pipe of Fig. 4. the back being
shown complete and in position, irrespective of the line of section;. Fig. 3 is a
detached side view of a blowing cylinder, and the blast pipe arranged with the
blowing cylinders under the hearth; in this view the inlet valves are applied
to the top of the moving cylinder and for the purpose of showing these valves
the moving cylinder is shown partly in section; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of
part of a portable forge showing the blast cylinders applied behind the line of
the forge back, instead of under the hearth, as in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan in
section of the blowing cylinders and inlet and outlet valves being taken on
the line A, B, of Fig. 2.
In the several Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, the same letters of reference apply to
like or similar parts, a being the framing of the forge; b, the back; c, the
hearth; d, the nozzle of the tuyer; e, the blast pipe; f, the discharge or air
delivery valves communicating between the blast pipe and the outer cylinders,
cases, or chambers; g, the outer cylinders, cases, or chambers within which
the moving cylinders or vessels slide; h, a packing of gasket, india-rubber, or
other suitable material fitted to the upper edge of the outer cylinders, cases,
or vessels for making an air-tight joint and permitting the sliding in and out
of the moving cylinders or vessels; i, the moving cylinders or vessels; k, the
inlet valves which may either be applied at the top of the moving cylinders
or vessels, or at the bottom of the fixed cylinders, cases, or vessels for the
purpose of freely admitting the air.
Having now described my Invention and illustrated the same by views of
some of the forms in which I apply it, I wish it to be understood, that what I
claim as my improvements in smiths' forges, is the construction and arrange-
ment of blowing machines for the same as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Howe, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of March, One thousand eight hun-
dred and fifty-nine.