IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO BLAST FURNACES."
-A communication from abroad by Benjamin Ray, of Hudson, in
the State of New York, and Ira Jagger, and Theodore Freling-
huysen Miner, both of Albany, in the State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th September 1873.
I, HENRY 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 APPLICABLE TO BLAST
FURNACES," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention more particularly relates to "blast furnaces" in which a
hot blast is used, as in Letters Patent, No. 308, issued to Alfred Vincent

page_text: Newton, as a communication from Samuel Washington Harris, and
bearing date January 31, 1872.
The Invention has for one of its objects the economy of the gases
evolved in the smelting process and their conduct in a cold dead state,
by proper channels to any desired place or places where they are to be
used for heating the pipe ovens or steam boilers, or for illuminating and
other purposes.
The other general objects are, economy of fuel, increased pro-
duction, and an improved quality of the metal, and the regulation of
its quality, and increased durability of the upper part of the furnace.
To these ends there is used a cover applied to the head of the furnace,
above the opening or openings provided for the exit of the gases to the
place or places where they are to be utilized.
The Invention consists in a novel construction of this cover which is
provided with swinging doors or lids for closing it automatically, whereby
increased facility is afforded for charging; the swinging lids or doors are
effectually closed, and an upward escape away from the face of the
labourer engaged in entering the charge is provided for the gases through
the charging opening or openings in the cover. The cover which is of
polygonal shape in its transverse section, is composed of a main portion
mounted, on the tunnel head plate, and constructed so as to slightly
incline inwards in an upward direction, and of an upper portion con-
tracting more rapidly in the same direction, and being provided with a
top opening and valve or damper for the escape of any surplus gas.
Vertically swinging doors arranged to close charging openings in the
sides of the cover, are hung by horizontal pivots or trunnions, interme-
diately of their length or height within bearings at or near the junction
of the upper and lower portions of the cover, and are so shaped, con-
structed, and arranged that their lower halves close against the inside
of the cover, while their upper halves close against the outside thereof,
and the inwardly sloping construction of the tops of the doors away
from the trunnions gives an overhanging weight in favor of the closing
of the doors, even though the lower portion of the cover against which
the doors shut from the inside inclines inwardly in an upward direction,
or is out of vertical position which greatly favors the charging of the
furnace. The main advantage of this arrangement of openings is that
when charging the furnace with fuel, ore, or flux, by barrows pushed

page_text: against the lower half of either swinging door, an outlet is provided
above for escaping gases, away from tlie face of the laborer engaged in
entering the charge, and the upper portions of the doors act as shields
to protect him therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
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 Ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said.
Henry Edward Newton, my exécutors, 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 APPLICABLE TO BLAST
FURNACES," being a communication to me from abroad by Benjamin Ray,
of Hudson, in the State of New York, and Ira Jagger, and Theodore
Frelinghuysen Miner, both of Albany, in the State of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention more particularly relates to "blast furnaces" in which
a hot blast is used, as in Letters Patent, No. 308, issued to Alfred
Vincent Newton, as a communication from Samuel Washington Harris,
and bearing date January Thirty-first, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.
The Invention has for one of its objects the economy of the gases
evolved in the smelting process and their conduct in a cold dead 'state,
by proper channels to any desired place or places where they are to be
used for heating the pipe ovens or steam boilers or for illuminating and
other purposes.
The other general objects are, economy of fuel, increased production,
and an improved quality of the metal, and the regulation of its
quality, and increased durability of the upper part of the furnace. . To
thesc ends there is used a cover applied to the head of the furnace,
above an opening or openings provided for the exit of the gases to the
place or places where they are to be utilized; and said cover is pro-
vided with one or more charging apertures and swinging lids or doors
for closing the same; and furthermore provided with an opening for
the escape of surplus gas and a damper to regulate such escape.
.
The improvement consists in a novel construction of the cover on the
head of the furnace, and of the swinging doors or lids for closing the same
automatically, whereby increased facility is afforded for charging; the
swinging lids or doors are effectually closed and an upward escape, away
from the face of the laborer engaged in entering the charge is pro-
vided for the gases through the charging opening or openings in the
cover.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the upper part of an ordinary blast furnace
with the Invention applied thereto, and Fig. 2 a central vertical section
of the improved cover with its attached doors; similar lettors of reference
indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: A, represents the upper part of the body of the furnace having one
or more openings 6 for the exit of the gases to be utilized, and B, B¹, is
the cover on the head of the furnace above the openings b. This cover
which is of polygonal shape in its transverse section, is composed of a
main body portion B mounted in the tunnel head plate c, and of an
upper portion B¹; the lower or main body portion B being constructed
to slightly incline inwards in an upward direction, and the upper
portion B¹ contracting more rapidly in the same direction and being pro-
vided with a top opening and valve or damper d for the escape of any
surplus gas.
C, C¹, are vertically swinging doors arranged to close charging
openings D, D¹, in the sides of the cover. These doors are hung by
horizontal pivots or trunnions e, e, intermediately of their length or
height within bearings f, f, at or near the junction of the top part B¹ of
the cover with the lower portion B thereof, and said doors are so
shaped, constructed, and arranged, that the lower halves or portions C
of the doors close against the inside of the cover, while their upper
halves or portions C₁ close against the outside thereof, and the inwardly.
sloping construction of the tops of the doors away from the trunnions
e, e, gives an overhanging weight in favor of the closing of the doors,
even though the lower portion of the cover. against which the doors
shut from the inside inclines inwardly in an upward direction, or is out
of vertical position, which greatly favors the charging of the furnace.
Weights 9, 9, may also be added to the upper portions of the doors to
insure the automatic closing of the latter, and chains h, h, may be
appended to restrain the opening of the doors beyond a given limit, but
the main advantage of the openings D¹ in the upper portion B₁ of the
cover closed from the outside by the upper halves or portions C¹ of the
doors is that when charging the furnace with fuel, oil, or flux, by barrow
pushed against the lower half of either swinging door an outlet is
provided above for the gases to escape away from the face of the laborer
engaged in entering the charge, the upper portions of the doors serving
as shields to protect him from the escaping gases.
Having now set forth the nature of the said Invention for "Improve-
ments applicable to Blast Furnaces," as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and having 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, the combination with the cover

page_text: B, B', of the vertically swinging doors C, C¹, arranged to rock on inter-
mediate pivots or centres e, e, and to open outwardly and inwardly. in
relation with the openings D, D', substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.