IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Aubrey Day, of 5, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in
the County of Middlesex, Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PUDDLING AND OTHER FURNACES." A communication from abroad by
Jawood Lukens, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 27th February 1880, and dated the 29th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Aubrèy Day, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1879.
CHARLES AUBREY DAY, of 5, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, Draughtsmap. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND OTHER FURNACES."
(A communication to me from abroad by Jawood Lukens, of Conshohocken, Penn-.
sylvania, in the United States of America.)
This Invention relates to that class of heating, puddling, and other furnaces in
which heated air is combined with the products of combustion from the fire-place
for the purpose of igniting the unconsumed gases and thereby intensifying the
beat in the furnace; and the objects of the Invention are to provide for the thorough
heating of the air and for its advantageous employment, when heated, to prevent
the rapid destruction of the walls of the fire-place, and to provide for the ready
changing of an ordinary puddling furnace into a furnace of the improved
construction.
The Invention consists in the combination of an ash-pit communicating with a
supply of air, a chamber above the fire-place, vertical pipes or passages arranged
in the walls of the fire-box and forming a direct communication between the ash-
pit and the chamber on the roof, and inclined orifices formed in the roof of the
furnace, and so arranged as to direct the heated air from the air chamber into the
bed of the furnace beyond the bridge.
The Invention further consists in the combination of the walls of the fire-place.
with metal pipes built into the walls so as to strengthen the same and prevent
their rapid destruction by heat, and at the same time afford a communication.
between the ash-pit and the air-chamber.
The opposite side walls of the furnace have the usual doorways provided with the

page_text: ordinary doors; and the furnace also has an end wall, roof, bed, base, flue commu-
nicating with the chimney, fire-place, ash-pit, grate, and an opening for the
introduction of fuel to the fire-place.
Furnaces having the above described parts are used for puddling, heating, and
reducing purposes, the character of the structures being varied to some extent as
the uses to which the furnaces are put may suggest.
Beneath the bed of the furnace is a chamber which has direct communication
with the ash-pit, air under pressure being introduced into the chamber and ash-pit
through a pipe which passes first through the bridge wall of the furnace, thence
through the edge of the recess in the bed, thence through the rear wall of the bed,
and terminates finally in the said chamber, the pipe being built into the brick
work while the furnace is being erected. The precise course of this pipe will in a
measure depend upon the character and shape of the bed of the furnace, but the
pipes should by preference be embedded in the walls which bound the bed, and
should take such a course that while they are necessarily exposed to heat they are
protected by the brick-work. In some cases more than one inlet pipe may
be used.
On the top of the furnace immediately above the fire place and extending
across the structure is an air chamber, the walls and top of which may be of cast
or wrought iron, or fire brick, a series of vertical pipes built in the side and end
walls of the fire-place forming communications between the ash-pit and the chainber,
and the latter having a series of inclined outlets through which jets of air can be
discharged to the bed of the furnace, the volumes of air and force of the jets being
determined by a valve or damper which has orifices corresponding with the outlets
and which can be adjusted at pleasure.
The volume of air under pressure admitted to the said pipe is first heated in
passing through the same, and then subjected to further heat by being exposed to
the underside of the bed of the furnace, so that it will be in good condition for
promoting the fierce combustion of the fuel on the grate, but the volume of air
being more than sufficient for this purpose the surplus passes through the series of
vertical pipes into the upper chamber, whence it may be discharged in a highly
heated condition into the bed of the furnace to ensure the thorough combustion
of the gases from the fire-place, and thus aid the fuel in performing the duty for
which the furnace is intended, whether it be used for puddling, heating, or
reducing.
It is important that there should be a provision for regulating the volume and
force of the jets of heated air, hence the damper, and it is preferable for the upper
chamber to derive its air from the ash-pit whence air is also obtained for supporting
combustion as by the simple adjustment of the damper, the volume and force of
air for supporting combustion may be simultaneously with the enlargement
of the said inclined orifices, or the reduction of the latter simultaneously with an
increase in the volume of air for promoting combustiou may be effected as
circumstances may suggest.
The forcible jets of heated air directed to the bed of the furnace beyond the
bridge will in all cases and in the most effective manner aid the products of com-
bustion in performing their duties.
Instead of a number of inclined orifices a single slot extending across, or partly
across, the furnace may be employed.
The series of vertical pipes strengthen the walls of the fire-box and prevent that
rapid destruction of the same due to the burning out of the walls at a point just
above the grate where the hot coals are massed against the walls, the effect of the
pipes being to check the burning away of the wall at this point and to prevent the
caving in of the upper portion of the wall due to the weakening of the lower
portion of the same.
The pipes also facilitate the change of an ordinary puddling furnace into a furnace
of the improved construction, as the said pipes can be readily built into the walls
of the fire-place during one of the periodical reconstructions of the latter.

page_text: Furnaces have been constructed with inclined orifices located in respect to the
bridge wall, but it has been found in practice that when the inclined orifices located
as described are used, the air, in order that it may have the desired effect, must
have a very high degree of heat imparted to it as the jets of air are projected directly
on to the molten metal on the bed of the furnace.
By combining these orifices with pipes or passages arranged in the walls of the
fire-box so as to convey air from the ash-pit to a chamber on the roof the inventor
of the present improveinents is enabled to impart such a high degree of heat to the
air that it can be used most advantageously in the manner set forth.
There is a small steam pipe passing along all four sides of the fire-place at the
edges of the grate, steam passing through perforations in the pipe in jets so as to
maintain the wall in a cool condition and promote combustion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Aubrèy Day in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
February 1880.
CHARLES AUBREY DAY, of 5, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, Draughtsman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING AND OTHER FURNACES."
(A communication from abroad by Jawood Lukens, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania,
in the United States of America.
This Invention relates to that class of heating, puddling, and other furnaces in
which heated air is combined with the products of combustion from the fire-place
for the purpose of igniting the unconsumed gases and thereby intensifying the heat
in the furnace; and the objects of the Invention are to provide for the thorough
heating of the air, and for its advantageous employment when heated to prevent
the rapid destruction of the walls of the fire-place, and to provide for the ready
changing of an ordinary puddling furnace into a furnace of the improved
construction.
The Invention consists in the combination of an ash-pit communicating with a
supply of air, a chamber above the fire-place, vertical pipes or passages arranged in
the walls of the fire-box, and forming a direct communication between the ash-pit
and the chamber on the roof, and inclined orifices formed in the roof of, the furnace
and so arranged as to direct the heated air from the air chamber into the bed of
the furnace beyond the bridge.
The Invention further consists in the combination of the walls of the fire place
with metal pipes built into the walls so as to strengthen the same and prevent their
rapid destruction by heat, and at the same time afford a communication between.
the ash-pit and the air chamber.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 represents a vertical section
of a puddling furnace as constructed or adapted with the present improvements;
Figure 2, a sectional plan; and Figure 3 a transverse vertical section through the
line 1-2, Figure 1.
A and A' represent the opposite side walls of the furnace which have the usual
doorways a, a, provided with the ordinary doors; B is the end wall; D, the roof;
E, the bed of the furnace; F, the base; G, the flue communicating with the
chimney; H, the fire place; I, the ash-pit; J, the grate; and K, the opening for
the introduction of fuel to the fire-place.
Furnaces having the above described parts are used for puddling, heating, and
reducing purposes, the character-of the structures being varied to some extent as
the uses to which the furnaces are put may suggest.
Beneath the bed of the furnace is a chamber M which has direct communication
with the ash-pit I, air under pressure being introduced into the chamber and ash-
pit through a pipe N which passes first through the bridge wall b of the furnace,
thence through the edge e of the recess in the bed, thence through the rear wall d
of the bed, and terminates finally in the said chamber M, the pipe being built into
the brick work while the furnace is being erected. The precise course of this pipe
will in a measure depend upon the character and shape of the bed of the furnace,
but the pipes should by preference be embedded in the walls which bound the bed,
and should take such a course that while they are necessarily exposed to heat they
are protected by the brickwork. In some cases more than one inlet pipe may
be used.
On the top of the furnace immediately above the fire place and extending across
the structure is an air chamber T, the walls and top of which may be of cast or
wrought iron, or fire brick, a series of vertical-pipes h built in the side and end
walls of the fire place forming communications between the ash-pit and the.

page_text: chamber, and the latter having a series of inclined outlets i through which jets of
air can be discharged in the direction of the arrow to the bed of the furnace, the
volumes of air and force of the jets being determined by a valve or damper m which
has orifices corresponding with the outlets, and which can be adjusted at
pleasure.
The volume of air under pressure admitted to the pipe N is first heated in passing
through the same, and then subjected to further heat by being exposed to the
under side of the bed of the furnace so that it will be in good condition for pro-
moting the fierce combustion of the fuel on the grate, but the volume of air being
more than sufficient for this purpose the surplus passes through the series of vertical
pipes into into the chamber T; whence it may be discharged in a highly heated
condition. into the bed of the furnace to insure a thorough combustion of the gases
from the fire place and thus aid the fuel in performing the duty for which the
furnace is intended, whether it be used for puddling, heating, or reducing.
It is important that there should be a provision for regulating the volume and
force of the jets of heated air, hence the damper m, and it is preferable for the
chamber T to derive its air from the ash-pit whence air is also obtained for
supporting combustion, as by the simple adjustment of the damper the volume and
force of air for supporting combustion may be diminished simultaneously with the
enlargement of the inclined orifices i, or the reduction of the latter simultaneously
with an increase in the volume of air for promoting combustion may be effected
as circumstances may suggest.
The forcible jets of heated air directed in the course pointed out to the bed of
the furnace beyond the bridge will in all cases and in the most effective manner aid
the products of combustion in performing their duties.
Instead of a number of inclined orifices i a single slot extending across, or partly
across, the furnace may be employed,
The series of vertical pipes h strengthen the walls of the fire box and prevent
that rapid destruction of the same due to the burning out of the walls at a point
just above the grate where the hot coals are massed against the walls, the effect of
the pipes being to check the burning away of the wall at this point, and to prevent
the caving in of the upper portion of the wall due to the weakening of the lower
portion of the same.
The pipes also facilitate the change of an ordinary puddling furnace into a
furnace of the improved construction, as said pipes can be readily built into the
walls of the fire place during one of the periodical reconstructions of the latter.
Furnaces have been constructed with inclined orifices located in respect to the
bridge wall, but it has been found in practice that when the inclined orifices,
located as described, are used, the air, in order that it may have the desired effect,
inust have a very high degree of heat imparted to it as the jets of air are projected
directly on to the molten metal on the bed of the furnace.
By combining these orifices with pipes or passages arranged in the walls of the
fire box so as to convey air from the ash pit to a chamber on the roof the inventor
of the present improvements is enabled to impart such a high degree of heat to the
air that it can be used most advantageously in the manner set forth..
There is a small steam pipe S passing along all four sides of the fire place at the
edges of the grate, steam passing through perforations in the pipe in jets so as to
maintain the wall in a cool condition and promote combustion.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be perforined or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention
communicated to me by the above named Jawood Lukens,-
First. The combination in a furnace of the ash pit I communicating with a
supply of air, a chamber T above the fire place, vertical pipes or passages h arranged
in the walls of the fire box and forming a direct communication between the ash
pit and the chamber T, and the roof D having an enclosed orifice or orifices i formed

page_text: therein, the inclination being such as to direct the heated air from the air chamber T
onto the bed of the furnace beyond the bridge wall, all substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Second. The combination of the ash pit I with the metal pipes built in the
walls of the fire box and serving to convey air from the ash pit to the top of the
furnace, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated on the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Aubrèy Day, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
CHA. AUBREY DAY. (L.S.)