IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM EDMUNDS, of Chili Villa Pembrey in the county of Carmarthen
Engineer temporarily residing at Rio Tinto Mines, Huelva Spain, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BLAST FURNACES to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of blast furnaces and is designed to
give greater production of smelted metal and also to facilitate repairs or renewals
to the furnace and in some cases without stopping the same.
I construct my
furnace in advantageously three separate parts built one on the other and build or
line the part of the furnace between the water belt and top ring exposed to the
greatest degree of heat, of silica stone or like refractory material in place of firebrick
as is usually the case whereby I save considerable expense, I also use tuyere holes
of brick or refractory material in place of cast iron whereby I economize the cost of
constructing my tuyeres. I thus dispense with water tuyeres as are generally used
in blast furnaces Below or at the side of the furnace I arrange a well provided
with means for heating the same by blast, before running the molten metal into the
same By thus heating this well before running in the metal the slag remaining in
the metal or regulus is cleaned off the face of the same, being easily skimmed off
before running the metal or regulus from the said well into moulds as required.
By the use of such furnaces I find I can considerably economize the cost of
producing the output from the same.

page_text: I WILLIAM EDMUNDS of Chilí Villa, Pembrey in the county of Carmarthen,
Engineer temporarily residing at Rio Tinto Mines Huelva, Spain do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to the construction of blast furnaces and is designed to
give greater production of smelted metal and also to facilitate the repairs or
renewals of furnaces and in some cases without stopping the same.
I construct my furnace in, advantageously, three separate parts built one on the
other and build or line the part of the furnace between the water belt and top ring
exposed to the greatest degree of beat of silica stone or like refractory material in
place of fire brick as is usual whereby I save considerable expense. I also use
tuyere holes of brick or refractory material in place of cast iron whereby I-econo-
mize the cost of constructing my tuyeres. I thus dispense with water tuyeres as
are generally used in blast furnaces Below or at the side of the furnace I arrange
a well provided with means for beating the same by blast before running the molten
metal therein and by thus heating this well before running in the metal the slag
remaining in the metal or regulus is cleaned from the face of the same being easily
skimmed off before running the metal or regulus from the said well into moulds.
And in order that this my invention may be understood and carried into practical
effect I have caused to be annexed to this specification the accompanying sheet of
drawings and now refer to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Figs. 1. 2 and 3. respectively represent sections of a blast furnace constructed
according to my invention and specially applicable to smelting copper.
In the first of these views the furnace is shewn complete in regard to its three
sections or portions.
In the second view the central portion of the furnace is shewn removed for
repairs or renewal.
In the third the central and lower parts, well &c are entirely removed.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the furnace on line a-b Fig. 1.
Fig. 5. is a plan of the furnace on line c-d Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a plan of Fig. 3.
A. A¹ are suitable pillars or standards of requisite size and number supporting
girders B. properly braced together by tie-plates C. C¹ or otherwise.
On these pillars I build the top of the furnace D resting on bearers C³ C³
leading to culvert E from whence the hot gases and contained matters pass to the
flue F.
G is a door or manhole by which access may be had to the culvert and flue. If
desired, any number of flues from different furnaces may be connected to a common
stack at any desired distance from the furnaces.
As will be perceived the culvert and flue of each furnace can be readily got at
for the purpose of saving the rich mineral dust which might escape. I prefer to
construct such upper portion of my furnace of firebrick and to form the bottom of
the culvert and flues of iron plates H carried on rails I resting on the girders B.
J. J are rings or plates supported on the girders and which enter the top course
or ring K of the upper middle part L of the furnace which is preferably made of

page_text: firebrick; To support its lower end as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 I arrange a ring or
annulus or a series of supports M secured to the girders B and which ring or
annulus or series of supports is or are connected by tie rods N with a suspension
ring or annulus O (see Figs. 1. 2. 5) on a portion of whose face part of the face of
the upper middle part L of the furnace rests.
The other part of its face rests on that part of the furnace P. exposed to the
greatest degree of heat, which part P again rests on the bed Q.
Instead of constructing the part P of firebrick I make it of silica stone or
masonry and in place of using water tuyeres of iron as in other furnaces where
this portion is made of firebrick I use tuyere holes R of firebrick or like refractory
material through which the blast tubes S pass.
T is an iron backing to the brick lining having the holes R therein. U is the
water belt and I prefer to make it of wrought iron and in two portions or semi-
circles U. U being bolted together at the back and allowed to touch or abut on
each other in the front see Figs. 1. 2. 4 so that expansion and contraction may be
allowed and so prevent the starting of the rivets or joints and consequent rupture.
V is the pipe for supply of water for the belt. W is a well, as shewn placed below
(though it might be at the side of) the furnace and I allow the hot blast from the
furnace to pass into the well through the opening X in the top of the water belt
leading from the furnace shewn in the plan Fig. 4. As the ore melts the regulus
and slag flow through this opening X into the well, the slag by reason of its
specific gravity rising to the top of the regulus or metal as the well fills.
When the liquid mass rises to the level of the door Y the bulk of the slag
gradually pours out through the same until the well is nearly full of regulus when
I stop the blast fan and skim the remaining slag off the surface of the metal by
means of a door in the side of the furnace shewn in dotted lines at Z, Fig. 4.
I then tap the metal out at door Z¹.
'
Z is a chimney or flue to carry off the smoke and mineral dust forced upwards
by the blast, little, if any, of the heat escaping thereby; it being absorbed by
the well.
When I am not dealing with sulphureous ores I may dispense with this chimney
or flue.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. Constructing blast furnaces with the top ring, belly or middle part, and
bottom of the furnace in independent sections so that any one or all of such
sections can be removed for renewal or repair substantially as described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. In blast furnaces as herein before described, constructing the belly or
middle part of the furnace of silicious stone or masonry provided with firebrick
tuyere holes substantially as described.
Thirdly. In combination with a blast furnace a well, such as W on drawings,
provided with means for heating the same by the hot blast, whereby the metal or
regulus can be kept in a molten state while the slag is being separated and
removed therefrom before tapping the well to run off the metal, substantially as
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