Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Blast Furnaces Speedily and Regularly.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct.,
1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Blast Furnaces
Speedily and Regularly.
JOHN LESTER STEVENSON, of 19, Queen Street, Redear, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of charging blast furnaces, by
which the materials, iron ore, coke and lime stone, are conveyed to the top of the
furnace and so dealt with that the charge is perfectly distributed in the furnace
without any care being necessary, as is the case with the present system of wheei-
ing the materials on the top of the furnace.
The object of the invention is to lessen the labour and cost at the furnace, to
increase the means of conveying the materials to the top of the furnace, to give
a better distribution of materials in the furnace, and to make it impossible for
the material to be unevenly distributed thro' the neglect or carelessness of work-
men or attendants, during the night turns, and to prevent the
lowering the materials into the furnace.
escape of gas when
To accomplish these objects, 1 construct a double incline composed of light
lattice girders, between which run two tipping barrows each carried on a separate
trolley, working up and down the incline alternately, and discharging the material
without labour, other than being filled at the bottom, into a rectangular hopper
converging into a circular shoot or neck closed by a small bell at the bottom,
which retains the material in the upper or rectangular hopper until at least one
charge from each conveyor has been tipped into it. The small bell is then lowered,
allowing the material to fall into the lower circular hopper, where it is retained
until a full charge has been lowered into it, the upper bell closing at once to
receive the next load from the conveyors. When a full charge has been lowered
into the main hopper, the large bell is lowered, after closing the small bell, the
material then falls into the furnace without any rush of flame out of the furnace
top and no loss of gass is sustained, except the small quantity between the two
bells, which is allowed to escape by safety doors in the cover of the main bell,
which open as the hell closes and close as it is lowered.
The tipping of the material out of the ascending barrow, is effected by means
of an elliptical guide which directs the nose of the barrow in such a manner
that, when the descending barrow has reached the bottom of the incline, the
ascending barrow has assumed an angle of about 45 degrees over the rectangular
hopper, by a soft gliding motion without any jarr or concussion, allowing the
material to fall into the top hopper. When the barrow at the bottom of the
incline has been filled it ascends, no signal being required from the top, to be in
its turn discharged into the rectangular hopper at the top of the incline; the
upper barrow assuming on descending its horizontal position in the same noise-
less & smooth manner as it assumed the vertical position for tipping, and descends
to the bottom to be refilled

page_text: The furnace is thus provided with a continuous supply of materials to be
smelted, at the same time effecting an immense saving in time and labour.
Dated this Twenty-second day of November 1897.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Blast Furnaces
Speedily and Regularly.
1, JOHN LESTER STEVENSON, of Cleveland Iron and Steel Works, South Bank,
R.S.O., in the County of York, Engineer, late of 19, Queen Street, Redear, in
the County of York, 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 an improved method of charging blast furnaces by
which, the materials, iron ore, coke and lime stone are conveyed to the top of the
furnace, and so dealt with, that the charge is perfectly distributed in the furnace
without any care being necessary, as is the case with the present system of wheel-
ing the materials on the top of the furnace.
The object of the invention is--to lessen the iabour and reduce the cost at
the furnace, to increase the means of conveying the materials to the top of the
furnace; to give a better distribution of materials in the furnace; and to make it
impossible for the material to be unevenly distributed through the neglect or
carelessness of workmen or attendants during the night turns; and to prevent
the escape of gas when lowering the materials into the furnace.
To accomplish these objects, I construct an incline double or single as may be
thought necessary, composed of light lattice girders, between which runs a tipping
barrow, carried on a triangular trolley or carriage working up and down the
incline by means of a rope and steam or electric power, and discharging the
material without any further labour than filling at the bottom into a rectangular
hopper A Fig. 3, converging into a shoot or neck B closed by a small circular
bell C at the bottom which retains the material in the upper or rectangular
hopper A until a full charge has been tipped into it. The small bell C is then
lowered, allowing the material to fall into the lower circular hopper, where it
is retained until a full charge has been lowered into it-the upper bell closing
at once to receive the next load from the ascending barrow. When the full charge
has been lowered into the main hopper the large bell is lowered, after closing the
small bell the material then falls into the furnace without any rush of flame
out of the furnace top, and no loss of gas is sustained, except the small quantity
between the two bells which is allowed to escape by safety doors D in the cover
of the main bell which open as the bell closes and close as it is lowered.
The tipping of the material out of the ascending barrow K, is effected by means
of an elliptical guide, which directs the nose of the barrow to which is attached a
cross bar in such a manner, that the cross bar enters the groove of the guide,
goes to the extreme end of same and recedes as the barrow rises, and is tipped
over to such a degree, that the whole of the material empties itself into hopper A.
In the case of a double incline. the bottom barrow can be filled almost as soon
as the top one is being emptied—the filling of the bottom barrow being the only
signal required for working the incline. The top barrow in descending, assumes
its horizontal position in the same noiseless and smooth manner as it assumed
the vertical position for tipping.
4

page_text: The whole of the bells and levers ou the top of furnace are worked by the
engineman working the incline engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. A barrow substantially as described pivotted on a carriage, and having a
cross bar at the thin end to cause it to tip on reaching the required point on
incline.
2. A barrow substantially as described pivotted on a carriage and having a
cross bar at the thin end to cause it to tip over on reaching the elliptical guide
provided for the purpose.
3. A grooved elliptical guide, secured to incline girders on each side of barrow,
substantially as described to receive the cross bar attached to nose of barrow
which on entering the guides, cause the barrow to assume a vertical position.
Dated this Sixteenth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousan'l
eight hundred and ninety eight.
JNO. L. STEVENSON.