CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PUDDLING IRON;
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
SCHAFHAÛTL, of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing.
date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of June, in the sixth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Schafhaûtl, His especial licence that I, the said Charles
Schafhaûtl, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Schafhaûtl, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PUDDLING IRON;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Charles
Schafhaútl, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what.
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled.
in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Schafhaútl, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to
consist in giving the necessary motions to the puddling tool by machinery
instead of by hand, and in an improved damper; and in further compliance
with the said proviso, I, the said Charles Schafhaútl, do hereby describe the
manner in which the same is to be performed, by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawing annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon; and in the first instance it may be as well to observe
that the stirring machinery has to produce motions of the puddling or stirring
tool similar to those which the puddler now gives to that tool by hand. These
motions are in the essential part two in number. The first is that which
causes the stirring tool to move from the stirring pole forwards towards the
opposite side of the boiling or puddling furnace, and backwards again towards
the stirring hole, which motion I call the longitudinal motion. The second is
that which moves the end of the stirring tool from the fire bridge to the flue
bridge, and back again from the flue bridge to the fire bridge, which I there-
fore call the transverse motion. The end of the stirring tool has in this last-
mentioned motion to describe the segment of a circle, the centre of which is
the stirring hole itself. This transverse motion must be so contrived as to be
capable of being combined with the longtudinal motion, so that the stirring
tool, in going forwards and backwards through the puddling furnace, can at
the same time travel from one bridge of the puddling furnace towards the

page_text: part of what are called Dr. Hook's universal joints. The upper end of the
lever (A) is connected by the second fork of Hook's joint with the shaft (D),
colored pink, which, with the groove or curve in its other end, falls over the
pin (c) of the fork (E), so as to enable it to be lifted off the said pin by the
lever (g), when the check string (11) is pulled, by means of which the cou-
nection of the moving power with the lever (A) of the puddling machinery is
totally suspended. (h) is the end of a large horizontal shaft on which the
forked arm (E) and the lever arm (i) are fixed; and it is through this lever
arm (i) that motion is given to the puddling machinery, (30) being the con-
necting shaft from the steam engine or other moving power to the arm (i):
The fork (E) is made moveable round its vertical axis by its stem (k) turning
in the lower part of the shank, which is hollow, and in which it is kept in
its place by the screw (1). The length of the arm (i) connected with the
moving power must be in such proportion to the length of the stem and shank
of the fork (E) that the horizontal shaft (D) will travel forward just twenty
one inches. This shaft (D), when pushed forward, acts on the end of the
upper short arm of the lever (A), and moving through the same space of
twenty-one inches moves the lower end of the lever (A), and with it, the
stirring tool (C), from the opposite side of the puddling furnace towards the
stirring hole. This is the first motion; and Dr. Hook's universal joint, as well
as the moveable vertical shaft (B), enable this motion to be continued either
in the same plane with the arm (i), or when the transverse motion. is put in
operation at an angle with it. To effect the transverse motion, I use: the
vertical shaft (B), which thus becomes the axis of the transverse motion of the
stirring tool (C). The shaft (B) has to turn through an angle of. ninety-one
degrees; and to effect this motion in three different. degrees or rates, herein-after
described, the wheel work is constructed, which, by means of the crank (p)
and the connecting rod (9), pulls an arm (r) fourteen inches long, fixed into
and at right angles with the vertical shaft (B). In Figure 1 the first wheel,
or that nearest the spectator, is a ratchet wheel (s) two feet in diameter; with
teeth one inch high and two inches long. This wheel is fixed immoveably to
the horizontal round shaft (t), and is incased by a cylinder or box (u) two feet
six inches in diameter, which turns freely round the axle (t), and is restrained
in moving round the ratchet wheel (s) by the click (v), which is kept down by
a clicked spring. From this box (u) arises a short arm (w), which is connected
by a joint with the horizontal shaft (x), the opposite end of which is connected
by means of a lever with the main horizontal moving shaft (h), and has to
travel backwards and forwards 21 inches; both the sliafts (D) and (x)
receiving the same motion at the same time; and moving the same length.

page_text: When the shaft (a) is pushed forward, the click (v) falls into one of the
teeth of the ratchet wheel, and turns it, together with the shaft (t) and both
the cog wheels (y) and (=), which are fixed to the hollow sliding shaft (1),
shewn in Fig. II. This shaft slides on the shaft (t), on which it can be moved
through a space of six inches by the sideway moving lever (2), whose fulcrum
is at (3), and whose handle reaches down to the other side of the furnace, to
be pushed right and left by the attending puddler. The two cog wheels (y)
and (2) are to work alternately into the one or the other of the cog wheels (4)
and (5), which are a little below and rather behind them. On the axle (6) of
these cog wheels (4) and (5) is fastened the crank (p) already mentioned,
which effects the transverse motion of the stirring tool (C).
Figure II. is a front view of the puddling machine and of part of the
back of the furnace.
Figure III. is a top view of the puddling machinery; and similar letters
being used to denote similar parts in all the Figures, no further description
of these Figures will be required for the present.
Having thus described the essential parts of the machinery requisite to
produce the transverse motion, it only remains to explain their action.
Suppose the combination of the wheels, as shown in the Figures I., II., and III.,
to have been effected, the largest cog wheel (y) works into the smallest cog
wheels (4), when the shaft (a) is pushed forward; the box (u) turns by means
of the click (v) the ratchet wheel (s), and both the cog wheels (y) and (≈),
through an angle of fifty-three degrees; that is, the sixth and eight tenths part
of the whole periphery of these wheels. Now the six and eight tenths part of
the periphery of the wheel (y) is nearly equal to half the periphery of the
wheel (4), which is theretofore turned half round by one stroke forwards of
the shaft (a); and when the crank (p) is in a horizontal position, as when
the stirring tool is at one end or bridge of the furnace, the stroke forward of
the shaft (a) causes it to travel to the opposite end or bridge of the furnace.
While the shaft (r) is drawn backwards, the click does not act on the ratchet
wheel, and the transverse motion of the stirring tool is stopped, but it moves
back to its former position on the shaft (a) being again pushed forwards.
To
move the stirring tool backwards as well as forwards as often as the shaft (a)
is so moved, I push, by means of the lever (2), the hollow sliding shaft (1),
and with it the wheel (y), one inch nearer the cylinder or box (u.) On the
wheel (y), as well as on the side of the box ("), are fixed crab wheels
(10), Figures II., III., whose teeth catch each other, and the box (u)
then not meeting the click (v) turns the wheel (y) backwards and forwards,
for which purpose the rim of the lower wheel (4) is one inch broader

page_text: than the others, as shown at Figures II., III. If I move by means of the
lever (2) the sliding shaft (1), and consequently the wheel (y), from the posi-
tion shown in the Drawing, two and half inches towards the wheel (5), neither
of the wheels will touch, and the motion of the lower shaft. (6), and con-
sequently of the crank (p), is stopped, as also the transverse travelling of the
stirring tool. If I move the sliding shaft one inch and a half further, the
wheel () will catch the wheel (5), and the wheel (5) being double the
diameter of the wheel (*), when (=) is by such forward stroke of the
shaft (x) turned through about one sixth part of its periphery, the wheel (5)
will be only turned through one twelfth part of its periphery, and as it must be
turned through half of its periphery to drive the stirring tool from one bridge
to the other, it requires about six forward strokes of the shaft (a) to bring the
stirring tool from one bridge to the other, the tool stopping six times, that is,
during each backward stroke of (x). Thus suppose the position of the
crank (p) horizontal, and the end of the stirring tool near one of the bridges,
the longitudinal and transverso motions being combined, each backward and
forward stroke of the shaft (D) moves the stirring tool backwards and forwards
between the stirring hole and the opposite side of the furnace, and at the same
time it is moved transversely one sixth part of the length of the furnace
towards the opposite bridge, and after six strokes arrives there, and then
begins to return, being at similar intervals with each stroke moved from the
stirring hole to the opposite side and backwards, and so successively stirring
different parts of the mass in the basin of the puddling surface. The puddler
stands at the front of the furnace (which has three doors, and is opposite the
side through which the tool worked by the machinery is introduced into the
puddling furnace), looking through one or other of the three doors on the front
side, and working, when required, with his puddling tool through the stirring
hole of one or other of the said three doors, and particularly when the iron is
coming to nature. To bring every part of it into the reach of the stirring tool
moved by the machinery, the string or chain (u), as well as the lever (2),
reaches to the front of the furnace, and by their means the puddler is able,
without moving from his place, to stop one or both of the motions, or to
combine them as he finds neccessary for his purpose.
When the puddler
wishes to move the end of the stirring tool to any part of the furnace without
touching the mass, he has the bottom lever (12), into one end of which the
vertical rod (13) is inserted, at whose upper end is a fork (14), and between
its prongs a friction roller, on which the stirring tool can slide backwards and
forwards. When the puddler treads on one end of this bottom lever, the
fork on the other end rises, and acts upon the stirring tool, which is thereby

page_text: lifted over any mass which would be in its way, or which it is desired not to
touch. When the iron is coming to nature, a very careful regulation of the
heat of the puddling furnace is required, and the balling up takes some con-
siderable time. I have therefore constructed at the bottom of the fire grate two
doors or dampers, Figure VII. (17), which being pulled up by means of the
levers (18), entirely shutt off the air from the fire grate. If only one door is
shut, one part of the puddling furnace may be kept cool, and the iron which
when ready cannot immediately be balled up may be kept in that part of the
puddling furnace, and thereby be preserved from burning or wasting away.
For the balling up, the front of the puddling furnace, Figure 5 (19), is so
constructed that between it and the are described by the end of the stirring
tool a curved space is left, as shewn by the dotted lines (20), widest near
the fire bridge (31), and tapering towards the flue bridge (32). In this space
the iron, when ready, is squeezed together between the wall (19) and the flat
broad end of a puddling tool, and beginning at the small end of the said
curved space near the flue bridge, the balls as they are increasing in size are
moved towards the centre, and on towards the wide part of the fire bridge end
of it. The puddler from one of the front doors helps in forwarding the lumps
of finished iron into the places in which the tool squeezes them together.
Figure 4 shows on a double scale part of the machinery (21), in Figures I.,
II., III. In Figure IV. (4) represents the wheel (+) on a double scale, and (22)
is a stopper which is lifted into the teeth of this wheel, and arrests the motion
of the crank and the transverse motion of the stirring tool, for during the
backward motion of the shaft (a) the click does not act, and the action of the
shaft (D), when not in one plane with that of the lever (A), is (on the least
obstacle being presented to the stirring or puddling tool in going forward),
inclined to turn in its progress, and therefore turn the crauk () and its
appendages, for the motion of the shaft (D) is a direct motion only when all
the movements are in one plane; in all other positions it is composed of two
forces, of which the greatest being in the line of (D) is very liable to over-
power the smaller one, and to turn the tool transversely. To keep the
stop (22) open while the shaft (r) is moving forward, and to shut it
while the shaft (a) is moving backward, a second lever (21), as shewn
in Figure III., is in an angular position connected at one end by means
of a vertical rod (23), Figures I., II, and IV., with the rim of the wheel
box (u). This lever (21) is furnished with a tooth, as shewn at Figures II.
and IV., and in the grove of this tooth a corresponding catch falls, as is shown
in the Drawing, so as to arrest the lever (21) in its two positions, without pre-
venting (by a greater force than the stop (22) affords) its being pulled

page_text: forwards or backwards. The vertical rod (23)-travels up and down on the
end of the lever, and has a nut (24) at the beginning, and another (25), and
at the end.of its stroke (24) pushes the end of the lever (21) downwards, and
shuts the stop (22) at the last moment of the action forwards of (x), and
the lower nut (25) pulls up the end of the lever, and opens the stop just one
inch before the backward motion of (x) is completed. Figure III. (27) is
a wedge piece or bar fastened at right angles with the lever (2), in such a
position that when the lever (2) is moved sideways to bring the sliding shaft (1)
in the position which makes the crab wheels catch, it passes between that part
of the lever at (28) which is cranked down and the upright which carries its
fulcrum, thus pressing down the stop, which sets at liberty the wheel (4).
Now whereas it is evident that various modifications of the machinery
herein-before described, may be adopted for the purpose of giving the necessary
motions to the stirring or puddling tool; but whereas I claim,-
First, the improvement generally of working the said tool by machinery
instead of by hand, whereby I am enabled to have a much larger puddling
furnace, and to perform a much larger quantity of work in a given time, than
heretofore; and,
Secondly, the lever dampers under the fire bars of the puddling furnace
herein-before described.
And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief, entirely
new and never before used within that part of His said Majesty's United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His said Dominion of
Wales or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare this my Specifi-
cation of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth
comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in
the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained. Wherefore
I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said
Invention.
In witness, I, the said Charles Shafhaûtl, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
CHARLES (L.S.) SCHAFHAUTL.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Charles Schafhaûtl,
(being first duly stamped) in the

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of December, in
the year of our Lord 1836, the aforesaid Charles Schafhautl came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.