IMPROVEMENTS IN REDUCING METALLIC ORES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Ireland, of Edward Street, Broughton Lane,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REDUCING METALLIC ORES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR." Partly a com-
munication from abroad by Thomas Shoenberger Blair, of Pittsburg,
Ponnsylvania. United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonathan Ireland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd December 1876.
JONATHAN IRELAND, of Edward Street, Broughton Lane, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REDUCING METALLIC ORES AND APPARATUS
THEREFOR." Partly a communication from abroad by Thomas Shoenberger Blair,
of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to John Imray, on the 14th June, 1872,
No. 1795, for an Invention communicated to him from abroad by T. S. Blair, were
described a process and apparatus for reducing iron ore and producing iron therefrom
in a spongy condition.
The present Invention consists in improvements in the method of conducting the
said process and in the apparatus employed therefor, the improved process and
apparatus being applicable to the reduction of oxide ores of other metals as well as
those of iron.
For the sake of simplicity the following description is confined to the method and
apparatus for the reduction of iron ore and the production of iron in spongy
condition-
The apparatus consists of a vertical retort or reducing furnace combined with a
gas producer, and with circulating pipes for the gas fitted with suitable valves.
The producer may be of any known construction, but it is preferred to construct
it in the following manner :-A brickwork chamber of some depth is made with its
upper part of smaller diameter than the lower, so that there is an overhanging
shoulder projecting inwards all round the chamber, beneath which shoulder are

page_text: provided apertures for access of air to support combustion, and also nozzles from the
descending gas main which will be hereafter described.
The air apertures as well as the gas nozzles may be provided with valves for
regulating the currents through them.
At the top of the producer is a feed tube projecting downwards some distance into
the interior of the chamber, so that the fuel in descending through this tube becomes
dried and heated by the hot gas surrounding it. The bottom of the chamber tapers
to an exit aperture provided with a door or valve by which the ash can from tine
to time be discharged into a truck wheeled below the producer, which is mounted
on columns so as to give free access below it for that purpose. Immediately under
the roof of the chamber is the exit channel for the gas producer therein, which
channel communicates with the interior of the vertical retort or reducing furnace at
a point just under an overhanging shoulder formed in the retort by constructing it
of larger diameter below than it is above the said shoulder.
At the top of the retort is a feed hopper and tube projecting downwards by
which the materials to be operated on are introduced, the feeding aperture being
provided with a valve to prevent access of air. At the bottom of the retort is a
moveable slide or platforin containing vessels which can be successively brought
under the discharging mouth of the retort, so as to receive a portion of its contents
without exposing them to the air. Or the bottom of the retort may be tapered
like that of the producer to an exit orifice provided with a door or valve. From
the top of the retort a pipe leads down to one side of the producer where it is
provided with branches and valves by which it can be made to communicate..with
either the inlet nozzles or the outlet channel.
In the pipe leading from the top of the retort is arranged a fanner or other
suitable apparatus for creating a current, and for this may be substituted a steam
jet, in which case a water shower is arranged in the descending limb of the pipe to
condense the steam.
The apparatus operates in the following manner-The retort is charged nearly
to the top with the ore, mingled with carbonaceous matter; the producer is kindled,
and as soon as its action is established so that no free oxygen can pass from it into
the retort its feed valve is closed, and the fan or other draught creating apparatus
is put in action so as to send a current of the gas from the producer into the retort.
The gas thus supplied finding an annular space under the overhanging shoulder of
the retort can pass into and through the contents of the upper part of the retort
which it heats, becoming itself cooled. It then descends by the pipe and may be
conveyed away to be used for heating purposes clsewhere. When the heat thus
delivered to the retort tends to become too great, a portion greater or less of the
return gas is sent by the nozzle into the producer, and the air supply thereto is more
or less checked, so that the combustion in the producer is retarded and the pro-
duction of gas transmitted through the contents of the retort; or the return gas
may be directed to a greater or less extent into the outlet passage of the producer
so as to effect cooling without reduction of volume. By the passage of the hot gas
through the materials in the upper part of the retort the ore becomes reduced as it
desends, the reduction being completed at or near the overhanging shoulder, below
which the contents of the retort consist of a mixture of spongy iron with
carbonaceous matter and ash. This as it descends becomes somewhat cooled before
it is withdrawn at the bottom mouth, and the cooling may be aided by providing
the lower part of the retort with the water jacket.
The reducing action in the retort may be accelerated by mixing with the ore and
carbonaceous matter a proportion of lime or other alkaline material, as described in a
Provisional Specification filed by mne on the 29th June, 1876, No. 2677.
Although the circulation of the gas through the retort has been described as being
from below upwards, it is obvious that it might be caused to flow in the opposite
direction, that is to say, from above downwards.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Jonathan Ireland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
June 1877.
JONATHAN IRELAND, of Edward Street, Broughton Lane, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REDUCING METALLIC ORES AND APPARATUS
THEREFOR." Partly a communication from abroad by Thomas Shoenberger Blair, of
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to John Imry on the 14th June 1872,
No. 1795, for an Invention communicated to him from abroad by T. S. Blair, were
described a process and apparatus for reducing iron ore and producing iron there-
from in a spongy condition.
The present Invention consists in improvements in the method of conducting the
said process and in the apparatus employed therefor, the improved process and
apparatus being applicable to the reduction of oxide ores of other metals as well as
those of iron.
For the sake of simplicity the following description is confined to the method and
apparatus for the reduction of iron ore and the production of iron in a spongy
condition :-
The apparatus consists of a vertical retort or reducing furnace combined with a
gas producer and with circulating pipes for the gas fitted with suitable valves.
The producer may be of any known construction, but it is preferred to construct
it in the following manner :-A brickwork chamber of some depth is made with its
upper part of smaller diameter than the lower, so that there is an overhanging
shoulder projecting inwards all round the chamber, beneath which shoulder are pro-
vided apertures for access of air to support combustion, and also nozzles from the
descending gas main, which will be hereafter described.
The air apertures as well as the gas nozzles may be provided with valves for
regulating the currents through them.
At the top of the producer is a feed tube projecting down some distance into the
interior of the chamber, so that the fuel in descending through this tube becomes
dried and heated by the hot gas surrounding it. The bottom of the chamber tapers
to an exit aperture provided with a door or valve by which the ash can from time
to time be discharged into a truck wheeled below the producer, which is mounted
on columns so as to give free access below it for that purpose. Immediately under
the roof of the chamber is the exit channel for the gas produced therein, which
channel communicates with the interior of the vertical retort or reducing furnace at
a point just under an overhanging shoulder formed in the retort by constructing it
of larger diameter below than it is above the said shoulder.
At the top of the retort is a feed hopper and tube projecting downwards, by
which the materials to be operated on are introduced, the feeding aperture being
provided with a valve or cover to prevent access of air. The bottom of the retort is
tapered like that of the producer to an exit orifice provided with a door or valve.
From the top of the retort a pipe leads down to one side of the producer, where it
is provided with branches and valves, by which it can be made to communicate with
either the inlet nozzles or the outlet channel.
In the pipe leading from the top of the retort is arranged a fanner or other
suitable apparatus for creating a current, and for this may be substituted a steam
jet, in which case a water shower is arranged in the descending limb of the pipe to
condense the steam.
The accompanying Drawing represents a vertical section of the reducing furnace
or retort A and the gas producer E with the connecting pipes and channels arranged
to operate in the following manner:-The gas producer E having been filled up from

page_text: the discharging door G to a little below the air apertures e with any kind of ashes,
a fire is lighted on them, and the producer is then filled with carbonaceous matter
by the feed tube F, and the cover thereof is put on. The ore mixed with the
necessary carbonaceous material and a small proportion of lime is charged into the
reducing furnace A. by the feeding tube B until the furnace is filled up to the bottom
of the tube; the cover b is then put on so as to prevent admission of air, and tho
furnace is ready for the gas to be drawn through it from the producer E, which is
connected to the reducing furnace by the passage or flue H. In order to cause a
more rapid current of gas through the ore a steam jet j is inserted in the oulet K
from the furnace. When the steam is turned on, the gas from the producer is drawn
through the flue H into the space under the overhang a, so that it is uniformly dis-
tributed round the ore to be reduced. The gas passes on through the mass of ore
above, and so heats it until a temperature is reached sufficient for the reducing
action. When the requisite time has been given to cause the thorough reduction to
a metallic state of the ore immediately above and below the overhang a, the door C
at the bottom of the furnace is opened, and a quantity of the contents is discharged,
causing the inaterial above to descend, wherupon a fresh charge is added at the top
by tube B, and thus the discharging and feeding are carried on from time to time
according to the speed at which the ore is reduced.
In order to facilitate the cooling of the material in its descent after reduction, the
lower part of the reducing furnace is surrounded by a water jacket D, through which
a slow stream of cold water is passed. The gas, after passing up through the
material in the upper part of the reducing furnace, passes by the outlet K past the
steam jet j to the descending pipe K¹, and escapes by a branch L to a chimney or
elsewhere.
By drawing the gas rapidly from the producer through the reducing furnace, the
heat in the gas producer becomes increased, and the gas may consequently be hotter
than is required for the reduction of the ore. To provide against this a branch M
from the descending pipe K¹ communicates with one or more openings into the pro-
ducer immediately under its overhanging shoulder e¹. When the gas leaving the
producer is too hot, which can be ascertained by looking down a sight tube x, a
valve in the branch M. is more or less opened, and the air apertures e are more or
less closed; gas is thus drawn from the descending tube K₁ through the gas pro-
ducer, the temperature of which is thereby reduced.
In order to cool the gas in the descending pipe K', a water spray S is introduced
at the top of the pipe, and the descending water also condenses the steam from the
jet j, and escapes by an outlet. The opening and closing of the air apertures e
and the valves in the branch M can be so regulated that an even temperature can
be maintained. There may also be another branch N leading from the pipe K¹ to
the flue H, by which a portion of the gas can be returned to the reducing furnace
without passing through the producer.
The ashes from the producer are periodically discharged by the door G into a
waggon or other receptacle.
Each of the feeding tubes Band F of the reducing furnace and gas producer being
surrounded with hot gas, the materials contained in it are thoroughly dried before
issuing from it.
Instead of the steam jet j for effecting the movement of the gas, a fanner or other
well-known means may be employed.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention and the manner in which the
same may be performed, I claim,-
First. The combination of a reducing furnace and gas producer with pipes and
branches, arranged and operating substantially as and for the. purpose herein set
forth.
Second. Regulating the temperature in the gas producer by passing through it a
portion of the return gas, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Third. Feeding the reducing furnace and gas producer by tubes surrounded by
hot gas, whereby the in-going materials are dried, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Ireland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JONATHAN IRELAND. (L.S.)