IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND CRUCIBLES FOR MELTING STEEL AND OTHER METALS, AND IN FURNACES FOR HEATING STEEL AND IRON
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Martin Stanley, of Sheffield, in the County
of York, Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
AND CRUCIBLES FOR MELTING STEEL AND OTHER METALS, AND IN FURNACES
FOR HEATING STEEL AND IRON."
Sealed the 3rd May 1870, and dated the 5th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Martin Stanley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th November 1869.
I, JOHN MARTIN STANLEY, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND CRUCIBLES FOR MELTING STEEL AND OTHER
METALS, AND IN FURNACES FOR HEATING STEEL AND IRON," to be as follows,
that is to say:
This Invention relates to melting and heating steel, iron, and other
metals, and the improvements which constitute the Invention have

page_text: for their objects, first, to economise the consumption of fuel; second, to
lessen the wear and tear of crucibles used in the melting operation;
and, third, to save the time and labour of the workmen employed
therein.
These improvements are effected partially in the form and construction
of the furnace, and partially in the mode of generating and applying the
heat, and partially in the mode of forming and using the crucibles.
For melting purposes where crucibles are used, instead of constructing
the furnace in the usual way and placing the crucibles in the fire bodily,
I propose to form a furnace with two or more compartments, the first of
which compartments I use as the fire-place, in which the fuel is placed
for combustion, and in the second compartment, in which the products
of combustion from the crude fire are raised to an incandescent heat, I
place the crucibles containing the steel or other metal to be melted.
In the sides of this second compartment I form openings, and instead of
making the crucibles in the usual way with an opening at the top only,
which necessitates their being lifted into and out of the fire when
charging and emptying them, I make each crucible with a lateral
hollow projection at the bottom, so as to extend through the openings
in the sides of the compartment before mentioned. By this means the
molten contents of the crucibles can be drawn out through these
hollow projections without removing them from the furnace, suitable
openings in roof or crown of the chamber being provided for charging,
inserting them, or removing them when necessary. For charging the
first compartment or fire-place with fuel I provide it with a hopper at
the top charged with small coal, in the bottom of which hopper I fit a
slide to regulate the supply of fuel. In the side of this fire-place I form
suitable opening for the ingress of air, or a blast, or air and steam, as
may be required. I utilize the heat from the second compartment for
raising the temperature of the air of the blast by causing it to impinge
upon the external surfaces of air ducts or passages in the throat or
bottom of the chimney or stack. When the furnace is required for
heating steel or iron I adopt the same plan of construction, and form
openings in the side of the second chamber, in which I fit suitable
doors, which can be opened and closed at pleasure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Martin Stanley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN.
MARTIN STANLEY, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Ironfounder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Martin Stanley, Her special licence
that I, the said John Martin Stanley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Martin Stanley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES AND CRUCIBLES FOR MELTING STEEL AND OTHER METALS, AND IN,
FURNACES FOR HEATING STEEL AND IRON," upon the condition (amongst.
others) that I, the said John Martin Stanley, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature,
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,.
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Martin Stanley, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said 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 melting and heating steel, iron, and other
metals, and the improvements which constitute the Invention have.
for their objects, first, to economise the consumption of fuel; secondly,
to lessen the "wear and tear" of crucibles used in the melting operation;

page_text: and, thirdly, to save the time and labour of the workmen employed
therein.
These improvements are effected partially in the form and construction
of the furnace, partially in the mode or modes of generating and
applying the heat, and partially in the mode or modes of forming and
using the crucible.
For melting purposes where crucibles are used, instead of constructing
the furnace in the usual way and placing the crucibles in the fire bodily,
I propose to form a furnace with two or more compartments, the first of
which compartments I use as the fire-place, in which the fuel is placed
for combustion, and in the second or other compartment or compart-
ments, in which the products of combustion are raised to an incandescent
heat, I place the crucibles containing the steel or other metals to be
melted. For charging the first compartment or fire-place with fuel I
provide it with a hopper at the top containing small coal, in the bottom
of which hopper I fit a slide for regulating the supply of fuel. This
slide may be worked by hand, or in lieu of the slide the necks of the
hoppers may be fitted with rollers or screw blades, which may be caused
to rotate by machinery for supplying the fuel to the fire-place in regular
and uniform quantities. In the sides of this fire-place I form suitable
openings for the ingress of a blast of air, or air and steam, as may be
required. I utilize the waste heat passing from the second compartment
for raising the temperature of the air of the blast by forming an air
chamber, air ducts and passages in the throat of the chimney or stack,
and along the sides or bottom of the said compartment, and cause the
heat therein to impinge upon the external surfaces of such chambers,
ducts, and
passages. In the sides of the second compartment I form
openings, and instead of making the crucibles in the usual way, that is,
open at the top only, which necessitates their being lifted into and out
of the fire when charging and emptying them, I make each crucible
with a lateral hollow projection at the bottom, such projections being
of sufficient length to pass through the sides of the compartments before
mentioned. By this means the molten contents of the crucibles can be
drawn out through the said hollow projections without removing them
from the furnace, suitable openings in the roof or cover of the chamber
being provided for charging, inserting, or removing them when
necessary. Crucibles of the ordinary form may be used. I also propose

page_text: to substitute trough-shaped for the ordinary round crucibles when
desired. When the furnace is required for heating steel or iron or for
puddling I adopt the same divisional plan of construction as herein
described, and form openings in the sides of the second compartment, in
which I fit suitable doors to open and close at pleasure. I form or line
the said fire-place and compartments with fire-bricks or other suitable
The accompanying Drawing is intended to illustrate the general forms
and arrangements of the said improved furnaces, crucibles, and troughs.
Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation at the lines A, B, B, C,
and C, D, Fig. 1, and shew one of the said furnaces in which ordinary
crucibles may be used. a is the fire-place or first compartment; b, the
second compartment; c, c, c, &c., crucible chambers; d, d, d, &c.,
crucibles; e, e, e, &c., openings connecting the compartment 6 with the
chamber c; fff, &c., openings connecting those chambers with tlie
chimney or stack g; h, the hopper for containing and supplying the fuel;
i, a slide for regulating the supply; k, an air pipe, through which cold
air is drawn in to keep the flame down and bottom of the hopper from
too great a heat; 1, the blast pipe, from which the pipe k branches;
m, hot-air chambers, in which the air from the blast is heated as it is
driven through it and the air passages m¹ and n, and into the furnace
through the apertures o, o, o, o, and p, p, p, p. The latter apertures are
provided for supplying the oxygen for superheating the products of
combustion as they pass over the bridge of the furnace, and mixing with
the gases generated by the finer particles of the fuel as they fall from
the hopper coming in contact with the flame or heat from the fire at a.
q are openings in the roof (closed by the covers q') through which the
crucibles d, d, are lifted in and out.
Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal section, or sectional
clevation, at the line A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, H, Fig. 3, and shew the
form of furnace and crucibles, in which the latter are intended to be
fixtures. a is the fire-place; b, b, the crucible chambers, through which
the incandescent heat passes and impinges upon the crucibles; c, the
improved crucibles; d, the stack or chimney, in the lower portion of
which I form an air-heating chamber e, e, divided by a wall e'; fis a

page_text: hollow midfeather in the centre of the crucible chamber, through which
the air from the chamber e passes, and is further heated as it is driven
through them and through the openings g', g', &c., into the fire, as
shewn by the arrows; h is the hopper; i, the regulating slide; and k the
cold air pipe, as at Fig. 2; k¹ are the lateral hollow projections of the
crucibles, through which the metal when melted is run out; 1, 1, are
openings in the roof (covered by the slab m) through which the improved
crucibles, which are intended to be fixtures, may be charged, and lifted
in and out when they require to be replaced.
Fig. 5 is a plan, Fig. 6 a longitudidal section at the line A, B, and
Fig. 7 a longitudinal section at the lines B, C, and D, E, shewing
another form of my improved furnaces, in which crucibles of extra size,
formed with openings at the bottom, are fixed, and from which the
metal runs as it is melted into a well or channel, and is thence drawn
off as required. By this plan provision is made for producing castings
or ingots of extra size and weight. a is the fire-place; b, the chamber;
c, the chimney or stack; d, d, &c., the improved crucibles; e, the
heating chamber at the bottom of the said stack; f, the longitudinal
channel into which the molten metal runs from the crucibles; g, the
transverse channel, from which the metal is drawn out at each side of
the chamber; h, the floating flux for protecting the molten metal from
the action of the gases; i, i, i, &c., air-heating flues and pipes, through
which the blast passes to the fire-place; k, a cold-air pipe for keeping
the slide and bottom of the hopper from the too intense action of the
heat, and for depressing the flame.
Fig. 8 shews in plan the mode of forming the crucible chamber when
the trough-shaped crucibles are used. a is the fire-place; b, the crucible
chamber; c, c, the crucibles, two or more of which may be provided as
required; d, d, d, &c., are feathers for causing the heat to impinge
against the sides of the troughs. The air-heating flues may be arranged
as shewn in the other plans. In all cases I prefer to make the outlet
for the gases in a state of combustion in that part of the fire-place
where the fuel is in an incandescent state, so that the said gases and
smoke have to descend and pass through the hottest part of the fire to
insure their more perfect combustion.
Without restricting myself to the precise details and dimensions of
the parts of the respective furnaces shewn upon the Drawing I claim,

page_text: the several improvements herein described or thereby illustrated as and
for the purposes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Martin Stanley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.