IMPROVE- MENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING AND MELTING IRON: AND STEEL, AND POR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton, of West Bromwich, in the County of
Stafford, Furnace Builder and Contractor, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING AND MELTING IRON: AND STEEL, AND POR
OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 16th September 1864, and dated the 16th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th July 1864.
I, JOHN CLAYTON, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Furnace
Builder and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING AND MELTING IRON AND STEEL,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference principally to furnaces for heating ingots or
masses of iron and steel, but is also applicable to furnaces for melting iron
and steel, and to furnaces for various other purposes.
I will describe my Invention with reference to a furnace for heating ingots
of iron or steel. I place the fire-place or fire-bars of the furnace at the
back or that side of the furnace opposite to that at which the opening for
charging the ingots into and removing them from the furnace is situated.
The fire of the furnace, after passing the furnace bridge, travels along the
arch and over the furnace bed to the opening at which the ingots are intro-
duced and descending passes back through a flue under the bed and ash-pit
of the furnace to the chimney. Or, the fire may pass back to the chimney

page_text: over the arch of the furnace instead of under the furnace. The openings at
which the ingots are introduced and removed are provided with sliding
counterbalanced or other doors. The furnace is fed with fuel through fire-
doors at the side or back of the furnace. By arranging the parts of the
furnace in the manner described the ingots when placed on the bed of the
furnace have their greatest length in the direction in which the fire is travelling.
The fire consequently passes over and between them and heats them with
greater uniformity than when it passes over them transversely as it does in
furnaces of the ordinary construction. Two or more of the furnaces may be
conveniently built side by side and open into a common chimney. The waste
heat of the furnace may be used for heating either a horizontal or vertical
steam boiler. In applying my Invention to purposes other than the heating
of ignots or masses of iron and steel I modify the details to suit the particular
purpose to which the furnace is to be applied, but in all essential respects the
parts of the furnace are arranged in the manner described. Furnaces con-
structed according to my Invention may either be heated with solid or gaseous
fuel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Clayton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN CLAYTON,
of West Bromwich, in, the County of Stafford, Furnace Builder and Contractor,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand. eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Clayton, Her special licence that I, the said John Clayton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Clayton, 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 FOR
HEATING AND MELTING IRON AND STEEL, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Clayton, my executors or

page_text: administrators;
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 Clayton, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in. and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say. :-
My Invention has reference principally to furnaces for heating ingots or
masses of iron and steel, but is also applicable to furnaces for melting iron
and steel, and to furnaces for various other purposes..
I will describe my Invention with reference to a furnace for heating ingots
of iron or steel. I place the fire-grate or fire-bars of the furnace at the back
or the side of the furnace opposite to that at which the opening for charging
the ingots into and removing them from the furnace is situated. The fire of
the furnace, after passing the furnace bridge, travels along the arch and over
the furnace bed to the opening at which the ingots are introduced, and
Aescending, passes back through a flue under the bed of the furnace- to the
stack or chimney, or the fire may pass back to the chimney or stack over the
arch of the furnace instead of under the furnace. The openings at which
the ingots are introduced and removed are provided with sliding doors or
counterbalanced or other doors. The furnace is fed with fuel through fire-
doors at the side or back of the furnace. By arranging the parts of the
furnace in the manner described, the ingots, when placed on the bed of the
furnace have their greatest length in the direction in which the fire is
travelling; the fire consequently passes over and between them, and heats.
them with greater uniformity than when it passes over them transversely as it
does in furnaces of the ordinary construction. Two or more of the furnaces.
may be conveniently built side by side, and open into a common chimney.
The waste heat of the furnace may be used for heating either a horizontal or
vertical steam boiler..
In applying my Invention to purposes other than the heating of ingots.or
masses of iron and steel I modify the details to suit the particular purpose to
which the furnace is to be applied, but in all essential respects the parts of the
furnace are arranged in the manner described. Furnaces.constructed accord-
ing to my Invention may either be heated with solid or gaseous fuel.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe,.

page_text: with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent front and back elevations respectively of a double
furnace for heating ingots or masses of iron and steel, the said furnace being
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 3 is a horizontal-section of
the same; Figure 4 is a vertical section of the same taken through the line B
.of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same taken
through the line A of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the same taken through the line C of Figure 3. Figures 7 and 8
are elevations taken at opposite ends of a left hand single heating furnace of
the same construction as the double furnace, and Figure 9 is a horizontal
section of the same; Figure 10 is an end elevation of a right hand single
heating furnace; Figure 11 is a side elevation of the same, and Figure 12 is
a horizontal section of the same. The same letters of reference indicate the
same parts in Figures 1 to 12 both inclusive.
a, a, are the fire-grates or fire-bars of the furnace, the said grates or bars
being situated at the back or the side of the furnace opposite to that at which
the openings are made for charging the ingots into and removing them from
the furnace; bare the beds of the furnace, and c the reverberating arches, and
e the stack or chimney situated at one end of the furnace. The ingots, piles
or masses to be heated are disposed on the beds 6 in the manner repre-
sented, that is, the said piles, ingots, or masses are so placed on the beds
that their longer sides are directly in a line with the direction which the fire
from the fire-grates a travels. The fire is thus made to pass over and between
the said piles, ingots, or masses, and heat them with greater uniformity than
when it passes over them transversely, as it does in furnaces of the ordinary
construction. The piles or masses d are introduced into the furnace, and
removed therefrom through the opening in front of the furnace, the said
opening being opened and closed by the sliding counterbalanced or other
doors g, g. The fire and heated air from the grates a, a, after passing the
furnace bridge f, travel along the arch c and over the beds 6, and passing
over and along the sides of the piles or masses d, descend by the end flues
into flues or culverts i, is, situated underneath the bed of the furnace. The
flue
opens into the stack e, and the products of combustion escape by the
said stack. The direction which the fire takes in passing over and along
the sides of the piles or masses, descending from thence to the flues under-
neath the bed, and finally escaping by the stack, will be readily traced and
understood by an examination of Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings. The
fire-grates a are supplied with fuel through fire-doors k, see Figure 11 at

page_text: the side of the furnace. The ashes from the ash-pits are removed through
the doors k, and these doors k contain ventilators for admitting air to the
fire-grate. Instead of making the fire and heated air pass to. the stack under
the bed of the furnace, they may pass to the stack over the arch of the
furnace, but I prefer the arrangement represented in the Drawings.
Figures 18 to 20, both inclusive, represent a double furnace for heating or
annealing iron or steel articles after they have been rolled or otherwise
fashioned, the said furnace differing somewhat in construction: from that last
described. Figure 13 is a front elevation; Figure 14, a back elevation; and
Figure 15, an end elevation of the said furnace. Figure 16 is a horizontal
section of the same taken in a plane above the beds of the furnace; Figure 17
is a horizontal section of the same taken in a plane below the beds of the
furnace; Figures 18 and 19 are transverse vertical sections taken at right
angles to one another; and Figure 20 is a transverso section taken through
one of the fire-grates of the furnace. The same letters indicate the same
parts in Figures 18 to 20, both inclusive.
and from
the front
under the
In this arrangement the furnaces are placed back to back or side to side,
the fire-grates a, a, being situated at the end of each furnace, and the charging
opening 6 at the front of the furnace. The stack c. is situated at the back of
the double furnace, as represented. The fire and heated air pass from the
front to the back of the bed e, as in the last described furnace, but instead of
escaping to the stack through flues at the back only, the fire and heated air
escape by vertical flues d, d², in each of the corners of the bed e,
thence to the stack c by the flues f, g. The front flues d³, d, at
corners of the bed e descend vertically, and open into radial flues
bed, and the latter open into the central flue g, which flue 9 communicates
with the stack c, as best seen in Figures 17 and 18. The flues d at the back
corners of the bed open directly into the central flue:g. The openings b' at
the front of the furnace for charging the articles to be annealed on to the
beds e, e, and for removing the annealed articles therefrom are closed bý
counterbalanced sliding doors h, h, (see Figure 13) and the fire-grates a arẻ
charged with fuel through the doors (see Figure-14) at the side of the
furnace; the ash-pit and air-doors are represented in Figure 15, and marked i.
When the fuel employed is of poor quality, I urge the fire by a blast of air
or steam in the manner illustrated in Figure 20. The blast of air or steam
is conducted from the blast fan or boiler by a pipe to the blast box k situated
immediately under the middle of the grate; the upper side of the blast box is
curved so as to be parallel with the bottom of the furnace grate. The said
top of the blast box is perforated with rows of blast holes through which jets

page_text: of air or steam are delivered between the grate bars. into the fire-place; this
arrangement may also be applied to the grates of the heating furnaces herein-
before described, as well as to the grates of the melting furnace, herein-after
described. Instead of allowing the waste heat from the furnaces to escape by
a stack, as in the arrangements of heating and annealing furnaces, herein-
before described and represented, it may be economized by making it pass
into the flue or flues of a vertical or horizontal steam boiler so as to heat the
water in the said boiler; for this purpose I prefer to arrange the parts in
the manner hereinafter described and represented in connection with a
melting furnace.
Figure 21 represents in longitudinal vertical section a double reverberatory
melting furnace, constructed according to my Invention, combined with a
vertical steam boiler Figure 22 is a horizontal section of the same; Figure 23
is an end elevation of the same, and Figure 24 is a transverse section of the
same taken through one of the fire-grates; Figure 25 is a front elevation of
the furnace and boiler. The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures
21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. a are the reverberatory furnaces opening into a
flue c situated between them; e, e, are the fire-places of the furnace, and f, f,
are the hollow bridges of the samė. The beds a, b, respectively of the
furnaces have the concave form represented, the said beds inclining from the
chimney end to the fire-place end, the lowest part of the said beds being near
the fire-place, the said lowest part being made of a basin form. The revers
berating arch of each of the furnaces dips at a³, 63, immediately over the
lowest part of the bed so as to approach near to the said bed, and contract
the passage between it and the bed. The shape of the reverberating arch is
fully shown in Figure 21 of the Drawings. The fire-grates of the furnace (as
well as of the furnaces herein before described) have curved bottoms, and are
constructed as follows:-9, 9, are the main bearers of the fire-grate supported
on the standards h, h; the main bearers 9,9, carry the curved bearers i, i, upon
which the fire bars k, k, rest. The said grates are provided with inclined sides
marked ; each grate has a door m at the front, through which it is fed with
fuel, as represented in Figure 25; n are the ash-pit and air-doors seen in
Figure 23. The cast iron or other metal to be melted is supplied to the
highest part of the bed of the furnace through openings which are afterwards
closed by counterbalanced sliding doors p. The flame and heated air from the
fire-places e, e, are deflected by the reverberating arch upon the metal on the
beds a, b, respectively, and the metal thereby melted, the melted metal
running from the chimney end to the fire-place end of the beds, and accumu-
lating in the lowest and hottest part of the said beds. The melted metal is

page_text: removed from the basins r of the beds through openings in front of the
furnace, which openings during the melting operation are closed by the
counterbalanced doors q. The fire and heated air, on leaving the furnaces:
a, b, pass into the flue c, and from thence into the central flue c² of the vertical
steam boiler c, by passing through which the water in the said boiler is
heated; the vertical steam boiler is supported on the "columns s. Instead of
employing a central flue in the vertical steam boiler, three or four flues may!
be employed.
.
A boiler having four flues is represented in elevation in Figure 26, vertical
section in Figure 27, and horizontal sections in Figures 28 and 29, the section,
Figure 28, being taken through the line x, and the section, Figure 29, being.
taken through the line y, Figure 27; or three flues may be employed, as
illustrated in the horizontal sections, Figures 30 and 31. The upper parts of
the flues are protected by a casing of fire-clay or brick, as illustrated in
Figure 27. Instead of economizing the waste heat by allowing it to pass to
a vertical boiler, the said waste heat may be allowed to pass to a horizontal
steam boiler situated over the furnace or furnaces.
A double melting furnace, of the construction herein-before described, com-
bined with two horizontal steam boilers, is represented in side elevation in
Figure 32, and end elevations (the boilers being in section) in Figures 33
and 34. The horizontal boiler may either have a large central flue, as illus-
trated in Figure 34, or three (or more) smaller flues, as illustrated in
Figure 33. The fire and heated air, after passing from the furnaces, enter
the flue or flues of the horizontal boilers situated over them, and after circu-
lating along the flue or flues, and heating the water in the boilers, escape to
the stack situated between the furnaces.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein-described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings, as the same may be varied without from the nature
my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,-
of
Firstly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of furnaces for
heating ingots, piles, or masses of iron and steel, and for other like purposes,
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 12, both inclusive, of
the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of furnaces
for heating or annealing ingots, piles, or masses of iron and steel, and for other
like purposes, herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 13 to 20, both
inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Thirdly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of furnaces
for melting iron and steel and for other like purposes, herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Lastly, economizing the waste heat of the said furnaces by making it pass
through and heat the water, in a vertical or horizontal steam boiler or steam
boilers, in the manner herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 21,
25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clayton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN CLAYTON. (LS.)