Improvement in the Construction of Metallurgical Furnaces.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Construction of Metallurgical Furnaces.
We, CHRISTOPHER JAMES of Ida Villa Swansea, South Wales, Metallurgist
and WILLIAM GRIFFITHS, of Burry Port South Wales, Copper Refiner, 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:-
Our invention relates to an improvement in the construction of the bottoms of
metallurgical furnaces, whereby they are more cheaply made, will last much longer
without repairs or renewal, are especially non-conducting to heat and will not
absorb to any appreciable extent the melted charges of metal, such as copper, silver,
lead or gold.
Whereas the bottoms of furnaces used in metallurgical operations are at present
usually made of sand in two layers, which have to be seasoned, melted and cooled
before use,
these bottoms are expensive to keep in repair and to renew, and absorb
large quantities of the charges melted on them whether copper alone, or copper
containing gold and silver, or lead in like manner rich in the precious metals thus
locking up heavy amounts of capital that in many works may be represented by
£15,000 to £20,000; or where gold & silver are worked, by sums
higher.
even much
Our invention is designed to obviate these disadvantages.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through a metallurgical furnace with
the bed or bottom constructed according to our improvement.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same through X X.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same through Y Y.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same through Z Z.
66
"
Our invention consists in building the bottom of the furnace of "Dinas
Stourbridge" or other refractory bricks in a concave or inverted arched manner
so that they cannot rise by buoyancy under the charge or by expansion, grouted
and laid upon a bed of "brasque," composed of parts of coke dust and 1 of clay,
which forms an excellent non-conductor of heat and is useful in retaining the
bottom heat of the furnace.
Our invention is applicable to all classes of furnaces whether reverberatories or
cupolas, and in order that our invention may be the better understood, we now
proceed to describe the particular construction of bottom, applicable in one form
as an example, to a reberatory furnace, reference being had to the drawings
hereto annexed and to the letters and figures :arked thereon.
We lay over the furnace vault V a layer of 6 inches of "brasque" C as afore-
said, ground together and intimately mixed with water until it adheres sufficiently
to "ball."
This layer is beaten hard and carefully shard to give a slightly concave bed
for the working bottom of "Dinas or othe refractory brick B to be formed
on it.
"
The concavity of the shaped layer of brasque is important in so far that the
strength and permanence of the brick bottom depends largely on the regularity and
perfection of the curved bed forming the brick-work into an inverted arch and so
preventing the brick-work from raising or breaking upward when the molten charge
rests and works upon it.
When the shaped "brasque" bed is so prepared and dried the bricks are laid
upon it, either on end, on edge, or on the flat, according to the nature of the charge
to be worked and the thickness of brickwork desired.

page_text: The bricks are grouted with the same material as that of which the bricks are
made.
The brick-bed is laid over all the inside of the furnace casing and is firmly held
down by tieing in any convenient manner.
A tap hole hole T and gutter G is provided in the bed for the complete removal
of the molten charge.
As soon as the moisture from the "brasque" and grouting has been dried off,
the furnace is ready for immediate use without any melting or further seasoning.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. A metallurgical furnace in which the bottom and sides of the casing are
covered by refractory brick, grouted with the same material as that of the brick,
the bottom being an inverted arch to prevent rising, and laid upon a concave
bed of plastic material shaped to accurately receive the inverted brick arched
bottom.
2nd. In a metallurgical furnace the combination to form the bottom of the
furnace of an inverted grouted and arched bottom of refractory brick with a
plastic bed there-under of "brasque," composed approximately of 2 parts of
coke dust and one of clay, prepared, layed, beaten hard, & dried, substantially as
described.
Dated this 30th day of June 1893.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.