IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL PUDDLING FURNACES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL PUDDLING FURNACES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Charles Pernot, of Paris, in the Republic of
France. Manager.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th June 1874.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of No. 47, Lincoln's Inn. Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL PUDDLING FURNACES," a
communication to me from abroad by Charles Pernot, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Manager, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the mechanical puddling furnaces for which
Letters Patent were granted to me August 27th, 1873 (No. 2819), and
December 31st 1873 (No. 4291), and consists of an improved arrange-

page_text: ment and combination of the parts, whereby increased facility is afforded
for effecting repairs, and a more perfect result is obtained.
In carrying out this Invention the sides of the inclined rotatory
hearth are formed of segments or staves composed of cast iron, and
perforated throughout their height so as to admit of the injection of a
current of water for the purpose of cooling the lining of the hearth,
consisting of cinders and ore. The segments or staves are secured by
means of key bolts to the bottom of the hearth, which is formed of
wrought iron, and are connected together at the top by a wrought-iron
ring or hoop, so that they may be readily changed or renewed as
required. A slight space or clearance is left between the top of the
hearth and the body of the furnace (which is provided at that part with
an annular metal plate), in order to prevent the friction of the surfaces
from impeding the rotation of the hearth, and a blast of air is introduced
beneath the fire-bars (the ash-pit being closed), by which means a
sufficient pressure of the ignited gases in the furnace is maintained to
prevent the admission of the external atmosphere. Between the two
fire-bridges, one of which is made sloping or inclined towards the fluc,
there are formed in the walls of the furnace two apertures, situate one
on cach side of its centre, for the purpose of facilitating the working or
manipulation of the balls.
Το
Rotatory motion is imparted to the hearth by means of a bevel wheel,
which is secured to the under side of the plate forming the bottom of
the hearth, and is actuated by a bevel pinion, which is carried on a
horizontal shaft, driven through the intervention of a connecting or
lengthening rod by bevel gearing from any suitable prime mover.
the under side of the hearth there is also secured a frame or support
carrying four conical wheels or rollers, which revolve on a truck or
carriage placed beneath when motion is imparted to the hearth, and also
a shaft or axis, which enters a socket provided for it in the truck or
carriage below, and forms a centre around which the hearth may turn,
whilst at the same time serving to unite the parts together.
The truck or carriage rests upon rails, so that when any repairs of
cither the hearth or any part of the furnace (more particularly the roof)
are necessary, such truck or carriage with the frame or support and the
hearth may be removed bodily from beneath the furnace, whereby con-
siderable facility is afforded for carrying out the operations required.

page_text: This Invention admits of a much larger quantity of metal being
treated in a given time, whilst the consumption of fuel and the waste of
cast iron are greatly reduced. Increased charges may also be operated
upon without entailing any alteration in the organization of existing
works, as the metal may be divided into any required number of balls to
suit the shingling hammers and rolls ordinarily employed.
- :
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 7th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special_license that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and 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 MECHANICAL
PUDDLING FURNACES," a communication to me from abroad by Charles
Pernot, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Manager, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
The said Invention relates to the mechanical puddling furnaces for
which Letters Patent were granted to me on behalf of the said Charles
Pernot, bearing date respectively August Twenty-seventh, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three (No. 2819), and December Thirty-first,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three (No. 4291), and consists
of an improved arrangement and combination of the parts which practice
has shewn to be the most advantageous for the complete success of the
operation.
.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section taken along the line A, B,
(Figure 3) of the improved furnace constructed in accordance with this
Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken
along the line C, D, (Figure 3); and Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken
along the line E, F, (Figure 1).
V is the ash-pit, into which a blast of air is introduced, and which is
closed by a door b; E, J, are the two fire-bridges; D, D, are the doors,
disposed one on each side of the centre of the furnace, for facilitating the
manipulation or working of the balls; J, U, is the inclined portion of
the flue; C is the roof of the furnace, composed of refractory materials;
A is the inclined rotatory hearth, the lining or fettling B of which is
formed with ore and scoriae in the manner described in the Specification
of my letters Patent, No. 281973. The ore is retained by a trough, con-
structed of cast-iron segments or staves, and perforated throughout its
height so as to admit of a current of water being injected for the purpose
of cooling the ore. These segments or staves are attached by key
bolts M³ to the horizontal portion or bottom E' of the trough, which is
formed of wrought iron, and they are connected together at the top by

page_text: a wrought-iron ring or hoop N', so that they may be readily changed
at will.
Rotatory motion is imparted to the hearth by means of a bevel
wheel F, which is secured to the under side of the plate E¹, and is
actuated by a bevel pinion N (Figure 3), which is carried on a horizontal
shaft, driven through the intervention of a connecting or lengthening
rod P and the transmitting shaft Q by bevel gearing R, S, from any
suitable prime mover T. To the under side of the plate E¹ there is also
secured a cast-iron frame or support K, carrying four rollers I, which
frame or support is also provided with a shaft or axis G, which enters a
socket formed in the truck or carriage L, on which the rollers I run
when the hearth is rotated. The shaft or axis G, in addition to forming
a centre for the hearth, also serves to unite the parts together.
The truck or carriage L rests upon rails R¹, and admits of the hearth A
and the whole of the parts combined therewith being withdrawn when
any repairs either of such hearth or of the various portions of the fixed
furnace (especially the roof) are necessary.
The blue lines in Figure 2
indicate the position into which the truck or carriage L, bearing the
hearth A is removed when the repair of any portion of the furnace is
required to be effected.
An essential part of the apparatus is the joint P1, P1, (Figures 1 and
2), in which a clear space of, say, from three-fourths to one and a half
inches is left between the top of the hearth and the body of the furnace
for the purpose of obviating friction, which might impede the rotation of
such hearth.
The blast of air introduced underneath the fire-bars H imparts
sufficient pressure to the ignited gases to prevent the admission of the
external air into the furnace. M is an annular plate, on which the fixed
part of the furnace is constructed.
The peculiar arrangements of the furnace hercin-before described
admit of a highly advantageous commercial result being obtained, as has
been demonstrated in practise.
The furnace operates in the manner described in the Specification of
my said former Letters Patent (No. 281973).
It may be observed that in puddling furnaces constructed on the old
system a quantity varying from one and a quarter to two tons only,

page_text: according to the quality of the cast iron, is made per twenty-four hours,
whilst with the improved furnace from three and a half to four and
three-quarter tons per twenty-four hours may be produced, and that
with a saving of from thirty to forty per cent. in the consumption of
fuel, and a diminution of one-half in the waste of the cast iron. Charges
of about one ton of cast iron may also be operated upon with facility
without entailing any alteration in the organization of existing works, as
any desired number of balls may be made, which admits of the shingling
hammer and rolls ordinarily employed being retained. The improved
mechanical furnace thus fulfills the whole of the conditions required in
practise.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the peculiar
arrangement and combination of apparatus for puddling herein-before
described, and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Third day of
December One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.