IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Oakes, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County
of Durham, Furnace Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Oakes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
February 1857.
I, WILLIAM OAKES, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham,
Furnace Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of the following method of supplying materials
to iron-smelting furnaces. At the upper part of the furnace, where the mate-
rials are usually delivered, I construct three or other suitable number of open-
ings for feeding the furnace. These openings are closed by valves in the
following manner:-The said valves consist of plates or doors, situated nearly
horizontally, and turning upon hinges, somewhat after the manner of a trap-
door. The said valves are closed by chains passing over pullies, and provided
with balance weights. The materials thrown upon the valves depress them,
and the said materials escape into the furnace. When not in uso for the
supply of material the valves are closed by the balance weights.
My Invention consists, secondly, in conveying away the gas from the top of
the blast furnace by means of a central shaft or flue. In the ordinary method
of conveying away the gas from blast furnaces, the said gas is conducted out

page_text: at one side of the furnace. By such process the furnace is unequally heated
at different points; but by conveying away the gases by a central shaft or flue,
according to my Invention, all parts of the furnace aro uniformly heated.
The gas may be applied to any suitable purpose, and the smelting of the
iron is improved by the use of my Invention, in addition to which the furnaces
can be supplied with materials fully up to the top, which cannot be done in
the ordinary construction of furnaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Oakes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
OAKES, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Furnace Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said William Oakes, Her special licenco that I, the said William Oakes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Oakes, 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 THE MANUPAC-
TURE OF IRON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Oakes, my executors or administrators, 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 William Oakes, 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 said Invention consists, firstly, of the method, herein-after described,

page_text: and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, of supplying materials to iron-
smelting or blast furnaces; and, secondly, of conveying away the gases
from the top of blast furnaces by means of a central or nearly central shaft
or flue.
Both my improvements are represented in the accompanying Drawing
combined in the same blast furnace.
Figure 1 represents, in plan, the top of a blast furnace constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 represents an elevation of the same; and Figure 3
represents the same in vertical, section. At the upper part of the furnace,
where the materials are usually delivered, I construct three or four openings,
by which the furnace is fed. These openings are closed by doors or valves
marked a in the several Figures in the Drawing. The said doors or valves a
consist of plates or doors, situated nearly horizontally, and turning upon hinges b,
somewhat after the manner of a trap-door. The said valves a open downwards,
as will be understood by reference to Figure 3. The said valves a are closed
by chains d, passing over pullies e, and furnished with counterbalance weights f.
The materials with which the furnace is to be charged are thrown upon the
doors or valves a; the weight of the said materials depresses the valves a, and
the said materials fall into the furnace. When no longer in use for the
supplying of the materials, the valves a are closed by the counterbalance
weights f.
Although I prefer to construct the valves in the manner represented in the
Drawing, yet I do not limit myself thereto, as the said valves may be differently
constructed with the same or nearly the same effect. For example, the said
valves may have a sliding motion in a horizontal plane, or they may be situated
in a vertical plane, having a joint at the top and closing by their own weight
when not forced open by the material pressing against them.
When I construct the valves in the manner represented in the Drawing, I
sometimes dispense with the balance weights, and close the said valves by
springs, levers, or by balance weights fixed on the valves themselves; but I
prefer the number, shape, and construction of the valves represented in the
Drawing.
In the ordinary plan of conducting away the gases from blast furnaces the
said gases are conducted out at one side. By this method of conducting
away the
gases the furnace is unequally heated at different points.
My method of conducting away the gases from iron-smelting or blast
furnaces consists in conveying the said gases from the top of the blast furnace
by means of a central shaft or flue 9. By placing the shaft or flue g in the
axis of the furnace tirnace is uniformly heated in every part. The. gases

page_text: may be conducted from the flue 9 by the horizontal flue h to any desired
situation.
Although I prefer to make the shaft 9 exactly central, yet it may be placed
somewhat out of the axis of the furnace, where circumstances render it
desirable, in which position it will act with nearly the same effect as when
quito central; and although one tube will be found generally most convenient,
yet it may sometimes be desirable to use two or more tubes instead of one
central tube.
The heated gas removed from the furnace may be employed for heating
stoam boilers or other suitable purpose.
When blast furnaces are constructed according to my Invention they can
be supplied with materials fully up to the top, which cannot be done in
furnaces of the ordinary construction.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I
claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, supplying materials to iron-smelting furnaces by means of valves at
the top of the furnace, the said valves being closed when not in use, as herein-
before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, removing the gaseous products from iron-smelting furnaces by
means of a vertical and central or nearly central shaft or fluc, as herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Oakes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM OAKES. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN ARMITAGE.