IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- TURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORGE ROWELL of 18 Falcon Road London, S.W. Doctor of Medicine do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF IRON AND STEEL, to be as follows:-
In a blast furnace for iron-smelting, as now used, the metal when reduced falls
in the molten state to the floor of the furnace, and accumulates .there until it is
drawn off. In my invention a part of this molten metal is returned to the body
of the furnace at a higher level where the process of reduction is actively going on.
This is effected by means of tubes opening below near the floor of the furnace. These
tubes pass upwards in the wall of the furnace, and re-enter the furnace obliquely
at different parts of its periphery, by openings common to them and the tuyères
for the hot blast. When the blast is 'on,' the molten reduced metal is drawn up
the tubes by pneumatic suction of the blast, and blown tangentially in the form of
spray into the body of the furnace, where, mixing with unreduced ore, it promotes
its reduction. Thus, the procedure is equivalent to the pig-and-ore process of the
'open hearth" system, and results in great economy of time and fuel, and an
increased output by the furnace.
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Opening also from the floor of the furnace is a channel leading to a 'settling
pool," into which molten reduced metal with some admixture of slag passes. The
contents of the "settling pool" being.free from the agitation of the blast readily
separate, the slag and impurities rising to the surface.
At intervals, when accumulated in sufficient quantity, the molten metal is run
off from the "settling pool" into moulds in the longitudinal axis of each of which
is a hollow. taper iron core which is caused to revolve, and through which a cooling
fluid flows. When the metal has cooled and congealed to a pasty consistency, the
core is made to .advance, by hydraulic pressure or otherwise, and compress from
the interior the semifluid metal.

page_text: I, GEORGE ROWELL 42 Richmond Road South Kensington London, S.W. Doctor
of Medicine do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL;, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In a blast furnace for iron-smelting, as now used, the metal when reduced falls
in the molten state to the floor of the furnace, and accumulates there until it is
drawn off. In my Invention, a part of this molten metal is returned to the body
of the furnace at a higher level where the process of reduction is actively going on.
This is effected by means of tubes opening below near the floor of the furnace
(Fig. 1, A, b, b). These tubes pass upwards in the wall of the furnace, and re-enter
the furnace obliquely at different parts of its periphery, by openings common to
them and the tuyères for the blast (A, a, a, a). When the blast is " on," the
molten reduced metal is drawn up the tubes by pneumatic suction of the blast,
and blown tangentially in the form of spray into the body of the furnace, where,
mixing with unreduced ore, its promotes its reduction. Thus the procedure is
equivalent to the pig-and-ore process of the " open hearth system, and results
in great economy of time and fuel, and an increased out put by the furnace.
Opening also from the floor of the furnace is a channel (A, c,) leading to a
"settling pool" (B), into which molten reduced metal with some admixture of
slag passes. The contents of the "settling pool" being free from the agitation
of the blast readily separate, the slag and impurities rising to the surface.
"
At intervals, when accumulated in sufficient quantity, the molten metal is run
off from the "settling pool" into moulds (C, f), surrounded by a non-conductor of
beat (C, g), in the longitudinal axis of each of which is a hollow taper iron core
(C,h), which is caused to revolve, and through which a cooling fluid flows. When
the metal has cooled and congealed to a pasty consistency, the core is made to
advance, by hydraulic pressure or otherwise, and compress from the interior the
semi-fluid metal.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1, A, is a vertical section of a blast furnace.
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a, a, a, openings into body of furnace for nozzles, of tuyères, and
ascending tubes.
b, b, tubes passing from hearth of furnace, and re-opening into furnace
beneath nozzles of tuyères at a, a, a.
c, channel leading from floor of furnace to "settling pool."
Fig. 1, B, is a vertical section of the "settling pool."
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a, tuyère.
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d, channel for exit of gases.
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e, tap-hole.
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Fig. 1, C, is a vertical section of the casting apparatus,
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f, iron mould.
» g, surrounding of non-conductor of heat.
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h hollow taper iron core.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The process of iron-smelting by returning a part of the molten reduced metal
to the body of the furnace, thereby expediting reduction.
2. The method of effecting this return by means of the blast, substantially as
described.
3. The arrangement of tubes (Fig. 1, A, b, b,) passing from the hearth of the
furnace to the internal openings of the tuyères for the blast, substantially as shown
and for the purpose described.
4. The "settling pool" (B) as an adjunct to the blast furnace, substantially as
described and depicted.
5. The casting of metal from the furnace under the triple influence of centric
rotation, cooling and compression from the interior.
6. The requisite apparatus to effect the foregoing (Claim 5), viz., the combination
of iron mould, surrounding of non-conductor of heat, and hollow taper core, substan-
tially as described and delineated.