IMPROVEMENTS IN REGENERATIVE FURNACES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ambrose Beard of Swansea in the County of Glamorgan
Iron Merchant and Metal Broker for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REGENERATIVE FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ambrose Beard at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th July 1882.
AMBROSE BEARD of Swansea in the County of Glamorgan Iron Merchant
and Metal Broker "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGENERATIVE FURNACES."
My invention has reference principally to regenerative furnaces used in the
melting of steel and other metallurgical operations, but is also applicable to
regenerative furnaces generally.
In regenerative furnaces as ordinarily constructed the checquer work or
reticulated structure constituting the regenerator is placed beneath the furnace
proper. This arrangement requires the regenerator to be made of great strength
as it carries the weight of the furnace and its contents, and the arrangement in
question is attended by other inconveniences as hereinafter explained.
In constructing regenerative furnaces according to my invention I place the
checquer work or reticulated structure constituting the regenerator above the
furnace proper, the said generator being carried on girders supported by columns
and enclosed in a casing of light iron or other light casing.
By this method of construction a considerable amount of heavy brickwork is
saved and the regenerator is more accessible for cleaning and repairs than when
placed underneath the furnace.
By the elevation of the regenerator as described an inconvenience attending the
decarbonization of steel by iron ore, in regenerative furnaces of the ordinary
construction is avoided. In the said decarbonizing process in the ordinary
regenerative furnaces, portions of the iron ore employed are carried by the gaseous
current into the checquer work of the regenerator. This iron ore clogs the said
checquer work and fuses the parts of the same together. When the regenerator is
elevated, according to my invention, the small particles of ore are not carried by

page_text: the gaseous current into the regenerator as the said current being upwards the
particles of ore fall before the current-reaches the checquer work.
Another advantage attending the elevation of the regenerator according to my
invention is great economy. In regenerative furnaces as ordinarily constructed
there is great loss of heat from wet or damp foundations the working of the
furnaces being in some cases materially affected thereby. By my invention this
inconvenience is avoided.
'
In regenerative furnaces constructed according to my invention as well as
regenerative furnaces of the ordinary kind, the waste heated air passing from the
regenerator is sufficiently hot to be utilized for the generation of steam and in
order to effect this utilization of the waste heat I arrange in connection with the
regenerator of furnaces constructed according to my invention and ordinary
furnaces a steam boiler preferably tubular and placed vertically.
Ordinarily the waste heat from the regenerator is sufficient for heating the said
boiler, but in order to provide, when necessary .additional heat, I connect the
boiler with the gas generator or producer by means of a tube provided with a
valve, so that gaseous fuel from the producer may when required, be introduced
into and burnt in the boiler for the purpose of supplementing the waste heat
passing from the regenerator to the said boiler. In order to use the boiler when
the furnace is not at work, I place a damper in the main flue to prevent the gas
supplied to the boiler from entering the furnace.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ambrose Beard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th January 1883.
AMBROSE BEARD of Swansea in the County of Glamorgan, Iron Merchant and
Metal Broker "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGENERATIVE FURNACES."
دو
My invention has reference principally to regenerative furnaces used in the
melting of steel and other metallurgical operations but is also applicable to
regenerative furnaces generally.
or
In regenerative furnaces as ordinarily constructed the checquer work
reticulated structure constituting the regenerator is placed beneath the furnace
proper. This arrangement requires the regenerator to be made of great strength
as it carries the weight of the furnace and its contents and the arrangement in
question is attended by other inconveniences as hereinafter explained.
In constructing regenerative furnaces according to my invention I place the
checquer work or reticulated structure constituting the regenerator above the
furnace proper, the said regenerator being carried on girders supported by columns
and enclosed in a casing of light iron or other light casing.
By this method of construction a considerable amount of heavy brick work is
saved and the regenerator is more accessible for cleaning and repairs than when
placed underneath the furnace. By the elevation of the regenerator as described
an inconvenience attending the decarbonization of steel by iron ore in regenerative
furnaces of the ordinary construction is avoided. In the said decarbonizing process
in the ordinary regenerative furnaces, portions of the iron ore employed are carried
by the gaseous current into the checquer work of the regenerator. This iron ore
clogs the said checquer work and fuses the parts of the same together. When
the regenerator is elevated according to my invention the small particles of ore
are not carried by the gaseous current into the regenerator as the said current
being upwards the particles of ore fall before the current reaches the checquer
work.
Another advantage attending the elevation of the regenerator according to my
invention is great economy. In regenerative furnaces as ordinarily constructed
there is great loss of heat from wet or damp foundations, the working of the furnace
being in some cases materially affected thereby. By my invention this inconvenience
is avoided.
In regenerative furnaces constructed according to my invention as well as to
regenerative furnaces of the ordinary kind, the waste heated air passing from the
regenerator is sufficiently hot to be utilized for the generation of steam and in
order to effect this utilization of the waste heat I arrange in connection with the
regenerator of furnaces constructed according to my invention a steam boiler
preferably tubular and placed vertically.
Ordinarily the waste heat from the regenerator is sufficient for heating the said
boiler but in order to provide, when necessary, additional heat I connect the boiler
with the gas generator or producer by means of a tube provided with a valve so
that gaseous fuel from the producer inay when required be introduced, into and
burnt in the boiler for the purpose of supplementing the waste heat passing from
the regenerator to the said boiler. In order to use the boiler when the furnace is
not at work I place a damper in the main flue to prevent the gas supplied to the
boiler from entering the furnace.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in longitudinal vertical
section; Figure 2 in cross section and Figure 3 partly in plan and partly in

page_text: horizontal section, a regenerative furnace for melting steel and for other
metallurgical operations constructed according to my invention, the said furnace
being represented in conjunction with a vertical boiler heated by the waste heat
from the furnace. The left hand portion of the section Figure 1 is taken on the
line G H Figure 2 and the right hand portion of the section Figure 1 is taken on
the line J, L Figure 2 and also on the line K through the waste gas flue. The
cross section Figure 2 is taken on the line E. F Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a vertical section and side elevation and Figure 5 a horizontal
section of a portion of the vertical boiler and waste gas flue of the furnace and gas
tube and Figure 6 represents the waste gas flue and gas tube without the boiler.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the reverberatory furnace in which the steel is melted and the other
metallurgical operations performed. Over the furnace a is the regenerator
consisting of the chambers b, c, d, e opening at bottom into the furnace a. In these
chambers the checquer work or reticulated structure of the ordinary kind is
arranged. This checquer work is not shown in the Drawings. The said regenerator
b, c, de and the flues and appliances connected there with are carried on the girders f,f
supported by the columns g, g the regenerator being enclosed in a casing of light
iron or other light casing h; i is the main gas flue in connection with the gas
generator or producer and ke is the air flue; is the middle waste gas flue in
connection with the vertical tubular boiler m. At the end of the gas flue i where
it enters the regenerator, is a valve p (see Figure 2) in the case q, the said valve
being worked by the hand lever p2. The valve case q opens into the top of the
regenerative chamber b. By means of the said valve 2 the direction of the gas
supplied to the regenerator may be reversed at pleasure The flue / for conveying
air to the chamber c to be heated thereby and to mix with the gas supplied to the
furnace, has a case u and a similar valve 7, 12 (see Figures 1 and 2) for reversing
the direction of the air current and also with a valve 8 for regulating the quantity
of air passing to the regenerator.
The currents of gas and air enter the chambers b and c respectively in the
manner indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 and before entering the furnace a they
meet at t where combustion takes place. The products of combustion pass into the
chambers and e as indicated by the arrows from which they escape into the
middle waste gas flue and from thence pass to the boiler m in which they descend
and heat and finally pass by the flue n to the stack.
The reversing of the currents of gas and air in the regenerator is effected in the
ordinary way.
When the waste heat from the regenerator is not sufficient to heat the boiler m
I supplement the said waste heat from the regenerator by connecting the boiler
directly with the gas flue i from the gas generator or producer. This part of my
invention is best seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the Drawings.
Between the main gas flue i and the middle waste gas flue 7 passing to the
boiler is a small gas tube v opening into the elbow w. The said tube vis furnished
with a throttle valve at any convenient part for opening and closing the said gas
tube and the end of the elbow w is furnished with a regulator x by which the
quantity of air permitted to mix with the incoming gas may be controlled.
Besides supplementing the waste heat from the regenerator the arrangement of
parts last described may be used for supplying a mixture of gas and air to the
boiler when the furnace is not at work.
In the waste gas flue is a damper y (see Figures 1 and 3) for preventing the
gas supplied to the boiler from entering the furnace when the furnace is not at
work.
The improvements described and illustrated may be applied to regenerative
furnaces generally.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the

page_text: same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention of
"Improvements in regenerative furnaces."
<f
First Supporting or building the regenerator and parts connected with it above
the furnace proper for the purposes and substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly-The combination with regenerative furnaces of the kind described and
illustrated, of a steam boiler, preferably vertical, and the devices connected with
the said boiler herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings
whereby the waste heat from the said regenerative furnaces may be conveyed to
and utilized for heating the boiler and when required the waste heat supplemented
by gaseous fuel.
In witness whereof I the said Ambrose Beard have hereunto set my hand
and seal this seventeenth day of January in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness,
ERNEST HARROP
Swansea.
AMBROSE BEARD. (L.S.)