IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BLAST FURNACES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BLAST FURNACES."-A communication
from abroad by Eugene Alexandre Frederic Goguel, of Audincourt,
France.
Sealed the 30th December 1862, and dated the 1st July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition; on the 1st July 1862.
"I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BLAST FURNACES," (communicated
to me from abroad by Eugene Alexandre Frederic Goguel, of Audincourt,
France,) to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to enable the lower portions of blast
furnaces, and those subjected to most wear, to be removed when necessary,
and replaced by similar and duplicate portions, without materially interfering
with or stopping the working of such furnaces.
The Invention consists, first, in the construction of blast furnaces in two
parts, one part being fixed and the other movable, as hereafter described.
Second, in the employment of a trough extending round the furnace in the
thickness of the wall thereof, for containing water, air, or other cooling agent,
as hereafter described, in order to prevent any adhesion of the parts at the
points of junction.
And, third, in the employment of sight holes in the lower part of the

page_text: boshes and side of the crucible, whereby the state of wear of those parts may
be viewed in order to ascertain when they should be renewed.
The upper or fixed portion of the furnace, including the upper portion
of the boshes and upwards, is built of fire-brick, and rests on metal
blocks extending round the furnace; the upper flange of a double-flanged
plate rests on the top metal blocks just named, while the lower flange
supports the metal water or air trough; this trough forms the lowest part
of the fixed portion of the furnace. Apertures are formed through the lining,
and the double-flanged plate before mentioned, and walls of the furnace for
the reception of bars of metal, which may be hollow or solid, and which are
inserted through these apertures, and meet in the centre, for supporting the
contents of the upper part of the furnace when the lower portion is removed.
The lower and movable portion of the furnace from the lower part of the
boshes downward is encased in a metal jacket, and is supported at bottom on
a stout metal platform with flanged edges, and this platform is supported upon
axles carrying flanged wheels, which are made to run on rails below when a
shift is required. Sight holes, before named, and tuyeres are formed in the
thickness of the walls of the lower portion of the furnace. A conical space
is left all round between the water trough and the top of the movable portion,
and this is filled with refractory sand.
To remove the movable from the fixed portion of the furnace, when wear
in the lower parts renders this desirable, the bars are inserted through the
apertures before described, for the purpose of supporting the contents of the
upper part of the furnace, and prior to their insertion the temperature should
be reduced at the points of insertion, which may be effected by injecting cold
air or water. This done, all the furnace below the trough is lowered until
the wheels rest on the rails; it is then run away, and a second and similar
portion of a furnace ready charged and heated is rolled in to take its place;
it is raised into the place of that removed, the bars are withdrawn, and the
working proceeds as before,
"

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 CONSTRUCTION OF BLAST FURNACES," (communicated to
me from abroad by Eugene Alexandre Frederic Goguel, of Andincourt,
France,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu
larly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
,
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to enable the lower portions of blast furnaces,
and those subjected to most wear, to be removed when necessary, and replaced.
by similar and duplicate portions, without materially interfering with or
stopping the working of such furnaces.
The Invention consists, first, in the construction of blast furnaces in two
parts, one part being fixed and the other movable, as hereafter described.
Second, in the employment of a trough extending round the furnace in the
thickness of the wall thereof, for containing water, air, or other cooling agent,
as hereafter described, in order to prevent any adhesion of the parts at the
points of junction.
.
"
And, third, in the employment of sight holes in the lower part of the
boshes and side of the crucible, whereby the state of wear of those parts may
be viewed in order to ascertain when they should be renewed.
The upper or fixed portion of the furnace, including the upper portion of

page_text: the boshes and upwards, is built of fire-brick, and rests on metal blocks
extending round the furnace; the upper flange of a double-flanged plate rests
on the top metal blocks just named, while the lower flange supports the
water, metal, or air trough. This brough forms the lowest part of the fixed
portion of the furnace. Apertures are formed through the lining, and the
double-flanged plate before mentioned, and walls of the furnace, for the
reception of bars of metal, which may be hollow or solid, and which. are
inserted through these apertures and meet in the centre for supporting the:
contents of the upper part of the furnace when the lower portion is removed.
The lower and movable portion of the furnace, from the lower part of the.
boshes downwards, is encased in a metal jacket, and is supported at bottom
on a stout metal platform with flanged edges, and this platform is supported
upon axles carrying flanged wheels, which are made to run on rails below:
when a shift is required. Sight holes, before named, and tuyeres are formed
in the thickness of the walls of the lower portion of the furnace. A conical
space is left all round between the water trough and the top of the movable.
portion, and this is filled with refractory sand.
The accompanying Drawing is a vertical section of a blast furnace con:
structed according to this Invention. A is the upper or fixed portion of the-
furnace, made of refractory materials as in ordinary blast furnaces; B, B¹; are
metal blocks of a shape corresponding with that of the furnace in horizontal
section, on which the fixed portion A rests; C is a plate with two flanges m, n,.
the external flange n of which rests on the block B; D is the circular trough,
made of sheet, iron or other material, and in one or several parts, through
which water or air circulates to keep down the temperature; the trough also
prevents the movable portion of the furnace sticking and adhering to the fixed
portion. E is the trunk of the cone, made of refactory material, and forming
the lower part of the fixed portion of the interior of the furnace; F, F, are
apertures in the plate C and trunk of the cone E, through which solid or
hollow metal bars G, G, are inserted into the combustible or mineral material
inside to support that portion above then when the lower or movable part is
removed; H is a metal jacket surrounding, and I, is a flanged metal bed
plate supporting the lower and movable part of the furnace. This bed plate
is set on two axles K, K, one only, of which is, seen, carrying strong metal
wheels L; M, M, are rails on which the wheels and that which they support
travel; N, O, are sight holes for observing the state of the temperature and
interior of the furnace. The depth of these sight holes may be varied; they
will be found of great use. By looking into them, it is easy to ascertain
whether the temperature is uniform throughout the refractory lining. Should

page_text: the heat appear greater at one point than at another, compressed air, steam,
or water may be injected to establish uniformity of temperature, an indis-
pensable condition to the proper and efficient working of the furnace. P
shews a portion of the external masonry; T, T, are the tuyeres; Z is a
conical space filled with refractory sand after the movable portion H has been
wedged up.
To remove the movable from the fixed portion of the furnace, when wear in
the lower parts renders this desirable, the bars G, G, are inserted through the
apertures F, F, before described, for the purpose of supporting the contents of
the upper part of the furnace, and prior to their insertion the temperature
should be reduced at the points of insertion, which may be effected by injecting
cold air or water. This done, all the furnace below the trough D is lowered
until the wheels L rest on the rails M; it is then run away, and a second and
similar portion of a furnace ready charged and heated is rolled in to take its
place; it is raised into the place of that removed, the bars are withdrawn, and
the working proceeds as before.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the "Improve-
ments in the Construction of Blast Furnaces,-
First, the construction of blast furnaces in two parts, one part being fixed
and the other movable, substantially as herein-before described.
Second, the employment of a trough extending round the furnace in the
thickness of the wall thereof, for containing water, air, or other cooling agent,
substantially in manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Third, the employment of sight holes in manner and for the purposes
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)