IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR PUDDLING AND BEHEATING IRON
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Sutherland, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES FOR PUDDLING AND BEHEATING IRON."
Sealed the 8th November 1872, and dated the 11th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Sutherland at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th May 1872.
I, JAMES SUTHERLAND, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES FOR PUDDLING AND REHEATING IRON," to be as follows,
that is to say:—
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and con-
struction of those classes of furnaces for puddling and reheating iron
wherein the waste heat of the products of combustion is employed for
heating the air and gas used in producing heat in the said furnaces,
and it consists in constructing the said furnaces with a series of
horizontal passages at the end where the products of combustion pass

page_text: off, these being alternated with other series or sets of horizontal
passages. Through one or more series or sets of these passages the
waste products of combustion pass on their way to the chimney, and
give up their heat to the material constituting the sides, top, and
bottom of the passages, from which it is radiated off to the gas and
air passing on their opposite sides through the flues of the other passages
alternating therewith.
In order to keep the bottom or hearth of the furnace cool, the air
used in effecting the combustion of the gas is first passed under it,
from which it escapes into the air flues herein-before referred to. The
heated air and gas flues ultimately meeting at the bridge over which
they pass when escaping into the reverberatory chamber. The flat
surfaces of the flues are made of slabs which are with facility removed
when repairs are necessary.
SPECIFICATION: in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Jamės Sutherland in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SUTHERLAND, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
J
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the 85th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Sutherland, Her special license
that I, the said James Sutherland, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Sutherland, my executors,
administrators, or 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 FURNACES FOR PUDDLING AND REHEATING IRON," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Sutherland, by an instrument

page_text: 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Sutherland, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:
My said Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and
construction of those classes of furnaces for puddling and reheating iron
wherein the waste heat of the products of combustion is employed for
heating the air and gas burned in the said furnaces, and it consists in
constructing the said furnaces with a series of horizontal passages at the
part where the products of combustion pass off, these being alternated
with other series or sets of horizontal passages. Through one or more
series or sets of these passages the waste products of combustion pass
on their way to the chimney, and give up their heat to the material con-
stituting the sides, top, and bottom of the passages, from which it is
radiated off to the gas and air passing on their opposite sides through
the other flues or passages alternating therewith.
In order to keep the bottom or hearth of the furnace cool, the air
used in effecting the combustion of the gas may be first passed under it,
and from which it may escape into the air passages or flues herein-before
referred to. The heated air and gas passages or flues ultimately meet
at the bridge, over which they pass when escaping into the reverberatory
chamber of the furnace. The flat surfaces of the passages or flues are
preferably made of slabs of fire-clay, which are with facility removed
when repairs are necessary.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :—
On Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto appended the improvements
which constitute this Invention are, as constructed under one modifica-
tion, shewn applied to a puddling furnace.

page_text: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the furnace on the line a, a,
Figure 2, which is a horizontal section thereof on the line b, b, Figure 1,
whilst Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections respectively of the same,
on the lines x, x, and 2, 2, Figure 1.
As shown by these Figures the furnace is constructed with a series
of horizontal passages A at the end where the products of combustion
pass off, which are connected by means of openings B so as to form one
continuous passage finally leading downwards and underneath the re-
verberatory chamber C, and thence upwards over the bridges c into the
reverberatory chamber itself at the opposite end of the furnace, as
shewn more particularly at Figure 1 of the Drawings. Situated on
each side of the horizontal passages A are a set or series of horizontal
passages D similarly connected by means of openings E so as to form a
continuous passage, and through which the waste products of com-
bustion pass on their way to the chimney. An air chamber F extends
nearly round the series or sets of horizontal passages A. and D, and
communicates by means of openings G, more particularly seen at
Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 1, situated at the rear end of the furnace with
one end of a horizontal passage H. The horizontal passage H extends
directly below the series or sets of horizontal passages A, and branches
off into two passages situated at the front end of the furnace which
lead upwards into the reverberatory chamber C, as shewn in the
Drawings.
1
In order to keep the bottom or hearth d of the furnace cool it is
constructed with a chamber e beneath it, which has free communication
with the atmosphere at both sides of the furnace. The bridges c are
also made hollow, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, and through the
spaces so formed a current of air is continuously passed. The air used
in effecting the combustion of the gas is conducted from the chamber e,
below the bottom or hearth d of the furnace, through openings f
(shewn in dotted lines at Figure 2, Sheet 1.), into the air chamber F,
and therein passes round both sides of the furnace in the direction
shown by the arrows, after which it is conducted through the openings G
into the horizontal passage H, which conducts it to the front end of
the furnace, when it escapes through the openings H and over the
bridge c into the reverberatory chamber C. The gas enters at the rear
end of the furnace and traverses the series or sets of horizontal passages A
in the direction shewn by the arrows, and is finally conducted to the

page_text: front end of the furnace, where it escapes through the opening A and over
the bridge c into the reverberatory chamber C and mixes with the air,
and is ignited, the waste products of combustion escaping: through the
series or sets of horizontal passages D in the direction shewn by the
arrows on their way to. the chimney. In passing through the series
or sets of passages D the waste products of combustion give up their
heat to the material constituting the sides, top, and bottom of the
passages D, from which the heat is radiated off to the gas and air
passing on the opposite sides of these passages through the other flues
or passages A, F, and H, alternating therewith, the gas and air
thereby entering the reverberatory chamber 0 in a highly heated
condition.
On Sheet 2 of the Drawings hereunto appended is shewn another
modification of my improved furnace for puddling iron. Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section on the line z, z, Figure 2, which is a horizontal
section thereof - on the line y, y, Figure 1, whilst Figure 3 is a transverso
section of the same on the line z, z, Figure 1. Under this arrangement
the regenerating part of the furnace is divided by a partition wall A,
extending through the centre. thereof, as shown at Figures 2 and 3,
Sheet 2 of the Drawings. On one side of the partition wall A is a series
of double horizontal passages B and B' respectively, whilst on the other
side is a series of similar horizontal passages O and O' respectively,
through which the gas and air and the waste products of combustion
alternately pass on their way to and from the reverberatory chamber E.
The horizontal passages B, B³, C, and C³, are connected by means of
the respective openings D and D³, so as to form continuous passages
or flues finally leading over the bridge a into the reverberatory
chamber E. The gas and air is admitted through valves F and F
into the passages or flues B and B' through which they pass, in the
"direction shewn by the arrows until arriving at the bridge a, when tho
heated air and gas become mixed and are ignited, the waste products
of combustion passing off in the direction shewn by the arrows, through
the other sets or series of passages or flues O and O' which become
heated thereby. When the heat thus imparted is absorbed by the air
and gas from the set of flues or passages B and B', the valves F and F¹
are then reversed, and the gas and air is admitted through the heated
passages, O and C, the waste products of combustion then pass off
through the passages B and B', the heat thereby imparted to which is

page_text: given off to the gas and air on these being again directed through
the said passages by again reversing the valves F and F¹, this arrange-
ment being based on the well known system of regenerators alternately
heated and cooled.
It is to be here understood that the arrangement of flues or passages
illustrated in conjunction with the puddling furnaces shewn on Sheets 1
and 2 of the Drawings, may with equal facility be adapted to furnaces
for reheating or balling iron. It is further to be understood that I
do not confine myself to any number of such passages or flues for
heating the air or gas, as any required number thereof may be 1
adopted.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner of carrying out the
same in practice, I observe in conclusion that what I consider to be
novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me 1
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved:
arrangement or construction of regenerators herein-before described and
shewn on the two annexed Sheets of Drawings as adapted or applied to
furnaces used for puddling or reheating iron...
f
In witness whereof, I, the said James Sutherland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.