IMPROVEMENTS IN CUPOLA AND BLAST FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL AND THE SMELTING OF METALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Stewart, of Bradford, in the county of York,
Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CUPOLA AND BLAST
FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
AND STEEL AND THE SMELTING OF METALS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Stewart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1883.
ALEXANDER STEWART of Bradford in the County of York, Engineer
" IMPROVE
MENTS IN CUPOLA AND BLAST FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL AND THE SMELTING OF METALS."
"
My invention consists, Firstly in improvements in Cupola and Blast Furnaces
giving a third zone of fusion and arranging the top row of tuyers in such a manner
that the tuyers can be opened and closed by the action of a handle also in an
arrangement of ejector and injector Valve for exhausting hot air from a receiver
and passing the compressed air into the heated metal.
Secondly, the method or means of converting iron into a Homogeneous metal or
Steel so as to secure the most economical results.
To carry out the first part of my invention; I employ tuyers having by preference
an area equal or nearly equal to one third the area of the inside of the lining of
the melting part of a Cupola or Blast Furnace and I employ three zones of fusion
which I term, lower, middle and upper zones; the top row of tuyers I open and
close by means of gear actuated by a handle and to the lower zone of tuyers I give
by preference an area of the area of the melting part; to the middle zone of
tuyers the area of the melting part and to the upper zone of tuyers the area
of the melting part of the Cupola or Blast Furnace, but it is obvious that these
proportions can be modified according to circumstances, specially for large Cupolas
and Blast smelting Furnaces.
To the Cupola or Blast Furnace, I connect a receiver made by preference circular
and of the same diameter as the Cupola or Furnace and of sufficient depth to
contain a fixed quantity of metal or Charge to be dealt with at one operation.

page_text: To the receiver I connect exhaust pipes which are connected to the main air blast
pipe and to the exhaust pipes I connect on either side an air ejector and injector
valve and withdraw the superfluous heat of the receiver from the receiver and mix
the same with the air blast before entering the air chamber formed round the
Cupola or blast furnace by which means I utilize the heat coming from the melted
metal and increase the temperature of air produced by the blowing machine or
blowing Engine without cost.
I sometimes employ Receivers fixed to the Cupola or Furnace and I also employ
portable ones which enables me to employ a receiver to be worked from two
Cupolas or Furnaces and to receive different mixtures of metal and I may also
employ one or more receivers to each Cupola or Furnace so that when a receiver
is filled from a Cupola or Furnace it can be removed and subjected to my refining
process which consists in arranging in connection with the receiver an ejector and
injection valve which I construct of a casing having a barrel made with top and
bottom nozzles; in the barrel is fitted a plug having an opening and the plug is
actuated by a handle to bring the opening of the plug either over the opening of
the top nozzle or over the opening of the bottom one or to close the same. The
ejector and injection valves are.secured to the Stand pipes which are connected to
the main blast pipes and which receive a supply of compressed air coming from a
blower or Blowing Engine and to each valve is secured a pipe which is secured to
the side of the receiver so that I can exhaust the hot air from the receiver by both
pipes or blow in compressed air into the melted iron in some cases on or near the
surface of the melted iron and in other cases below the surface and I can exhaust
hot air at one side and force in compressed air at the other side. Also to enable
my obtaining better results with some metals I employ jets of steam which are
discharged into the stand and blast pipes and I may force in with the air charges
of Chemical oxygen or any other purifying agents. I may also blow the compressed
air through the centre of the metal and employ revolving Receivers which are
driven by gear and at any required speed so as to sufficiently agitate the metal.
In carrying out the second part of my invention and to make steel I connect to
the Receivers separate exhaust and inlet openings and pipes and the exhaust I
connect to a vacuum pump and the inlet pipe to an air compressor and I construct
the Receivers with refractory materials well known to resist high temperature and
which may be composed of Silica, magnesia, Lime, Alumina, Asbestos, and oxide of
iron and I make the tuyers or blast openings of the same materials.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Stewart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1883.
ALEXANDER STEWART of Bradford in the county of York, Engineer " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CUPOLA AND BLAST FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL AND THE SMELTING OF METALS "
This invention consists. Firstly, in improvements in cupola and blast furnaces.
giving a third zone of fusion and arranging the top row of tuyers with cocks in
such a manner that the tuyers can be opened and closed by the action of a handle
also in an arrangement of ejector and injector valve for exhausting hot air from a
receiver and passing the compressed air into the heated metal.
Secondly. In the method or means of converting iron into a homogeneous metal
or steel so as to secure the most economical results; also of smelting lead, silver-
lead, zinc and other ores.
To carry out the first part of my invention I employ tuyers in rows, having by
preference an area equal or nearly equal to one third the area of the inside of the.
lining of the melting part of a cupola or blast furnace and I have three zones of
fusion which I term, lower, middle and upper zones; to the top row of tuyers I-
fix cocks which I open and close by means of gear actuated by a handle and to the.
lower zone of tuyers I give by preference an area of of the area of the melting
part; to the middle zone of tuyers 2 of the area of the melting part and to the.
upper zone of tuyers of the area of the melting part of the cupola or blast
furnace, but it is obvious that these proportions can be modified according to
circumstances specially for large cupolas and blast melting furnaces.
To the cupola or blast furnace I connect a receiver made by preference circular
and of the same diameter as the cupola or furnace and of sufficient depth to contain
a fixed quantity of metal or charge to be dealt with at one operation. To the
receiver I connect pipes which are connected to the main air blast pipe and to these
pipes I connect on either side an air ejector and injector Valve and withdraw the
superfluous heat of the receiver from the receiver and mix the same with the air
blast before entering the air chamber formed round the cupola or blast furnace
by which means I utilize the heat coming from the melted metal and increase the
temperature of air forced by the blowing machine or blowing engine without.
cost.
I employ receivers fixed to the cupola or furnace and I also employ portable
ones which enables me to have a receiver to be worked from two cupolas or furnaces
and to receive different mixtures of metal and I also employ one or more receivers.
to each cupola or furnace so that when a receiver is filled from a cupola or furnace.
it can be removed and subjected to my refining process which consists in arranging.
in connection with the receiver an ejector and ejection valve which I construct of a
casing having a barrel made with top and bottom nozzles; in the barrel is fitted
a plug having an opening and the plug is actuated by a handle to bring the
opening of the plug either over the opening of the top nozzle or over the opening
of the bottom one or to close the same. The ejector and injection valves are.
secured to the stand pipes which are connected to the main blast pipes and which
receive a supply of compressed air coming from a blower or blowing engine and
to each valve is secured a pipe which is secured to the side of the receiver so that
I can exhaust the hot air from the receiver by both pipes or blow compressed air.
into the melted iron, in some cases on or near the surface of the melted iron and
in other cases below the surface, and I can exhaust hot air at one side and force:
in compressed air at the other side.

page_text: Further to enable me to obtain better results with some metals I employ a jet of
steam which is discharged through a nozzle into the stand and blast pipes and I
force in with the air charges of chemical oxygen or other purifying agents. I may
also blow the compressed air through the centre of the metal or round the outside
of the receiver and employ revolving receivers which are driven by gear at any
required speed so as to sufficiently agitate the metal.
In carrying out the second part of my invention and to make steel I connect to
the receivers separate exhaust and inlet openings and pipes and the exhaust I
connect to a vacuum pump and the inlet pipe to an air compressor and I construct
the receivers with refractory materials well known to resist high temperature and
which are composed of silica, magnesia, lime, alumina, asbestos, and oxide of iron
and I make the tuyers or blast openings of the same materials, moulded, pressed
and fired in the ordinary way.
In order to enable my improvements to be fully understood I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
In sheet 1,-Figure 1, represents a sectional elevation of a cupola with rows of
tuyers so arranged so as to give a third zone of fusion and fitted with ejector and
injector valves to pass the compressed air into the receiver with which the cupola
is also fitted. Figure 2, is a front elevation of the receiver and cupola. Figure 3,
is a sectional plan on the line A. B, of figure 1; Figure 4, is a sectional plan on the
line CD of figure 1; Figure 5 is a sectional plan on the line E F of figure 1, and
Figure 6, is a sectional plan on the line G H of figure 1. Figure 7, is a sectional
side elevation of one of the ejector and injector valves. Figure 8 is a sectional
plan and Figure 9, is a side view of the same. In sheet 2, Figure 10 represents a
front elevation of two cupolas connected with a receiver. Figure 11, is a side
view and figure 12, a plan of the same. Figure 13, represents a sectional elevation
of a receiver constructed to blow compressed air into the centre of the melted iron;
Figure 14, represents a sectional elevation of a receiver constructed to blow com-
pressed air on or near the surface of the melted iron. Figure 15, represents a side-
section of one of the valves fitted to the tuyers. Figure 16 is a sectional plan,
Figure 17, a top view and Figure 18 a front view of the same. In sheet 3,
Figure 19 represents a sectional elevation of the receiver I employ in connection
with my improved refining process and Figure 20, side elevation of the same.
Figure 21, represents a sectional side elevation of a cupola fitted with portable
receivers for the purpose of smelting lead and zinc, Figure 22, is a front elevation
and figure 23, a plan of the same. Figure 24, represents a series of cupolas
provided with moveable or travelling receivers and method of fixing rails, and
figure 25 is a plan of the same. Similar letters of reference are used in all the
figures to represent similar parts.
'
I will first describe my invention by reference to Sheet 1 of the drawings.
A, is a cupola or blast furnace having tuyers D E F; with an area by preference
equal or nearly equal to the area of the inside of the lining C, of the melting part of
the cupola and three zones of fusion are employed videlicet, a lower zone of
tuyers D, a middle zone of tuyers E, and an upper zone of tuyers F. The upper
tuyers. F, are fitted with valves G, having plugs H (see figures 15, 16, 17 and 18
sheet 2 which shew the valves G-drawn to an enlarged scale) the spindles I of the
plugs H, are fitted with chain wheels over which work chain bands K, figure 6,
and on the top of one of the spindles of one of the plugs is fitted a handle L,
which when actuated opens or closes by means of the hereinbefore described chain
and chain wheels the valves fitted to the tuyers which regulates the blast to any
required degree. To the cupola or blast furnace is connected the receiver M, made
by preference circular and of the same diameter as the cupola or furnace and of a
sufficient depth to contain a fixed quantity of metal or charge N, to be dealt with
at one operation; to the receiver are connected exhaust pipes O, which are con-
nected to the ejector and injector valves P, Figures 7, 8, 9 drawn to an enlarged
scale. The valves P, are also connected to the stand pipes Q, which are connected
to the main air blast pipe R; the valves P, withdraw the superfluous heat from

page_text: the receiver M, and mix the same with the air blast coming from the main blast
pipe R, before entering the air chamber S, formed round the cupola or blast furnace
by which means the heat coming from the melted metal is utilized to increase the
temperature of the air being forced in by the blowing machine or blowing engine
without cost; the valves P, are each made with a casing T, having a barrel U, and
made with a top nozzle V, and bottom nozzle W; in the barrel U, is fitted a
plug X, having an opening Y, and the plug opening Y, is turned either over the
opening V of the top nozzle or over the opening W, of the bottom nozzle or the
plug may close the openings. The ejector or injector valves P, are secured to
stand pipes which are connected to the main air blast pipe or pipes and which
receive a supply of compressed air from a blower or blowing engine; to each valve
is secured a pipe O, (see Figures 2 and 3 Sheet 1) so that I can exhaust the hot air
from the receiver by both pipes or blow compressed air into the melted iron N,
figure 1 sheet 1, and Z, figure 13, sheet 2, or in some cases on or near the surface
of the melted iron as shewn in figure 14 sheet 2; to sufficiently agitate the metal
I employ a receiver, shewn in sheet 2, made to revolve and fitted on a base
plate A¹, and provided with a worm wheel B¹, which is actuated by a worm C',
worked by a shaft D'; the blast pipe R, is fitted under the base plate A¹, to which
pipe R, is fitted a cock E¹, actuated by a handle F¹, to turn the blast on or off.
I also sometimes blow in compressed air below the surface and exhaust hot air at
one side of the receiver and force in compressed air at the other side.
I also employ receivers revolving on a horizontal axial line as shewn in Figures
19 and 20, sheet 3; the receiver is made by preference with a circular wrought
iron casing G¹, lined with fire bricks or clay H¹; the tuyer I', is below the surface
of the melted metal Z, and the outlet pipe J¹, for the escape of gas is above the
surface. The tuyer pipe K¹, is fitted on one side of the receiver and is passed into
a bearing block L', on which is cast a worm wheel B¹, to slowly rotate the receiver
and agitate the metal; the bearer is fitted with a packing recess in which is fitted
ก packing ring M³, and the blast pipe R, is connected to the tuyer pipe K'; to the
other end of the receiver is secured a circular box N', lined with fire clay O¹, and
the end is closed in by a loose plate P1, also lined with fire clay, both the bearing
block L', and circular box N', work in supports Q¹
To obtain better results with some metals I employ jets of steam which are
discharged into the stand and blast pipes and I may force in with the air, charges
of chemical oxygen or other purifying agents.
Instead of the receivers fixed to the cupolas or furnaces as hereinbefore described
I sometimes employ portable ones by which I am enabled to work the receiver in
connection with two or more cupolas or furnaces and the receiver can receive
different mixtures of metal; also to receive different mixtures of metal I sometimes
employ several receivers so that when a receiver is filled it can be removed and
subjected to my refining process in which I arrange in connection with the receiver
an ejector and injection valve such as that herein before described and referred to
in the drawings; for lead and zinc smelting I employ cupolas made with water
jackets R', Figures 21, 22, and 23, sheet 3; the melting part is lined with fire bricks
or fire clay St, in which are placed or fitted tuyers T', and the cupola is mounted
on foundation plates U³, and supports V¹; I employ travelling receivers M, made
of wrought iron plates W', and lined in the inside in the usual way; in the top of
the receiver is fitted a plug X, to remove the gas and a slag bole Y¹, is made on
the side and a tapping hole Z', at the end.
To run a charge of melted metal into a receiver and to form a joint and prevent
the metal running from the cupola, I secure on one of the sides of the receiver a
hollow box A2, having a water space B³; the outside plate C³, is run against the
outside of the cupola tapping opening D², and a tap is connected to the water space
and secured to an india-rubber or other tube which is secured by a joint to the
bottom water space or jacket R¹, so that when the receiver is run up against the
cupola and the water allowed to run in the water space B2, the metal escaping

page_text: from the tapping opening D³, gets chilled in coming in contact with the cold
surface C, and forms the joint.
The portable or travelling receivers M, worked in connection with two, three or
more cupolas are run on a line of rails E2, figures 24 and 25 sheet 3 and rails fitted
in a room having turn tables may be employed.
To make steel I connect to the herein before described receivers separate exhaust
and inlet openings and pipes and the exhaust I connect to a vacuum pump and the
inlet pipe to an air compresser; the receivers are fitted with refractory materials
well known to resist high temperature and which may be composed of, graphite,
silica, magnesia, lime, alumina, asbestos, and oxide of iron; I may also make the
tuyers and blast openings of the same materials.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect what I claim as new and intend to be protected by
the herein in part recited Letters Patent is:—
Firstly. The construction and employment of cupolas or blast furnaces used in
the manufacture of iron and steel having a third zone of fusion the top row of
tuyers being so arranged and fitted with valves that the tuyers can be opened and
closed when required substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore
set forth and described with reference to sheets 1 and 2, of the annexed drawings,
or any mere modification thereof.
Secondly. The arrangement, construction and employment of the ejector and
injector valves for exhausting hot air from a receiver and passing compressed air
into the heated metal in the manufacture of iron and steel, substantially as
herein before described and represented in sheets 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
Thirdly. The construction and employment of the fixed and of the revolving
receivers and of the removeable receivers having peculiar means of forming the
joints when run up to the cupolas or furnaces; substantially as herein before set
forth and represented in the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly. The method or means of converting iron into a homogeneous metal or
steel substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Stewart have hereunto set my hand
and seal this eighth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three
ALEXANDER STEWART (TC)