US170A - Improvement in concentrating-furnaces for smelting iron ores by the use of anthracite - Google Patents

Description

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PATENT rricE.

GEO. E. SELLERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONCENTRATING-FURNACES FOR SIVIELTING IRON ORES BY THE USE 0F ANTHRACITE COAL IN WHICH OTHER KINDS OF FUEL CAN BE USED'.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. E70, dated April 20, 1837.

To LZZ whom it nfl/ty concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE EscoL SELLERS, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Concentrating-Furnace for the Smelting of Iron Ores by the Use of Anthracite Coal, and in which coke or any of the other kinds of fuel applicable to the purpose of smelting may be advantageously employed; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the drawing which accompanies and makes a part of this specication.

To show the arrangement of the interior of the furnace averti cal and longitudinal section of it is given in the drawing.

A is the main furnace for the reception of coal, which is to be supplied to it by'means of the feeder B or any analogous contrivance.

-This feeder resembles a ratchet-wheel in its transverse section. As shown in the drawing, it is placed and revolves within a curved casing under the hopper @,which is to be kept filled with coal. The outer points of Bshould be made to lit as closely as practicable to the cylindrical casing D D to prevent the escape of the heated air within the furnace. 'Beside this, there are other kinds of feeders well known to machinists,which will answer the purpose equally well.

E is the tuyere through which the blast is to be supplied. The dotted line F shows'the situation of the door for drawing off the slag; and I intend in general to use two doors directly opposite to each other, which, when opened', will allow the slag to be forced from the opera-tor, enabling him to discharge it in a ready manner. These doors must' be constructed of that kind of red' sandstone which is well known to iron-masters as best adapted to such purposes, or of some other good fireproof material.

G is the chamber which is to receive the ore intended to be smelted, and is supplied by means of a feeder at I-I, which may be like that employed over the main furnace.

I is the main flue or chimney by which the products of combustion are discharged into The melted metal flows from the smelting-ehamber into the receiving-bed J, the dotted lines K showing the door for the purpose of lading it out or for removing it in the form of loups or balls, according to circumstances. There may also be a tamphole at or near the bottom ofthe bed J for drawing 0H the metal when it is to be cast into pigs or otherwise. A suitable opening is also to be made for removing the slag of the ore.

L is a small ue through which the dame and heated air will rush and heat the ore preparatory to its being completely melted at the lower part, M, of the chamber G. This flue determines also vthe height to which the coal in the main furnace A shall be ignited, by which it is prepared to supply the vacancy made by the blast or by the clearing out of the slag or cinder by the door F. Any intervruption of the process from these causes is thus obviated.

Theflue N,Idenominate thel concentratingflue,77 and through this the main part of the blast from the tuyere will pass. It must rise at such an angle as to produce at the point M the full degree of heat required for the complete fusion of the ore. This is a point which must be left to judgment and experience, as it will vary with the force of the blast, the quality of the fuel, and the kind of ore to be smelted. It may be found best in some cases to cause the concentrating-flue towiden as it approaches the point M, while in others it may be diminished there so as to have a comparatively narrow aperture. The length of this flue, or, in other words, the distance between the main furnace A and the point M, it will undoubtedly be found best to vary from the same varying circumstances. From this cause I do not pretend to give any precise measurement or scale of parts, but have so proportioned the draW- ing as to furnish what I esteem a good general relative form, proportion, and arrangement. I intend sometimes to construct my furnace with out the main flue or chimney I, in which case the chamberG will perform its office, there being no feeder upon it, but the ore being thrownin at its opentop, or should itbe found advantageous, to raise this through an opening in the side of it. I also intend,in some cases,

to construct aflue or dues, J J J, leading from the upper part of the chamber G into the chimney I, for the purpose of allowing the heated air to escape into the chimney at such height as experience may show to be best for completing the carbonization of the iron in G.

' In all the flues mentioned I of course employ such dampers as may be deemed necessary for their regulation.

It is not necessary to sayanything upon thev subject of the mixture to'be used with4 the ores for the purpose of iiuxing them, as there is not anything different from the usual procedure in this respect when my furnace is employed; but as the carbonization of the iron is a matter of vital importance in the process of smelting, I will here observe that the extent to which the carbonization .is to be carried will determine the proportionate quantity of anthracitecoal dust or ofthe dust of charcoal or coke, which must be mixed with the ore in the receiver. When, for example, soft pig metal is to be produced, the quantity mixed must be proportionately large; but when bariron is to be made, the quantity must be proportionably less, such quantity only being used as may be requisite for the separation of the scoria or cinder. Upon this point it is not possible to speak otherwise than Ain general terms, as with every different kind of ore experience will show that the dose must be varied in order to produce the best results.

Having thus fully described the manner in which I construct my furnace, I do hereby declare that I do not intend to claim any of the parts so described in their individual characters. There is nothing new, for example, in the mode of feeding adopted by me, or in the principle of passing the blast through a stack containing fuel only and causing the flame and heated air therefrom to entera second chamber containing the ore to be smelted, this having been previously proposed and essayed; but

Vhat I do claim is- I. That particular arrangement of the respective parts of the within-described furnace by which it may be distinguished. from all those that have preceded it, intending by this particular arrangement the manner of connecting the main furnace for fuel With that containing the ore to be reduced by a concentratingflue within which is contained, areceiving-bed for the reduced metalconstructed and operating in the manner herein set forth, combining the same with the smaller iiue, (marked L in the drawing,) for the purpose herein fully shown.

2. The provision for removing the slag from under the fuel in the main furnaceA by means of one or two openings constructed for that purpose, upon the principle or in the manner described.

And I do further declare that I do not intend to limit myself by anything which I have herein said, or by the arrangement exhibited in the drawing, to any peculiar shape or proportion of the respective parts, but to vary these as may be found convenient in practice, while 1 attain the end proposed by means substuntially the same.

GEO. ESCOL SELLERS.

Witnesses:

CHAs. SELLnRs, Ronr. KEMP, Jr.

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