US282266A - Ieok and steel dibectly - Google Patents

Description

` (No Model.) l 4Sheets-Sheet 1. H. C. BULL.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL DIRECTLY FROM THB ORE. No. 282,266. Patented Jly 31. 1883.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. C. BULL. APPARATUS PoR MANUFACTURING TRON AUDV STEEL UIREUTLY PROM TEEORE.

No. 282,266. l Patented July 31. 188s.

V V V 1f AVI V V 1T A y PH H il H 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3:

(No Model.) A

H. C. BULL. APPARATUS PUB. MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEBLVDIRBTLY PRoM THB ORB.

Patented July 31. 1883.

Eli

I jmvenof. @W7 C 'uf y 4 Sheets-Sheet; 4.

(No Model.)

H. C. BULL.

. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL DIREUTLY FROM THE ORE.

Patented July 31. 1883.

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' v UNITED. STATES PATENT", OFFICE.- V

HENRY OLAY BULL, OE LIVERPOOL, OOIINTY OEfI-IANOAs-TER, ENGLAND,

SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS Fon MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL DlREc-ILY FROM THE OEE.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,268, dated Julyl 31, 1883.

I' Application filed November 20, (Nojnqdel.) Patentedjn England April 13, 1882, No. 1,763; in France May 20, 1882; in Belgium May 22. 1882; in Germany May 30, 1882, No. 22,984, and in Austria September 9. 1882, No. 18,684. g

.lo all whom ,it may concern: v

" I, Be it known that I, HENRY CLAY BULL, a citizen of the United States, but 4at present residing at the city of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, in that part of the United Kingdom of Greatl Britain and Ireland called England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus to be Used in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel directly from the Ore', (for which I have obtained a patent 'in Great Britain, No. 1,763, bearing date 'April 13, 1882; also in France on May 20, 1882; in `Belgium on- May 22,1882; in Austria application for patent forfourteen years, patented May 30, 1882; in Germany application for patent dated May 30, 1882;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a description of Iny invention in such ffull, clear, and .distinct language as to enable any one skilled in the art to which it belongs to put the same into practice, reference being had to the sheets of drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, like letl cessory appliances constructed and arranged according tomy invention. Fig. 2 is'an end elevation of thevalves and conduits and heating-stoves -shown at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a secl tional elevation, .showing the internal con- Y struction of the heating-stove. Fig. 4 is an end view of the gas-producers and their'accessory parts.

tion through X X, Fig. 1.V Fig. 6' is a plan view.

' My inventionconsists' of'certainnew and useful improvements in apparatus to be-used in the' manufacture of viron and steel directly ,from the ore, the Ipoints of novelty in said appaiatus being designated by the-claims concluding. this specification.

p According to my Invention I construct the blast-furnace A as shown inthe drawings, the

'upper part of the furnace being built of ordi.-

f ters and figures beingused to denote the same* Fig'. 5 is aplan taken in sec-4 nary-iire-brick within a common brick lining surrounded by'a casing, A', having a bottomI plate-A?, held by brackets, as shown in dottedV lines, there being spaces left lbetween the fnebrick and the common brick, or equivalent' substance, and between the common brick and the'casing, the whole structure being supporthearth and crucible portion C from the superposed weight'of the upper portion.

I construct the hearth and refractory lining .forming the crucible C thus: Between the casing C', which forms the outer shell, and an inr, terionmetal Inold ofthe shape ofthe crucible O, I'rm'a concrete compenser-0I freshly.-4

burned lime, or any substance possessing the same properties, with about ten per cent.'of

silica sand, mixed with tar, Oil, or other substance which will evaporate from the concrete and escape through openings or interstices in the outer casing, C', ,without ,permitting the lining to shrink or crack. This lining C is subjected to an intense heat sufficient to melt out the inner 'meta-l mold. This operati-on' bakes the lining into a very solid `substance before the furnace A` is put into blast. The air-tuyere D,'and the gas-tuyeres EE, andthe tapping-opening F are formed in the hearth in the manner usual to blast-furnaces. This method of relieving the refractory lining C from the weight of the upper portion of the furnace A enables me to use the above-described s'ubstance for the lining of the Crucible and hearth of the furnace. This orsimilar substance, although capable of standing the most .intense heat, will support verylittle weight. By my construction, through the furnace A being supported independently of the x Incopverting ordinary blast-furnaces to asv similare tb those f inyinvention it' is only 'necessary to alter the hearth -C and support portion of the furnace A as just described.

' In the further carrying out of my inventionl I erecta chamber, .G,. forming a calciningoven, linedl with fire brick or equivalent sub- .stance directly over the charging-opening-H of the blast-furnace which opening'I-I may jackets, (not shown in the drawings) to pro# ing-oven G is openat the top for feeding the I vbe fitted with a bell, hand cup h', as shown. The bell h and cup h are supplied with water,

tect them from the heat. The lower portion y of the calcining-oven G is provided with openingsg, for the admission of atmospheric air,

and during theloperation oil calcining the bell Yis slightly opened, so, as `to admit suincient wastelgas from -theifurnace A tocause, in combination with the atmospheric 'airl vadmitted through -the opening g, a combustion just above thebell h and the cup h. The calciucharge and for the escape lof -the aqueous va'- i pors givenoi fromthe charge while calcining.

By this means the' ore and `linx are delivered into the furnace Ain a dry and highly-heated state without additionallabor and cost of fuel. and therefore the waste gases-l-given off from the furnace A a're comparatively free from ducing anfintense heat by their combustion in the air-heating stoves. The eect of calcining and drying the o're previous to its entering into the furnace A is to' remove the zone-of preparation'fr'oni thefur ceA.a1 1d tov raise the zonel of production very high in the furnaeeA, thus considerably increasing the quantity of metal v'given time. 4 v y In the further carrying out'of my invention I reverse the usual construction and working 1 lofthe-nair-stoves J-namely, instead' of forming the combustion-chamber at the bottom of lthe' Lvstove J, as done inthe' Whitwell and Cooper fstove, I form the combustion-chamber K`(s'ee Fig. 3) atrtheltop ofv the'stove-J. 4By

.this'means the brick-work of the combustionchamber K and the bricks used to absorb the y heat are "relieved lfrom the weight of the main brick-work of the stove J. The intense heat which Irequire renders the brick-work of the .combustion-chamber K very weak, and if such -heat'wereused at the bottom of the column of brick-work the brick-work would crushin;

but by my arrangement thisdiiculty is overcome, and that portion of the stove J which is subjected to an intense heat has to support' dustbox very little weight; The waste gases from the Y -v blast-furnac'eAare thus led to the combustionchamber. K of the 'stove J --namelyLthrough passages into the conduit L', which is provided with a reliefchimney, L', for surplus gases, and a valve, Iwhich gives communication to the aqueous vapor, and are'thus capable of `pro-- produced'froma furnace in a' and from thence to the vcombus, iden-'chambers Kof the heating-stoves J, 'through the conduit M and valves M. -Air air mainjOa, .the valves y I from thence through the valves Os into the;V

the stove J through the safetyvalve Nat the top of the stove J, for the purpose of supporting the combustion of the said waste gasesin the com! bustion-chamber K. The flames resulting from this combustion pass downward through the stove J, which is niilled with brick-work, and i J. The air passes up through the heated brick-work in the stove, and passes therefrom is admitted into the combustion-chamber K of is also closed i in'a lheated state through the valve 02 into the main' O3. `,The heated 'air is led (from the main Oto the hearth C -of thefurnace A through the tuyere D. The supply can be throttled at the tuyere by a valve, as shown.`

By preference four of the hot-air stoves J are used, three of which are constantly under the 'process of heating, while one is giving up the stored heat 'to the air passing up through it.

In iheu'rther carrying out of my'invention f Ijconstruct the gas-producers thus: Each gas- Y producer, ofv which there may be a group of n eight, consists of two chambers, P P, suitably lined with brick-work. The chamber P is filled with` coal, coke, or other carbonaceous material, which' is ignited and lbrought `to an inf tense heat by a blast of hot air from the hot- 4 into the hot-air conduit O5, and

nd delivered by branches through chambers4 'P. Each chamber P provided-f with alcupand bell, Q, for renewingrthe 5.

charge'of carbonaceous` material, and with' a metal box, R, at thebotto'm, provided' with tumbling door for withdrawing the cinder bringing it down in aliquid state. The sec- Ywhich 'collects in the said box, the hot air ond chamber, P', of the gas-producer is filledA with fire-brick orJ equivalent substance, and is.

provided with a combustion-chamber, P2,- the same as inl the air-heating stoves, at its top. i

top through .the pipe P?, I communicates at the bottom through thevalve Pito the main Pfand thenceto the'tuyere The two chambers, P P', communicate at the rIhe chamber P' ,Thejchamber P communicates atthe bottomth'rough a valve, P5, with the main P6, toa chimney or equivalentoutlet.

S is a steam-main, which supplies steam from.

'leef-iisg 'A a steam-generator throughthe valves Sto the bottom of thechambers P. p y i T is a safety-valve, through whichair is lmitted into the combustion-chamber P2, as-

sist combustion therein. l

The-operation of the gas-producer is as 'iolf lowszThe'- carbona'ceous material in the chamv I hot-air supply to the chamber P 3o becomes carbonio` oxide,

withhotair. I g tensely-hot gas isniaintained through the berP `being ignited, the hot airtpasses. up

through Asuch 'carbonaceous material in the chamber P, imparts to it a white incandescence,

and the gasespgiven off are led through. the 5 pipe P3 into the combustion-chamber P2 of the chamber P, and ai-r is admitted,A through the safety-valveT into the chamber P2, where combustion takes place, and the heat therefrom,

passing down through t-hebrickwork filling of d io the chamber P', brings Sucli brick-work to an in- `tenseheat, the gases eventually passing through'- "the valve l?3 and theinain P, from whence they Y are led away... Vhen, the brick-work in the chamber P has become sufficiently heated,th/e is'shut 0E by and theescape from the isalso shutoff by Iclosing the valve The safety-`valve T vis also closed, and

closing fthe valve O, chamber P P5.

` steam underpressure is then admitted 'through co the valves into the bottom of the chamber P',

andsuch steam, passing up through 4theintensely-'heated brick-wo1k,becomes highly superheated',*and in tha-t condition enters' the chamber P, 'and,passin g downthroughthe in 25 candescent carbonaceous material'therein, re-

sults in the generation of a gas composed chiefly. -of hydrogen and carbonio acid, and in. passing throughthe incandescent carbon the carbonio acid takes up another equivalent of carbon and driven by the direct steam-pressure through the valve Pt, which is'opened into the gasmain 'P7, and fromthence.through.,the tuyere E to' the crucibleC of the blastfurnaceAfwhere it 55 arrives in a highly-heated state, owing tothe f fact :that the steam has been `intensely superheated in the chamber P, and also 'tothe in; candescent carbon in the chamber P being at an intense heat, lthrough its havingbeen blown Thus a' A constant stream' of intuyeres E and mingles'withthe'hot-air supply from the tuyere D, thus supporting combustion, a'constant stream o'fhot gas being maintained'and driven intothe crucible C Without the intervention of. forcing appliances. .Y Any suitable Iumber ofgas-producers thus `described maybe used,` one or more of which is always beingg-evivedby generationlof'heat,

5o while the'gas from the others is being used in' the blast-furnace A.

Thefollowing isa description in detail `of the construction of the various parts.

The hot-airstoves, valves, and conduits-The 4stoves are built with4 a fire-.brick or equivalent lining, surrounded by'a common or equivalent brick casing within a metal cfasing, spacesA be'-N .'in'gleft' between the lining 'and the` common v .brick and the metal casing., The linings are io supportedv by a perforated metal grid, U, upon whichthe interspaced brickwork which fills 'the stove is built. The valves at the top-of the stoves .are opened' and closed by a screw .and-worm gear, V. All the conduits and valve- 5'\casings usedvj'to 'convey heated' air from the stoves to theblast-furnaceA and to the gaswhich gas 'is then producers P are lined with iloirconducting materials, as shown in the drawings, and the valve-seats,- where requisite, are water-lined- The qasjroduem-S, valves, and c0nduz'ts.-The chambers P are .constructed with'a filling of fire-brick or equivalent material, surround` or e'quii-'alent casing ed by acommon brick anda metal casing,'spaccs being left between f. the lining and the common brick `and between the common brick and-the'metal casing. The chamber P is provided with a metal grid, TV,

at the bottom, which is. used to support the loose bricklworkwith which thechamber is filled. The dconduits and valveslwhich convey the gas fromthe producers tothe blast-furnace are lined with non-conducting materials, i

as shown lin the drawings.

In Working the direct process according to`,V

my invention the charge in the furnace A is maintained at different Vheights to produce different amounts of carbon in the metal. The carbon in the metal is derived from the carbonic .oxide in the gas, which is ascending from the hearth Cthrough the ore in the furnace A, reducing'the ore to a metallic state and impregnating the metal with carbon. To.

produce metal with different percentages of f carbon, inbrder to makethe various grades of f to vary the height ficient heatis maintained in .the 4hearth Q of i the ,furnace-A to keep metalin Va fluid state when it iscomparatively free-from carbon, so.- that in that state it can be withdrawnfrom y the furnace A and cast into ingots.4

The operation of y my process of manufacturing iron or steel is aspfollows: The furnace A is put to work, as an ordinary blast-furnace,

with coal, coke, or charcoal, hotair beingA blown in throughtheair-tuyere -D, which in j l this case is preferably in rear of the furnace. -Ylhen all Vis working correctly, gas in a highlyheatedstate, made as before. described, is forced -into the furnace, preferably from two tuyeres, E

E, o n opposite sides of the furnace A, and the coal, coke, or charcoal -is gradually removed L until the class of metal produced is of the qual,l ity required. When it is required to produce metals' very low in carbon, suitable for bilerplates and like purposes, all ofthe coal, coke, or charcoal is removed, and then the height of the charge is lowered inthe furnace A until the" metal produced is of the 4quality desired. VBy removing the coal, coke, yor charcoal from nthe blast-furnaceA it is relieved from the zone ofI gasification, and thus prevents the great reduction in temperature which ltakes place in an ordinary blast-furnace. When the carbonio facid'producedfby the combustion-.of the fuel s else isreconvert-ed int-o carbonio oxide by contact with the incandescent coal, coke, or charcoal in the furnaceusing the gas and air -in the" 'beforeldescrbed highly-heated state reduces the quantity of air required to'be forced into the furnace A in order to maintain the neces` sary temperature, reducing; the volume of nitrogen to a minimum. f l v 'Having now described myj improved process, as a wlrole,of manufacturing iron and steel directly from the ore, and also the entire apparatus employed by me ini the practice ot' said process, I claim as my invention the following features of novelty in said process and apparatus: i 1,. Inan apparatus to be used in theabovedescribed process of manuiacturing iron and steel directly fro'm the ore, the combination of a2 blast-furnace, A, with a caleining-oven, G, lia-ving bell. l1, provided with means for admitting` gas and air, said oven being` placed directlyion top of the blast-furnace, and heated partlyY by the combustion in said furnace and partly by the combustion in said oven, supported by the u'nion of atmospheric air with the Waste gases generated ini said furnace, substantially as described. t

2. In an apparatus -to be used in the abovedescribed process of manufacturing iron and steel directly from the ore, the combination of aI blast-furnace, A, calcining-oven G, provided `with air-inlets g g, and a bell, J1, aroun'dwyhich top of said blast-furnace, substantially as described, for the purpose speeiiied, I

3. In an apparatus to be used in thev abovedescribed process of manufacturing iron and 1 1 and calcining-oif'en G, provided with means for admitting gas and air, in combination with liotf air stoves J, in which a portion of .the dry Waste gases from the saidffurnace is united v with atmospheric air tand ignited, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specied. -45

l I. Inan apparatus to be used in the above-- g described process of manuiacturing 'iron and steel directlyT from the pre, the combination of la blast-furnace, A, air-stoves J, and gas-producers I P', connected by suitable pipesl and valves, as described, one part of the superheated air issuing' from said stoves being` utilized to furnish "t1'1e hotair blast.` to the said furnace, and theother part to furnish the blast to the producers, substantially as described. Y y l i' 5. In an apparatus to be usedin the abovedescribed process of Vinanufact-uring iron and steel directly from the ore, the'combination of a blast-furnace, A, calcining-o\-'enG, provided 6o with means for admitting gas and air, heated as I described, air-'stoves J, and gas-producers- P Pl. all co-operating substantially as described. for the purpose speciiieds y HENRYA CLAY BULL.

\Vit-nesses:

YAUGHAN 'WALDRON J oNEs,v

1 lHac-ins Hey, Liverpool; FREDERICK JoHN'GHEEsBRoUGH,

15 ll'ater Street, Lirep'nol -steel directly from the ore, a blast-furnace, A,

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