US361429A

US361429A - mactear

Info

Publication number: US361429A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 1904-04-19

Description

(N0- Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. MAOTEAR.

REVOLVING FURNACE FOR GHEMIGAL PROCESSES. No. 361,429;

Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

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JAMES MAGTEAR, OF NVESTMINSTER, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

REVOLVING FURNACE FOR CHEMICAL PROCESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,429, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed August 19, 1886. Serial No. 211,273. (No model.) Patented in England May 17, 1876, No. 2,073, and in France November 14, 1876, No. 115,500. i

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, J AMES MAOTEAR, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Westminster, county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain Improvements in Furnaces for Chemical Processes, (for which I have obtained a British patent, dated May 17, 1876, No. 2,073, and a French patent, dated November 14, 1876, N 0. 115,500,) of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to furnaces which, when made with the improvements comprised in it, are advantageously applicable in the manufacture of alkaline carbonates for the process known as balling, for roasting or calcining soda-ash, or alkali, or carbonate of potash, and for other similar operations, and also in the obtainment of copper by what is known as the wet process, for calcining the burnt copper ore wit-h salt.

My improvements are applied to a furnace having a horizontal circular revolving bottom made of iron, lined with fire-brick or other suitable refractory material, and formed with a raised rim round the outer edge.

My invention consists, principally, in providing for the withdrawal of the finished charges of materials down through the center of the furnace-bottom.

In a modification of the improved furnace which I prefer the fire-gases are led into the furnace-space between the revolving bottom and roof, through openings at one side, and pass toward the opposite side, finding egress by two firms separated a short distance from each other, while stirring apparatus 'is arranged in the part of the furnace-space between the two exit-fines.

Figure 1 of the drawings is ahorizont'al section of the furnace, and Fig. 2 is a corresponding vertical section.

The circular furnace bottom 1 consists of plate-iron lined with fire-brick, and is fixed on frame-pieces 2, which are fitted with wheel 3, arranged to run on a circular flanged tramplate, 4, fixed beneath the furnace. The furnace-bottom 1 is made with a raised rim, 5, and is covered by a roof or arch, 6, of firebrick carried by arc-shaped girders 7, which are supported on pillars 8. (Indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.) Two fire-places, 9, communicate by a passage, 10, with the reverberatory chamber or space inclosed between the roof or arch 6 and the circular bottom, and afterthe fire-gases have acted in that chamber they pass off by two 'eXit-flues, 11, nearly opposite to the inlet-passage 10.

For charging the furnace one or more openings (not shown in the drawings) which are closed when the furnace is in operation are provided at any convenient part of the roof or arch 6. The discharge-aperture is a cylindrical or nearly cylindrical opening, 12, made quite through the bottom 1 and its lining at the center, and this opening 12 is fitted with an iron casing, 13, which projects below the bottom. A somewhat larger opening, 14, is formed through the roof or arch 6, and is fitted with an iron lining. The closing detail is an iron cylinder, 15, which is jacketed with fire-brick or other refractory material, and when in the closing position, as shown in Fig. 2, rests on the top edge of the iron lining of the discharge-opening 12 in the furnace-bottom, while its upper part closes the opening 14. in the roof 6. The cylindrical closing detail or valve 15 is made with two sets of arms, 16 17, to the upper set of which there is at tached an eyebolt for the connection of a chain, 18, for raising the valve, while to the lower set, 17, there is attached a spindle, 19, which passes through a guide, 20, fixed by arms in the'opening 12 below. Air is allowed to pass up through the discharge-opening12 and through the'valve 15, so as to prevent the metal parts from becoming overheated.

The discharge-aperture 12 is opened to the interior of the furnace-chamber by raising the cylindrical valve 15 into the opening or recess 14. in the roof or arch 6, and the contents of the furnace may then be discharged into a wagon placed beneath the furnace, or into any suitable receptacle.

- The stirring apparatus is arranged to act between the central valve, 15, and the outer rim, 5, of the furnace-bottom at the part between the two exit-fiues 11, and it comprises a set of forks, 21, fixed on the lower ends of vertical shaft-s 22,, which are held in a frame,

23, and geared together by spur-wheels 24 at their upper ends, so as to rotate in alternate directions, the forks 21, which are disposed diametrically, being arranged so as not to interfere with each other, although they are large enough to work over overlapping areas.

The stirring apparatus can be raised out of action or lowered more or less, as may he required, the frame 23 being fitted to slide in vertical guides 25 on a fixed framing, and being formed with vertical racks 26,with which gear pinions on a horizontal shaft, 27, arranged to be turned by means of a crank-handle. The driving-power is applied to the outermost of the vertical stirrer-shafts 22, which is elongated to pass up through a bevel-wheel, 28, to which it is geared by a groove and feather admitting of its vertical movement with the frame 23. The bevel-wheel 27 gears with a bevel-wheel on a short horizontal shaft, 29, driven as here inhefore described.

The finished charges of materials may be pushed toward the central disehargeoutlet, 12, by means of scrapers or other implements worked by hand through the openings hereinbefore referred to, as for charging in the materials. I, however, prefer to use mechanical discharging apparatus of the kind shown in the drawings, and which comprises a series of pushers or scrapers, 30, attached to an endless chain, 31, carried and moved by pulleys 32 on the lower ends of vertical shafts 33 34. These shafts 33 34 are carried by a frame, 35, which is fitted to work in Vertical guides 36, and has racks 37 on it in gear with pinions 38 on a horizontal shaft, 39, so that it can be raised or lowered, as required, by means of a crankhandle.

The discharging apparatus is worked by means of one, 33, of the vertical shafts, which is elongated to pass up through a bevel-wheel, 40, connected to it bya groove and feather to admit of the vertical movement of the frame 35. The bevel wheel 40 is in gear with a bevel-wheel, 41 on a horizontal shaft, 42, which has also on it a spur-wheel, 43, gearing with a spur-wheel, 44, on the horizontal shaft 29 of the stirring apparatus. The shaft 42 has on it clutches in connection with the wheels 41 and 43, so that either can be put into or out from gear, as required, and this shaft 42 is itself driven by bevel-wheels 45 from a vertical shaft, 46, geared by bevel-wheels 47 to the shaft 48, which imparts rotation to the furnace-bottom 1, and is driven by means of a pulley and belt, or otherwise, from any suitable prime mover. The furnace-bottom 1 is turned by means of a pinion, 49, on the shaft 48, and gearing with a circular rack, 50, fixed to the framing of the furnace-bottom. A gutter, 51, is formed round the outside of the rim 5 ofthe furnace-bottom to contain loose materials from the inside of the furnace, or sand, into which the vertical flange of the girders 7 dips, so as to form a closed connection between the rotating bottom 1 and fixed roof or arch (3 of the furnace, as usual in furnaces with rotating bottoms.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a furnace for chemical processes, the combination of'a revolving bottom having a central discharge-opening with means for closing the said opening, substantially as herein set forth.

2. As means for closing acentral discharge opening in a revolving chemical-furnace bottom, a cylinder working in an opening in the furnaceroof, and when closed occupying the space between the roofopening and the discharge opening, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JA MES MAGTEAR.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES AUBREY DAY, London, England. FREDERIC J nouns,

Clerk.