US726860A - Electric furnace. - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTBD MAY 5, 1903.

No. 726,860. J. M. GARRER.

ELECTRIC FURNAGE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22| 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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No. 726,860. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. J. M. GARRER.

ELECTRIC FURNACB.

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No. P726,860.

UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

' ELECTRIC FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,860, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed May 22.1902. Serial No. 108.474. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH M. CARRERE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Brighton, in the Yborough of Richmond, city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Electric Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to an electric furnace adapted for the passage therethrough and treatment in transit therein of various materals-such as ores, cement, rock, or earth, and the like-for the reduction, melting, or other action thereon by the heat produced by an electric current, with the object of reducing the time consumed in the treatment, increasing the output of the furnace and the quality of the product produced, and successfully treating substances which have heretofore been worked with difficulty. c

In carrying out my invention I provide a revoluble cylinder lined'with a materialof low electric conductivity, such as graphite brick, which is insulated from the metal shell of the cylinder. The axial orifice ofthe cylinder may be of any desired diameter, Aand said cylinder is preferably suitably -mounted for rotation at an inclination. Fixed cap ends are provided to the cylinder on suitable bases and supports. These cap ends are also lined with a material of low electric conductivity, which is also preferablyinsulated from the metal forming the said cap ends. There is an orifice in the cap end at the higher end of the cylinder for the admission of material to be electrically treated, and there is an orilice in the cap end at the'lower end of the cylinder for the discharge of said material after treatment. Suitable means are' provided which are supported by and extend through the cap ends and into the interior of the revoluble cylinder for utilizing the electric energy either in the form of an electric arc or for bringing the surface of the lining of the cylinder to an intense heat or incandescence, and to these devices outside of' the cap ends the lead-wires for the electric current are connected.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section embodying my improved furnace. Fig. 2 is a transverse section at the line r a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse section at the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is also a transverse section at the line or fr", Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is an elevation in larger size of the revoluble bearings.

d represents a cylinder, which is preferably madeof steel. The cylinder a is provided with a lining b, which maybe composed of graphite bricks or any suitable substance of low electric conductivity, whose electric conductivity increases as the temperature of the substance rises. Thelining ofgraphite brick b is insulated from the steel cylinder a by a layer of asbestos c or other insulating and non heat conducting material. The axial orifice of the cylinder may be of any desired size, and the cylinder is mounted so as t0 be revolved at an inclination, to accomplish which I provide rings d, which pass around the cylinder and are separated therefrom by Y the washers 2, leaving a space between the inside of the rings d and the outside of the steelV cylinder. Both the said cylinder and rings'are preferably made in two parts, and the parts of the cylinder may be strengthened by angle-irons l,which extend along and are preferablyriveted to the longitudinal edges of the said cylinder parts. In building up the-cylinder the several shell parts thereof are placed in the respective parts of the rings d, and these ring parts are secured together at their overlapping ends by the screws 4 and thereafter to the cylinder by means of the screws 3, which pass from the inside of the cylinder parts through the Vwashers 2 and into the rings CZ. The strengthening angle-irons l may then be applied and secured in place. The asbestos and the graphite-brick lining are next secured in place. I provide suitable bearings e, having rollers 5, on which the peripheral edges of the rings d rest and the cylinder revolves. One side of each of the said bearings is also provided with a conical roller 7, mounted upon a pin 6 in the frame, ,and the inclination of the said pins 6 inthe bearing-frames is such that the angle between the faces of the conical rollers 7 and the rollers 5 is ninety degrees, thereby providing an even bearing-surface for the down side of the rings d,and which acts as a means for keeping the cylinder in a determined fixed position. The bearings e are fixed in a suitable inclined base 8, which latter is built into or secured to the founda- IOO tion 9. Any suitable means may be provided for revolving the cylinder-as, for instance, as shown in the drawings, a pulley 10 may be secured to the cylinder and a rope er belt caused to pass around the same.

I provide cap ends f and f for the cylinder a, said cap ends preferably being drum shape and provided with a lining of graphite g or other substance of low electric conductivity, y

which is insulated from the metal forming the cap ends by a layer of asbestos h or other suitable substance. The cap ends are so placed upon suitable supports 11 and bases 12 and 13, respectively, that the ends of the revoluble cylinder extend between and pass into the said cap ends. The higher cap end f is provided with an opening 14, extending from the top of the cap end and communicating, preferably at an inclination, with the interior axial aperture of the cap end f and with that of the cylinder a, which apertures should agree, and a supply-pipe t' for the material to be treated is connected to the opening 14E. The lower cap end f has an axial aperture agreeing with that of the cylinder a., and the same is provided with an opening 15, extending from the under side and communicating with the said aperture and interior of the cylinder, and to which opening 15 the discharge-pipe 7 is connected. The opening 15 and pipe 7c are of enlarged area to prevent clogging. The cap ends are provided with contacts Zin such a manner that said contacts malle electrical contact With the graphite lining of the cylinder. Electrical conductors 16 pass through bushings 17 in the cap endsfand f' and are connected electrically with the said contacts l. By these connections an electric current may be passed through the graphite lining of the cylinder as the same revolves, and the surface of the lining thereby maybe heated to incandescence or to any desired temperature. I also employ carbons m and n, passing through the bushings 18, which are preferably located in the center of the respective cap endsfandf, and the carbons are provided with terminals 19 20, to which the leads 21 and 22 are brought from the source of electrical energy. The carbons are longitudinally movable in the bushings 1S, whereby' the arc produced between them may be established and adjusted to any desired point Within the cylinder, and consequently a maximum heat attained at this point.

It is apparent that the furnace is equally applicable to be used as a stationary or rotary furnace and that the axial line of the cylinder may be placed horizontally or at any desired inclination, also that the time in which the materials to be treated are brought into contact with the heated surface may be precisely regulated, and that the heat produced in the furnace may be either uniformly distributed over the surface of the lining or may be concentrated at a given point, or the surface of the graphite lining may be uniformly heated and at the same time an intense heat produced centrally of a given point within the cylinder.

In the treatment of some materials I shall prefer to employ the electric arc drawn to the desired length and occupying the most advantageous point in the cylinder a for the treatment of the material in hand, While with other materials I shall prefer to bring the surface of the axial aperture to incandescence, so as to treat or act upon such materials during the passage through the entire length of the cylinder. To bring the surface of this axial aperture to incandescence, it is desirable and substantially essential to first establish the are and then draw the same the length of the cylinder, meanwhile having the electric current available in the conductors 16 1G, either er both currents then being available to bring and maintain the surface of the axial aperture to incandescence.

I may use either direct or alternate currents, and when the furnace is employed as a rotary furnace the material being Worked will be agitated, turned over, and thoroughly mixed, so that all parts of said material will be exposed throughout to the entire heated surface or to the point of maximum temperature.

I claim as my in vention- 1. In an electric furnace, the combination with nou-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a cylinder Aextending between and passing into said cap ends, a lining of a subst-ance of low electrical conductivity within and insulated from said cylinder, means for producing heat Within the cylinder, and means for concentrating the heat produced within the cylinder at any given point thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a cylinder extending between and passing into the said cap ends, a lining of a substance of loW electrical conductivity within and insulated from said cylinder, and means for electrically producing heat Within the said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a cylinder extending between and passing into said cap ends, a lining of a substance of low electrical conduc- IOO IIO

tivity within and insulated from said cylinin said lining, and means for concentrating the said heat at any given point, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a cylinder extending between and passing into the said cap ends, a lining ofgraphite bricks within and insulated from said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between the bricks and cylinder, means for admitting the substance to be worked into the furnace, means for drawing off the same, means forproducingaheat within the furnace and means for concentrating the said heat at any given point, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a cylinder extending between and passing int-o the said cap ends, a lining of graphite bricks within said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between the bricks and cylinder, means for admitting the substance to be worked into the furnace, means for drawing off the same, and means for producing electrically a uniform temperature throughout the inner surface of the graphite lining, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a cylinder extending between and passinginto said cap ends, a graphite lining in said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between said lining and said cylinder, a supply-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder through one of said cap ends, a discharge-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder through the other cap end, means for electrically producingan even heat throughout theV inner surface of said graphite lining7 means for producing a heat within said cylinder independently of that produced in the graphite lining, and means for concentrating the heat at any desired point within the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a cylinder extending between and passinginto said cap ends, agraphite lining in said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between said lining and said cylinder, a supply-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder through one of said cap ends, a discharge-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder' through the other cap end, contacts in the respective cap ends contacting with the said graphite lining, electrical connections from said contacts to the source of power, carbons passing through the cap ends, the said carbons being adjustable so thatthe heat generated by the arc between them may be placed at any given point within the cylinder, and electrical connections from said carbons to the source of power, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electrical furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supporting-bases therefor, of a revoluble cylinder eX- tending between and passing into said cap ends, a graphite lining within said cylinder, means for revolving said cylinder, and means for producing electrically a heat within the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

l0. In an electrical furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supporting-bases therefor, of a revoluble cylinder extending between and passing into said cap ends, agraphite lining within said cylinder, means for revolving said cylinder and means for producing a uniform heat in the inner surface of said graphite lining, substantially as set forth.

ll. In an electrical furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supporting-bases therefor, of a revoluble cylinder extending between and passing into said cap ends, a graphite lining within said cylinder, means for revolving said cylinder, means for producing a uniform heat in the inner surface of said graphite lining, means for producing a heat in the cylinder independently Y of the heat generated in the graphite lining-gram and means for concentrating the last afore, said heat at any given point, substantially as set forth.

12. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a revoluble cylinder, a graphite lining within said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between said lining and the cylinder, a supply-pipe communicating with the interior of the cylinder through one of said cap ends, a discharge-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder through the other of said cap ends, means for revolv- IOO ing the said cylinder, means for electrically producing a uniform heat in the surface of said graphite lining, and means for producing and concentrating a high temperature at any given point within the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

13. In an electricfurnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a revoluble v cylinder, a graphite lining within said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between said lining and the cylinder, a supply-pipe communicating with the interior of the cylinder through one of said cap ends, a discharge-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder through the other of said cap ends, a pulley passing around and secured to said cylinder, metallic rings also passing around and secured to IIO said cylinder, bearings upon which said rings run, a base supporting said bearings, means for electrically producing a uniform heat in the surface of said graphite lining, andmeans for producing and concentrating an intense heat at any given point within the-cylinder,

substantially as set forth.

14. In an electric furnace,-the combination with non-rotatable cap ends-and supportingbases therefor, of a revoluble cylinder, a graphite lining within said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between said lining and the cylinder, a supply-pipe communicating with the interior of the cylinder through one of said cap ends, a discharge-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder through the other of said cap ends, a pulley passing around and secured to said cylinder, metallic rings also passing around and secured to said cylinder, bearings upon which said rings run, a base supporting said bearings, contacts within said cap ends contacting with the said graphite lining, electrical connections from said contacts to the source of energy, and means for producing and concentrating an intense heat at any given point within the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

l5. In an electric furnace, the combination with non-rotatable cap ends and supportingbases therefor, of a revoluble cylinder, a graphite lining within said cylinder, a layer of asbestos between said lining and the cylinder, a supply-pipe communicating with the interior of the cylinder through one of said cap ends, a discharge-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder through the other of said cap ends, a pulley passing around and secured to said cylinder, metallic rings also passing around and secured to said cylinder, bearings upon which said rings run, a base supporting said bearings, confacts Within said cap ends contacting with the said graphite lining, electrical connections from said contacts to the source of power, carbons passing through the said cap ends and adjustable therein, so that the heat produced by the arc between the carbons may be concentrated at any given point, and electrical conductors from said carbons to the source of power, substantially as set forth. Signed by me this 16th day of May, 1902.

JOSEPH M. CARRERE. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. IIAVILAND.

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