USRE5397E - Improvement in furnaces for smelting iron and other ores - Google Patents

Description

SAMUEL .W. HARRIS.- lmprovement in Furnaces for S'melting Iron and other Ores.

Reissued May 6,1873.

THE cams Perms cm, PHOYO-LITHQ, wnsmucrom o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL W. HARRIS, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF PART INTER EST TO BENJAMIN RAY, MILTON MARTIN, AND JACOB HOYSRADT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FURNACES FOR SMELTINGJRON AND OTHER ORES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0.'123,894, dated February 20, 1872 reissue No. 5,397, dated May 6, 1873; application filed June 14, 1872.

Tea whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WASHINGTON HARRIS, of Hudson, in the county of Columbiaand State of New York, have invented Improvements in Furnaces for the Smeltin g of I n and other Ores, of which the following is afiecification:

Thisinvention relates to'what are commonly known as blast-furnaces, in which a hot blast is used. It has for one of its objects the economy. of the gases evolved in the smelting process, and their conduct in a cold dead state, by proper channels, to any desired place or places'where they are to be used for heating the pipe-ovens or steam-boilers, or for illuminating and other purposes. Other objects of it are, economy'of fuel, increased production and improved quality of the metal and the regulation of its quality, and increased durability of the upper part of the furnace. The improvement consists in providing the top of the furnace, above an opening or opcnin gs provided for the exit of the gases to the place or places where they are to be utilized, with a cover-having one or more chargingapertures for the introduction of the ore, fuel, and flux into the furnace, and with swinging doors for closing the said aperture or apertures, and thereby preventing the escape of the gases by said .aperture or apertures after charging, such cover being also provided with an opening of suitable size for'the escape of any surplus gas, with a damper to regulate such escape.

As the invention is more particularly applicable to b1ast-furnaces for the smelting of iron ores, it will be more particularly described with reference to the smelting-of those ores, though its mode of application would be the same for the smelting of other ores.

Figure 1 in the drawing is a side view of the upper part of an ordinary blast-furnace having the invention in one of its forms or modifications applied. Fig. 2 is a central ver-. tical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in the plane indicated by the line 00 a: in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in the several figures.

A represents the upper part of the blast'furnace, and a the treenail-head plate. On that plate, at the edge of the furnace-mouth, there are erected iron stanchion's B B, which support an ironplate, G, made in one or more pieces, of polygonal form, and .in the center of which is an opening, I), fitted with a damper, D. Between the stanchions B B are iron doors or shutters E E, hung on hinges c c at their upper edges from the above-mentioned'plate G, such doors resting, when in place, against the interior surfaces of the stanchions, at or close to the edges thereof,-and thereby effectually serving to close the spaces between the stanchions.

The stanchions, the top plate,-the hinged doors, and the damper form a complete .cover, closing the mouth of the furnace, but having opcnin gs capable of being easily exposed for introduction of the ore, fuel, or flux into the furnace, and which are closed after charging to prevent escape of the gases by them. At a short distance below this cover there are provided in the sides of the furnace one or more open ings,d d, whence the gases from the furnace are conducted by ducts to the place or places where they are to be used.

In charging the furnace with-fuel, ore, or flux, the barrowconveying it is pushed against either of the doors or shutters E E, causing the latter to open by swinging inward, and allowing the contents of the barrow to be dumped into the furnace. The door, afterward being allowed to swing back by its own weight, pushes baclethe barrow and closes the openihg between the stanchions, thereby prevent ing any further escape of gas, than is unavoidable during the very short intervals actuallyoccupied in depositing the ore,fuel, and flux, or than it is desirable to let escape by the opening b.

By this invention not only are the gases prevented from escaping, and conducted ina cold dead state to the place or places where they are to be used, but the destruction of they top of the furnace is prevented, and, besides the saving of fuel effected, an increased production and improved quality of metal are obtained. The quality of the metal can also be regulated by closing the damper D to prevent any escape of gases, or by opening it more or less to permit of a greater or less escape; a

softer iron being produced by inoreasingthe escape at the'opening band allowing a greater quantity to pass to the blast ovens, and a harder iron being produced by increasing the escape at b and allowing less to pass to the ovens. The change from making soft to makin g hard, iron, or vice versa, by thus varying the escape can be made in six hours, instead of occupying three or four days, as with the method ordinarily practiced in blast-furnaces.

'The invention can be applied to any furnace previously in use while it is. in blast, without requiring any blowing out for the purpose.

The doors or shutters herein described, by way of illustrating a means of carrying the-in:

vention into effect, instead of being arranged 1 to close in vertical positions, as shdwn, may

be arranged to close at an inclination; and in-, stead of being constructed and arranged to close by their own weight, may have weights applied to them, in any suitable or convenient. manner, toproduce or assist their closin or they could be arranged and'operated with 1e- Vers and counterweights to rise and fall or open and close.

The outlet b, for the escape of the surplus gases, maybe provided'with an escape-pipe of any convenient height.

Claims.

1. The cover applied to the head of a blastfurnace, and provided, substantially as herein "described, with one or more charging-apertures Witnesses:

ABRAHAM S. Pnn'r, RICHARD MACY.

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