IKON 1009 



condition. When charged in the shape of pig-iron, the melting-down occupies from 

 30 to 35 minutes, during which a partial rotation is given to tho furnace from time to 

 time in order to expose equally all sides of the charge to the flame. When the whole 

 of the charge is thoroughly melted, the furnace is made to revolve once or twice per 

 minute only during the first five or ten minutes, in order to obtain the most perfect 

 action of the cinder upon the molten iron. A stream of water is injected through the 

 stopper-hole along and just above the line of contact between the floating cinder and 

 the inner surface of the vessel on the descending side. A certain portion of uncon- 

 taminated cinder is thereby solidified on the metal surface, and is carried down into 

 or below the bath of molten iron in a continuous stream, which, in rising up through 

 the iron, combines with the impurities of the latter in a far more effectual and complete 

 manner than any mode of puddling hitherto known can effect. On the expiration of 

 the said five or ten minutes, the iron begins to thicken, and the motion is stopped. 

 The heat is then raised, so that the cinder shall be perfectly liquefied, and thereby 

 float over the iron. That cinder contains all the impurities which have been liberated 

 from the charge, and it is essential to prevent its further contact with the iron. The 

 vessel is therefore brought into such a position that the tap-hole shall be just over the 

 level of the iron, which by this time has become partly pasty. The puddler gently 

 pushes back the iron, and the cinder is made to run off. The tap-hole, by a slight 

 motion of the vessel, is then brought high enough over the level of the iron, and is 

 stopped up. The heat is again raised, and the furnace is put in motion at a velocity 

 of from six to eight revolutions per minute, by which means the charge is dashed about 

 violently in the furnace. Should a sufficient degree of decarburisation not have been 

 produced at that point of the operation, then the liquidity which the iron will assume 

 under the increased temperature will prove the fact. A high temperature being kept 

 up, and the charge being continually turned over, the particles begin to adhere when 

 the velocity of the apparatus is lowered to from two to three revolutions per minute, 

 upon which the ball then very speedily forms. Should any loose pieces be detected in 

 the furnace, the puddler moves them all to the same side of the ball, and by giving a 

 partial rotation to the furnace he causes the ball to fall upon them, and thereby forms 

 them into one mass. The puddler solidifies the front end of the ball by a few blows 

 from a tool applied through the stopper-hole. The props of the moveable piece are 

 then removed, and the flue hanging from the overhead rail is moved away. A large 

 fork suspended from a crane is moved into the vessel along one side, and the ball, 

 which by a turn of the vessel is rolled on to the fork, is then removed by means of a 

 crane. The ball is then worked in a squeezer. The requisite quantity of cinder and 

 metal is again charged. The flue is replaced, and the process continued. From eight 

 to ten charges are made before any re-fettling is required, when the parts most worn 

 are repaired. The bloom comes from the squeezer in a very solid condition, and is 

 either reheated, or rolled off into puddled bar, &c., at once. 



The inventor claims for his revolving furnace the following advantages : A great 

 saving in the cost of labour, and also in the consumption of coal, varying according to 

 the size of the furnace ; a superior and more regular quality of puddled iron from a 

 given quality of pig ; a yield of puddled iron much in excess of the charge of pig- 

 metal, instead of the usual less, the extra yield being obtained by the reduction of 

 the rich fettling used in the machine; eight to ten heats, whether from 5 to 10 cwts. 

 are made in a day of ten hours when suitable metal is used ; the refining process is 

 very complete, the whole of the phosphorus and silica and the sulphur, to a large 

 extent, being removed by the chemical action of the lining mixture ; the very heavy 

 and exhaustive labour of puddling is performed by steam-power, thereby enabling 

 one skilled man to attend to the working of a large quantity of iron ; the bringing to 

 nature and balling of the iron are completed by the rotary action without the use of 

 rabbling, except when the heat has to be divided into smaller balls ; and the capacity 

 may be suited for heats of any weight from 5 cwts. upwards. The cost of the furnace, 

 weight of product considered, is about the same as that of the usual hand-puddling 

 furnaces. 



It is almost needless to say that the existing arrangements for hammering and 

 rolling puddled iron would not be suitable where such large masses of metal have to 

 be dealt with. In proportion as the subsidiary appliances are carried out upon a 

 proper scale, so will be the advantageous results obtained from the puddling appa- 

 ratus. 



On this account the drawings of the 'Squeezer,' recommended by Mr. Banks 

 has been introduced into these pages. 



Squeezer. Fig. 1269 is a front sectional elevation, showing a section of the steam- 

 hammer or ram; a section of the squeezer-cam and roll; housings, bed-plate, and 

 driving gear wheels. 



Fig. 1270 is a section of squeezers, showing the squeezer-cam, rolls, the head of 

 VOL, II. 3 T 



