FURNACES, PUDDLING AND HEATING. The James Puddling-Furnace is shown in Fig. 1. It has a hollow fire-bridge C, with a transverse flue Ii, from which a number of orifices, c, lead upward. The air is preheated in the flue P, which connects, as shown, with the space E in the fire-bridge under the fuel chamber A, and the grate-bars a is an air chamber D, formed by a tight box d. Lead ing into this air-chamber are a number of air-pipes e, into the bell-shaped mouth of which the nozzles of steam-pipes f are pro jected, so that the steam draws in air. Above the bridge is a cold-air flue g, connected with a number of openings with the furnace above the fire-bridge. It is provided with a valve to regulate the admittance• of cold air when required. While in the ordinary type of puddling-furnaces the consumption of good Pittsburgh coal was 2,200 lbs. at the Arethu sa Works, Newcastle, Pa., with the James modifications the consumption was but 1,800 lbs. with the same coal. Similar results were
attained in the heating-furnaces of the plate mill.
The Slubblebine Healing - Fursmce is shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. It has been in troduced in the Bethlehem and Catasauqua (Pa.) rolling-mills. The gases from the furnace are split when issuing from the reverberatory chamber into three parts, the one passing through the up-take through the stack. On either side thereof two flues lead to two heating chambers, in which are placed coils of pipe through which air is blown and in which it is preheated. The heated air issues from two nozzles into mixing flues in the side walls of the furnace. In this manner the gas in the preheating chambers is drawn by the suction created into the mixing flues, which discharge them into the flame at the fire-bridge. The furnace works well on billets, and on large or small fagots. It heats quickly, and the flame is under such control that the waste by oxidation is very low.