216

PUDDLING OF IRON.

escapes by the burner z. During the following or other hour, the cocks u' in, mustbe closed; the cocks u, m' being opened, the current then goes from u, into k, w, w'jw", w'", and escapes by the burner z', where it may be ignited.

The changing of the direction of the current dispenses, to a certain degree, with thelabor required for stirring, with a spatula, the matters contained in the pipes ; never-theless, it is necessary, from time to time, to pass an iron rod or poker among thesubstances contained in the pipes. It is for this purpose that apertures are formed, soas to be easily opened and closed.

The patentee remarks, that although this operation is only described with referenceto potash, for obtaining prussiate of potash, it is evident, that the same process isapplicable to soda; and when the above mentioned ingredients are employed, sodabeing substituted for potash, the result will be prussiate of soda.— Newton’s Journal, C.S. xxt. 96.

PUDDLING OF IRON. This is the usual process employed in Great Britain for converting cast iron into bar or malleable iron—a crude into a more or less puremetal. The ‘allowing plan of a puddling furnace has been deemed economical, espe-cially with res; ect to fuel, as two furnaces are joined side by side together, and theworkmen operate at doors on the opposite sides. Fig. 122 represents this twin furnace

i

122

in a side elevation; fig. 123 in section, according to the line E F, in fig. 124, wh ^exhibits a plan of the furnace. The various parts are so clearly shown in for®.,construction as to require no explanation. The total length outside is 14£ feet; W1 ’12f feet: from which the dimensions of the other parts may be measured. . £ ur _Iron is puddled either from cast pigs, or from the plates of the refinery (finery! ^ g' nace. In several iron-works a mixture of these two crude metals is employed, p r ]£refining process, the waste at the excellent establishment of Mr. Jessop, atCodneris from 21 to 2f cwt. per ton; on which process the wages are Is. per ton; :in ir g rc uicoke § ton, worth 6s.-; so that the total cost of refining per ton is 15s., when P 1 -'is worth 3/. 10 s. _

The puddling is accompanied with a loss of weight of If cwt. per ton; it CO i- co alwages, for puddling refinery plates, 6s. 6 d., and for pigs, 8s.; in which 18 cwt. 0are consumed ; value, 5s. per ton. j s ijd-

Shingling (condensing the bloom by the heavy hammer) costs, in wages ,^per ton; and rough-rolling, lsi 2d. Cutting and weighing these bars cost geldedwages, including their delivery to the mill furnace, where they are reheated an