Lake Superior Paper - Special Forms of Blast-Furnace Charging-Apparatus

That the single charging-bell, properly proportioned, is a good all-around device for distributing material in a blast-furnace can scarcely be questioned; yet it is equally true that, in some cases, it has not given perfect satisfaction; as has been demonstrated by the substitution of double bells, at furnaces under the beat management—generally in cases where anthracite, either alone, or with a portion of coke, was used as fuel. The defect of the single bell seems to be that it does not permit, beyond very narrow limits, such changes in charging as may be required by the temporary conditioil of the furnace. Modern furnaces using Connellsville or other good coke and Lake Superior ores seem to be well served with a single bell. At least, up to a certain size, somewhere about 18 by 85 ft. to 19 by 90 feet, these furnaces make low-silicon pig-iron with about 1,800 lb. of fuel, or in some cases very much less. The following instances occur to me, in which other forms of charging-apparatus have been employed with advantage: 1. A charcoal-furnace, 61 ft. high, 11 ft. in diameter at bosh, and 8 ft. 2 in. at stock-line, with a rectangular crucible, 42 by