"The operation of the furnace is as follows: The pulverized
ore is mixed with 20 per cent. of pulverized charcoal or coke,
and is fed into an elevator which discharges into the hopper
on the deoxidizer leading into the retorts marked C. These
retorts are proportioned so that they will hold ore enough to
run the puddling furnace 24 hours, the time required for
perfect deoxidation. After the retorts are filled, a fire is
started in the furnace, and the products of combustion pass up
through the main flue, or well, B, where they are deflected by
the arch, and pass out through suitable openings, as indicated
by arrows, into the down-takes marked E, and out through an
annular flue, where they are passed under a boiler.
"It will be noticed that the ore is exposed to the waste heat
on three sides of the retorts, and owing to the great surface
so exposed, the ore is very thoroughly deoxidized, and reduced
in the retorts before it is introduced into the puddling
furnace for final reduction. The curved cast iron pipes marked
D are provided with slides, and are for the purpose of
introducing the deoxidized ore into the second bottom of the
furnace. As before stated, the furnace is intended to
accommodate two charges of ore, and as fast as it is balled up
and taken out of the working bottom, the charge remaining in
the second bottom is worked up in the place occupied by the
first charge, and a _new_ charge is introduced.
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