THE STEEL DEPARTMENT; ROTARY PUDDLING FURNACES.
CO
60,000 tons annually ; this output will, it is estimated,
reach 80,000 tons in 1900.
Rotary Puddling Furnaces.—These are contained in
an annex of the Siemens-Martin plant (see Figs. 97 to 99,
Plate XXIII,, and Figs. 100 to 103). The building is
51 metres (167 ft.) long; 30 metres (98 ft.) wide; and
9 metres (29 ft.) high to the springing of roof. The plant
consists of :
the iron biooms when cold, in order to classify them
according to their quality.
One range of eight gas generators for the Siemens
furnaces.
Eaeh rotary puddling furnace is fitted with a multi-
tubular boiler, heated by the waste gases (see Fig. 104).
The present plant was put down in 1892 ; it dates
originally, however, from 1876. At that time there were
One 30-ton Siemens furnace for melting down high- ,
dass liematite pig, which is charged in its molten state, 1
into the rotary puddling furnaces.
One 8-ton Siemens furnace, solely used for melting
iron oxides used with Blocks of pure ore for the inside
lining of the rotary puddling furnaces.
Three rotary puddling furnaces.
One 18-ton steam hammer for shingling the iron balis.
One 8-ton steam hammer used specially for breaking
only two rotary puddling furnaces placed near the original
Siemens-Martin furnaces. Each rotary puddling furnace
consists of three main parts :
2. The revolving chamber, worked by a motor.
3. The hearth.
4. The smokebox, which leads the waste gases to the
boiler ; this can be raised and lowered by means of a rack
worked by hydraulic pressure.
The revolving; chamber is fitted with a double iron