The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

IO 4- MESSRS. SCHNEIDER AND CO.’S WORKS. and boslies is much increased by the construction adopted. AU the blast-furnaces are of the closed breast type, and have five tuyeres placed normally, the mouth being 140 millimétrés (5.51 in.) in diameter. The body is pro- tected outside by a wrought-iron shell, but the hearth is only strengthened by iron rings. The volume of this new furnace, which is practically the saine as that of others, is divided as follows : Crucible and hearth Boshes Shaft Gas chamber Total Cubic Metres. 5.370 99.156 229.381 28.888 Cubic Feet. 189.66 3500.18 8101.73 1021.32 stopped, excepting on one occasion, when the crucible and part of tlie hearth were renewed. Blowing Engines.—Blowing engines of from 10 to 1-5 revolutions liave been abandoned for horizontal machines running at a much higher speed. By this change a con- sidérable economy in steam production has been made, as well as a saving in the first cost of installation. Figs. 48 to 52 illustrate the most modem type of blowing engines at Creusot; it consists of a Corliss horizontal motor and an air cylindei’ on an extension of the same line. The motor offers nothing particular for notice, as it is fitted with the ordinary type of Corliss valve gear. Some new details have been introduced in the blowing cylinder ; the rubber air valves, which with the high speed of running 362.795 12812.89 Details of Bell for Closing Moutli of Fumace. S e> Fig. 47. Of the five furnaces in biast, three are for the Bessemer- Thomas process ; the two others produce forge pig or pig for ordinary work, according to requirements. The pig for the Bessemer steel works is cast direct in a travelling ladle hauled by a small locomotive that conveys it to the steel départaient close by ; when the Bessemer plant is not working, the pig iron is cast into ingot moulds. The daily production of pig from each furnace averages about 80 tons. The duration of the blast-furnaces is very considei’able, the minimum being from eight to nine years. The furnace recently re-modelled had had the longest existence; it was lighted on August 9, 1879, by M. Ferdi- nand de Lesseps, and it remained in constant service until March, 1897. Thisshowed a life of nearly 18 years, during which time, but for small accidents, the biast was never adoptecl, would speedily have worn out, have been replaced by small metal valves, the discs of which are fitted with very light closing springs in order to reduce the résistance in opening to a minimum. The discs are of special steel made at Creusot ; tliey have very considérable durability, and can be replaced with great facility. The inlet valves are arrangée! on the lower half of the air cylinder, and the outlet valves on the upper half, in the männer usual with horizontal blowing eno-ines. The general arrangement of the engines is shown in the illustrations, Figs. 48 and 49, Plate XI., being longitudinal and horizontal sections re- spectively, whilst Figs. 50 and 51 are a cross-section and an end view of the air-compressing cylinder. Figs. 52 and 53 are i’eproductions of indicator diagrams taken from both the steam and air cylinders. The blowing