When I started to work at Head Wrightsons Oxbridge Steel Foundry at the age of Twenty-three in Nineteen fifty five they used this type of cupola’s. There was two which were used in tandem and a lift was used to take the scrap steel, coke and limestone to the top of the cupola and dropped into the furnace below. Air was blown onto the mixture till the scrap steel melted to a very hot temperature which was then run off into ladles and then had the waste slag pulled off prior to pouring into the various moulds in the casting area. After a few years Heads went modern and fitted a new type of cupola using a furnace with a swing top with carbon rods about nine or more inches in diameter in which electricity passed down the carbon rods in turn to cause an electric arc to pass from the rods to the scrap steel and in a short time the steel was melted and pourd into the large ladels prior to pouring into the moulds.
These are mid nineteenth century type blast furnaces in which the blast furnace bell was periodically lifted to allow the coke, ironstone and limestone to fall down into the blast furnace cupola. The tall furnaces on the front side of the blast furnace are probably Neilson stoves. These were used to heat the blast furnace air to about 350deg C. These came to be replaced with Cowper stoves, which was another Teesside inovation.Cowper Stoves are still used today as they alow temperatures up to 1100deg C.
Warners of Stockton also cast the quarter bells and 20cwt hour bell for Darlington Market Hall Clock and the hour bell for Darlington Bank Top Station. When the 1st two bells turned up for the town clock, they were found to be unsuitable as chiming bells. So they were donated to St Cuthberts church Darlington to make up a ring of 8 from the original 6 by the Pease family.
John Warner was my gr gr gr grandfather too, and I have photos and information on him, and a lot of the family. If you get in touch with me, I can tell you a lot more. Google my name. In the meantime, visit the Hertfordshire Mercury newspaper on-line and put “john warner” into the site search. The article titled “Family”s 200-year-old tragedy is revisited” (about 8th on the page when I just checked) tells how John”s first wife Esther was murdered at her parents house in 1807. You will find a picture of John, and one of his second wife Sarah (Esther”s sister). A school & leisure-centre in Hoddesdon (his home town) are named after him.
John Warner was my gr gr gr grandfather, amazing to see this photo of his foundry. I am currently searching for photos of him, would appreciate any assistance.
Were these furnaces better known as Bessemer Convertors?
When I started to work at Head Wrightsons Oxbridge Steel Foundry at the age of Twenty-three in Nineteen fifty five they used this type of cupola’s. There was two which were used in tandem and a lift was used to take the scrap steel, coke and limestone to the top of the cupola and dropped into the furnace below. Air was blown onto the mixture till the scrap steel melted to a very hot temperature which was then run off into ladles and then had the waste slag pulled off prior to pouring into the various moulds in the casting area. After a few years Heads went modern and fitted a new type of cupola using a furnace with a swing top with carbon rods about nine or more inches in diameter in which electricity passed down the carbon rods in turn to cause an electric arc to pass from the rods to the scrap steel and in a short time the steel was melted and pourd into the large ladels prior to pouring into the moulds.
These are mid nineteenth century type blast furnaces in which the blast furnace bell was periodically lifted to allow the coke, ironstone and limestone to fall down into the blast furnace cupola. The tall furnaces on the front side of the blast furnace are probably Neilson stoves. These were used to heat the blast furnace air to about 350deg C. These came to be replaced with Cowper stoves, which was another Teesside inovation.Cowper Stoves are still used today as they alow temperatures up to 1100deg C.
Warners of Stockton also cast the quarter bells and 20cwt hour bell for Darlington Market Hall Clock and the hour bell for Darlington Bank Top Station. When the 1st two bells turned up for the town clock, they were found to be unsuitable as chiming bells. So they were donated to St Cuthberts church Darlington to make up a ring of 8 from the original 6 by the Pease family.
John Warner was my gr gr gr grandfather too, and I have photos and information on him, and a lot of the family. If you get in touch with me, I can tell you a lot more. Google my name. In the meantime, visit the Hertfordshire Mercury newspaper on-line and put “john warner” into the site search. The article titled “Family”s 200-year-old tragedy is revisited” (about 8th on the page when I just checked) tells how John”s first wife Esther was murdered at her parents house in 1807. You will find a picture of John, and one of his second wife Sarah (Esther”s sister). A school & leisure-centre in Hoddesdon (his home town) are named after him.
John Warner was my gr gr gr grandfather, amazing to see this photo of his foundry. I am currently searching for photos of him, would appreciate any assistance.
Graeme is correct. This picture is already listed under this title, Blast furnaces of Warne and Co, Norton Ironworks. It is the Norton Ironworks.