Page:Experimental researches in chemistry and.djvu/270

1829.] on ledges at the sides, and upon the ends of fire-bricks in the middle, firmly placed at intervals so as neither to stop the passage for smoke and flame, nor the cross passages for the introduction of coke.

48. The value of the coke arrangement in this as in the other furnace is very great. The heat obtained by the united action of the coke and the flame from the tire-place, is abundantly sufficient, and, whilst obtained at the necessary point, does not involve that degree of mechanical action required for stoking and stirring, which is necessary with coals, and would risk the destruction of the soft thin bottom of the glass chamber. It further occasioned the perfect combustion of the smoke produced in the coal fire, which at first was so considerable in quantity that, had it continued unaltered, the experiments must have been removed from the Royal Institution; in which case they would probably have been discontinued altogether.

The flue is the same as that connected with the former furnace, and has a damper for regulating the heat, especially useful during the annealing operation.

49. The chamber was at first of cast iron, that material being selected as one which would bear a sufficient temperature without melting, would conduct and transmit the heat freely to the substances within, and could be easily obtained of the requisite form. The upper aperture was closed by plate-iron covers, and in the first trials all appeared to answer well; but when large experiments were made, and the heat was continued for a long time, the bottom gave way and became irregular: and upon endeavouring to rectify this, and place the tray of glass level by means of sand, the transmission of heat to the glass was prevented, the temperature of the iron rose, and the bottom melted. Besides these injurious liabilities, if the smallest portion of glass passed out of the tray, the moment it touched the iron it was reduced, the lead immediately caused fusion of the platinum, and in an instant the tray was destroyed, the experiment stopped, the glass rendered black and useless, and the bottom of the chamber covered with lead and rendered unfit for another operation.

50. Finally, one very curious action of the iron was discovered, which immediately caused its rejection. Plates of