Improvements in the Manufacture of Cast Steel and in Apparatus Used in the said Manufacture.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 1st Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cast Steel and in Apparatus
Used in the said Manufacture.
We FRANCIS HENRY LLOYD of Wood Green Wednesbury in the County of
Stafford Iron Master and HENRY WHITE of Denvent Gold Tops Newport in the
County of Monmouth Iron and Steel Founder do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows :-
Our invention has for its object to expedite and improve the manufacture of cast
steel while retaining the advantages of the open hearth process for the manufacture of
sound steel castings and ingots and steel of special temper. Our said invention
consists of the process or combination of processes hereinafter described and the
apparatus by which the said manufacture is conducted.
Our invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of steel castings but our
sait invention is also applicable to the manufacture of ingots cored castings in chills
or other forms of cast metal. Castings and ingots made according to our invention
are free or nearly free from flaws and blow holes and our method of manufacture
enables us readily to give to the steel produced the particular chemical composition
that may be desired.
We will describe the process or combination of processes by which we manufacture
cast steel or ingot metal in combination with the apparatus we employ.
In manufacturing cast steel according to our invention we take highly carbonised
pig iron.
We melt the said pig iron in a cupola with or without a proportion of
scrap iron or steel.
In close proximity to the cupola in which the metal is melted
and connected therewith is a fixed converter into which the molten metal is allowed
to run. After the said fixed converter has been sufficiently charged with melted iron
from the cupola air is blown through the melted iron in the converter as is well
understood. By treatment in the converter the iron has been wholly or nearly
decarbonized its temperature has been raised and it is in a highly liquid state and
ready to be run into the open hearth furnace which has already been heated and
contains a charge of molten or highly heated metal together with the alloys necessary
to produce steel of the desired quality and composition. The steel is sampled froin

page_text: time to time during its treatment in the open hearth furnace until a button is obtained
which will stand the required tests the temperature is brought to the desired point
the final additions are then made according to the usual practice in the open hearth
furnace and the metal is run into a ladle and thence into casting ingot or other
moulds.
By our invention the manufacture of cast steel by the open hearth process is much
expedited as charges may be obtained from the open hearth furnace every three or
four hours or oftener if required and facilities for sampling are afforded which are
unattainable when the metal is cast direct from the converter.
In the manufacture of heavy castings we provide for feeding the same by pre-
paring a second charge of exceeding hot and very liquid metal which is used directly
from the converter for feeding the heads of the castings the preparation of the said
second chargo being so arranged that it shall be ready for use at the precise time at
which it is required to feed the heads of the casting.
The linings of the converter and open hearth furnace may be either acid or basic or
one may be acid and the other basic according to the character of the impurities in
the iron to be treated.
קוז
1
1027
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cast Steel and in Apparatus
Used in the said Manufacture.
WO FRANCIS HENRY LLOYD of Wood Green, Wednesbury in the County of
Stafford, Iron Master and HENRY WHITE of Denvent Gold Tops, Newport, in the
County of Monmouth, Iron and Steel Founder do hereby declare the nature of our
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention has for its object to expedito and improve the manufacture of cast
steel while retaining the advantages of the open hearth process for the manufacture of
sound steel castings and ingots ad steel of special temper.
Our said invention consists of the process or combination of processos hereinafter
described and the apparatus by which the said manufacture is conducted.
Our invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of steel castings but our
said invention is also applicable to the manufacture of ingots, cored castings in chills
or other forms of cast metal. Castings and ingots made according to our invention
are free or nearly free from flaws and blow holes and our method of manufacture
enables us readily to give to the sieel produced the particular chemical composition
that
may be desired.
We will describe the process or combination of processes by which we manufacture
cast sicel or ingot metal in combination with the apparatus we employ.
In manufacturing cast steel according to our invention we take highly carbonized
pig iron.
We melt the said pig iron in a cupola with or without a proportion of
scrap iron or steel. In close proximity to the cupola in which the metal is melted
and connected therewith is a fixed converter into which the molten metal is allowed
to run. Or the molten metal may be brought direct from the blast furnace. After
the said fixed converter has been sufficiently charged with melted iron from the
cupola air is blown through the melted iron in the converter as is well understood.
By treatment in the converter the iron has been wholly or nearly decarbonized its
temperature has been raised and it is in a highly liquid state and ready to be run into
the open hearth furnace which has already been heated and contains a charge of
molten or highly heated metal together with the alloys necessary to produce steel of
the desired quality and composition. The metal is run from the converter into the
open hearth furnace. The steel is sampled from time to time during its treatment in
the open hearth furnace until a button is obtained which will stand the required tests,
the temperature is brought to the desired point the final additions are then made
according to the usual practice in the open hearth furnace and the metal is run into a
ladle and thence into casting ingot and other moulds.
By our invention the manufacture of cast steel by the open hearth process is much
expedited as charges may be obtained from the open hearth furnace every three or
four hours or oftener if required and facilities for sampling are afforded which are

page_text: unattainable when the metal is cast direct from the converter. In the manufacture of
heavy castings we provide for feeding the same by preparing a second charge of
exceeding hot and very liquid metal which is used directly from the converter for
foeding the heads of the casting the preparation of the said second charge being so
arranged that it shall be ready for use at the precise time at which is required to
feed the heads of the casting. The linings of the converter and open hearth furnace
may be either acid or basic or one may be acid and the other basic according to the
character of the impurities in the iron to be treated.
We will now proceed to describe in detail the manner in which our invention is to
be performed.
Our said invention consists essentially of the combination of the processes commonly
known as the fixed converter process and the open hearth process. We are aware
that prior to the date of our application a process of manufacture had been proposed
in which melted iron from the ordinary Bessemer converter is poured into the open
hearth furnace or that such a process has been suggested for expediting and improving
the manufacture of iron and steel but the process in question involves many difficulties
and it would be inconvenient if not impracticable to erect a converter plant of the
usual type in close proximity to an open hearth furnace so that metal could be
transferred from the former into the latter without the use of a ladle.
By constructing and arranging the furnaces or apparatus according to our invention,
the melted converted metal can be run into the open hearth furnace without the
expensive plant required when the usual Bessemer process of conversion is carried
out and without the complication by which it has been proposed to attain the same
object by combining a converter with the open hearth or attempting conversion by
blast in the open hearth furnace itself or in a plant directly connected with the open
hearth furnace.
In constructing an apparatus for the manufacture of cast steel according to our
invention we place a fixed converter with an acid, that is, a siliceous lining in such a
position that the metal after decarbonization or partial decarbonization in the con-
verter may be tapped and the melted metal run through a connecting trough or
runner directly into the open hearth furnace. Our plant however is so arranged that
the converted metal may be run either into the open hearth furnace with a basic
lining or into a ladle from the fixed converter. Or the fixed converter may have a
basic lining and the converted metal from the said converter may run into an open
hearth furnace having an acid or siliceous lining, care being taken to prevent any
large quantity of basic slag from entering the acid lined furnace.
The converter and open hearth furnace we employ differ in no essential respect
from converters and open hearth furnaces previously constructed and when the
converter and open hearth furnace are so placed as to be readily connected according
to our invention they may be worked independently for the production of ingot metal
or castings, the novelty of our plan consisting in using a converter with an acid lining
in combination with an open hearth furnace with a basic lining or a converter with a
basic lining in combination with an open hearth furnace with an acid lining and
further in so placing these separate plants one with a basic and the other with an acid
lining or both basic or both acid in proximity and in such a position that converted
metal may be run direct from the fixed converter into the open hearth furnace. By
our process a very greatly increased production of an open hearth plant results and
the composition of the converted metal can be regulated in a manner unattainable
with metal run directly from a fixed converter into a ladle.
We prefer to conduct the manufacture in the following way. Pig iron forming a
part of the charge for the open hearth furnace is melted with scrap iron or steel in an
open hearth furnace or scrap alone is brought to a very high temperature in the open
hearth furnace. Molten iron run from a cupola or brought from a Blast furnace is
run into a fixed converter situated in close proximity to the said furnace and is
therein converted into steel by blowing air through it. When the molten iron
is wholly or partially decarbonized the tapping hole is opened and without entirely
stopping the blast on the converted metal the decarbonized metal is allowed to run

page_text: through a channel or trough from the fixed converter into the open hearth furnace
where a charge of scrap or of pig iron and scrap at a very high temperature and
preferably in a liquid or semi liquid state has been prepared to receive it. The hot
converted metal brings the whole charge into a state of complete fusion and the
temperature of the open hearth furnace is maintained until the whole charge is ready
for casting. Where it is desired to retain in the finished product alloys of Chromium
or other metals we prepare the bath in the open hearth furnace containing the
desired amount of these alloys and the combined process offers special facilities for
producing a finished product containing a definite amount of such alloys which are
lost or wasted by the longer open hearth process or by the ordinary method of
atinospheric conversion but which are more readily retained in definite quantities by
the combined process.
The difficulty of adding such alloys towards the end of the
process and thereby chilling the metal is also obviated by having the bath containing
the alloys prepared to receive the mixture of converted or decarbonized metal.
In the manufacture of heavy castings we proceed as follows:-When the casting
charge is sampled and found to be ready for tapping into the foundry ladle a special
charge is made ready in the before mentioned fixed converter and the blowing is
continued until the most suitable moment when the said feeding charge may be
tapped into the auxiliary ladle placed in readiness for the purpose. "This ladle follows
the casting ladle as quickly as possible so that the heads or columns of liquid metal
may be fed with extremely hot metal almost immediately after they are cast. By
this means the greater part of the metal carefully prepared for the manufacture of
castings may be used for that purpose whilst the metal required for feeding the same
and for the large heads necessary to ensure sound work may be made of a cheaper
but nevertheless more suitable metal for the purpose for which it is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention and
the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim as our
invention of "Improvements in the manufacture of cast steel and in apparatus used
in the said manufacture."
First Manufacturing steel castings and ingots by the process or combination of
processes substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly The arrangement of a fixed converter plant in such a position that the
molten metal may be run from it either direct into a ladle or into the open hearth
furnace for further treatment substantially as herein before described.
Thirdly The use of a basic lining in the open hearth furnace whilst the converter
is acid lined or the reverse whereby the advantage is obtained of being able to
dephosphorise one portion of the charge and mix it with another portion of purer
metal which does not require dephosphorisation and which is consequently treated in
a vessel containing a siliceous lining.
Fourthly The use of a plant for the manufacture of castings so arranged that
when a casting of large dimensions has been made from the open hearth furnace it
may be fed by an auxiliary ladle of exceedingly hot converted metal prepared for this
purpose and following the casting ladle so as to add hot converted metal to the heads
or risers of such casting before they are set.
IYA HAD
1.
1004
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.