IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL." -A communi-
cation from abroad by Charles Motier Nes, of York, Pennsylvania,.
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st February 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," a
communication to me from abroad by Charles Motier Nes, of York,
Pennsylvania, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention involves the employment in the production of iron
and steel of a magnetic silicide of iron ore, sometimes known as codorus

page_text: .
ore, which is found in Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania,
and in other localities.
ore or
1. To make steel from cast or wrought iron, or to improve the
quality of said iron, I make a bath of the said ore, either alone or
mixed with mill cinder or other ingredients. I prefer to use the ore and
mill cinder in equal proportions. The bath is prepared by melting the
ore and cinder in the basin or hearth of a reverbatory or
puddling furnace, or other suitable furnace. When the ingredients of
the bath are thoroughly melted and boiled together I place in the bath
wrought or cast iron formed into any shape desired, and allow it to
remain until it comes to a white heat, and then take it out. When a
hard steel is desired I chill it in water. In case a softer metal is
desired I use a sand bath for cooling, in order that the process may be
more gradual. By this process of immersion articles of wrought or
cast iron, such as horse shoes, axe heads, &c., can be converted quickly
into steel. In the same way iron railroad rails may be so converted.
2. The ore above named is also effective as a flux to weld iron and
steel, whether wrought or cast. I take the melted ore and pour it over
the parts to be welded, and then proceed with the usual welding process.
Or I can dip the parts in the melted ore. Or in lieu of melted ore
powdered ore may be used, as blacksmiths use clay or borax.
3. To make steel in a crucible from wrought iron I proceed
as follows: I cut up the iron, whether old horse shoes, scrap, or other
wrought iron, and fill the crucible (a crucible of the usual construction,
like those used for making cast steel) with the iron and the ore above
named in the proportion of one hundred pounds of wrought metal to
from a quarter to five pounds of ore. These proportions may be widely
varied, but I find the best results attained within the limits specified.
Charcoal in quantity from one to ten ounces may be added to the charge
if preferred. I then place the crucible in the furnace and melt and boil
together the iron and ore, which operation will take, say, three or four
hours. By this time a fine steel will have been produced, and I take
the crucible out of the furnace and pour from it the molten steel into
moulds of any desired shape.
4. To purify or refine iron, or to make cast or wrought steel in a
reverberatory or puddling furnace I proceed as follows:-I employ a
puddling or reverberatory furnace, in most respects of the usual con-

page_text: struction, but with a hearth or basin made exceedingly refractory, on
account of the intense heat to which the lining must be subjected. I
use chill boxes for the sides, and insert water tuyeres through them, as
in an ordinary refinery. I line the whole of the inside of the furnace
except the tuyere holes with fire-brick made of. kaolin, plumbago, and
asbestos, and I spread over the fire-brick a composition or mortar of the
same materials to make the lining still more refractory. From the
water tuyeres I blow from a pressure blast into the charge for the
purpose of decarbonizing the metal.
Other means for making the furnace refractory may of course be used
in place of those above specified.
To purify or refine iron I charge the furnace with pig iron or other
iron to be purified, say 500 lbs. more or less, the] ordinary quantity of
hammer slag or mill cinder, and from 5 to 10 per cent. of the ore above
named. I then turn on the blast, at the same time stirring the metal
as the charge melts until it thickens or comes to nature. Owing to
rapid decarbonization the beat will occupy but about thirty minutes;
the silicon in the ore unites with the iron, and a superior quality of
metal is obtained. When the metal comes to nature I ball it up and
put it under the hammer.
To make wrought steel I put in the furnace a charge consisting of
say from 500 to 1,000 lbs. of pig or other iron mixed with from 15 to 20
per cent. of the ore, and also with a suitable quantity of mill cinder or
hammer slag. I proceed to melt and blow into this charge as above
described, stirring it slightly. When the metal granulates or comes to
nature I shut off the blast, ball up the metal, and bring it under the
hammer. A superior wrought steel is thus made.
To produce cast steel I charge the furnace with a charge like that last
named for making wrought steel, and as above described proceed to melt
and blow into the mass. Just before or when it tends to come to nature,
I throw in from 10 20 lbs. of fine charcoal, which keeps the metal
intensely hot and preserves its fluidity. When the metal has attained
the proper condition I tap it off into moulds of any desired shape.
'
When the charcoal is thrown in I can also at the same time throw in
a small quantity of zinc, copper, lead, or other suitable metal, say from
1 oz. to 1 lb.; it will assist the charcoal in maintaining fluidity.
:

page_text: 66
To prevent the enclosing of air in the ingots, forming what is called
honeycomb," I divide the molten metal as it passes to the mould into
small streams by passing it through a sieve made of asbestos strands, or
by other suitable means. In this way I am enabled very effectually
to prevent formation of “honeycomb."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," a communication to
me from abroad by Charles Motier Nes, of York, Pennsylvania, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say:—
The said Invention consists in the employment as herein-after described
for the production of iron and steel of a magnetic silicide of iron ore,
sometimes known as codorus ore, which is found in Heidelberg Town-
ship, York County, Pennsylvania, and in other localities.
In order to make steel according to this Invention from cast or
wrought iron, or to improve the quality of said iron, a bath is made of
the said ore, either alone or mixed with mill cinder or other ingredients.
It is preferred to use the ore and mill cinder in equal proportions. The
bath is prepared by melting the ore or ore and cinder in the basin or
hearth of reverberatory or puddling furnace, or other suitable furnace.
When the ingredients of the bath are thoroughly melted and boiled
together there is placed in the bath wrought or cast iron formed
into any shape desired, which is allowed to remain until it comes to a
white heat, when it is taken out. If a hard steel be desired it is chilled
in water. In case a softer metal be desired a sand bath is employed for
cooling, in order that the process may be more gradual. By this process
of immersion articles of wrought or cast iron, such as horse shoes, axe
heads, and the like, can be converted quickly into steel. In the same
way iron railway rails may be so converted.
The ore above named is also effective as a flux to weld iron and steel,
whether wrought or cast. For this purpose the melted ore is to be
poured over the parts to be welded, after which the usual welding
process is proceeded with. Or the parts may be dipped in the melted
ore. Or in lieu of melted ore powdered ore may be used, as blacksmiths
use-clay or borax.
In order to make steel in a crucible from wrought iron, the iron,.
whether old horse shoes, scrap, or other wrought iron, is to be cut up,
and the crucible (a crucible of the usual construction, like those used
for making cast steel) is to be filled with the said iron and the ore above
named in the proportions of 100 lbs. of wrought metal to from / to
5 lbs. of ore.
These proportions may be widely varied, but the best
results are attained within the limits specified.
from one to ten ounces, may be added to the charge if preferred. The
Charcoal, in quantity

page_text: crucible is then placed in the furnace and the iron and ore are melted
and boiled together, which operation will take, say, three or four hours.
By this time a fine steel will have been produced; the crucible is then
removed from the furnace, and the molten steel is poured from it into
moulds of any desired shape.
In order to purify or refinc iron, or to make cast or wrought steel in
a reverberatory or puddling furnace, a puddling or. reverberatory furnace
in most respects of the usual construction is employed, but with a
hearth or basin made exceedingly refractory on account of the intense
heat to which the lining must be subjected. Chill boxes are used for
the sides, water tuyeres are inserted through them, as in an ordinary
refinery. The whole of the inside of the furnace, except the tuyere
holes, is lined with fire-brick made of kaolin, plumbago, and asbestos,
and over the fire-brick there is to be spread a composition or motar of
the same materials, so as to make the lining still more refractory. From
the water tuyeres a pressure blast is blown into the charge for the
purpose of decarbonizing the metal.
Other means for making the furnace refractory may of course be used
in place of those above specified.
In order to purify or refine iron the furnace is to be charged with pig
iron or other iron to be purified, say five hundred pounds more or less, the
ordinary quantity of hammer slag or mill cinder, and from five to ten per
cent. of the ore above named. The blast is then turned on, at the same
time the metal is stirred as the charge melts until it thickens or comes to
nature. Owing to rapid decarbonization the heat will occupy but about
thirty minutes; the silicon in the ore unites with the iron, and a
superior quality of metal is obtained. When the metal comes to nature
it is balled up and put under the hammer.
In order to make wrought steel there is to be put in the furnace a
charge consisting of say from five hundred to one thousand pounds of
pig or other iron mixed with from fifteen to twenty per cent. of the ore
above named, and also with a suitable quantity of mill cinder or
hammer slag. Air is then blown into this charge, and it is melted as
above described, it being at the same time kept slightly stirred. When
the metal granulates or comes to nature the blast is shut off and the metal
is balled up and brought under the hammer. A superior wrought steel
is thus made.

page_text: To produce cast steel the furnace is to be charged with a charge like
that last named for making wrought steel, which charge as above
described is to be melted and the mass blown into. Just before or when
it tends to come to nature, from ten to 20 pounds of fine charcoal is
thrown in, which keeps the metal intensely hot and preserves its fluidity.
When the metal has attained the proper condition it is tapped off into
moulds of any desired shape.
When the charcoal is thrown in there can also at the same time be
thrown in a small quantity of zinc, copper, lead, or other suitable metal,
say from one ounce to one pound, which will assist the charcoal in
maintaining fluidity.
In order to prevent the enclosing of air in the ingots, forming what
is called "honeycomb," the molten metal is divided as it passes to the
mould into small streams by passing through a sieve made of asbestos
strands, or by other suitable means. In this way the formation of
'honeycomb" is very effectually prevented.
6
The proportions above given for the iron and ore may be varied
without affecting the Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day
of July One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
'
J. HENRY JOHNSON.. (L.S.)