IMPROVEMENTS IN BESSEMER CONVERTERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sidney Gilchrist Thomas of Palace Chambers Bridge
Street Westminster for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN BESSEMER
CONVERTERS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sidney Gilchrist Thomas
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1882.
SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS of Palace Chambers Bridge Street Westminster
IMPROVEMENTS IN BESSEMER CONVERTERS
My invention consists in an improved construction of Bessemer Converters by
which the advantages of both the tipping and fixed systems of Converters are
united. To obtain this result I construct my converter of any convenient shape
but preferably either cylindrical or elliptical with either a concentric circular or
hood shaped head and mount it on two rockers, one at each side, so arranged that
the vessel may be readily.tipped to one side or the other on these rockers by a
very slight force. On the front side of the vessel I place a tapping hole and on the
opposite side a row of side twyers of large diameter. These may be either arranged
at different elevations above the bottom, which I prefer, or all at one level. In
this way when the vessel is rocked by a lever or other arrangement into its
inclined tipping position the twyers are lifted clear of the metal and the blow can
be instantaneously stopped at any desired point. This is especially useful in my
basic dephosphorising process. The bottom section of the converter is preferably
made readily detachable so that it can be renewed at pleasure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Sidney Gilchrist Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
29th September 1882.
SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS of Palace Chambers Bridge Street Westminster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BESSEMER CONVERTERS"
My invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of Bessemer
converters by which the advantages of both the fixed and tipping systems are
gained. As is well known, the rack and pinion or screw and worm tipping gear
ordinarily used to turn the vessel on trunnion is costly and complicated, while the
use of the ordinary construction of tipping converter necessitates the employment
of a high-pressure of blast. The whole apparatus is therefor very costly. The
simpler and cheaper fixed converter has been on the other-hand-entirely abandoned
on account of the extreme difficulty of stopping the blow and tapping-the-metal. at
the right moment and producing uniform quality By my invention I unite a
simple aud economical form of construction and mode of operating the movement
of the vessel with perfect control over the termination of the blow the taking of
samples and the interruption-and-recommencement of the blow at will. To obtain
these results I construct my converter of any convenient shape but preferably as..
shown in the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification. It
-may-be-either circular or elliptical in horizontal section, I, on the whole prefer it
to be elliptical the longer axis being parallel-to-the-rockers-;-or-semicircular on the
blowing side and elliptical on the tapping side. The upper part can have a hood,
shaped as is general with Bessemer Converters or have a concentric shape like an
inverted truncated cone The body I prefer to be of larger diameter at the bottom
than at the top as shewn in the drawing but it may be cylindrical. In place of
revolving the converter on trunnions and pouring out and receiving the metal
through the mouth of the vessel I mount the vessel on rockers A B and C D
(Figures I and II) on which the vessel will oscillate with the application of a very
small force Figure I represents an elevation of the converter seen from behind
Figure II represents a side elevation. Figure III represents a plan of the vessel
shewing the position of the steel ladle Figure IV is an enlarged sectional view of
the blast box and a tuyere The rockers may be attached to the vessel either abovo
or below the point indicated in the drawing according as it is desired to facilitato
the motion of the vessel more or less. The vessel is provided with side tuyeres on
one side only, and has no tuyeres on the tapping side The blast can be introduced
through a jointed or flexible pipe B into the blast box E' I prefer that the lower
section of the converter should be attached to the body of the converter by bolts
and cotters as shewn, but this is not indispensable nor do I claim it as part of my
invention. The tuyeres T should be of large size, the blast openings being
preferably of one inch or more in diameter, the line of tuyeres may be either
parallel to the bottom of the converter or inclined to it as shewn at T¹ in dotted
lines in the drawing.
In the latter case the vessel when blowing should be inclined in the opposite
direction to that at which the vessel is inclined for tapping so that all the tuyeres
may be at the same depth from the surface of the metal The tilting of the vessel
on its rockers may be effected either by hand, by means of a long lever or by a
small hydraulic or steam ram, or a rack and pinion or other simple analogous
contrivance A catch or wedge F is arranged so as to hold the vessel at any
required angle. In another form of my invention the vessel may be swung in the
usual way on trunnions and the vessel moved by a screw and worm wheel, the

page_text: tuyeres being on the one side of the vessel and the tapping hole on the other side
as above described. This arrangement is however less convenient and less
economical. In blowing a charge of metal, the pig iron having been run into the
vessel through the opening G (the blast being previously turned on) the iron is
blown either with the vessel in a vertical position, or if the tuyeres are arranged
in the inclined position (as just mentioned) the vessel is kept tilted to the right
When the flame indicates that the blow is finished, the vessel is rapidly rocked or
tilted over to the position, A'B' shewn in dotted lines so that the tuyeres are lifted
clear of the metal and the blast turned off, the metal is then tapped from the tap
hole H This tap-hole may be immediately above the level of the bottom or some-
what higher, in which latter case, the stopping of the tap-hole may be lighter and
therefore more easily opened If however it be found before tapping that the
blower has been misled by the flame indication the vessel may be rocked back
again to the blowing position and blown again till finished. It is also sometimes
desirable to rock over the vessel into such a position that while the majority of
the tuyeres are blowing under the metal, one or two are blowing across the surfaco
of the metal so as to rapidly consume the carbonic oxide liberated and keep the
slag in an oxidising atmosphere. It will be seen that by the aid of this invention,
1st That the blow can be stopped at the exact moment desired. 2nd That a blow
having been stopped to test a sample it may be resumed and finished with perfect
facility 3rd That the position of the tuyeres with relation to the surface of the
bath may be varied as required 4th That no expensive machinery is required to
effect the tipping of the vessel 5th That the wear of the lining of the upper part
of the vessel will be much diminished
Having thus described the nature of my invention and how the same may be
practically employed What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
1st The improved construction of Bessemer vessels with tuyere holes or tuyeres
on one side only of their circumference, and a tapping hole on the other side, said
vessels being capable of oscillation substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and for the purposes set forth
2nd The hereinbefore described arrangements for tipping and tapping Bessemer
vessels provided with side tuyeres so that when tipped for the purpose of dis-
charging, the tuyeres will be above the metal all substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Sidney Gilchrist Thomas have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Eighteenth day of September 1882.