THE NOVEL APPLICATION OF THE SLAGS OR REFUSE MATTERS OBTAINED DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF METALS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Robinson, of the Town and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Physician, for the Invention of "THE
NOVEL APPLICATION OF THE SLAGS OR REFUSE MATTERS OBTAINED
DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF METALS."
Sealed the 13th January 1854, and dated the 27th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Robinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th August 1858.
I, GEORGE ROBINSON, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "THE NOVEL APPLICATION OF THE SLAGS OR REFUSE
MATTERS OBTAINED DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF METALS" to be as
follows:-
The refuse matters which I propose to use for the purposes of this
Patent are the slags formed in the processes of manufacturing, pud-
dling, and refining iron and copper. These slags are crystalline in
their structure, metallic in appearance, and contain iron or copper
in various proportions, combined with silica and other earthy sub-
stances. I propose to use these refuse materials while they are in a

page_text: fluid state (that fluidity being derived either from the heat of the
furnace in which they are first formed, or from their being afterwards
re-melted in any convenient manner).
The molten slag or refuse matters may be used to form various useful
articles, after the following processes :—
In order to communicate to the fluid mass such shape or form as
may be desired a convenient quantity is to be run into iron or other
suitable moulds, similar to those used for obtaining metal castings, or,
if large sheets or slabs are required, the molten materials may be
poured upon an iron table artificially heated, and should be rolled out
thereon by machinery to any requisite thickness, somewhat in the
manner used in manufacturing plate glass, or by any other suitable
arrangement, the mechanical contrivances for effecting this object not
being of the essence of the Invention.
In order to prevent the castings and plates thus formed from split-
ting or cracking they are at once to be transferred to an annealing
kiln, and there allowed to cool gradually.
The plates or sheets thus formed may be applied to the purposes of
paving, roofing, and building. Blocks for paving streets, roads, or
ways may also be cast in moulds. Other articles, such as. chimney
pieces, ornaments, tombs, gravestones, &c., may also be cast in suitable
moulds
'SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Robinson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE ROBINSON, of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Physician, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Robinson, Her special license

page_text: that I, the said George Robinson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Robinson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the terni
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 "THE NOVEL
APPLICATION OF THE SLAGS OR REFUSE MATTERS OBTAINED DURING THE MA
NUFACTURE OF METALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Robinson, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Robinson, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 slags or refuse matters which I propose to apply to various
novel purposes are the slags formed in the various processes of manu-
facturing, puddling, and refining iron and other metals, and my
Invention consists in the conversion of the molten slag into sheets
or plates by pouring it upon an iron or other table artificially heated,
whereon it may, by means of rolling or pressing, be reduced to any
requisite thickness, according to the purpose for which it is intended
to be used. The plates thus formed are afterwards annealed by being
allowed to cool gradually in any suitable furnace.
The sheets or plates thus formed and produced may be employed
for roofing and other useful purposes for which they may be considered
applicable.
Having thus stated in general terms the object of my Invention,
I will now proceed to describe the manner in which I propose to carry
the same into effect.
The slags best adapted for the formation of sheets or plates by the

page_text: processes about to be described are those of a metallic appearance, and
which are more or less crystalline in structure, and contain iron or
other metals in various proportions, combined with silica and other
earthly substances. They are variously termed, but may be easily
recognised by the above description.
These slags or refuse matters are to be used while they are in a fluid
state, that fluidity being derived either from the heat of the furnace in
which they are first formed, or from their being afterwards remelted
in any convenient manner. And in order to form from these refuse
matters the sheets or plates required the molten slag is to be poured
upon an iron or other table artificially heated, and is to be pressed or
rolled out. thereon by suitable machinery to any requisite thickness
after the manner used in manufacturing plate glass, or by any other
suitable mechanical arrangements, which will readily suggest them-
selves to any intellegent mechanic, as the mechanical contrivances for
effecting this object do not form any part of the Invention. The sheets
or plates thus formed are at once to be transferred to a suitable
annealing furnace previously heated, and there allowed to cool gradu-
ally, (for from six to eight days, or even less,) and when cold the sheets
may be employed for roofing buildings, covering walls, and for many
other useful purposes.
These sheets or plates, while in a plastic state, may likewise be cut,
perforated, and ornamented by means of suitable clevations and
depressions on the rollers by which they are formed; for instance,
rough sheets of suitable thickness having been obtained on the table,
slabs with mouldings or other ornaments thercon may be produced
by causing dies or engraved or ornamented rollers to press on the
upper surface of the sheets, and produce any impression that may be
required. These slabs must of course be annealed in the same way as
the thin sheets above mentioned.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish to be understood that I am
aware that slags have heretofore been cast into blocks in moulds, and
have been employed for paving and such like purposes; I do not
therefore intend to claim the application of blocks cast in moulds, nor

page_text: do I intend to confine myself to any particular mechanical contrivances
for forming or producing the sheets or slabs, as above mentioned. But
that which I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as new in
the above improvement, is,―
First, the formation of sheets, plates, or slabs of various thicknesses
from the slags or refuse matters obtained during the manufacture of
metals by rolling or otherwise pressing the molten slag on tables
artificially heated.
Second, I claim the application of the sheets, plates, or slabs thus
formed to roofing and other useful purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Robinson, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, the Twenty-third day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
four.