IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF IRON, OR IRON OF A STEELY QUALITY, OR STEEL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Musgrave Watson, of No. 7, Notting Hill Terrace, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON, OR IRON OF A STEELY QUALITY, OR STEEL.”
Sealed the 19th June 1877, and dated the 20th Decembor 187
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Musgrave Watson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1876.
MUSGRAVE WATSON, of No. 7, Notting Hill Terrace, in the County of Middlesex.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, OR IRON OF A STEELY QUALITY,
OR STEEL."
According to my present Invention I prepare iron ore for the production of iron
of a steely quality by compounding it together with fluxing materials, carbonaceous
matter, manganese and prussiate of potash, or other ferrocyanide, or in lieu of the
latter common salt. These substances are ground together and intimately mixed in
a pug mill and damper with water or with a mucilage such as is used for making
artificial fuel, and the compound is then compressed by hydraulic or other suitable
pressure into hard compact lumps. By preference I employ the above substances in
the following proportions, but I do not bind myself to these, as they may be varied
according to the nature of the ore. I take 100 parts of iron ore calcined or
uncalcined, but by preference the former, and sufficient chalk or lime to flux it;
from 10 to 15 parts of coal or other carbonaceous fuel; from 6 to 10 parts of man-
ganese, either in the form of oxide or any other convenient form, and one-half part
of prussiate of potash or of some other ferrocyanide; or in lieu of the latter about 8
parts of common salt may be used, but I prefer the ferrocyanide.
Instead of making these ingredients cohere by the use of water or mucilage, they
may be mixed with a sufficient quantity of pitch or asphalt (free from sulphur) to
make them cohere, and then heated so as to render the pitch or asphalt plastic, after
which the compound is formed into lumps or bricks by pressure. If the iron ores
used require the addition of sand or clay to flux them, a sufficient quantity of these
substances is added to the above ingredients before incorporating them.
The blocks prepared as above described aro then smelted in a blast furnace,
sufficient fuel being interstratified therewith in the manner usually adopted for
smelting iron ores.
For the manufacture of steel I prepare the ingredients for the said lumps or

page_text: blocks in about the following proportions:-100 parts of calcined iron ore, 30 parts
of lime, 10 parts of charcoal, 20 parts of manganese, and one part of ferrocyanide.
The blocks are by preference smelted in the last furnace with purified coke, and
the molten metal is conveyed direct from the furnace to a Bessemer converter and
troated in the usual manner, and if the proper proportions, such as are above set
forth, are used when making the blocks, hardly any, if any, spiegeleisen will be
required in the converter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Musgrave Watson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th June
1877.
_MUSGRAVE WATSON, of No. 7, Notting Hill Terrace, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, OR IRON OF A STEELY QUALITY,
OR STEEL."
According to my present Invention I prepare iron ore for the production of iron
of a steely quality by compounding it-together with fluxing materials, carbonaceous
mattor, manganese, and with or without prussiate of potash or other cyanide, or in
lieu of the latter common salt. These substances are ground together and
intimately mixed in a pug mill and damped with water or with a mucilage such as
is used for making artificial fuel, and the compound is then compressed by hydraulic
or other suitable pressure into hard compact lumps. By preference I employ the
above substances in the following proportions, but I do not bind myself to these, as
they may be varied according to the nature of the ore:-I take 100 parts of iron
ore calcined or uncalcined, but by preference the former, and sufficient chalk or
lime to flux it; from 10 to 15 parts of coal or other carbonaceous fuel; from 6 to
10 parts of manganese, either in the form of oxide or any other convenient form,
and with or without one-half part of prussiate of potash or of some other cyanide;
or in lieu of the latter about 8 parts of common salt may be used, but I prefer the
ferrocyanide. The above proportion of manganese may be increased when harder
iron is to be produced.
Instead of making these ingredients cohere by the use of water or mucilage, they
may be mixed with a sufficient quantity of pitch or asphalt (free from sulphur) to
make them cohore, and then heated so as to render the pitch or asphalt plastic,
after which the compound is formed into lumps or bricks by pressure. If the iron
ores used require the addition of sand or clay to flux them, a sufficient quantity of
these substances is added to the above ingredients before incorporating them.
The blocks prepared as above described are then smelted in a blast furnace,
sufficient fuel being interstratified therewith in the manner usually adopted for
smelting iron ores.
For the manufacture of steel I prepare the ingredients for the said lumps or
blocks in about the following proportions:-100 parts of calcined iron ore, 30 parts
of lime, 10 parts of charcoal or charred peat, 30 parts of manganese, more or less,
and with or without one part of prussiate of potash or some other cyanide,
or 8 parts more or less of common salt. The blocks are by preference smelted in
the blast furnace with purified coke, and the molten metal is conveyed direct from
the furnace to a Bessemer converted and treated in the usual manner, and if tho
proper proportions, such as are above set forth, are used when making the blocks,
hardly any, if any, spiegeleisen will be required in the converter.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the compounding
of iron ore with fluxing material, carbonaceous matter, and aglutinating material
for the manufacture of iron and steel, as I am aware that this has already been done,
but I claim,-
First. The manufacture of iron, or iron of a steely quality, or steel by com-

page_text: pounding iron ore with fluxing material, carbonaceous matter, and manganese, the
said compound being formed into lumps by the addition of agglutinating material
or by pressure, and then treated substantially as herein described.
Second. In compounding iron ore with other materials for the manufacture of iron
and steel in the manner described in the preceding claim, the addition of prussiate
of potash or other cyanide, or in lieu thereof common salt, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Musgrave Watson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven,