IMPROVE- M O DI IDAN OD RESTER METAL.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith Dixon, of Number 14, Grosvenor
Place, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
M
O DI IDAN OD RESTER METAL. "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith Dixon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th September 1872.
I, WILLIAM SMITH DIXON, of Number 14, Grosvenor Place, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLUTE IRON OR REFINED METAL,"
to be as follows:-
An improved process of manufacturing what is technically termed
refined metal or plute iron.
According to my improved process instead of melting pig iron in the
refinery and treating it in the usual way a full charge of ore of the kind
herein-after mentioned (about a ton) is fused in an iron finery or open
fire with blast pipes on each side, which leaves a hard pasty mass at the
bottom of the finery of so hard a nature that it will not run when
tapped. Pig or cast iron is then charged, which when melted down
licks up or attracts the iron left in the bottom of the finery from the
preceding fusing of the ore, and liquifying the whole, it is afterwards
tapped in the usual manner. The plute iron or refined mixed metal

page_text: from this process is of a very superior quality. The ore may also be
charged along with pig or cast iron in proportions varying according to
the quality of iron required, and then charged in the proportion of five
parts of cast or pig iron to one part of the ore, the liquidity of the pig
or cast iron overcoming the tendency of the ore to solidify at the bottom
enables charge after charge to be wrought without raising the bottom of
the finery. In proportion as more ore is used relatively to the pig or
cast iron the better will be found to be the quality of the iron produced.
In making extra qualities of mall iron bars and plutes from the
"plute iron," or refined metal produced from the above process, the
plute iron or refined metal is next charged in a puddling furnace of any
suitable plan or shape, and is puddled in the usual manner.
The great
difference of the working of this plute iron or refined metal in the
puddling furnace is the quickness with which it comes to maturity.
The better the quality of the plute iron or refined metal (or the plute
iron or refined metal produced in the finery from the greatest proportion
of ore) the quicker it works in the puddling furnace, and the produce of
each furnace is considerably increased without additional labour to the
puddler. The puddled iron is hammered and rolled into puddled bar; it is
then cut down, reheated, and rolled into bars and plutes of an extra
quality without undergoing any further reheating; but it may also be
refined still further by cutting down, reheating, and hammering it for
very special qualities of malleable iron and steel.
The ore which I find may be advantageously used in the above process
is of a light blue color, and is found in Italy in the province of Tuscany,
but I do not confine myself solely to the use of this particular ore, as
other ores of a like quality may be employed.
•
The one in question is found on being analysed to contain―
Peroxide of iron (with a very little protoxide)
Silica and alumina
Carbonate of lime
Carbonate of magnesia
Oxide of manganese
Dhoohanna (faint turanl
90.52
3.64
5.48
0.11
0.08
0.00

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Smith Dixon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th March 1873..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SMITH DIXON, of Number 14, Grosvenor Place, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Smith Dixon, Her special
licence that I, the said William Smith Dixon, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Smith Dixon, 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
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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLUTE IRON OR REFINED METAL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Smith Dixon, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Smith Dixon, 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 :-
My Invention relates to an improved process of manufacturing what
is technically termed refined metal or plute iron.
According to my improved process instead of melting pig iron in the

page_text: refinery and treating it in the usual way a full charge of ore of the kind
herein-after mentioned (about a ton) is fused in an iron finery or open
fire with blast pipes on each side, which leaves a hard pasty mass at the
bottom of the finery of so hard a nature that it will not run when tapped.
Pig or cast iron is then charged, which, when melted down, licks up or
attracts the iron left in the bottom of the finery from the preceding
fusing of the ore, and liquifying the whole, it is afterwards tapped in the
usual manner. The plute iron or refined mixed metal from this process
is of a very superior quality. The ore may also be charged along with
pig or cast iron in proportions varying according to the quality of iron
required, and then charged in the proportion of five parts of cast or pig
iron to one part of the ore; the liquidity of the pig or cast iron over-
coming the tendency of the ore to solidify at the bottom, enables charge
after charge to be wrought without raising the bottom of the finery. In
proportion as more ore is used relatively to the pig or cast iron the
better will be found to be the quality of the iron produced.
"
"
In making extra qualities of mall iron bars and plates from the
plute iron" or refined metal produced from the above process, the
plute iron or refined metal is next charged in a puddling furnace of
any suitable plan or shape, and is puddled in the usual manner. The great
difference of the working of this "plute iron " or refined metal in the
puddling furnace is the quickness with which it comes to maturity. The
better the quality of the "plute iron or refined metal (or the plute iron
or refined metal produced in the finery from the greatest proportion of
ore), the quicker it works in the puddling furnace, and the produce of
each furnace is considerably increased without additional labour to the
puddler. The puddled iron is hammered and rolled into puddled bar;
it is then cut down, reheated, and rolled into bars and plates of an extra
quality without undergoing any further reheating. But it may also be
refined still further by cutting down, reheating, and hammering it for
very special qualities of malleable iron and steel.
The ore which I find may be advantageously used in the above
process is of a light blue color, and is found in Italy in the province of
Tuscany, but I do not confine myself solely to the use of this particular
ore, as other ores of a like quality may be employed.

page_text: I claim the "Improvements in the Manufacture of Plute Iron or
Refined Metal," substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith Dixon, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
WILLIAM SMITH DIXON. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. C. COBBOLD,
Sol.,
18, New Bridge Street,
Blackfriars.