CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SAMUEL DAWES, of Bromford, in the Parish of West Bromwich, in the
County of Stafford, Ironmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by Petition, represent unto His most Excellent Majesty
King William the Fourth that I had invented "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON," and His said Majesty, being willing to encourage all
useful inventions, did issue Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of December,
in the second year of His reign, whereby His said Majesty did, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Samuel
Dawes, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said John Samuel Dawes, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Samuel Dawes, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention
within that part of the United. Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England, Wales, and the. Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; in which said Letters.
Patent there is contained a proviso obliging. me, the said John Samuel Dawes,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe.
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Samuel Dawes, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, by the following description
thereof (that is to say) :-
My Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron are applicable to the processes
of smelting, remelting, &c., and consist of or in the introduction of certain
materials at the bottom or lower part of the blast furnace or cupola, and in
continuing such introduction during the above-mentioned operations of smelt-
ing, remelting, &c., in addition to the usual method of charging the said furnaces
at or near to the top or tunnel head, by which means I consider that I am
enabled to make a larger quantity of iron of a superior quality with a less
quantity of fuel and with less expensive materials than are commonly used,
such as coal uncoked, ironstone untorrified, &c. The materials which I use
at the lower end of the furnace consist of charcoal or any other fuel appli-
cable to the purpose, together with any of the well-known fluxes, such as
alkalies, alkaline earths, lime, metallic or other oxides. The means by which
I now effect the introduction of the said fuel and other substances consist of
a conical tube or feeder (into which the said materials are thrown), fitted to
the top and projecting a little beyond the mouth of each blast pipe (the blast
pipes being in the usual situation), which tubes or feeders, together with
the said blast pipes, communicate with the furnace through large water
"twyeres," or the irons, or they may be introduced at any other part of the
lower end of the said furnaces, as shall be best found suited to the purpose.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Nine-
teenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-two.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.