Improvements in the Manufacture of Wrought Iron and Steel and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1887
Complete Left, 5th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 9th Dec., 1887
Improvements in the Manufacture of Wrought Iron and Steel
and in Apparatus therefor.
I JOSEPH TOUSSAINT of Hollywood, near Birmingham, Warwickshire, Scientific
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of converter
which operates without the necessity of employing machinery in order to puddle cast
iron or requiring the use of a blower (as in the Bessemer Converter and William
John Clapp see No. 3822 of the 21st September 1880).
The Joseph Toussaint converter is formed in two parts, the one part is straight
and long, its length being about five times its diameter, which forms the superior or
top part, and the other piece which forms the inferior or bottom part as follows.
1st. The superior part has at its bottom an angle iron circle in which are several
holes to receive the screws to fasten the two parts together which project to the
exterior of the cupola. In about the middle there is a door which serves for the
discharge of the slag which floats on the top of the iron. The inferior part of this
converter is of about two feet in length more or less and in the form of a box with
a bottom. The top of this box is similar to the bottom of the top or superior part
an angle iron circle which projects to the exterior. It has also the same sized holes
to receive the screws and which match or fit with the circle of the upper part and
which bring together or unite the top part and bottom part. This bottom has also
a tap hole through which the metal is drawn from the converter and this hole is
closed by a stop valve which is opened and closed in a similar manner to the steam
valve of a locomotive.
The bottom part or piece of this converter contains a box which is made of fire
brick or other fire resisting material and which is placed inside, it may be clay or
composition. This box is enclosed in a covering which exactly fits the box, this
covering has holes at a distance of two inches, the diameter of these holes is about
two eights of an inch more or less. This box is fastened down or secured by fire
bricks which form the lining of the cupola. This box has a hole at the side between
the fire bricks and the shell of the cupola and this hole is to receive an iron pipe, or

page_text: pipe made from other material which passes between the fire bricks and the shell of
the converter. The bottom end of this pipe is forced into the hole of the box and
from the hole in the box it passes between the lining and shell of the converter from
the hole in the box to the top of the converter. This iron pipe can also be placed
outside the converter to correspond with the hole in the box. This pipe is to receive
the fatty matter or semi-fatty matters indicated or mentioned in the patent Joseph
Toussaint No. 8968 of the 23rd June 1887. This iron pipe is for the purpose of
feeding the box inside the converter with greasy or semi-greasy matters.
This box can be made of different pieces and in different shapes, and can be fixed
at the bottom of the converter to correspond with the pipe as it is indicated or
mentioned for the box to receive by this pipe all matters mentioned in the patent
above named No. 8968.
These greasy matters which this box contains pass through the holes of the covering
of this box and ultimately find themselves mixed up or working with the liquid or
molten cast iron and a reaction which passes all through the cast iron causes a
continual movement or motion. This reaction has the advantage of puddling the
molten metal like the wind or air of the Bessemer Converter and also liko the puddling
or agitator machine for metal by Wm. John Clapp mentioned in his Patent No. 3822
of the 21st September 1880. This box is fed by the iron pipe or pipe of other material
which may serve in its place with the greasy or semi-greasy matters and which has
to be supplied continually and gradually. What I state here forming a transformation
in the converter which contains the cast iron run from the blast furnace or cupola
into this same converter to change the cast iron to wrought iron uniform in quality,
it is necessary to mix the fat and semi-fat before putting into the converter.
Here on the contrary if these same fats or semi-fats are employed separately in
the molten cast iron they obtain wrought iron of different qualities soft and soft
and tough.
If on the contrary they wish to make steel at the commencement of the operation
of the wrought iron they put into the box (in the same manner as the fatty matters
are put in) all sorts of salt acids, or corrosive acids like they do at Sheffield and in
the same proportions, also a little quantity of charcoal, some manganese which gives
the carbon (although it is not necessary. These acids are employed in the proportions
of 5 lbs. to the ton for steel. If you employ a smaller quantity the steel is much
softer. If more is used the steel is harder but it is always tough by this process.
In order to employ the fatty matters to make wrought iron the quantities are
15 lbs. for 10 tons of iron or 20, 30, 40 or 50 tons can be charged with the same
quantity as for 10 tons.
The time occupied in the operation is from 30 to 40 minutes more or less depending
upon the heat of the metal contained in the converter and when the motion of the
metal becomes slow the operation is terminated.
The metal is then ready
be tapped out of the converter.

page_text: and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JOSEPH TOUSSAINT, of Holmes Hall, near Brigg, Lincolnshire Scientific
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a novel construction or arrangement of converter for
transforming molten metal as run from the blast furnace into wrought iron or steel
of predetermined qualities.
The converter will be designated The Joseph Toussaint Converter and is of an
upright and long form as shown in the annexed drawing. Its length is about five
times its diameter and is made in two pieces, one piece A which forms the top part
and one piece B which forms the bottom part as follows.
The top part A bas at its base a circle in the form of an elbow or flange C in
which are several holes to receive the screws D D in order to unite the top part A to
the bottom part B. At about the middle of the converter A there is a hole E serving
for the discharge of the slag which floats on the top of the iron. The bottom part B
of this converter is about two feet in length more or less and in the form of a box
which has a bottom F. The top of this box B has like the top A a circle in the
shape of an elbow G which projects from the exterior and which has also holes for
receiving the bolts or screws D, which holes agree with those of the flange C of the
top part A. The several bolts or screws fix the top and bottom parts A, B. This
bottom B has also a hole H to run the metal which the converter contains. This
hole H is closed by a tap or stopper I working in a similar way to the stopper of a
treacle vat.
The bottom part or piece B of this converter contains in the inside a lining J inade
of the same material as fire bricks or pots used by foundries for melting metals but
it may be made of clay or other composition such as sand mixed with clay, or plum-
bago, or blacklead, or any other fire resisting materials.
This box is covered by a partition K which joins perfectly to the box. This
covering contains holes at a distance of say two inches from each other more or less.
The diameter of these holes is about two eighths of an inch more or less and the
circumference of this lining J at its top part is covered by firebricks which forms the
lining of the converter which allows the maintenance of this box at the bottom of
the converter in a fixed manner. This box has a hole at the side to receive a pipe
of iron or other material L which passes through it. This pipe is to supply any fatty
matters or semi-fatty matters mentioned in the Patent Joseph Toussaint No. 8968
of the 23rd June 1887 for feeding the box J with fatty matters or semi-fatty matters.
This box J can be made in different pieces and of various shapes. The fat or grease
passes through the holes in the cover K into contact with the molten or melted iron
and forms a movement or reaction which puddles the molten iron through its entire
depth i.e. from the bottom to the top of the converter.
This movement has the advantage of stirring or agitating the molten metal and
effect a puddling action like that of the wind or air in the Bessemer Converter, or
also like the puddling or agitating machine of William John Clapp mentioned in
his Patent No. 3822 of the 21st September 1880. The presence of the fatty matters
or semi fatty matters in connection with the molten metal and the agitation produced

page_text: thereby causes wrought iron or steel to be produced from the metal as from a blast
furnace. These matters mixing together form wrought iron or steel uniform in
quality.
If on the contrary any defined fat is employed separately in the melting or
molten iron, wrought iron of different qualities is obtained, such as "soft," "soft
and tough."
If on the contrary steel is wanted before drawing the cast iron from the blast.
furnace into the converter, the necessary quantity of corrosive or salt acids is inserted
into the blast for changing the cast iron into steel, all the sorts of salt acids as are
used at Sheffield by ordinary processes are applicable and in the same proportions,
a small quantity of charcoal may be employed, also some manganese which gives the
carbon (although it is not necessary).
These acids are employed in the proportions of five pounds to the ton for steel.
The salt acids are as follows:
Saltpetre or Nitre, Common Salt or Sea Salt, Salammoniac, Potash or Carbonate
of Soda. If a smaller quantity of salts be employed the steel is softer. If on the
contrary a larger quantity is employed the steel is harder, but it is always tough by
this process.
If the fatty matters are employed for making wrought iron, the quantities are
fifteen pounds for ten tons of iron more or less, that is to say, fifteen pounds will
suffice for 10, 15, 30, or 40 tons or for any quantity the converter may contain over
ten tons.
The time occupied in the operation is from 30 to 40 minutes more or less
depending upon the degree of heat of the molten cast iron contained in the converter,
and when the boiling down of the iron begins to show signs of terminating its
movement the operation is finished or terminated.
The metal is then run from the converter into the moulds.
This box or reservoir J placed in the interior of the bottom converter B may be
prolonged up to a certain height, say, from 2 to 4 feet above the flanging as at
Figure 2 and with a central tube M having holes N all round. The fatty matters are
placed between the perforated tube M and the lining J of the lower box B. The cover
in this is open at the middle holes being at the side in order that the fatty matters
may pass above the box as well as all round it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The converter A, B, shown at Figure 1 of the annexed drawing, in which the
lower part B is partitioned off by the cover K, said lower part to contain fat or semi-
fat aloue, or in combination with other ingredients for operating on molten metal,
without the aid of machinery or blower substantially as and for the purpose or
purposes described.
2. The modified form of lower box B and upper part A of the converter with
tube M arranged substantially as shown at Figure 2, said lower box B containing
fat or semi-fat alone or in combination with other ingredients as and for the purpose
or purposes described.