IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Sharp,. of the Bolton Iron and Steel Company,
Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster, and Francis William
Webb, of the same Place, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
IRON AND STEEL BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS."
Sealed the 13th September 1867, and dated the 27th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Sharp and Francis
William Webb at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th March 1867.
We, HENRY SHARP, of the Bolton Iron and Steel Company, Bolton-le-
Moors, in the County of Lancaster, and FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB, of the
same Place, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention.
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, first, in an improved mode of swivelling the con-
verting vessels on their axes. It has heretofore been customary to employ
hydrostatie or hydraulic power for this purpose, and in the event of a pipe.
bursting during the process the converting vessel in some positions would
swivel suddenly round and its contents be spilt, thus causing loss and damage..
Now our Invention consists in swivelling the said converting vessels by means.
of steam power and suitable gearing. We prefer to employ a pair of steam.
engines placed diagonally, and coupled to a crank fixed to a shaft on which is

page_text: a worm gearing into a worm wheel fixed to one of the axles of the converting
vessel. The engines are placed at such an angle that they can be reversed by
two eccentrics, and as the orank is never on a dead centre with both cylinders
at the same time no fly wheel is required, and the engine can be stopped
almost instantaneously; a self-acting stop motion is applied for throwing the
engines out of gear when the converting vessel has assumed the desired
position. In case of accident to the steam engines the converting vessel may
be turned partly round by hand by a second worm and worm wheel or other
suitable gearing.
The second part of our Invention consists in an improved arrangement of
ladle crane which renders a weight unnecessary to counterbalance the ladle
and its contents, this being found inconvenient in practice when large ingot
moulds are being used. In carrying out this part of our Invention we make
the pillar of the crane of cast iron, wrought iron, or steel, and pass it through
a beam or girder above carrying a platform over part of the casting pit. In
order to effect the raising and lowering of the crane the upper portion of the
pillar is provided with a thread passing through a nut formed in the boss of a
worm wheel, which may be supported upon the bean on antifriction rollers or
balls; a worm driven by steam or other power gears into the worm wheel and
raises or lowers the crane as required. The lower end of the pillar fits in a
socket, and is provided with a key to prevent its turning round, or where it is
convenient hydrostatic power may be applied by means of a cylinder placed
on the beam through which the upper end of the crane pillar passes; or the
hydraulic cylinder may be placed below and act on the lower end of the pillar,
as in the cranes now in use. The arm of the crane has a worm wheel fixed
to it, and is made to swivel round the pillar by means of a worm actuated by
steam or manual power, or the worm wheel may be fixed to the pillar, and
the worm carried by the revolving arm of the crane.
:
The third part of our Invention consists in the application of a locking plate
or lever similar to that now in use for railway points and signals to the levers
or wheels or other gearing for turning the converting vessels and admitting
air to the tuyere box, in order to prevent the converting vessel when charged
being turned into position for blowing before the air valve is opened.
The last part of our Invention consists in the general arrangement of the
converting vessels and the apparatus for working them. The spouts of the
'converting vessels instead of being placed in opposite directions, as heretofore,
are placed at an angle to each other, by which arrangement the chimneys
'from the ground may be dispensed with, and when the vessels are turned
over the splashes or sparks are thrown off clear of the attendants working the

page_text: machinery, who may stand on the platform above referred to with the handles
within their reach. The splashes and sparks are also prevented from flying
about by means of a bood carried by the beam supporting the top of the crane
and the platform above referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Sharp and Francis William Webb in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd September 1867..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we; IIENRY
SHARP, of the Bolton. Iron and Steel Company, Bolton-le-Moors, in the
County of Lancaster, and FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB, of the same Place;
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Iler reign, did, for Herself,, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Henry Sharp and Francis William Webb, Her special license
that we, the said Henry Sharp and Francis William Webb, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Sharp and
Francis William Webb, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON;
AND STEEL BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Henry Sharp and Francis William Webb, our. executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our
or 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 we, the said .Henry Sharp and Francis William
Webb, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):

page_text: The first part of our Invention relates to the general arrangement and
position of the converting vessels and the apparatus for working them.
Secondly, in an improved arrangement of machinery for swivelling con-
verting vessels on their axes.
Thirdly, in an improved arrangement of and mode of working the ladle
crane.
And, lastly, in the application of a locking plate to the gearing for turning
the converting vessels.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of our improved machinery and apparatus employed
in the manufacture of iron and steel by the Bessemer process; Figure 2 is a
plan of the same; Figures 3 and 4 are two views on an enlarged scale of the
locking plate and levers. a, a, are the converting vessels of the ordinary
construction; b, b, the chimneys, which are built in the angle of the walls
forming the shed or moulding pit; c is the ladle supported in the arms of the
crane d, the peculiar construction of which will be explained hereafter;
the pillar of the crane; and f is a platform supported by the beam g resting
en the pillars h, h.
is
The first part of our Invention consists in an improved arrangement of the
converting vessels and the apparatus for working them. The spouts of the
converting vessels are now placed in opposite directions, but our Invention
consists in placing them at an angle to each other, as shewn in Figure 2, by
which arrangement the chimneys from the ground of the moulding pit may be
dispensed with, and when the vessels are turned over the splashes or sparks
are thrown off clear of the attendants working the machinery, who may stand
on the platform f with the handles of the starting levers within their reach.
The splashes and sparks are also prevented from flying about by means of the
hoods projecting from the chimneys 6, the lower parts of which rest upon
diagonal beams supported by the walls of the moulding pit.
The second part of our Invention consists in an improved mode of swivelling
It has heretofore been customary to
the converting vessels on their axes.
employ hydrostatic or hydraulic power for this purpose; and in the event of a
pipe bursting during the process the converting vessels in some positions would
swivel suddenly round and their contents' be spilt, thus causing loss and
damage. Now our Invention consists in swivelling the said converting vessels
by means of steam power and suitable gearing. We prefer to employ a pair
of steam engines as shewn at i in Figure 2, placed diagonally and coupled to a

page_text: crank fixed to a shaft j, on which is a pinion gearing into the wheel k fixed to
the shaft, on which is a worm gearing into a worm wheel a¹ fixed to one of
the trunnions of the converting yessel a. The engines are placed at such an
angle that they can be reversed by two eccentrics, and as the crank is never
on a dead centre with both cylinders at the same time no fly wheel is required,
and the engine can be stopped almost instantaneously; a self-acting stop
motion may be applied for throwing the engines out of gear when the con-
verting vessel has assumed the desired position. In case of accident to the
steam engines the converting vessel may be turned partly round by hand by a
second worn and worm wheel or other suitable gearing.
The third part of our Invention consists in an improved arrangement of
Madle crane which renders a weight unnecessary to counterbalance the ladlo
and its contents, this being found inconvenient in practice when large ingot
moulds are being used. In carrying out this part of our Invention we make
the pillar e of the crane of cast iron, wrought iron, or steel, and pass it
through the beam or girder g which carries the platform f over part of the.
casting pit. In order to effect the raising and lowering of the crane the
upper portion of the pillar e is provided with a thread passing through a nut
formed in the boss of the wheel l, which may be supported upon the beam g
on antifriction rollers or balls; a pinion driven by steam or other power gears
into the wheel and raises or lowers the crane as required, or the nut may be
turned by a worm gearing into a worn wheel. The lower end of the pillar e
fits in a socket, and is provided with a key to prevent its turning round; or
where it is convenient hydrostatic power may be applied by means of a
cylinder placed on the beam through which the upper end of the crane pillar
passes; or the hydraulic cylinder may be placed below and act on the lower
end of the pillar, as in the cranes now in use. The arm of the crane has
a worm wheel fixed to it, and is made to swivel round the pillar by means of
a worm actuated by steam or manual power, or the worm wheel may be fixed
to the pillar and the worm carried by the revolving arm of the crane.
The last part of our Invention consists in the application of a locking plate
or lever similar to that now in use for railway points and signals to the levers
or wheels or other gearing for turning the converting vessels and admitting air
to the tuyere box, in order to prevent the converting vessel when charged
being turned into position for blowing before the air valve is opened. In
Figures 3 and 4, o is the reversing lever for the steam engine; i and p is the
lever for the air valve; when the air valve is shut the locking lever q is in the
position shewn in the full lines over the end of the lever o; the lever q is con-
nected by the rod r to the levers in the lower end of the lever p. When the

page_text: lever P is in the position shewn in dotted lines the locking lever q is raised,
and the starting lever o is liberated.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described a convenient
manner of carrying the same into operation, we declare that we claim,-
First, the general arrangement of the machinery and apparatus employed
in the manufacture of iron and steel by the Bessemer process, and the position
of the converting vessels, as shewn and described.
Secondly, the improved arrangement of machinery for swivelling the con-
verting vessel, as shewn and described.
Thirdly, the improved mode of constructing and working the ladle crane, as
shewn and described.
And, lastly, the application of a locking apparatus to the machinery for
working the converting vessels, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Sharp and Francis William
Webb, have hereto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY SHARP.
(L.S.)
FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB. (L.S.)