Year: 1886

page_text: 1886
Date of Application, 22nd Oct.,
Complete Left, 22nd July; 1887.
Complete Accepted, 21st Oct., 1887
I, BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE of 37 Victoria Street Liverpool in the County
of Lancaster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
I utilise the ordinary Bessemer or pneumatic converter preferably of the fixed type,
during the period the blast is on or during the blow, I connect the mouth of the
converter to a flue, by a movable connection, this flue is connected with a depositing
chamber so arranged constructionally, as to throw down into a collector the
oxide of iron blown over with the waste gases during the initial stages of the blast.
This oxide, in a finely divided form, I collect after a certain number of blows and
recharge into a cupola, or into my revolving furnace or use it for decarbonisation in
the open hearth furnace.
I may fill the depositing chamber and flues with checker zig zag or with cellular
brickwork, the upper end I connect with a chimney provided with perforated grids,
and zig zag projecting tiles, by which the oxide of iron is prevented from being carried
away up the chimney.
In a simpler form of oxide depositing arrangement, I make use of a dip pipe bent
downwards and upwards in form and terminating at the end with a chimney, the
lower bends of depositing pipe, I provide with hand holes to remove the deposited
oxide.
I use the depositing flues and chimney to draw off the products of gaseous combustion
which I preferably apply on the forced blast principle to the inside of converter, in
order to raise the temperature of the latter to a steel melting degree or thereabouts
before charging the metal into it.
I provide special valves for the supply of air and combustible gas to the converter,
which allow the radial movement of movable converters.
For fixed converters I provide a double lining of refractory material, the outer
lining I provide with checker brickwork, I provide the upper lining of converter with
radiated tiles placed vertically and projecting from the lining towards the centre of

page_text: converter, and having a large superficial heat accumulating and heat radiating
surface.
'
The tiles and lining I raise to a high temperature before I charge the pig metal
into converter. I may form the air blast holes for decarbonisation in the side lining
of the converter, providing them with vertically sliding solid plugs. I make the
lining and casing of converter larger in diameter, in the part having the air blast
holes, to admit of the use of the vertical plug valves-workable from outside
converter.
In tapping I prefer to use a special ladle arrangement which as soon as the metal is
tapped into it, can be rapidly revolved oscillated or shaken, so as to produce a violent
molecular movement of the metal and increase its homogeneity and density prior to
tapping.
provide a movable tapping spout for cupola which can be lifted out of the way
when the flue connection is lowered.
I may, during the period of decarbonisation or blow, force a blast of reducing gas
into depositing chamber, to reduce the oxide of iron-I may fix the converter over
or at the side of an open hearth furnace preferably constructed according to my
invention for which a patent numbered 11402-1885 has been granted to me.
arrange the Converter so that it can be easily tapped into the open hearth furnace.
Dated this 20th day of October 1886.
I

page_text: Ingots and Castings.
BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE of 37 Victoria Street Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Civil Engineer 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 :-
My Invention has for its object, improvements in the pneumatic process of
manufacturing steel ingots and castings partly improvements on a former Invention
and for which letters patent have been granted to me numbered 11402, 1885.
Converting, and Casting apparatus and parts connected therewith are shewn upon
the accompanying 3 sheets of explanatory drawings.
Before proceeding to describe said drawings I wish it to be clearly understood,
that I do not desire to be confined to the exact details shewn as they may be
considerably modified without departing from the nature of my said Invention.
By the use of my said Invention a plant can be erected for producing steel of a more
homogeneous quality and at a less cost than heretofore.
On sheet of the accompanying drawings Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 shew one
arrangement of pneumatic apparatus used by me.
Figure 1 is a Section, Figure 2 is a side elevation and Figure 3 is plan in section
of converter taken through air tuyere holes.
Figure 4 is a plan in section of converter and oxide depositing chamber.
I will proceed to describe the figures 1. 2. 3 and 4. The Pneumatic converting
vessel, or as hereinafter briefly described as the converter A, is lined with refractory
basic or acid material B, in which is the annular cavity C, by which the air blast
can enter to tuyeres D, and which said lining allows the accumulation of considerable
heat before the metal is charged therein. I 'provide an air and gas belt E, by
which the air or gas can circulate around the converter cavity or channel C. When
the converter is being heated up, ready for charge, the air blast supply is turned
off the air belt, and the producer or oil gas is turned on to the air or gas belt E,
from which it enters the cavity C. To supply air for combustion a secondary air
pipe is connected to the cavity C or the air can enter the cavity by means of
inlet F.
After the Converter has been heated up to the necessary temperature the metal is
charged into it by means of the spout G.
Ferro Manganese can be added by means of the charging door H.
The upper or mouth part of converter is separated from the lower one by belt E.
The bottom I of Converter is movable and can be lowered by screw lifting arrange-
ment J of carriage K.
The gases resulting from conversion of metal pass into the collecting and recuperator
chamber L, in which any oxide of iron, in atomic or finely divided form, carried over
with the products of conversion, can be collected and re-utilised by reduction either in
the cupola, openhearth furnace, or converter-I may fill the collecting chamber L
with open or checker brickwork or I may construct it as shewn in figures 2 and 4.
I withdraw the deposited oxide by means of door M provided with cross bar and
screw.
The chamber is provided with baffler bricks N to throw down the suspended atoms
of iron oxide.

page_text: I tap the metal from converter by means of tap hole O provided with a closing plug
of usual form.
In sheet 2 of explanatory drawings Figures 5 and 6 shew another arrangement of
pneumatic converter; in this instance the converter is swung on trunnions, and by
means of a simple mechanical arrangement shewn, the converter can easily be turned
over for tapping.
A chain wheel P actuates the bevel gearing Q and worm gearing R, fixed on
trunnions S. The gearing and trunnions are hung or otherwise attached to girders T,
supported at each side of the converter in such a position as not to interfere with its
movement by means of columns U.
The converter bottom is provided with flanged bogie wheels, these can be lowered
by the abstraction of a loose part of rail, as shewn in figure 6. The converter can
then be tipped or turned over. The tuyere blocks V are kept in position by a cross
bar and screw arrangement W and the tuyere blocks and bottom is approachable by
the removal of the buckle or flanged bottom plate X provided with cross bar and
screw Y.
.
In order to heat the Converter to the suitable or sufficient temperature, before the
metal is charged therein, I may use the liquid fuel arrangement of injection
shewn in figure 5, in which 1 is the petroleum stand pipe and 2 is a steam or air jet
pipe for producing an aspiratory action by which the oil (from stand pipe and as)
spray is forced into converter, and there consumed.
A movable sleeve 3, allows the connection between oil spray arrangement to be
instantly broken, when the converter is required to be tapped. The air for the
combustion and aspiration of the oil, may be drawn from the cavity formed around
oxide collecting chamber L.
The metal is tapped from cupola into converter by means of a suitably shaped
spout that does not interfere with the swinging motion of converter.
The connection 5 between converter and oxide collecting chamber is lined with
refractory material and is shaped in the manner shewn.
The cupola 6 is placed in a position most convenient for tapping metal into
converter.
A deoxidising flame can be turned into oxide depositing chamber to reduce the
oxide blown over from converter.
I may revolve the ladle by means of its carriage being provided with wheels with
their axes placed radially or I may run the carriage on a turntable of ordinay
construction by which the ladle can be revolved.
1 may provide the ladle with a movable cover such cover I line with refractory
material, after the metal is tapped into ladle, I revolve it (the ladle) on its trunnion
axis.
Having now particularly ascertained and described the nature of my said Invention and
in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I claim is as follows-
1st The arrangement for collecting the iron oxide in the gases resulting from the
conversion of metal by the pneumatic process substantially as shewn and described.
2ndly The air and gas supply cavity in lining and air belt substantially as shewn
in figures 1 and 2.
3rdly The arrangement of supplying heated air from sides of oxide collector for
the combustion of liquid fuel or the combustion of gaseous fuel and for conversion
purposes, substantially as shewn in figures 5 and 6.
4thly The method of revolving the casting ladle with its molten charge substantially
as shewn and described.