AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL BY LIQUID AND DUST COMPOUNDS AND GASES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Richard Smyth, Civil Engineer, of Haworth's
"
Buildings, Cross Street, in the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
IRON AND STEEL BY LIQUID AND DUST COMPOUNDS AND GASES."
Sealed the 19th August 1879, and dated the 24th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Richard Smyth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1879.
SAMUEL RICHARD SMYTH, Civil Engineer, of Haworth's Buildings, Cross Street,
in the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL BY LIQUID AND DUST COMPOUNDS AND
GASES."
My improvement consists of an apparatus called a generator, which is described
in my Patent, No 1767, A.D. 1877, wherein I shew one large generator surrounded
by round tanks which holds the various liquid compounds which fall into the inside
of the said generator. This being the case, the compounds are more or less mixed
together; thus there is not the certainty of them being carried forward independent
of each other, as some portion of each will remain in the generator. So for the
more perfect and direct single action of each of them, and so that the said liquid
compounds may be atomized, I construct single upright domed top atomizers, with
a round tank fixed at the upper part thereof to hold the various compounds, and
the arrangement of these being the same as set forth in my Patent, A.Ď. 1877, No.
1767. The pipe arrangements are the same, excepting so far as a flap valve is fixed
on the upper part of the dome of the single acting atomizers, so when one of them
is at work there is no action in the others. This part of my apparatus is employed
in conjunction with my Patent metal receiver, as set forth in my Patents, A.D.
1874, No. 3840; A.D. 1877, No. 1767; A.D. 1877, No. 4830; and also to my metal
receiver, hereinafter described; also to converters or to my furnaces, as set forth in
Patent, No. 3840, A.D. 1874; No. 3353, A.D. 1875; No. 1767, A.D. 1877, or other
furnaces or refining hearths, blast furnaces, or cupolas.
In my Patent therein named I employ atmospheric air only as the carrier of the
various compounds, but I now propose to employ carburetted hydrogen (C* H*) or
coal gas,
also blast or any furnace gas, which may be named carbonic oxide (CO), as

page_text: the carrier of the compounds. These gases may be stored in ordinary gas holders,
and forced by cylinders; or the holders may be weighted to pressure; or I may use
the said gases alone, so that the metal may be carbonized; or it may be oxidized by
the atmospheric air. By these means I can both carbonize and oxidize the metal at
will, and also carry the various compounds into the metal intact, and then oxidize
them off by the aid of the atmosphere.
The next part of my Invention consists of the application of various dry dust
compounds, which may be employed either separately or in conjuction with the
liquid processes, and also applied to the various metal receivers, convertors, furnaces,
&c., herein named, and are either carried forward by atmospheric air or by the gases
before named, the result of their application being the same as before described for
the liquid processes. The dry dust compounds are stored in upright cylindrical
hoppers having taper bottoms, and are made either of cast or of wrought iron having
covers on their tops and a simple throstle valve at their bottoms, which is worked
by an upright lever, so that the dry dust compounds may fall into the pipe below
the same, and thence carried forward either by the air or by the gases until the
metal held in the various apparatus herein before described.
The dry ground dust compounds which I employ are as follows :—
1st. Calcium or lime of any kind ground.
2nd. Coal, coke, or charcoal dust.
3rd. Manganese oxide ground.
4th. Soda ash.
5th. Silica or sand and common salt.
6th. Iron ore ground, or hammer or roll scale, or any other oxide of iron.
These hopper vessels may be fixed on the same pipe which conveys the liquid
compound, but as near to the metal as possible. I sometimes prefer to fix them on
the metal receivers themselves. In some cases of the compounds it may be found
necessary to stir or move them; in that case I fix inside of the hopper vessels thin
archimedian screws, which may either be worked by hand or by any other suitable
motive power.
I also when necessary bring the blast pipe over the top of the said hopper vessels
when the weight or column of the said dust compounds is not sufficient to overcome
the blast pressure in the pipe underneath the same.
Another part of my Invention is that instead of my Patent metal receiver, as
described in Patent No. 3840, No. 1767, and No. 4830, is to place the same on the
moveable trolly on wheels, so that they may be moved from place to place either
on rails or on roadways, and hung on strong brackets fixed on the said trolly frame
by trunnions supported, on suitable bearings, the said trunnions being hollow,
through which the blast of air, gases, and compounds enter into the metal in the
receiver.
I also apply any suitable gear, either wheel, screw, or hydraulic power, for the
tipping or tilting the same, either for the pouring out of the metal or of the slag or
cinder out of the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Richard Smyth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
September 1879.
SAMUEL RICHARD SMYTH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE USED THEREFOR."
My present improvements are founded wholly or in part on those described in
the Letters Patent granted to myself and Joseph Simpson, No. 3840, dated 14th
December 1874; and the Letters Patent granted to me, No. 3353, dated 24th Sept.
1875; also No. 1767, dated 7 May 1877; also No. 4830, dated 19th December 1877;
and refer, first, to an improved apparatus named a generator which is described in
my Patent, No. 1767, A.D. 1877, wherein I shew one large generator surrounded
by round tanks which holds the various liquid compounds which fall inside the said
generator. This being the case, the compounds are more or less mixed together;
thus there is not the certainty of their being carried forward independent of each
other, as some portion of each will remain in the generator. So for the more perfect
and direct single action of each of them, and so that the said liquid compounds may
be atomized, I construct single upright domed top atomizers, with a round tank
fixed at the upper part thereof to hold the various compounds, and the ar
ment of these being the same as set forth in my Patent, A.D. 1877, No. 1767. The
pipe arrangements are the same, excepting so far as a flap valve is fixed in the upper
part of the dome of the single acting atomizers, so when one of them is at work
there is no action in the others. These single acting atomizers may be made of
wrought iron, or of cast iron, or of copper firmly put together, as described in Speci-
fication No. 3840, A.D. 1874, and No. 1767, A.D. 1877.
ge-
This part of my apparatus is employed in connection with my Patent metal
receiver, as set forth in my Patents, No. 3840, A.D. 1874; No. 1767, A.D. 1877;
No. 4830, A.D. 1877; and also to my Patent metal receiver, hereinafter described;
also to converters or my Patent furnaces, as set forth in Patents, No. 3840, A.D.
1874; No. 3353, A.D. 1875; No. 1767, A.D. 1877, or to other furnaces or refining
hearths, blast furnaces, or cupolas.
In my Patents therein named employ atmospheric air only as a carrier of the
various compounds, but I now propose to employ carburetted hydrogen (C2H¹) or
coal gas, also blast or any furnace gas, which can be named carbonic oxide (CO), as
the carrier of the compounds.
These gases may be stored in ordinary gas holders, forced by cylinders; or the
holders may be weighted to pressure; or I may use the said gases alone, so that
the metal may be carbonized; or it may be oxidized by the atmospheric air. By
these means I can both carbonize and oxidize the metal at will, and also carry the
various compounds into the metal intact, and then oxidize or burn them off by the
aid of the atmosphere.
For the better understanding of this part of my Invention reference is made to
the annexed Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, the same letters
indicating similar parts.
The Drawings generally shew the arrangement of my improvements, illustrating
the application of the single acting atomizers with their tanks and pipe arrange-
ment, also the apparatus for the application of the solid dust compounds and the
metal receiver hereinbefore referred to. A, B, C, and D represent the four single
acting atomizers. A contains muriatic acid and wood naphtha; B, petroleum or
other hydro-carbons; C, caustic leys, as lime and caustic soda or potash; D, lime
and water only. Each has a separate valve, and a stop valve is fixed in the air pipe

page_text: marked P either to stop the air or gases so as to pass them to each of the atomizers
as required, or to pass them direct into the metal either in the metal receivers, the
convertors, or the before named furnaces. The time required and the quantities of
the liquid compounds have been already described, and are fully set forth in Patent
No. 1767, A.D. 1877.
Figure 1 represents the single acting atomizers applied by themselves only;
Fig. 2 shews the apparatus for the application of solid dust compounds in a dry dust
form to my Patent metal receiver, &c., &c., as before described, in Patents No. 3840,
A.D. 1874; No. 3353, A.D. 1875; No. 1767, A.D. 1877; No. 4830, A.D. 1877, but
more particularly to my improved metal receiver, hereinafter described, as shewn in
Figure 5, which is used with the liquid compounds either from the generator, as per
Patents, No. 3840, A.D. 1874; and No. 1767, A.D. 1877, or from the single acting
atomizers, as herein described.
These dry dust compounds are carried forward by blast of atmospheric air by a
pipe entering at the top of the blast box at the side or end of my metal receivers, or
at any other convenient part thereof; or I sometimes employ coal gas, coal furnace
gas, as hereinbefore described, to carry the dust compounds into the metal, also into
any of the furnaces, as herein named.
These dust compounds must be ground fine and put into their respective hopper
vessels dry, the tops of the said vessels having covers on, which must be fixed
thereon airtight; these hopper vessels should be made of either wrought or cast
iron, and put together in the ordinary way of such apparatus (they are marked
(A, B, C, D, E, and F), and a single throttle valve at the bottom of the cone bottom
in a box which is connected with the blast pipe, and is worked by a simple lever,
so that the throttle valve may be opened to any degree or gradually worked to and
fro, so that the dust compounds may fall into the blast pipe beneath it; at the foot
of each valve on the blast pipe a cover is fixed.
I provide when necessary thin archimedian screws or worms which are fixed
inside the hopper vessels in a vertical position, and are made to revolve by a cross
bar or wheel gear worked by hand or other power; and I sometimes bring pipes
with stop valves over the top of the hopper vessels so that the pressure of the air
or gases may force the dust compounds in the pipe below, but this is only necessary
when the weight of the dust compounds is less than the weight or pressure of the
air or gases in the blast pipe. For convenience I sometimes fix the said hopper
vessels on to the metal receiver itself, or to any part of my plant, as hereinbefore
described, but I prefer to fix them on the blast pipe, and as near the metal .as
possible. The carrier of these dust compounds, as I have already stated, the air will
act as the destroyer or oxidizer of the light metalloids, and often of the metal itself,
but should I desire to arrest this destruction and to carbonize the metal, or to carry
the dust compounds or liquid compounds into the metal without their destruction or
oxidization, I employ the gases as herein before stated (C² H³) or (CO), and then
burn them off by the aid of the atmospheric air alone, or in combination with liquid
petroleum or other hydro-carbons, or the caustic leys; these gases may be put into
holders which may be weighted to pressure or forced in by the ordinary engine air
cylinder to any pressure. These dust hopper vessels contain as follows:-Vessel A
contains calcium, as ground chalk, limestone, magnesium limestone, lime, and fluor
spar; these combine with the metalloids in the metal, and act as a flux, and also as
a heating property under the intense heat generated by the aid of petroleum about
2,000 degrees C.
Vessel B contains carbon charcoal dust, which will either carbonize the metal a
when forced in with the gas, or act as a fuel when forced in with the air, giving an
intense heat as carbonic oxide; and when forced in with air and petroleum oxhy-
drogen heat is produced. This I have proved by the burning of the calcium when
forced into the metal by the aid of the spectroscope.
Vessel C contains carbon, coal, and coke dust; these act as a fuel, and the descrip-
tion of vessel B applies to them.

page_text: Vessel D contains manganese oxide ground and soda ash, and becomes the
absorbers of the chlorine sent into the metal either by the liquid process or by
salt, and form fluxes and absorbers of the oxygen which may be contained in the
metal.
Vessel E contains fine sand or silica and common salt or saltpetre ground fine;
the silica combines and forms an oxide, and also as a heating property, whilst the
salt forms chlorine, acting as the liquid acid compound of muriatic acid, the salt
or saltpetre being mixed with sand or silica, as the salt by itself would be likely to
cake.
Vessel F contains iron ore of a pure quality ground fine, or hammer, or mill scale;
these form the oxides of the metalloids, also tend to absorb the oxygen in the bath
of the metal after the air has been forced into it. The pipes lettered P are the blast
pipes either for the air or the gases.
Figure 4 shews my Patent netal receiver, as described in Patent No. 4830,
A.D. 1877, with the arrangement for the application of the dust compounds through
pipe marked K.
Figures 5 and 6 represents my improved metal receiver, as described in Patent
No. 4830, A.D. 1877, marked W, the improvement of which consists of placing the
same on a moveable trolly on wheels, so that it may be moved from place to place
either on rails or on roadways, and it is hung on strong brackets fixed on the said
trolly frame by trunnions supported by suitable bearings, the said trunnions being
hollow, thro' which the blast of air, gases, and liquid and solid compounds enter into
the metal in the receiver. I apply any suitable gear, either wheel, screw, or hydraulic
power, for the tipping or tilting of the same, either for the pouring out of the metal
or of the slag or cinder.
It will be understood that any one part of this apparatus may be used indepen-
dently. of each other or in combination with any of the liquid atomizers or solid
dust hoppers, as the case may require, for the production of cold blast, refined grey
pig, or plate iron, for mottled and white plate metal, for wrought iron, and for steel
of any quality and in any quantity, as there is no restriction as to the size of the
apparatus; and, furthermore the gases therein named may, like the atmosphere, be
forced into the metal alone by themselves.
This apparatus I look upon as the simplest I have designed and worked, and is
far cheaper and simpler in its adaptability for the various productions in both iron
and steel.
I sometimes also employ the solid dust compounds in their normal state, and not
prepare them by grinding them into dust; I do this by throwing certain propor-
tions of any one of them into the metal receiver or convertors which contain the
metal; as no two charges of metal are always of the same degree of heat, neither
do they contain the same percentage of metalloids; there is not the same command
as when applied in the dust form, as more or less may be added as the case may
require.
Having described the nature of my improvements, I desire to be understood that
I claim,―
First. The construction of the improved single acting atomizers, substantially as
described herein with reference to Drawings, Figs. 1 and 3.
Second. The construction of hopper vessels to hold the dust compounds, substan-
tially as described herein with reference to Drawing, Fig. 2.
Third. The construction and combination of the improved single acting atomizers
for the liquid compounds and hoppers for the dust compounds, substantially as
described herein with reference to Drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, and as applied to metal
receivers, Figs. 4 or 5, or any other vessel or furnace.
Fourth. The construction of the improved portable inetal receiver, substantially
as described herein with reference to Drawings, Figs. 5 and 6.
Fifth. The application of carburetted hydrogen (C2H³) or (CO) carbonic oxide,
substantially for the purposes herein described.

page_text: Sixth. The application of the various compounds, substantially for the purpose
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Richard Smyth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
SAMUEL RICHARD SMYTH. (L.S.)