IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST OR BESSEMER STEEL INGOTS
Year: 1871

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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Ireland and Jonathan
Ireland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th September 1871.-A communication
from abroad by Richard Pink, of Hoerde, Westphalia. ··
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We, WILLIAM IRELAND, of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester,
and JONATHAN IRELAND, the younger, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST OR BESSEMER STEEL INGOTS,"
being a communication to us from abroad by Richard Pink, of Hoerde,
Westphalia, to be as follows:-
These improvements consist, first, in the production of parallel ingots
in forge bloom form, cast of the necessary length for rolling single rails
for railways or other descriptions of bars, or as circumstances may
require, in double lengths; but for the purpose of description we take
only the single lengths.

page_text: may be varied as desired; but we prefer them to be about eight inches
square, and three feet six inches long, this being a size which will allow
the ingots to be rolled in one heat, and at the same time give sufficient
section for the thorough working of the metal in the rolls and the
production of a dense and tough material equal in every respect to rails
that have been previously forged or cogged, and as these latter
operations are dispensed with a great saving both in capital and labour
is effected.
A great advantage in the parallel ingot is the approximately equal
pressure on all its parts exercised by the first and second roll grooves,
thereby diminishing the tendency to crack and tear which frequently
takes place with the conical ingot.
The difficulty of casting such small ingots clean without scales or
rokes is such that by the old method of casting great numbers of
wasters are made, whilst from the excessive number of moulds for heavy
charges, say twenty and upwards, in the casting pit the space is
insufficient.
In order to meet this difficulty we cast the ingots in groups of six
or other convenient number, fed from a supply pipe technically called a
git, which stands in connection with fire-brick channels in the bottom
bed or plate which supports the git and moulds. In these channels are
openings corresponding with the centre of each mould, and through these
openings the molten steel rises regularly and quietly into the moulds,
and when the moulds are full or have received the necessary quantity of
steel they are then stopped off and the steel kept in position by cast-iron
stoppers. The moulds are each made in two parts, divided diagonally
and held together when in use by bolts and cotters, the parts being
rebated to prevent them from shifting, and all the inner surfaces of the
moulds are planed in order that the ingots shall leave them freely. The
git is of cast iron in two halves rebated together, and when lined up
with loam and properly dried the two halves are set up and held together
by rings, and at the top of the git there is a funnel formed of unburnt
fire-clay, held in its place by a little loam.
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In cases where the casting pit is not of sufficient. dimensions or the
crane power incapable of rapidly clearing the pit, we employ two groups
of moulds and gits, the supporting plates of which have axles with wheels

page_text: on tramways, the plates forming carriages which with the filled moulds
are removed from the casting pit by a small stationary motive power
engine..
Part of the wall of the pit is removed and a passage continued into
an adjoining shed, the said passage containing the tramway, and the
removal of the moulds and steel is operated by cranes in the usual
manner. By this arrangement one-half of the work can be performed
in the neighbouring shed and thereby effect a rapid system of working.
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