IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND APPLIANCES RELATING THERETO.
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by John Allcock Jones at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th December 1882.
JOHN ALLCOCK JONES Merchant and Manufacturer of Middlesbrough on-Tees,
Yorkshire IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND APPLIANCES
RELATING THERETO.
This invention relates to the manufacture of steel by the Bessemer and other
processes.
. The object of the invention is to prevent the heat of an ingot after it, has been
cast from escaping too rapidly which renders reheating necessary, but to allow it to
depart so slowly and uniformly as will enable the ingot to be hammered or rolled
without reheating.
I construct a mould which receives the liquid metal in such a manner that the
outside of the mould is enveloped in a non-heat-conducting material which prevents
the radiation of heat becoming too rapid. The cover on the top and the bottom
plate on which the mould stands can be similarly provided with a non heat
conducting material and for the same purpose. The non heat conducting material
is held in its place by means of a casing which may be attached to the mould or it
may be separate from it. The casing and the mould within it will stand on a
bottom plate to which the casing may be attached by means of bolts and cottars or
in any other convenient way or they may stand loosely without being attached to
the bottom plate. In order that the mould may be kept in its place on the bottom
plate a few lugs may be cast on the latter or a circular raised ring may be cast on
the bottom plate for the same purpose. But I prefer a flange to project from the
inside bottom of the casing so as nearly to touch the mould, and to run round the
casing which would serve the purpose of keeping the mould in its place as well as
being a footing for the non-heat conducting material to rest upon.
Near to the top of the outside of the mould a few lugs will project around it
and a few lugs will also project from the inside of the casing in such a manner that
the lugs of the mould will rest or nearly rest upon the lugs of the casing so that
when the mould and casing are removed from the bottom plate the mould will rest

page_text: suspended on the lugs of the casing. A bolt may pass through the lugs and thus
secure the mould to the casing if necessary.
A suitable provision is attached to the top of the casing and the mould by means
of which a book or bar can be attached so as to lift them and move them about.
It may be possible to dispense with the outer casing and surround the mould with
brick or stone work or other non-heat conducting material, but I prefer the
casing. The non heat conducting material may be sand, clay, coal, coke, or
charcoal, slag wool, bricks or other material or a specially prepared composition.
The apparatus being ready to receive the liquid metal the latter is now poured in
as usual the top is covered with loom or sand or a cover made of cast iron lined
with brick. The metal is allowed to rest in the mould until it sets into an ingot
and attains a fairly uniform heat of such degree as will render it fit to be rolled or
hammered without re-heating. When ready the casing and mould together are
lifted away from the ingot and the latter is taken to be hammered or rolled direct.
The combined casing mould and bottom plate may be removed from the casting
place and taken to a convenient storage ground ready for the rolls or hammer and
other moulds and casings can be adjusted in their place ready for the next
operation of casting. Practice will discover which of these two methods is best.
It is clear that an inner casing may be attached to the outer casing in such a
manner as will fence off the non heat conducting material from actual contact with
the mould and thus enable the latter to be removed without disturbing the non-
conducting material. This can be done if necessary.
It may be found that the space between the casing and the mould being filled
with hot air or gas will be a sufficient non heat conducting medium as to render a
solid material unnecessary but clearly the better the non-conducting medium is
the slower will be the radiation of heat and a more uniform heat in the ingot
obtained.
As it is well known that there is more than enough of heat in the ingot when
cast to enable it to be rolled without reheating provided the heat is uniform in it
the foregoing mode and apparatus will enable the surplus heat to depart slowly
and fit the ingot for rolling or hammering when a practical temperature is
"arrived at.
The mould and casing may be cast in one casting, connected at the bottom
leaving a space between them for the non heat conducting material or it may be
connected elsewhere than at the bottom. If it were connected at the bottom the
mould would be in the centre and the bottom connection between the mould and
the casing would act as a footing for the non heat conducting material to rest
upon.