IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT OF OTHER METALS AND ALLOYS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John James Bodmer, of Newport, in the County
of Monmouth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN,
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT OF
OTHER METALS AND ALLOYS."
Sealed the 18th June 1869, and dated the 25th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John James Bodmer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th March 1869.
I, JOHN JAMES BODMER, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN, PART OP WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT
OF OTHER METALS AND ALLOYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to certain improved modes and arrange-
ments and apparatus to be employed for carrying out the process of lami-

page_text: nating, rolling, grinding, and otherwise reducing iron as described in the
Specification of my Patent, No. 1011, dated 12th of April 1866; and my
Invention further relates to new features connected with the application
and use of iron so treated, and to the application of the same process of
laminating, rolling, grinding, crushing, or otherwise disintegrating or
reducing to other metals as well as to alloys of iron and of other metals.
I would have it understood that under the term "iron," when spoken of
in a general way, I include all its different degrees of carburisation as
obtained by different processes or modes of manufacture, and severally
called pig iron, molten iron, steel, malleable iron.
My improvements in the mode and arrangements in carrying out this
process are as follows:-In order to facilitate and regulate the cooling of
the liquid metal so as to expose the same to the action of the rolls just at
the right moment when the metal passes from the liquid into the con-
gealed condition, or when it is in what I shall call a sandy or friable
consistency, I allow the metal to run on plates or trays, the rims or sides
of which determine the thickness of the same; these plates or trays may
be connected together and formed into a chain so as to find themselves by
rotation passing over the rolls at the moment the metal is in the said
sandy or friable condition most favorable for laminating, crushing, or
grinding. When a plate reaches this position it is made to tilt or swivel
and thereby to drop the metal on to and between the rolls. Or the
arrangement may be on the principle of a turntable composed of
segments or parts, the metal flowing on one part or segment of the same
whilst the last or any other of the segments or parts is made to drop the
metal into the rolls. Or the receiving apparatus may consist of one or
more drums divided into parts by sides or rims, the iron during part of
rotation of the drum or drums being held between the same and a shell
or shells partly surrounding the former, and dropping from the drum or
drums on the rolls on issuing from the shell. The time which is occupied
by such segment in passing from the former position to the latter is
calculated to allow the metal to become sandy or friable. Any required
number of rolls may be applied in order to reduce the metal to a
sufficiently divided state, and as described in my Patent, No. 1011, 1866,
with reference to slag, the iron or other metal may after having passed
through the rolls be allowed to drop into water or into chemical solutions,
or it may fall on a suitable receiver and be conducted or carried away in

page_text: any convenient manner. The plates or trays in any of the above
arrangements may be kept cool by water circulating through them or
through the shells round them, and the rolls are kept cool in a similar
manner.
The new features connected with the application and use of iron so
treated, and which application and use form part of my Invention, may
be enumerated as follows:-
Firstly. Iron so treated and reduced to a more or less lamellated or
pulverulent condition is particularly adapted for conversion into oxide.
Of the different modes known by which iron is converted into oxide I prefer
the process of Joseph Jacob, Patents, No. 593, 1861, and No. 2377, 1861,
and I consider my Invention to form the foundation of all modes of pro-
ducing or forming oxides in a similar way, because it is the only
inexpensive process of converting iron into a pulverulent condition.
Secondly. Oxide of iron prepared as above described may be used to
great advantage in the manufacture of steel by cementation.
Thirdly. Iron lamellated, rolled, crushed, or reduced to a pulverulent
condition as described is preferable to granulatod iron, and cheaper than
iron reduced by stamping in all processes in which granulating or
stamping have hitherto been resorted to.
Fourthly. Iron so pulverized, together with natural oxides, or with
oxide of iron prepared artificially or by any manufacturing process, or
with both, and with or without manganese or other chemical mixtures in
correct proportions is eminently adapted for the manufacture of malleable
iron and steel. The whole of the ingredients being in a pulverulent or
subdivided condition they permit of being mixed most intimately and
accurately, thereby yielding results which must necessarily be highly
reliable. In making iron or steel by this process crucibles or furnaces
may be used, but I prefer the Siemens' Martin furnace.
Fifthly. Oxide made from so pulverized iron is also especially appli-
cable in the process patented by Thomas S. Blair, No. 612, February 27,
1869, which consists of a liquid stream of iron and a stream of oxide in
a sandy condition being run together into a mould.
Sixthly. The above described process of pulverizing may also be
applied to copper and other metals and to alloys, either with the object of

page_text: forming a uniform mixture of two or more of them if required previous
to their being melted so as to obtain a more homogeneous product by the
melting, or with the object of manufacturing powders of metals or
alloys.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John James Bodmer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th September 1809,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN JAMES
Bonn, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hor
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Ier reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John James Bodmer, Her special licence
that I, the said John James Bodmer, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John James Bodmer, my
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
THE TREATMENT OF OTHER METALS OR ALLOYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John James Bodmer, my executors or adminis
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to ho 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.

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
One part of my Invention relates to certain improved modes and
arrangements, and apparatus to be employed for carrying out the process
of laminating, rolling, grinding, reducing, or disintegrating iron as
described in the Specification of my Patent No. 1041, dated 12th April,
1866; and my Invention further relates to the application of the same
process to different mixtures of iron, or to alloys of iron, to mixtures of iron
with oxides, and with or without other oxidizing and purifying agents,
or mineral or metallic admixtures, and to the application of the same
process to other metals and their alloys, and to certain new features
connected with the application and use of iron disintegrated as
described, and also to certain ways and modes of mixing and working
together of iron and of any or all of the other materials above named.
I would have it understood that under the term "iron," when thus
spoken of in a general way, I include all its different degrees of car-
burization as obtained by the different processes and modes of manufacture,
and severally called pig iron, molton iron, refined iron, steel, malleable
iron, or any mixture of these.
My improvements in the mode and arrangements in carrying out
this part of the process are as follows:-In order to facilitate and
regulate the cooling of the liquid iron or its alloys, or other metal, or
alloys, so as to expose the same to the action of the rolls just at the
right time when it passes from a liquid into a more or less congealed
condition, I allow the same to run on plates or trays, the rims or sides of
which determine the thickness of the layer. These plates or trays may
be connected together and be formed into a chain so as to find them-
selves by rotation passing over the rolls at the moment the iron is in
the proper condition to be laminated or ground as described. When a
plate reaches this position, it is made to tilt or swivel, and thereby to drop
the charge on to and between the rolls, or the arrangement may be on the
principle of a turntable composed of parts or segments, the liquid stream
flowing on or into one part or segment of the same, whilst the last or
any other of the parts or segments is made to drop the metal into the rolls.
Or the receiving apparatus may consist of one or more drums, divided
into parts by sides or rims, the metal during part of rotation of the
drum or drums, being held between the same and a shell or shells partly

page_text: surrounding the same, and dropping from the drum or drums on the
rolls on issuing from the shell. The time which is accupied by cach
segment in passing from the former position to the latter is calculated
to allow the metal to thicken or to cool more or less, as may be desired.
Or the iron may be allowed to run a certain distance before reaching the
rolls, and thereby to thicken to a certain extent; or, lastly, the iron may
flow direct upon the rolls, or into a hopper placed over the rolls, the
latter to run at a speed corresponding to the supply. Any required
number of rolls may be applied in order to reduce the metal into a
sufficiently divided state, and as described in my Patent, No. 1011, of
1866, with reference to slag and iron; the iron or other metal may after
having passed through the rolls be allowed to drop into water or into
any chemical solution, or it may fall on a suitable receiver and be
carried away in any convenient manner. The plates, trays, drums,
hopper and rolls in any of the arrangements named may be kept cool
by circulating water through them. When using metal in a liquid
condition I prefer running the same into a funnel direct over the
rolls, the level of the inflow into the funnel being below the surface
of the liquid metal in order to keep impurities from entering the rolls
along with the iron. Instead of using iron as obtained from a furnace
or other apparatus in a more or less liquid or more or less congealed
condition, I also disintegrate by passing through rolls as described
any description of cast iron such as pigs, bits, or pieces of castings,
granulated iron, refined iron, steel, or wrought iron, or any description
of scrap or any other metal or alloy when sufficiently heated up from
a solid or cold condition.
The new features connected with the application and use of iron so
treated, and with the ways and modes of mixing and of working
together of the said iron and its oxides, mineral, or manufactured
artificially, or resulting from metallurgical processes, or of the said
iron with manganese, wolfram, chromium, or other mineral or metallic
substances, or with salt, such as rock salts, common salt, nitre, and
others, or with any combination of such, and which application and use
form part of my Invention may be enumerated as follows:-
(1.) Iron so treated and reduced to a more or less disintegrated or
flaky, or scaly condition, is particularly adapted for conversion into
oxide. Of the different modes known by which iron is converted into

page_text: oxide, I prefer in principle the process described in the Patents of
Joseph Jacob, No. 593, 1861, and No. 2377, 1861, and I consider the
above described process of disintegrating as forming the foundation of
all practical modes of producing oxides from iron, because it is the most
expeditious and inexpensive process of converting iron into a lamellated,
flaky, or scaly condition.
(2.) Oxide manufactured of iron, so disintegrated, made either by
exposure to the atmosphere, or by damping with water, or with acids,
or by the process of the said Joseph Jacob, or by any convenient
method whatever, may be used in all processes or operations in which
natural oxides or oxides obtained by any manufacturing process are
used. For instance, in the puddling process, for fettling, in forming
bottoms or sides of furnaces for metallurgical processes, for the lining of
puddling machines, either in the shape of bricks made by smelting, or
by ramming, or in a plastic condition, such as refractory cements are
made, for the manufacture of refractory cements as such; in the manu-
facture of malleable cast iron, in the processes patented by Francis
Ellershausen, Thomas Schoenberger Blair, and others, which consists in
running solid oxides and liquid iron together into moulds for the purpose
of forming what they call pig blooms or scrap blooms.
(3.) Oxide made of iron so disintegrated may be applied for any of the
above-mentioned processes or uses, and for any such and similar purposes
mixed with natural oxides (ores) of any suitable description, or with oxides
resulting from any manufacturing process, or with any of the enumerated
substances, or with any suitable composition of any or of all of them as
before said.
(4.) I use iron, disintegrated as described, in the manufacture of
wrought iron and puddle steel, instead of being in the shape of pigs or
scraps or pieces.
In these processes oxide formed of iron so disintegrated may be
used either by itself or mixed with natural oxides, or with oxides
resulting from metallurgical and manufacturing processes, or with
other mineral or metallic substances, or chemical admixtures, as above
named, or with compositions specially prepared, or either or all
of these. Instead of charging the oxide by itself and the iron on top
of the same, as practised in the ordinary puddling process, the disin-
tegrated iron is mixed with the oxides or admixtures thoroughly, and in

page_text: correct proportions before being charged. In order to obtain accurate
incasurements and perfect mixtures of all the materials in the processes
referred to in the present description I prefer to use the combination of
feed bells and rollers for measuring and conveying of materials of a
sandy, granular, or pulverulent description, as described and claimed in
the Patent of R. and L. R. Bodmer, No. 1501, 1861, and also the mixing
drum, likewise therein described, and used for mixing of lime and sand,
slag, scoriæ, bulldog, iron ore, and small coal for certain purposes.
Every particle of iron is thereby brought into contact with the decar-
bonizing or oxydizing and purifying agents, and the process is performed
in a very much shorter time and more thoroughly than in the ordinary.
The thinner the layer of the charge and the more evenly spread the
same is over the furnace bottom the sooner and the more equally the
operation is performed. A charge of 4 cwt. of very grey iron is in
this manner balled up in 10 minutes in a puddling furnace of ordinary
dimensions. The same charge in a layer of only half the thickness is
balled up in half the time. The bottom of the furnace lasts very much
longer, no boiling being required; the fettling is hardly affected at all,
and the process of refining iron before puddling is completely dis-
pensed with. It is evident that the saving in fuel must be in proportion
to the economy in time. Iron containing a large proportion of impu-
rities after having passed the rolls may be mixed as described with
oxidizing and purifying agents, melted, and again passed through the
rolls, and afterwards be used by itself, or again in mixtures for the
purpose of making malleable iron or steel.
(5.) Iron disintegrated as described, and properly mixed in correct
proportions with oxides and ingredients such as above enumerated, or
combinations of the same melted in crucibles or furnaces, for which
purpose I prefer the well-known Siemens' furnace, is particularly
adapted for the manufacture of cast steel for the same reason, on account
of which it is found to act so well in the puddling, viz., the perfect
contact between every particle of iron with the requisite proportion of
oxydizing and purifying material.
For the manufacture of cast steel I prefer to use oxide made from
wrought-iron scrap, wrought iron in a disintegrated condition, such as
turnings, borings, and filings, as well as wrought iron disintegrated as
described may also be used in connection with or in place of oxides.

page_text: (G.) The above-described mode of disintegrating iron and of mixing
the same with oxydizing and purifying agents, or with any mineral or
metallic substance affords the greatest facility in working mixtures of
different brands together.
(7.) Steel can be made from iron, disintegrated as described, by
cementation, or by heating together such iron with carbonaceous matter,
and with or without purifying agents. The iron used in the process may
be obtained from a puddling furnace in a pasty condition, or from any
furnace or apparatus in a more or less liquid state having been partially
or wholly decarbonized, or from pieces or scrap, as before described.
(8.) The described process of disintegrating or pulverizing is also
applicable to copper and other metals and their alloys, either with the
object of forming uniform mixtures of two or more of them previously
to being used in other processes of manufacture, or with the object of
producing powder of such metals or of alloys, such as bronze powder and
others. Two or more streams of different metals and alloys may be run
into and passed through rolls together.
As a rule I prefer to pass the iron, its alloys, cinder, and other
metallic substances through the rolls when in a molten or more or less
congealed condition; but in certain cases it may be convenient to heat
up the said substances to the temperature required for rolling or
disintegrating, as described. The manufacture of cast steel from iron,
disintegrated as described, in combination with oxide and other ingre-
dients, as named in paragraph 5, has already been claimed in my
Patent No. 1011 of 1866.
I am aware that the mixing of iron in a subdivided condition with
oxides in a subdivided condition, and the use of mixtures so obtained for
puddling iron has been proposed before, and I therefore do not claim the
use of such mixtures in a general way; but what I claim as the
Invention to be secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
1.) The use of iron or any of its alloys, when disintegrated as
described, for the production of oxide.
2.) The uses and applications of oxides, as described, for any
metallurgical and other purposes, as named in paragraphs 2 and 3.
3.) The pudding process, as described in paragraph 4.

page_text: 4.) The manufacture of steel by cementation, as described in
paragraph 7.
5.) The disintegrating or pulverizing of copper and other metals and
their alloys, in the manner and for the purposes as described in
paragraph 8.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Bodmer, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty.
nine.
JOHN JAMES BODMER. (L.S.)