IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFacture of TuyeRES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher James Brock, of No. 110, Cannon Street, in
the City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFacture of TuyeRES.” A communication from abroad by
Hay Walker, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher James Brock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th August 1881.
CHRISTOPHER JAMES BROCK, of No. 110, Cannon Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TUYERES."
[A communication from abroad by Hay Walker, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
United States of America.]
This Invention relates more particularly to tuyeres, such as are used for
supplying the air blast in Bessemer converters, which tuyeres consist of a mass of
fireclay of a somewhat tapering long cylindrical form, with numerous small holes
or passages extending longitudinally through the tuyere. These tuyeres are
moulded while in a stiff plastic condition, and are afterwards dried and burnt in a
kiln.
The improved machinery for moulding such tuyeres is constructed as follows:---
A mould open at both ends and having an internal configuration corresponding to
the shape to be imparted to the tuyere, is mounted at the middle of its length with
trunnions in bearings on a framing, so that the mould can be turned from a
horizontal into a vertical position. This mould is in the first instance turned into
a vertical position with its larger end upwards and its lower end closed by a cap,
in which position it is charged with the plastic fireclay for the tuyere. The mould
is then turned down into a horizontal position, in which it is supported on hinged
stops. A screw spindle carried by a hinged bracket on the frame is made to press
the beforementioned cap against the small end of the. mould, while a perforated
disc is fitted into the large end and secured by setting screws. A series of rods
corresponding in size to the passages to be formed in the tuyere, and attached to a
11

page_text: head carried by a slide, are made to advance at the last mentioned end of the
mould, and entering through the perforated disc are made to penetrate longitudinally
through the mass of fireclay in the mould. The movement of the slide with the
head and rods for this purpose may be effected by a rack and pinion or any other
known means. The rods having been forced in until the head is close against the
end of the mould, the two parts are secured firmly together by pins on the head
passing through lugs on the mould and having keys driven through their projecting
ends. The cap at the other end of the mould is now removed, and a portion of
the clay having been dug out so as to expose the ends of the rods, a perforated
piston is introduced, the ends of the rods being made to enter its perforations.
The before mentioned screw spindle is now rotated so as to press upon the piston
and cause it to compress the clay within the mould with considerable force, thereby
filling out any interstices in the clay and rendering the tuyere of increased density
at the small end. On the completion of this operation the rods are slid back out
of the mould and the piston is removed from the other end, after which the mould
is turned into the vertical position with the large end at bottom, and the setting
screws holding the disc at bottom having been loosened the completed tuyere is
made to rest in a vertical position upon a carriage on a platform raised up from
below. This platform can be moved up and down between guides, being balanced
by weights attached thereto by cords passing over guide pullies, so that on
receiving the tuyere it is made to descend so as to draw the tuyere entirely from
the mould, after which the carriage with the tuyere is removed; or the platform
may receive the tuyere without the intervention of a carriage, for which purpose it
is mounted on a horizontal arm that can slide up and down on a bar, and when in
the lowered position can be swung round on the bar so as to bring the platform
with the tuyere out of the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Christopher James Brock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd February 1882.
CHRISTOPHER JAMES BROCK, of No. 110, Cannon Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TUYERES."
A communication from abroad by Hay Walker, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,
United States of America.
This Invention relates more particularly to tuyeres such as are used for supplying
the air blast in Bessemer converters, which tuyeres consist of a mass of fire clay of
a somewhat tapering long cylindrical form, with numerous small holes or passages
extending longitudinally through the tuyere. These tuyeres are moulded while in
a stiff plastic condition, and are afterwards dried and burnt in a kiln.
The construction of the improved machinery for manufacturing such tuyeres will
be readily understood on reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1
shews a longitudinal section of one construction of the machine; Fig. 2 a plan of
the same, and Figs. 3 and 4 shew respectively a vertical.section and plan of a
modified arrangement of the raising and lowering mechanism; B is a suitable
tapering mould for the tuyeres furnished at its small end with a suitable perforated
piston D, and a screw press E, or its equivalent device, for forcing the perforated
piston against, and thereby compressing the plastic material around and between
the core rods in the mould, the large end of the mould being provided with a
suitable head For G, which can be readily secured to and released from the mould
and also furnished with a suitable set of perforated core rods A, mounted on a
stock H, upon ways I, I, so that by moving that stock to and fro on the ways the
core rods will be thereby forced endwise into and withdrawn from the mould at its
large end; or as regards this part of the present Invention, the core rods A may.be
stationary, and the mould B with the press screw E or its equivalent may be
mounted and made moveable on ways toward and from the core rods, so as to
thereby force the latter into and withdraw them from the mould.
In the Drawing the stock H has a rack j which gears into a pinion k, fast on a
shaft l, which has a hand crank m, by which a person can slide that stock to and
fro on the ways I, I, so as to thereby force the core rods into the plastic material in
the mould, as shewn in Fig. 2, and so as to draw them out of the mould, as repre-
sented in Fig. 1; but instead of the rack and pinion any other suitable equivalent
means may be used to move the core rod stock upon the ways.
In Fig. 1 the removeable head F is fastened in the mould by thumb screws n, n,
and is perforated to allow the core rods A to pass through it, and so as to prevent
the moulded tuyere from being drawn out of the mould by its adhesion to the
core rods.
In Fig 2 the bead G which holds the core rods has studs o, o, which extend through
apertures in a flange or lugs p on the mould, and have transverse holes 9, so that by
putting keys r therein the head and core rods will be held firmly in and to the
mould, but any other suitable or equivalent devices may be used to temporarily
secure the head F and core rods in the mould, and in case the moulded tuyere shall
adhere more to the inner surface of the mould than to the core rods and the head
at the large end, the inner perforated head F need not be fastened in the mould sepa-
rately from the core rods, or it may be dispensed with, or consist of a loose perforated
sheet to serve as a parting between the head G and the large end of the moulded tuyere
When the thick perforated head F shall be used the core rod holder G need not
cover the whole large end of the mould. A block y, Fig. 1, instead of the piston
D, may be held in or against the small end of the mould by the pressing screw E,

page_text: while the core rods are being forced through the material in the mould, which
block is to be removed and the plastic material dug out around the perforating ends
of the core rods, and the latter pressed into their proper place (in case they shall
have been sprung sideways in being forced through the plastic material) preparatory
to the placing of the perforated piston D upon the ends of the core rods in the
mould. The material may be compressed in the mould before and after the insertion:
of the core rods, but such prior compression is commonly considered unnecessary.
According to another improvement the tuyere mould furnished with a flexible
and removeable head at one end and a perforated piston at the other, as described,
is pivotted or mounted so that the mould may be turned in a vertical plane, and
so arranged in relation to the set of perforating core rods and piston pressing
device that a tuyere can be moulded and compressed in the mould in a horizontal
or somewhat inclined position essentially as above described, and can then be
discharged from the mould in a vertical or nearly vertical direction, so as to thereby
avoid liability of bending the plastic tuyere in discharging it from the mould, and
so as to deliver the moulded tuyere in the proper upright position in which it
should be dried.
In the Drawing the mould B is supported by trunnions b, b, on standards K, K,
fast on the bed plate L, and J, J, are hinged stops for temporarily holding
the mould in its proper moulding position in respect to the core rods A and
pressing screw F.
According to another improvement there is combined with the pivotted mould
furnished with devices for moulding tuyeres from plastic materials, essentially as
above described, a counterweighted vertically moveable platform V in such
manner that when the pivotted mould with the moulded tuyere therein shall be
turned into the proper vertical position and the tuyere there discharged from the
mould, the tuyere may be received in an upright position by and upon the said
counterweighted platform and be thereby supported and maintained in the
proper upright position while being delivered and removed from the pivotted
mould.
In Fig. 2 the platform V is made to slide up and down in ways c, c, and has
counter weights d, d, attached by cords e, e, passing over fixed pulleys f, f, and
g, g, are rollers upon which the moulded tuyere Y when resting on an intervening
block or blocks can be easily removed laterally by hand from the platform V.
when the latter is depressed, as shewn in Fig. 2.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the platform V has a counter weight d' secured by cords e¹, e¹,
passing over fixed pulleys f¹, fl, and is made to move up and down on a round
rod h to which the platform is connected by grooved rollers i, i, so that the
platform when depressed with the moulded tuyere Y thereon, as shewn by
dotted lines in Fig. 3, can be turned laterally on the rod h, as indicated by dotted
lines in Fig. 4, for convenience in removing the tuyere from the platform by hand.
In moulding a tuyere by means of the apparatus represented in the aforesaid
Drawing, the core rods A are first drawn out of the mould B, as shewn in Fig. 1,
and the screw E is turned on its pivot 8, away from the mould, as shewn by dotted
lines in the same Figure, and the head F and piston D are taken out of the mould.
Then the mould B is turned on its trunnions b, b, so that its largest end is upper-
most, and a mass of the stiff plastic material Z, Fig. 1, sufficient for 'a tuyere and
of nearly the shape of the interior of the mould is put into the latter at its large
upper end, the small end of the mould being then covered by a plate y.
the mould is turned into its horizontal position and secured there by the hinged
stops J, J¹, and the plate y is held fast against the small end of the mould by the
screw E, and the perforated head F is inserted and fastened by screws n, n, in the
large end of the mould, all as (shewn in Fig. 1. Then the pointed core rods A
are forced through the holes in the head F and through the mass of plastic
material Z in the mould, and are made fast therein by the keys r, Fig. 2. Next
the screw E is loosened and turned back, the plate y is removed, the plastic material
is dug out from around the pointed ends of the core rods, and the perforated
•
Then

page_text: follower D is placed within the small, end of the mould with the ends of the core
rods in the holes through the follower. Then the follower D is pressed into the
mould B with great force by the screw E, so as to thereby make the stiff plastic
material fill every part of the mould and at the same time cause the tuyere to be
somewhat more compact and durable at and towards its small end, which in use
is most exposed to the destructive action of the ignited metal in the converting
vessel than at and towards its large end, which is not thus exposed to destruction
in use. Then the core rods A and screw E are withdrawn from the mould, the
head F is taken out of the mould, and a block v, Fig. 2, put in its place. The
stops J, J', are removed and the mould B is turned on its trunnions into a vertical
position with its large end downward, as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 2, where-
upon the platform V is permitted to rise to the mould and then allowed to descend
with the large end of the moulded tuyere Y resting upon the block e on the
platform, as indicated in Figs. 2 or 3.
I am aware that it has been proposed to mould tapering bodies of plastic
material with a series of longitudinal perforations through the same by forcing a
series of pointed core rods end wise through a mass of the plastic material in a
mould having opposite perforated ends through which the core rods were inserted
and extended when forced into the mould (see Letters Patent, No. 14,212, A.D.,
1852); but I am not aware that in any such case a perforated follower has been
inserted in the mould, and over and around the pointed ends of the core rods
therein, and forced inward like a piston within the mould and along the core rods,
so as to thereby further compress and consolidate the plastic material in the mould
and against the core rods, after the latter were inserted in the mould to their
fullest extent; and such additional compression as is given to the piston like
follower D in the above described apparatus is of much importance in moulding
the tuyeres from the very stiff plastic material that is commonly used for such
articles.
The mounting of the mould B on horizontal trunnions or pivots b, b, so that it
can be turned with the large end upward to receive the crude mass of plastic
material, and then set in a horizontal position to receive the action of the horizontally
operating moulding devices, and afterwards released and turned so as to discharge
the tuyere downward in the proper vertical direction without interference from
the moulding devices, is of much importance to the above described apparatus,
and I am not aware that a mould has been thus mounted on pivots or trunnions
in any apparatus heretofore used for moulding tuyeres or similar perforated
articles.
A vertically moveable counterweighted platform is not new, and it has been
used to receive and lower endwise tubular articles of plastic material, as such
articles were formed by being exuded from a die by moulding or pressing devices
operated in a vertical mould; but the combination of the counterweighted
vertically moveable platform V with the tapering mould B on horizontal pivots,
and furnished with detachable horizontally operating devices for moulding the
tuyeres, as above described, is of much importance in the manufacture of such
long tapering articles with numerous small longitudinal perforations, which articles
cannot be moulded by the apparatus with which the vertically moveable platform
has been heretofore employed.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim,-
First. The combination with the tapering mould B of two or more pointed
parallel core rods A, the removeable head F, G, at the large end of the mould,
the removeable piston or follower D, Fig. 2, perforated to receive and support
the slender core rods, and fitted to slide within the small end portion of the
mould, and the screw E for moving the piston or follower in the mould,
substantially as described.
•
Second. The combination of the horizontally operating pointed core rods A and

page_text: pressing screw E with the mould B furnished with the removeable head F, G, and
follower D, and mounted on horizontal trunnions b, b, and provided with the
moveable stops J, J, or their equivalent, substantially as described.
Third. The arrangement of the vertically-moveable counterweighted platform V
in combination with the mould B mounted on horizontal pivots b, b, and furnished 5
with stops J, J, removeable head F, G, piston or follower D, and the horizontally
operating pointed core rods A and screw E, or its equivalent, substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher James Brock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year of 1
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.