IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Longmaid, of Inver, Galway, Ireland, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON."
Sealed the 21st January 1862, and dated the 24th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Longiaid
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th July 1861.
I, WILLIAM LONGMAID, of Inver, Galway, Ireland, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of iron,
and is peculiarly applicable when refining or puddling iron.
The Invention consists in adding either silver, aluminium, copper, tin,
nickel, or magnesium; or compounds of these metals, in very small quantities to
iron when it is in a state of fusion. If silver or tin or nickel be used, then it
is first made into an alloy by melting it with iron or with copper, and the
proper proportion of such alloy is introduced into the melted iron when being
refined or puddled, or otherwise. When copper is used, it is first melted with
iron, and the proper proportion of the alloy is introduced into the iron
when it is in a state of fusion. I have found that when an exceedingly small
quantity of silver or copper or tin or nickel is introduced into iron when it is
in a state of fusion, a very marked improvement in the wrought iron thus manu-
factured is produced, and the quantity of silver should not exceed ten ounces
to the ton of iron, the quantity of copper should not exceed twenty pounds to

page_text: the ton of iron, the quantity of tin should not exceed four pounds to the ton
of iron, and the quantity of nickel should not exceed four ounces to the ton of
iron; and I have reason to believe, from the experiments I have made, that in
all cases the most beneficial results are to be obtained by using these metals
in much less quantities than what are above given. When using aluminium,
I prefer to employ it by first preparing an alloy of that metal with iron or with
copper by melting copper or iron with alumina, common salt, and carbon, and
I add a proper portion of such alloy in fused iron, whether when puddling or
otherwise, the alumina may, however, be mixed with granulated iron or copper,
together with common salt and carbon, and be moulded or formed into a
mass, and so introduced into iron when in a state of fusion. In order to use
magnesium, I make an alloy by melting iron or copper with magnesian lime-
stone, common salt, and carbon, and add a proper proportion of this alloy to
iron in a state of fusion, whether when puddling or otherwise; but the mag-
nesian limestone may be mixed with granulated iron or copper, common salt
and carbon, and moulded or formed into a mass, and so used with the iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Longmaid in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LONGMAID, of Inver, Galway, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Longmaid, Her special licence that I, the said William
Longmaid, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Longmaid, 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," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Longmaid, my executors or administrators, 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,

page_text: and in what manner the same was to be 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Longmaid, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the-same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object "Improvements in the Manufacture of
Iron."
For these purposes either silver, copper, tin, or nickel, or compounds of
some of these metals in comparatively minute quantities, are used in the
manufacture of iron, and they are applied when the iron is in a state of fusion
when refining or puddling iron.
It should be stated that I am aware that silver has before been used to alloy
iron, but the quantities applied have been so large as to prevent the desired
qualities of iron being produced, and the whole of the silver has not been so
chemically combined as when using minute quantities, as hereafter explained.
I am also aware that copper has been used to alloy iron, and such has also
been the case in respect to tin, but in all cases the quantities have been so
large as to render the iron hard and brittle, whilst by applying either of those
metals in the minute quantities hereafter explained, the iron is hardened without
injuring its tenacity, whilst the cost of the small quantity of either of these
metals is very small in proportion to the mass of iron thereby improved.
I am, also aware that nickel has been used to alloy iron for special
purposes, but in very much larger proportions than I have found useful when
alloying iron with nickel for general purposes.
When I alloy iron with silver, I have ascertained that the quantity of silver
should never exceed ten ounces to the ton of iron, but for general purposes !
prefer not more than one to two ounces of silver to a ton of iron, and I only
increase these quantities when I wish to make the iron more ductile, or
when the iron is to be converted into steel. Supposing one ounce of silver
is to be used to a ton of iron, and the quantity of iron to be treated is four cwt.,
I put one-fifth of an ounce in small fragments into an ingot mould, and I pour
four or five pounds of melted iron into the mould, then when the pig iron in
the furnace is in a state of incipient fusion the ingot is to be placed in the
furnace in contact with the iron; the process of refining or puddling is then
proceeded with, and the manufacture completed in the ordinary manner. The
iron thus produced will be more ductile and greatly improved in strength.
I would remark that I have found a marked improvement in the manu-

page_text: facture of iron is obtained when using less than an ounce of silver to a ton
of iron.
When I employ copper to alloy iron, I usually and by preference employ
not more than half a pound to one ton of iron; and in no case have I found it
advantagedus to use more than two lbs. to the ton of iron. I weigh a given
quantity, say, at the rate of half a pound to a ton of iron, and place it in a
refining or puddling furnace when the pig iron is in a state of incipient fusion;
or the quantity of copper to be used may be made into an ingot by melting the
copper with about eight times its weight of iron, and then cast in an ingot
mould. The ingot so produced is introduced into the furnace and placed in
contact with the iron in the furnace; the manufacture then proceeds in the
ordinary manner. The iron thus produced will be found to be possessed of a
greater degree of hardness whilst retaining its ductility.
When I employ tin to alloy iron, I proceed in the same manner as above
described when employing copper, using by preference from 1 to 2 lbs. of tin to
a ton of iron; but in no case have I found it desirable to employ more than
4 lbs. of tin to a ton of iron, as I have found that when a large quantity of tin
is used the iron becomes hard and brittle, whilst by using the minute quantity
above mentioned increased hardness and strength is obtained to the -iron
without improving its tenacity. In using tin or copper, I prefer first to make
ingots as described in respect of silver to prevent the oxidation of the copper
or tin which they are liable to if not first alloyed with iron.
When I employ nickel in alloying iron, I in no case exceed four ounces of
this metal to one ton of iron, and I mix oxide of nickel with a few pounds of
iron, in a divided or granular condition (or oxide of iron may be used), with
carbon, and fuse the mixture in a crucible, and pour it into an ingot mould; the
result will be an alloy of nickel and iron. The ingot thus produced containing
a quantity of nickel sufficient for a charge in the furnace, is introduced into
the furnace in contact with the iron, when in a state of incipient fusion; the
manufacture then proceeds in the ordinary manner of refining or puddling
iron. The alloyed iron thus produced will be greatly improved in quality.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Longmaid, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WITT LAM LONGMAID
Gol