IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery, Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."-
A communication from abroad by Aristide Balthazar Berard, of Rue
St Sebastion Paris in the Eunice of trans
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th April 1862.
1, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
to be as follows:-
The object of the present Invention is to enable the operation of reducing
crude cast iron into refined metal or cast steel to be carried on with nearly
equal success with all qualities of crude cast iron of commerce, the waste being
reduced to the minimum.
The principle upon which this novel process is based consists in submitting
the liquid metal to a series of successive oxidations and reductions. By this
means the extraneous matters and impurities are eliminated from the metal
without producing any sensible waste by the oxidation of the iron. At the
same time by the operation of cementation during the process an equivalent
quantity of carbon to that burnt during the oxidation is restored to the metal,
FP 1

page_text: so that the operation may be prolonged as much as is necessary according to
the degree of impurity of the crude metal..
The principal agents employed in the alternate oxidizing and reducing
operations are air, steam reducing gases, (hydrogen, carburetted hydrogen,
oxide of carbon, or other reducing gases,) and also carbon in contact with the
metal.
The principal points upon which the Invention is based are the following,
viz,―
ane Z
1st, the purification of crude, pig, or cast iron, and its direct conversion into
cast steel or refined iron by means of successive and alternate oxidations and
reductions.
Botol to nontus M
2nd, the employment of steam as a chemical agent in the operation of the
direct conversion of the metal into iron or steel by injecting or passing the
steam through the metallic bath under pressure in a single or double rever
ТИСТАЧ Зняття
beratory furnace!'
14
3rd, the simultaneous employment of air and steam passed or forced through
the fluid metal for the purpose of producing oxidation in a reverberatory
furnace.
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1:
1/
!
4th, the simultaneous employment in the same bath of air, steam, and
gases passing through the liquid mass.
5th, the action of reducing gases acting in the interior of the fluid metallic
bath and alternately with the oxidizing agents.
6th, the employment of steam acting mechanically as a means oftconducting
air or gases as applied to the above operation of converting molten pig or cast
iron into steel or iron..
7th, the injection of coal dust or pulverized charcoal or carbonaceous
matter into the metal bath for the purpose of recarbonizing the oxidized iron.
8th, the arrangements of the reverberatory furnace with beds or vessels for
containing the inolten iron in duplicate, and mounting these beds or vessels on
wheels or moveable frames, so that they may be moved in and out of the
furnace.
9th, the use of a raised part or bridge for separating the moveable beds or
vessels and providing the same with a layer of fuel for the reduction of the
oxidizing gases.
1..
10th, the application of charcoal or lime cement for the formation of the
beds of the moveable vessels.
11th, the employment of an apparatus for injecting steam for the purpose of
carrying in therewith air or gases, which will act on the molten metal.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Ofco
on the 4th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents. 66. Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex; Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen.. Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing. date the Fourth day of April. in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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," being a communication from abroad by Aristide Balthazar Berard,
of Rue Saint Sebastien, Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, 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 Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The direct conversion of molten crude iron into cast steel has been long
known to manufacturers, but the processes by which the result is obtained are
very various; the novelty of any process having this object in view can there-
fore only be based upon the means employed for that purpose.
The agent hitherto principally employed for effecting the decarbonization of
the molten crude. iron has been atmospheric air under a greater or less degree
of pressure: The addition of different bodies in admixture has also been

page_text: attempted, but the results obtained have always proved uncertain, and the
product very inferior."
One process, described some few years since by an English metallurgist,
consists in submitting the molten iron while in a fluid state to a very powerful
blast of air, which is to be passed through the. fluid metal. F'Rapidroxidation of
the iron is thus produced; and the iron and the carbon contained in the fluid
metal are burned. The temperature of the molten mass is raised and the
crude iron is, by the combustion of the carbon, soon converted into steel, Vor
even into malleable iron. But it often happens that only fine metal is obtained
if the molten metal. be impure, or burnt iron if the operation be pushed still
further.
.!
. When the molten metal submitted to this operation contains extraneous
matters which are injurious to the quality of the product, such. as sulphur,
phosphorus, arsenic, silicium, and other..impurities, they cannot be driven off
in the short space of time required for eliminating the carbon, or for reducing
the proportion of it to that requisite for. the formation of steel. The impurities
therefore remain in combination with the iron, so that thei.products obtained
would, according to the composition of the. molten metal,. be, unfit for any
purpose. This process is. therefore only applicable to very pure metal, and the
waste is also considerable; it will therefore be seen that this is a very im-
perfect solution of the question.
-
.
Now the object of the present Invention is to enable the operation of
reducing crude cast iron into refined metal or cast steel to be carried on with
nearly equal success with all qualities of crude iron of commerce, the waste
being reduced to the minimum. The principle upon which this novel process
is based consists in submitting the liquid metal to a series of successive
oxidations and reductions. By this means the extraneous. matters are
eliminated from the metal without producing any sensible waste 'by the
oxidation of the iron. At the same time by the operation of cementation
during the process, an equivalent quantity of carbon to that burnt during the
oxidation is restored to the metal, so as to prolong the operation as much as is
necessary, according to the degree of impurity of the crude metal: The
principal agents employed in the alternate oxidizing and reducing operations
are air, steam, reducing gases (hydrogen, carburetted hydrogen, oxide of
carbon, or other reducing gases,) and also carbon in contact with the metal.
The manner of carrying out this process will be understood by the following
explanation of the process, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
in which Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a plan view; Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical
section and Fig. 3 a transverse vertical section of the apparatus employed

page_text: 1
in carrying out the Invention. The furnace in which the conversion of the
metal is effected is formed with two, wrought or cast iron beds or., vessels A
and B, (Fig. 1, Sheet .I.), which run upon wheels a, a, and b,,b,, and maybe
readily removed and detached from the furnace;..these wheels are made to run
upon rails upon bed plates a, a, b, b', set upon an, arrangement of levers.. not
shewn in the Drawing, but similar, to. that with which turntables are provided,
so as to be able..to ascertain the weight of metal, contained in each bed or
vessel... This arrangement also allows of the edges of the vessels. A, and B
being pressed against the plates c, c, c; c, in order to form a close joint, a layer
of clay having been previously laid round the edges of the vessels A and B, and
which is flattened, by the pressure... The vessels are packed with a cement.com-
posed of a highly carbonaceous base formed of a mixture of coal, dust with
powdered lime, and a small quantity of clay, the whole being wetted and laid
very thick. This cement is kept in place by means of iron rods, furnished, with
cross rods. The two vessels A and B are separated by a hearth or fire-place d
constructed, of fire-brick, and built, with spaces for the passages of the gases.
The interval d, d', between the two rows of spaces is supplied with. fragments
of very pure coke or charcoal, which are introduced through the hopper C,
(Fig. 2,) which extends the whole breadth of the furnace, and is kept full. This
hopper is closed by means of a cover, so as to prevent the introduction of air.
Through this layer of coke or charcoal the gases are made to pass, by which
means the oxidizing gases are converted into reducing gases, the furnace being
at the same time kept at an elevated temperature. At the side of each vessel
opposite to, that at which the fire-place is situated, are placed apparatus, for the
combustion of gases, Two arrangements are about to be described, in the first
one of which (shewn at D, Fig. 2), the combustible, gases, which should be as
pure as possible (hydrogen, carburetted hydrogen, or oxide of carbon), are
introduced into annular tuyeres e, e, e. Common atmospheric air heated is
introduced into the centre of the tuyere, and the regulation of the air 'and
gas is effected in each main pipe by means of a cock or valve, so that each
tuyere will work under the same conditions. This arrangement is economical
in its construction. In the other arrangement, which is perhaps preferable in
some respects, the gases and air pass to each tuyere into 'regulating' appa-
ratus D', which allows of the induction apertures being varied in size at
pleasure, and being brought nearer to or further from the point of mixing or
combination. This apparatus is similar to that which will be hereafter
described; in relation, to, the Figures in Sheet M. It is by means of these
currents of gases in a state of, combustion that the furnace is heated by
causing them to act alternately. Above the fire-brick channels, which conduct
..

page_text: the air and gases into the furnace, are the domes or arched flues E, E', which
may be made with or without brick spaces, and which serve to lead back the
products of combustion to the central chimney. Before the point at which
the channels E, E, meet, two registers F, F, (Fig. 1,) are provided for the
purpose of cutting off or establishing communication with the chimney. The
heat given off in the flues E, E; may be utilized for the purpose of heating
the air; or for the production of any steam, which may be required. by means
of a double casing. Two doors G and G. (Fig. 1.) are provided-towards-the
middle of each vessel A and B, and two other openings f, f,
(Figs 1 and 2) corresponding to each of the vessels are provided, those f, ƒ",
being for the introduction of the liquid 'metal into the furnace, unless it be
drawn direct from the blast or other furnace by running the movable vessel
to such furnace. The two other openings f, f, are for the purpose" of
ninning out the product into moulds when the operation is completed: All
these openings are closed during the progress of the operation. Tuyeres
corresponding to the jointed pipes 'H, H¹,"H", I, I; I", serve to conduct the
gas and
nd air which are to act upon the molten metal, and a number of holes
made in the lower part serve to divide the current and multiply the points of
contact. The apparatus being thus arranged the 'operation is conducted as
follows: The whole of the furnace is to be previously heated by means of
the combustible gases and air coming from the apparatus D and D¹. The
current is alternately passed from the vessel A to the vessel B, and vice versa,
by opening and closing the corresponding registers F or F¹, and also the air
valves F, F, or -Fi, Fils, and the corresponding gas valves. During this
first period of the preparatory heating two false beds K, K', (Fig. 3,) are
substituted for the cementing vessels, in order to avoid during this time,
which may be more than an hour, the consumption of the carbon in the
cement, then when the, furnace has been heated to a suitable temperature, and
some minutes before the introduction of the fluid metal, the vessels A and B
are again introduced and covered with pulverized charcoal; they are allowed.
to become heated until all the humidity has been driven off, and the fluid
etal is introduced through the openings and f'. The vessel and charge is
then weighed, and the joints are luted. The quantity of metal to be operated
upon will depend upon the capacity of the furnace; about one ton and a half
may be easily operated upon in each vessel, or altogether three tons during
one operation. In order to commence operations; the plunging tuyere his
introduced into the bath of fluid metal in the vessel A, (Fig. 1). This tuyere
is cross-shaped, and is provided outside with a luting of clay. A mixture of
air and steam is conducted to the tuyere h by means of the injection- appa-

page_text: ralus M, (Fig. 3); the details of, which are shewn in Sheet II.; and will be
described hereafter). The pressure of the fluid mixture must be superior to
the column, of, fluid to be traversed,. and the blast,must be established before
the immersion of the tuyere....This blast of air and steam passing through the
bath of fluid metal will, occasion active ebullition, which will facilitate the
reaction of the gases upon. the metal. The action is oxidizing, and acts upon
all the. bodies forming the complicated alloy constituting the fluid metal,
oxide of iron is produced, or carbonic, oxide, or carbonic acid, sulphurous acid,
or hydro-sulphurous acid, phosphorous acid, or hydrophosphorous acid; arse-
nious acid, silica, alumina, lime, magnesia, and other. substances, supposing
the fluid metal contains the radicals of these bodies.. But some are volatile,
while others are fixed. The former escape into the atmosphere, and are
effectively eliminated; the others, such as silica, alumina, lime, magnesia, and
iron are fixed; and will form complicated silicates, which will come to the
surface of the bath. But the oxide of iron being the only one of these
oxides, which is reducible at that temperature, it will be seen that 'on acting
by. reduction the oxide of iron only will be reduced to its radical or base.
With regard to the gases produced, independently of those just mentioned,
but which will only be formed in small quantity. there will remain azote. the
reaction of which upon the metal is still uncertain. The air and steam on
giving up a portion of their oxygen to the iron and other metals or metalloids
will set free a portion of oxygen and hydrogen. These gases and the steam
not yet decomposed on passing through the layer of fuel placed upon the fire-
place between the cementing vessels will complete its decomposition, and
will produce reducing gases, such as carburetted hydrogen and oxide of carbon.
The action upon the metal in the vessel B will therefore be reducing," whilst
upon the vessel Ait will be oxidizing. In order to increase the reducing
action in the vessel B a blast of reducing gases only may at the same time be
injected into the metallic bath by means of a plunging tuyère, similar to that
above described for the air; or a mixture of reducing gases and steam may
be introduced from the injecting apparatus M' provided for the gases. If
there be an excess of useful steam in the injection of air, and especially of
gas, it will be condensed by a pipe, which puts the injector into communica-
tion with 'a' reservoir "supplied with cold water. After a certain period of
these reactions the blast is reversed by changing the registers F and F', that
is to say, the closed one is to be opened, and the open one closed: The same
thing is to 'be done with the valves F, F, and F, Fus, and also with the
apparatus' for the introduction of the gases. The tuyere h, corresponding to the
jointed air pipe H, is 'now' to be withdrawn from the vessel A, and replaced by
་

page_text: the tuyere h, corresponding to the gas pipe H". The reverse is effected
upon the vessel B by substituting the air pipe i for the gas pipe i", which was
in action before. The oxidizing blast of air and steam is thus made to act
upon the metal in the vessel B, and reaction by reduction takes place upon
the metal in the vessel A. The oxide of iron in a nascent state, which has
just been produced, is easily reduced and re-enters the bath in the metallic
state. The carbon of the metal, which is burnt by the oxidising blast, is
restored in the necessary proportion from the carbon of the vessel by the
process of cementation by contact.
When treating metal which is very impure and poor in carbon, coal dust
may also be thrown in with the air which may be made to convey
the carbon readily by means of the steam apparatus. It is only necessary
to regulate the quantity by means of a distributor. df wood charcoal
be not employed it is important that the coal or cokc employed be very
pure.
If the carbon were not restored to the metal in certain proportion, this
latter would pass too rapidly into the state of steel or iron without allowing
the time,,required to drive off the extraneous matters by oxidation. Besides
this the. reduction also facilitates the elimination of metalloids in combination;
but at the same time the oxide of iron in a nascent state is promptly brought
back to the metallic state and enters into solution in the bath without any
perceptible waste.
By this series of oxidation and reduction, processes repeated as long as is
required by the degree of impurity of the metal, the most impure compounds,
and those charged with the most injurious matters, may be easily purified
and the waste reduced to the minimum.
When the point of decarbonization requisite for obtaining the required
quality of steel has been passed the necessary proportion of carbon may be
restored by introducing into the bath a suitable quantity of good metal rich in
carbon. On the other hand if the proportion of carbon be too great, good
scrap iron may be added.
The ingots of steel before being hammered or rolled are to be reheated
in a bath of basic silicate (protosilicate of iron, alumina, and lime) kept in
a liquid state in a reverberatory furnace; by this means the contact of the
air is avoided, which would increase the waste and by causing decarbonization
would deteriorate the quality of the steel.
The supplementary blast of gas supplied by the apparatus D and D',
might be considerably reduced and even sometimes entirely done away with
during the operation, the oxidizing action being sufficiently energetic to keep

page_text: up a sufficiently elevated temperature not only upon the metal in the con-
verting vessel during the process of oxidation but also upon that undergoing
the reducing process by the heat acquired by the gases which pass from
the oxidizing vessel to the reducing vessel, the expense of fuel will therefore
be as small as possible. Instead of the supplementary heating gases a
small blast of gas might be passed into the bath by adapting a gas pipe
over the air tuyere; and as the air and gas would then act simultaneously,
the pipes Hand I would be arranged for that purpose as shown, at Fig. 5*,
Sheet II.
The bath of metal having been brought to the required degree of purity
and decarbonization, which may be ascertained by taking out small quantities
of the metal and testing it, the plates a, a, b, b', are then lowered and
the vessels A and B will be detached from the furnace and may be run back
on their rails so as to allow the metal to be run into moulds, after which, when
reheated, it may be hammered or rolled as desired. After the metal has been
run out the converting vessel is put into condition for a fresh operation before
being returned to the furnace. During this time the false bed K, Fig. 3,
Sheet I, will have been put in its place and covered with pieces of coal to
prevent the loss of heat in the furnace, the converting vessel is then
replaced, and a fresh operation immediately commenced. In this improved
process, steam plays a double part, which it is important to notice, it acts
chemically by double decomposition and mechanically by carrying along with
it gases or air.
The apparatus, by means of which air is injected at a sufficient pressure
without mechanical compression by a single jet of steam, is represented in
Sheet II., of the Drawings. Fig. 4 being a longitudinal section, Fig. 5 a cross
section taken in the line V, X, of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 a cross section in the
line Y, Z, of Fig. 1. The steam coming from the pipe a, a, drawn in
red in Fig. 4 passes into the space b, b, and through openings made in the
plate C, C, into the chamber D, D. Valves fixed upon the plate C, C, equal
in number to the escape openings for the steam, serve to regulate the supply,
the plate C, C, being for that purpose worked backwards or forwards by means
of the handle d. The steam escapes through the openings c, e, e, the number of
which must be in proportion to the draft required to be produced. The steam
escape pipes are all fixed upon the bottom of the box, filled with steam, and
are brought nearer to or further from the throttle valve by means of the hand
wheel E and the large outside screw connected with the steam box. These
different jets of steam carry off the air entering the chamber f. f. through the

page_text: passage G, the supply of air being regulated by means of valves h, h, which
are for that purpose caused to advance or recede by turning them on their
screwed stems, these valves being set in the required position by means of
screw nuts at their extremities. The same general arrangement may be
applied for conducting the gases, but in that case, as the chamber f, f, must
be closed, it is necessary to have recourse to a special arrangement to
regulate the gas valve from the outside. This arrangement is represented
in section drawn upon an enlarged scale at Fig. 7, Sheet II. The body
, k, of the valve has a ring of teeth on its periphery taking into a pinion -1,
to which motion is communicated by means of the small hand wheel M.
By this means the valve K may be caused to advance or recede by turning
on its screwed rod r and moving at the same time along the pinion 1, the
length of the teeth of which is equal at least to the length of motion of
the valve. This latter in its movement carries with it the bowle, O, the
rod of which passes through the gas box and serves to indicate the position of
the valve.
Having, now described this Invention of "Improvements in the Manu-
facture of Iron and Steel," which has been communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the invention secured to me by Letters Patent,
as aforesaid,-
First, the purification of crude pig or cast iron and its direct conversion
into cast steel or refined iron by means of successive and alternate oxidations
and reductions.
Second, the employment of steam as a chemical agent in the operation of
the direct conversion of the metal into iron or steel by injecting or passing the
steam through the metallic bath under pressure in a reverberatory furnace as
herein set forth.
Third, the simultaneous employment of air and steam passed or forced
through the fluid metal, for the purpose of producing oxidation in a reverbe-.
ratory furnace as herein set forth.
Fourth, the simultaneous. employment in the same bath of molten metal of
a combination of air, steam, and gases as above described. . .
Fifth, the employment of reducing gases, acting in the interior.. of the
fluid metallic bath and alternately with the oxydizing agents or gases.
Sixth, the employment of steam acting mechanically as a means of conduct-
ing air or gases as applied to the above operation of converting molten pig or
cast iron into steel or iron.

page_text: Seventh, the injection of coal dust or pulverized charcoal or carbonaceous
matter into the metal bath for the purpose of recarbonizing the oxydized iron,
as herein set forth.
Eighth, the arrangements of the reverberatory furnace with beds or vessels
for containing the molten iron in duplicate, and mounting these beds or
vessels on wheels or moveable frames, so, that they may be moved in and out
of the furnace, as above described.
Ninth, the use of a raised bridge for separating the moveable beds or
vessels, and providing the said raised bridge with a layer of fuel for the
purpose of assisting the reducing operation.
Tenth, the application of the charcoal cement for the formation of the beds.
of the moveable vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, hath hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)