IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND IN THE FURNACE LININGS TO BE USED IN SAID MANUFACTURE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Beasley of Handsworth in the County of Stafford
66
for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND
IN THE FURNACE LININGS TO BE USED IN SAID MANUFACTURE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Beasley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th June 1882.
"IMPROVEMENTS
JOSEPH BEASLEY of Handsworth in the County of Stafford
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND IN THE FURNACE LININGS TO BE
SAID MANUFACTURE
"
USED IN
This invention relates to the manufacture of a superior class of malleable iron or
steel from impure pig iron The invention consists of treating the impure metal
whilst in a molten condition, either in a puddling or other furnace or converter
lined with the materials and in the manner herein-after indicated and set forth
The furnace or converter fettling or lining is formed of calcined tap or other cinder,
or of such material as is usually employed for fettling and to this is added about
25 per cent by weight of lime and 2 per cent of common salt To these materials
after they have been ground to a condition similar to fine sand or powder and
thoroughly mixed, is added 5 to 10 per cent by weight of Hydrochloric acid
diluted with about its equal weight of water, all the proportions being somewhat
varied according to the nature or analysis of the Iron to be treated. The mixture
thus obtained is applied as a fettling or lining for the bottom or sides or both of
the furnaces or converters and may be dried before being used or applied in a
moist condition-An alternative method of preparing the lining is to melt the
mixed materials and run then into moulds of the desired shape or directly into the
furnace or converter within which a suitable core has been previously formed The
object to be accomplished by the use of the improved lining being the elimination
of the phosphorus or phosphoric acid, sulphur and other impurities contained in
the metal, which said impurities by the action of and their combination with the
Hydrochloric acid, Lime and Salt will be eliminated

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Beasley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th December
1882.
JOSEPH BEASLEY of Handsworth in the County of Stafford
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, AND IN THE FURNACE LININGS TO BE USED IN SAID
MANUFACTURE
"
This Invention relates to the manufacture of a superior class of malleable iron
or steel from impure pig iron. The invention consists of treating the impure
metal whilst in a molten condition, either in a puddling or other furnace or con-
verter lined with the materials and in the manner hereinafter indicated and set
forth as also in the application and use of the hereinafter mentioned materials for
the purposes described. The fettling or lining for the furnace or converter I form
of the oxides of iron commonly used for that purpose calcined tap cinder from
puddling furnaces, and the slags from the hammer or or squeezer, commonly called
hammer slags These materials after they have been ground to a condition similar
to fine sand or powder and thoroughly mixed are saturated with from 5 to 10 per
cent of Hydrochloric acid, diluted with about its equal weight of water and with
these combined materials are thoroughly mixed from 20 to 25 per cent of finely
ground or slaked lime (or from 40 to 50 per cent of finely ground limestone may
be employed) and 5 to 6 per cent of common salt, all the proportions being some-
what varied according to the nature or analysis of the iron to be treated. The
mixture thus obtained is applied as a fettling or lining for the bottom or sides, or
both of the furnaces or converters, and may be dried before being used or applied
in a moist condition. An alternative method of preparing the lining is to melt the
mixed fettling or lining materials at a high temperature in a puddling or other
suitable furnace with the cinder which is drawn or tapped from puddling furnaces,
or with the slags from the hammers or squeezers or scale from the rolls or from
other sources and run the molten mixture into moulds of the desired shape or
directly into the furnace or converter within which a suitable core has been
previously formed By experiment I have found that a charge of 500 lbs (five
hundred pounds) of pig iron containing from 1 (one and one half) to 2 (two) per
cent of phosphorus may be advantageously treated in a furnace fettled or lined
with 100 (one hundred) pounds of the oxides saturated with 5 (five) pounds of the
acid diluted with an equal quantity of water and 20 (twenty) to 25 (twenty five)
pounds of slaked or ground lime (or 40 to 50 pounds of finely ground limestone)
and 5 (five) pounds of common salt, I do not confine myself to the exact quantities
stated, but increase or diminish the quantities according to the nature of the iron
to be operated upon as far as regards phosphorus &c. The said fettling or lining
materials when well mixed as above described, being distributed over the bottom
and sides of the puddling chamber, over the ordinary fettling or lining When
treating a low grade of Iron containing an excessive amount of phosphorus such as
the iron made from forge cinder and commonly known as cinder pig in addition to
the fettling or lining before described I add to the molten bath about (four)
pounds of common salt and 4 (four) pounds of oxide of iron saturated with
the diluted hydrochloric acid and 7 (seven) pounds of slaked or finely ground
lime all prepared as before described These mixed materials are gradually
added to the molten bath but after successive charges of pig iron have
been worked and the slags have become surcharged with the lime or lime-
stone, a less quantity of the mixed material will be required and the amount
must be regulated accordingly for an excessive amount of lime or limestone

page_text: (especially the latter) will cause the iron produced to be what is generally
terined "Red Short," that is, brittle when hot The fettling or lining as
above described may be used for the floors of mill or other furnaces in place of the
sand or silica which is generally used for that purpose The mixed materials
become melted with the slag or oxide produced from the iron and is drawn off and
used as a lining for puddling furnaces The advantages I have found by the use
of this improved lining, and in the case of low-grade pig iron of the addition to
the molten bath as well, being the elimination of the phosphorus or phosphoric
acid sulphur and other impurities contained in the metal which said impurities by
the action of and their combination with the hydrochloric acid, lime and salt, will
be eliminated; a saving in the cost of the fettling or lining and a greater yield of
puddled iron I am aware that it has before been proposed to use oxides of iron
and lime or limestone as also salt for the fettling or lining of puddling furnaces,
but no one so far as I am aware has ever used these materials combined or mixed
with hydrochloric acid in the manner indicated by me What I therefore claim
and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
1st The improvement in the manufacture of iron herein-before set forth which
consists in treating said iron in a furnace fettled or lined with oxides of iron and
salt saturated with diluted hydrochloric acid and lime or limestone and with or
without the addition of the same substances to the molten bath all substantially as
described
2nd As a fettling or lining for furnaces or converters, the application and use of
oxides of iron, salt, diluted hydrochloric acid and lime or limestone all substantially
as and for the purposes sot forth.
In Witness whereof I the said Joseph Beasley have hereunto set my hand
and seal this eighth day of December in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty two
Signed sealed and delivered
in the presence of
GEORGE ROBERTS
'James' Villa
Albert Road Handsworth
Staffordshire
JOSEPH BEASLEY (L.S.)