CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING IRON, OR IN THE METHOD OR METHODS OF SMELTING AND MAKING OF IRON
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BOTFIELD, of Hopton Court, in the County of Salop, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Second day of January, in the eighth year of Our reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas
Botfield, His especial licence, that I, the said Thomas Botfield, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Botfield, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to tinie and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING IRON, OR IN THE METHOD OR METHODS OF
SMELTING AND MAKING OF IRON;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas Botfield, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what way or mauner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with and agreeable to the true intent
and meaning of the said proviso in the said Letters Patent contained, I, the

page_text: said Thomas Botfield, do hereby declare that the following is a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention and methods and improvements
in the smelting and making of iron, both in respect to principle and the way
and manner in which the same may be performed, that is to say :-
The principle is for causing or obtaining a blast of atmospheric air sufficient
to smelt, fuse, run, or made pig, cast, or crude iron from ironstone or ore.
This blast is to be produced by means of rarified air, gas flame, or heated air
from an oven or fireplace, and is to be applied in or to a blast furnace, cupola,
or air furnace. This I propose to effect by the draft of a powerful chimney or
chimnies, which may be built separate at any distance that may be most con-
venient, or may join to or be made part of the blast furnace or cupola, as may
be found most desirable and best to answer the purpose required, and which
is to be connected by a flue or flues with the cupola, blast, or air furnace;
but in case this draft should not prove sufficient for the purpose of smelting
the ironstone or ore, I propose and intend to apply and use the common
blast from machinery to assist the blast from the draft of the chimney. This
is to be used at the same or any other twire.
And I claim a right and mean to use the atmospheric air either separate or
mixed with gas flame or heated air.
I also claim as part of my Patent the right to use and mix (with the other
materials) rock salt, common refuse, or other salt. in any state or degreo of
refining, or any other substance of which soda (the mineral alkali) forms a
part. This is to be mixed in the blast furnace, cupola, or air furnace, witli
the ironstone or ore, and with the other usual materials of coke or charcoal
and limestone, to which cinder, produced in the process of converting pig,
cast, or crude iron into malleable iron) may be added; and I propose to mix
the salt or other substance containing soda in such proportions as I shall find
necessary to cause the ironstone or ore to melt or fuse sooner, or with less
blast, fuel, or heat.
Now I do hereby declare that the before-mentioned principles comprehend
the real object of my Patent; and in order for the better understanding the
method or methods in which the aforesaid may be reduced and applied to
practical use, I wish it to be understood that, although I may vary the mode,
way, and manner by a variation of applications to produce the said effects, and
maintain the main purpose intended, as circumstances may require, yet I prin-
cipally propose to adhere to the method or methods herein described, which
may be understood from the annexed Drawing and description thereof.
In the annexed Drawing, A represents the chimney; B, the blast furnace ;
C, the oven, air furnace, or fireplace; D, D, flues to connect the furnace with

page_text: the chimney; E, space open to admit the atmospheric air to the twire, which
may also be introduced below or on the sides as well as above the twire, or
may be introduced at all these places, as circumstances may require; F, F,
dampers to stop or regulate the draft of the flues to the chimney; G, cover
for the top of the furnace to be opened when the materials are being put in
to charge the furnace. And I do hereby declare that the blast furnace, air
furnace, cupola, and oven, with the chimney or chimnies, may be built, erected,
or made of any height, shape, form, or size that shall be found most suitable
to the materials to be used or smelted, and be connected by flues in any way,
and may be constructed of any material or materials, which may be found best
suited for the purpose; and I further declare, that I propose to use coal, coke,
stone, coal, culm, wood, charcoal, or any other kind of fuel or fuels or com-
bination of fuel, in any proportion or proportions in the fireplace, oven, or air
furnace, for producing the gas flame or heated air, and also to use all the
materials before recited in any proportion or proportions that may be found
sufficient and best adapted to produce the main object required.
I claim as my Patent the use of the additional chimney or chimnies, and
the application of rarified air, gas flame, or heated air, to, at, or near the
twire or twires of the blast furnace or cupola, to cause or assist the blast of
atmospheric air.
And I also claim, as part of my Patent, the use of salt or any other sub-
stance containing soda to mix with the ironstone or ore, and other materials
in the blast, cupola, or air furnace, to cause these materials to melt or fuse
sooner, more easy, or with less blast and fuel; but I do not claim as my
Patent the use of salt in any part of the process of making bar, wrought, or
manufactured iron from pig, cast, or crude iron, but only claim the use of salt
or any other substance containing soda in making pig, cast, or crude iron
from ironstone or ore.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Botfield, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-eight.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same First day of April, in the
year above mentioned, the aforesaid Thomas Botfield came before our Lord
the King in His Chancery aforesaid, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the 5
Statute in that case made and provided.
T1111 Anvil in the wook above written