IMPROVEMENTS 'IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN APPARATUSES TO BE EMPLOYED
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Anthony Bessemer, of Upper Holloway, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
'IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN APPARATUSES TO BE EMPLOYED
Scaled the 1st April 1859, and dated the 5th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Anthony Bessemer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
October 1858.
I, ANTHONY BESSEMER, of Upper Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN APPARATUSES TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
These improvements are intended to cleanse the pig or crude iron from all
its impurities, such as sulphur, phosphorous, silica, carbon, &c., and all other
foreign matters, so as to produce steel and malleable iron.
To effect this purpose I construct a revolving reverberatory futnace which
is to contain the iron; this furnace is furnished with a cylindrical iron vessel,
made in two halves, if requisite, and bolted together; both ends are to be
contracted so as to form a neck at each end of about two-thirds or so of the
diameter of the body part of the cylinder and open at both ends, lined with
segmental fire-bricks; one or more rows of bricks can be raised five or six
inches higher than the rest, to form a projection or projections to assist in
dividing and changing the surface of the metal. The cylinder is mounted on
a inovable frame capable of being moved backwards and forwards between
that part of the furnace containing the fire and the shaft (or chimney). The
cylindrical vessel is made to revolve the whole time the metal is under

page_text: operation. The neck at each end may form the bearings. The cylinder
which contains the metal, and the furnace which contains the fire, form a
complete revolving reverberatory furnace. The furnace part proper is of the
usual reverberatory kind, and is likewise to he mounted on wheels capable
of being drawn backwards and forwards.
During the whole time the metal is under operation I blow atmospheric air
or steam into the furnace, in such manner as to act upon the surface of the
metal, so that the carbon, sulphur, phosphorous, &c., uniting with the oxygen
of the air or steam, may be carried off. The air or steam can be supplied
by a fan or any other convenient means, either hot or cold, or at either end,
or both ends of the revolving furnace.
Although I have mentioned air and steam, on account of their economy,
yet pure oxygen gas, or any fluid or solid matter containing oxygen gas may
be used in my process of converting crude iron into steel and malleable iron
in my revolving furnace.
In addition to these means of supplying the furnace with air, steam, &c.,
I place an air passage or pipe in the neck of the furnace proper, as near as
possible to the neck of the revolving cylinder, which air passage or pipe can
be made to open or shut, as required. Should it be requisite, a rake or tool
may be passed through the shaft into the revolving vessel to agitate or stir the
melted metal, until the whole is converted into steel or malleable iron, as may
be desired.
In my revolving furnace the usual fluxes, such as lime, silica, metallic
manganese, oxide of manganese, salts, &c., may be used to advantage to assist
in the separation of the various impurities which the crude iron contains.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Anthony Bessemer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTHONY
BESSEMER, of Upper Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Anthony Bessemer, Her special licence that I, the said Anthony Bessemer,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Anthony Bessemer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN APPARATUSES TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREлN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Anthony Bessemer, 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, 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 Anthony Bessemer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
These improvements are intended to cleanse the pig or crude iron from all
its impurities, such as sulphur, phosphorus, silica, carbon, &c., and all other
foreign matters, so as to produce steel and malleable iron.
To effect this purpose I construct a revolving reverberatory furnace or
cylinder which is to contain the iron. This furnace or cylinder is composed of
a cylindrical iron vessel made in two halves if requisite, and bolted together;
boths ends are to be contracted, so as to form a neck at each end, of about two-
thirds or so of the diameter of the body part of the cylinder, and open at both
ends. The whole interior is to be lined with segmental fire-bricks; one or
more rows of bricks can be raised five or six inches higher than the rest to form
a projection or projections to assist in dividing and changing the surface of the
metal. The cylinder is mounted on a movable frame capable of being moved
backwards and forwards between that part of the furnace which contains the
fire and the shaft or chimney. The cylindrical vessel is made to revolve the
whole time the metal is under operation; the neck at each end may form the
bearings. The cylinder which contains the metal, and the part of the furnace
which contains the fire, form a complete revolving reverberatory furnace. The
furnace part proper is of the usual reverberatory kind, and is likewise to be
mounted on wheels capable of being drawn backwards and forwards.
During the whole time the metal is under operation, I blow atmospheric-

page_text: air or steam into the furnace, in such manner as to act upon the surface of the
metal, so that the carbon, sulphur, phosphorous, &c., uniting with the oxygen
of the air or steam may be carried off. The air or steam can be supplied by a
fan or any other convenient means, and may be either hot or cold, and supplied
at either end or at both ends of the revolving furnace.
Although I have mentioned air and steam on account of their economy,
yet pure oxygen gas, or any fluid or solid matter containing oxygen gas may
be used in my process of converting crude iron into steel and malleable iron in
my revolving furnace.
In addition to these means of supplying the furnace with air, steam, &c.
I place an air passage or pipe in the neck of the furnace proper, as near as
possible to the neck of the revolving cylinder, which air passage or pipe can be
made to open or shut, as required. Should it be requisite a rake or tool may
be passed through the shaft into the revolving vessel to agitate or stir the
melted metal, until the whole is converted into steel or malleable iron, as
may be desired.
In my revolving furnace the usual fluxes, such as lime, silica, metallic
manganese, oxide of manganese, salts, &c., may be used to advantage to assist
in the separation of the various impurities which the crude iron contains.
In tl Drawings hereunto annexed I have represented the forms of appa-
ratus which I prefer for carrying my Invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 an elevation, not in section,
of my improved reverberatory furnace complete; and Figure 3 is a transverse
section through the cylinder. A is the cylinder; B is the furnace proper or
fire-place; C is the pipe or tube through which the air, steam, or other like
gas or vapour enters the cylinder; D is the shaft or chimney; E is the
carriage on which the cylinder A is supported and rotates; F is a tap hole,
through which the metal may be drawn off from the cylinder A, but, if
preferred, it may be drawn off through the neck G; I, I, are friction rollers,
upon and between which the rings I, I, upon the exterior of the cylinder
A run.
J is a worm, which imparts rotary motion to the cylinder A
through the wheel K, which is fixed around and upon the cylinder; L, L,
(Figure 3) are raised projections to assist in turning and stirring over the
metal as the cylinder rotates; M is the air passage near the neck of the
furnace proper. The joint N shows how the two parts of the cylinder are
united when the cylinder is not formed in one. Figure 4 is a view of the
shaft or chimney on the side against which the cylinder A comes, the end of
the pipe C and the hole O through which the interior of the furnace may be
seen or the metal within it stirred by means of a rake or tool. Figure 5

page_text: shows two views of a slide or plate, which fits half round the neck of the
cylinder after it has been wheeled into place. Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9,
illustrate several modified forms which may be given, if desired, to the
cylinder A.
The operation is performed as follows:-Make the revolving cylinder
moderately hot, then draw back the part that contains the fire to make room to
put the crude iron through the neck into the body part of the revolving
cylinder, then draw forward the fire furnace to its proper place, the fire then
can be urged on as fast as possible. When the iron is red hot, or before, I begin
to blow into the revolving cylinder the air or steam through the pipe C, so as
to distribute it over the surface of the fluid metal, which surface is always
changing as the furnace revolves, the metal continually presenting a fresh
surface for the oxygen to act upon during the whole time the metal is under
operation. When the metal is in a fit state to pour, the fire furnace is to be
drawn back, and the revolving cylinder is brought forward on its moveable
carriage to where the moulds are placed. The metal is then to be drawn off
through the tap hole F, or through the neck G; to assist the pouring I
sometimes raise the cylinder at one end by a screw or any other convenient
means. Where requisite, before pouring, I place an air-tight cover on each
end of the cylinder, connected by a pipe with an exhausted chamber, so as to
draw off any gaseous matter that may have remained among the metal during
the conversion.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not confine myself to
any of the mere details of the apparatus herein-before described; but I claim,-
First, the method of converting crude iron into steel and malleable iron by
means of a revolving reverberatory furnace, constructed and operating essentially
as herein-before described.
Secondly, the construction and employment of apparatus for manufacturing
iron, essentially as herein-before described and illustrated in the Drawings
hercunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Anthony Bessemer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
ANTHONY BESSEMER. (L.S.)