AN IMPROVED PROCESS OR METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE IRON
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS OR METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE
IRON."
A communication from abroad by George Beals, of Buffalo, State of
New York. United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OR METHOD
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE IRON." [A communication from abroad
by George Beals, of Buffalo, State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to an improvement in the process of manufacturing
malleable iron directly from the ore or other iron bearing material in an ordinary
puddling or reverberating furnace. Heretofore it has been attempted to manu-
facture malleable iron directly from the ore by charging the hearth of the puddling
furnace with pulverized ore and fuel intimately mixed. This mixture has been
spread evenly over the hearth, and when the iron on the surface of the mixture had
come to nature the iron was balled. During the process of balling there were
incorporated in the iron particles of the unreduced ore from the lower stratuin of
the mixture in which the balls were rolled or worked, and this made the process of
balling very difficult, as it interfered with the adhesion of the particles of metallic
iron with each other and caused a great waste, and defeated the object of the
process by reducing the yield of iron so much that it rendered the process
unprofitable. Furthermore the flame passing over the level surface of the layer of
mixture on the hearth would burn out and carry off large portions of metallic iron,
which also reduced the yield. Malleable iron has also been made directly from the
ore by forming a plastic mixture of pulverized ore and fuel with lime, clay, or
similar substance, and moulding the mixture into hollow cylinders or other shapes,
which were placed upon the hearth of the furnace, but this renders the manufacture
expensive on account of the labor and care necessary in moulding and handling
these hollow cylinders, and by reason of the difficulty encountered in breaking
CD

page_text: down these bollow cylinders and balling the same when the iron has come to
nature.
This Invention relates to an improvement in the first mentioned process, in
which the mixture of ore and fuel is placed in the furnace without being moulded,
and it has for its object to avoid the difficulties which heretofore defeated the
successful operation of that process.
My Invention consists to that end of the particular method employed in treating
the ore and obtaining malleable iron therefrom.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I coarsely pulverize and intimately
mix the ore or other iron bearing material, such as cinders, slag, or scale, and the
fuel which may be waste from bituminous coal, anthracite, or charcoal, or any other
carbonaceous material. I generally mix the pulverized ore or iron bearing material
with the carbonaceous matter in the proportion of five to one, as I have found such
a mixture to give satisfactory results, but the proportion may vary somewhat and
should be governed by the character of the ore or other iron bearing material which
is employed. It is obvious that ore and the other iron bearing material mentioned
may be used together in the same charge if desired. It is not necessary to add
lime, clay, or other slag forming materials to ordinary iron ore, as ores which contain
slag-forming ingredients are always readily obtained.
If slag, cinders, or scales are used exclusively, lime or clay in sufficient quantity
to form running slag should be added, but I prefer to add instead a small quantity
of ore containing lime or clay. I then charge the hearth with this mixture in such
a way that the mixture lies against both bridge walls of the hearth, and slopes
from both bridge walls towards the middle thereof opposite the opening in the side
wall, leaving a space substantially free from ore between the sloping bodies of the
mixture. The flame passing from the combustion chamber over the grate towards
the exit flue descends into the space between the sloping masses of ore mixture and
reverberates between the sloping surfaces, whereby the effect of the flame upon the
ore is greatly increased. When the iron in the sloping surface layers of the
material has come to nature, it is raked down upon the free space of the hearth
and worked into a ball, which is then removed by the usual means through the
opening. This ball is substantially free from unreduced ore, as the particles of
iron in being raked down operate to reduce to a metallic state any particles of
unreduced ore which may adhere to them. By removing these surface layers
which have come to nature the unreduced ore lying immediately below such surface
layers is exposed to the action of the flame and caused to come to nature in its
turn, and when this has occurred the metallic surface layers are again raked down
and balled, and in this manner the charge is successively worked off until it is
exhausted.
The balls are taken to a squeezer or shingling hammer, and reduced to blooms,
and rolled out into bars or otherwise treated in the usual and well known
manner.
It is not necessary to remove the fix from an ordinary puddling furnace in order
to adapt the furnace to my process, as the ore mixture may be laid upon or against
the fix, and the latter will be gradually worked off with successive charges. By my
improved method the operation of producing iron directly from the ore is
greatly simplified, and accomplished almost as quickly as it is now accomplished
in producing malleable iron from pig iron.
The operation is easily understood and readily carried out by workmen of
ordinary skill, and the cost of labor is thereby correspondingly reduced.
The iron which is produced by my improved process is superior to iron produced
from pig-iron by the ordinary methods of puddling, because the iron passes directly
from the ore to a malleable state without first assuming the intermediate condition
of cast iron.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th May 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OR METHOD FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE IRON." A communication from abroad by
George Beals, of Buffalo, State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improvement in the process of manufacturing
malleable iron directly from the ore or other iron bearing material in an ordinary
puddling or reverberating furnace. Heretofore it has been attempted to manu-
facture malleable iron directly from the ore by charging the hearth of the puddling
furnace with pulverized ore and fuel intimately mixed. This mixture has been
spread evenly over the hearth, and when the iron on the surface of the mixture
had come to nature the iron was balled. During the process of balling there were
incorporated in the iron particles of the unreduced ore from the lower stratum of
the mixture in which the balls were rolled or worked, and this made the process
of balling very difficult, as it interfered with the adhesion of the particles of
metallic iron with each other, and caused a great waste, and defeated the object of
the process by reducing the yield of iron so much that it rendered the process
unprofitable. Furthermore, the flame passing over the level surface of the layer of
mixture on the hearth would burn out, and carry off large portions of metallic
iron which also reduced the yield. Malleable iron has also been made directly
from the ore by forming a plastic mixture of pulverized ore and fuel with lime,
clay, or similar substances, and moulding the mixture into hollow cylinders or
other shapes, which were placed upon the hearth of the furnace, but this rendered
the manufacture expensive on account of the labor and care necessary in moulding
and handling these hollow cylinders, and by reason of the difficulty encountered
in breaking down these hollow cylinders and balling the same when the iron has
come to nature.
This Invention relates to an improvement in the first mentioned process, in
which the mixture of ore and fuel is placed in the furnace without being moulded,
and it has for its object to avoid the difficulties which heretofore defeated the
successful operation of that process.
The said Invention consists to that end in the particular method employed in
treating the ore and obtaining malleable iron therefrom, as hereinafter described.
The accompanying Drawing represents a longitudinal section of a puddling
furnace, and illustrates the improved method for manufacturing iron.
A represents the grate; B, the hearth; C, the bridge-wall between the grate
and the hearth; D, the exit flue; E, the bridge-wall between the same and the
hearth; F, the side walls of the furnace; G, the opening therein, which is provided
with a door G¹ having an opening g, through which the balling tools are
introduced.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I coarsely pulverize and intimately
mix the ore or other iron bearing material, such as cinders, slag, or scale, and the
fuel which may be waste from bituminous coal, anthracite, or charcoal, or any
other carbonaceous material. I generally mix the pulverized ore or iron bearing
material with the carbonaceous matter in the proportion of five to one, as such a
mixture gives satisfactory results, but the proportion may vary somewhat, and
should be governed by the character of the ore or other iron bearing material
which is employed. It is obvious that ore and the other iron bearing material
mentioned may be used together in the same charge if desired. It is not necessary

page_text: to add lime, clay, or other slag-forming materials to ordinary iron ore, as ores
which contain slag-forming ingredients are always readily obtained.
If slag, cinders, or scale are used exclusively, lime or clay in sufficient quantity
to form running slag should be added, but I prefer to add instead a small quantity
of ore containing lime or clay. I then charge the hearth with this mixture in such
a way that the mixture lies against both-bridge-walls of the hearth, and slopes
from both bridge walls towards the middle thereof, opposite the opening in the
side wall, leaving a space H substantially free from ore between the sloping bodies I
of the mixture. The flame passing from the combustion-chamber over the grate
towards the exit flue descends into the space between the sloping masses of ore
mixture and reverberates between the sloping surfaces, whereby the effect of the
flame upon the ore is greatly increased. When the iron in the sloping surface
layers of the material has come to nature, it is raked down upon the free space H
of the hearth and worked into a ball, which is then removed by the usual means
through the opening G. This ball is substantially free from unreduced ore, as the
particles of iron in being raked down operate to reduce to a metallic state any
particles of unreduced ore which may adhere to them. By removing these surface
layers which have come to nature, the unreduced ore lying immediately below such
surface layers is exposed to the action of the flame and caused to come to nature
in its turn, and when this has occurred the metallic surface layers are again raked
down and balled, and in this manner the charge is successively worked off until it
is exhausted.
The balls are taken to a squeezer or shingling hammer and reduced to blooms,
and rolled out into bars or otherwise treated in the usual and well known manner.
It is not necessary to remove the fixing from an ordinary puddling furnace in order
to adapt the furnace to my process, as the ore mixture may be laid upon or against
the fixing, and the latter will be gradually worked off with successive charges.
By my improved method the operation of producing iron directly from the ore is
greatly simplified, and accomplished almost as quickly as it is now accomplished in
producing malleable iron from pig iron. The operation is easily understood and
readily carried out by workmen of ordinary skill, and the cost of labor is thereby
correspondingly reduced. The iron which is produced by my improved process is
superior to iron produced from pig-iron by the ordinary methods of puddling,
because the iron passes directly from the ore to a malleable state without first
assuming the intermediate condition of cast iron.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
The herein described method of producing 'malleable iron directly from the ore
or other iron bearing material, which method consists in placing the mixture of
iron-bearing material and fuel in a reverberatory. or ordinary pudding furnace in a
sloping mass or masses, leaving a free space on the hearth upon which the iron
may be balled, and then raking down the metallic iron from the sloping surface or
surfaces when it has come to nature, and balling the same on the free space of the
hearth, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.