Improvement in the Art of Producing Steel.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE
Improvement in the Art of Producing Steel.
A communication from abroad by JAMES BURNS, of Verona, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Blacksmith.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
My invention relates to improvements in the art of producing steel.
My improvement may be used in the production of any grade of steel; it does
not change in any material degree the chemical analysis of the steel, the materials
which I add not being used for the purpose of increasing the quantity of either
carbon or silicon in the product; it does, however, produce a denser metal, free
from blow-holes, honeycomb, or piped ends, and at the same time the tensil
strength of the steel is greatly increased, and possesses the further characteristics
that it can be used constantly in tools without heating.
In the practice of my invention or discovery, I have found that an addition of
ground or powdered gritty sand stone and slippery elm, as hereinafter set forth,
to steel immediately prior to pouring or tapping the same, enables the steel to
be poured without agitation or bubbling, producing a solid ingot or bar, entirely
free from honeycomb or pipe usually produced at the ends of the ingot or bar.
This product is uniformly dense having a close grain and a marked increase in
tensil strength.
In the practice of my invention or discovery, I take ordinary grind stone, i.e.,
any sand stone containing sufficient grit suitable to be used as an ordinary grind
stone, (chemical analysis shows the stone to consist chiefly of silica and alumina,
combined as a silicate of alumina, which analyses about ninety-five (95%)
per cent. of the whole. The silica analyzing seventy (70%) per cent., and the
alumina analyzing twenty-five (25%) per cent., with traces of lime, magnesia,
alkalies, copper and arsenic. I, however, attribute the results which I have
obtained to the combination of the silicate of alumina combined with slippery
elm, as hereafter specified,) comminute or reduce the same to a powder, preferably
as follows, namely:--By taking hardened chilled iron or steel and grind the
same upon said grind stone until a quantity of said stone by contact with said
chilled iron or steel is reduced to a finely powdered state. I add to this powdered
stone a quantity of slippery elm, prepared in either of the following forms,
namely: The elm may be used in its ordinary commercial form, providing it is
still green and contains sap; or I take it when in this form, macerate or boil,
evaporate the water, and reduce to a viscid mass; or the same may be calcined
or reduced to wood ash; then steeped in water contained in a vessel having one
or more small openings through which the water or liquid is slowly withdrawn ;
the water or liquid evaporated, forming, as in the second instance, a viscid
mass. The slippery elm so prepared is then combined with said powdered stone
in about the proportions hereinafter specified, and thoroughly mixed with the
molten metal at the time hereinafter specified.
In the practice of my invention or discovery, I have found that a very high grade

page_text: of steel is obtained by the following formula, namely:-About three (3 ozs.) ounces
of ground or powdered stone, with about (3 ozs.) ounces of slippery elm stirred
or mixed with about ninety-five (95 lbs.) pounds of crucible steel, at or about the
time of pouring the same.
I do not wish to limit myself to this exact formula, as it may be varied some-
what and good results be secured. I have found, however, that these proportions
added to the mentioned weight of ordinary crucible steel, as above specified,
produces an extremely high grade of tool steel, capable of long continued use in
lathes without heating. I have also discovered that the ingredients above men-
tioned, in about the proportions specified, produce an extremely uniform dense
open hearth steel, free from blow-holes, honeycomb, or piped ends, and with
increased tensil strength.
I have discovered that sand of silica used in the manufacture of glass, although
almost pure silica, will not answer the purpose subserved by the gritty sand
stone or grind stone which I use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The herein described improvement in the art of producing steel, which
consists of adding to every ninety-five (95 lbs.) pounds of ordinary steel when in
a liquid condition and prior to pouring the same, of about three (3 ozs.) ounces
each of ground or powdered silicate of alumina and slippery elm, substantially as
herein set forth.
Dated this th
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.