I■- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN THE RE- WORKING OF OLD IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of “I■-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN THE RE-
WORKING OF OLD IRON AND STEEL."-A communication from abroad by
Oharles Motier Nes, of York, in the County of York, and State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 31st March 1871.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND
IN THE RE-WORKING OF OLD IRON AND STEEL," a communication from abroad
by Charles Motier Nes, of York, in the County of York and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in the production of a new steel,
(which I term "silicon steel" possessing characteristics which do not
belong to any steel hitherto known. It is formed by the combination

page_text: of melted pig or cast metal with certain ingredients hercin-after
specified by means of which a steel is produced containing a greatly
increased per-centage of silicon in proportion to the per-centage of
carbon as compared with commercial steel now in use.
In order to introduce the silicon into the metal it is preferred to use i
a siliceous magnetic ore or other equivalent substance or substances
composed in the main of free silica and the magnetic silicide of iron,
which ore may be found in Heidelberg Township, York County,
Pennsylvania, United States of America, at a place known as "Nes
Hill" and in other places. In the "silicon" steel, the per-centage of
silicon is fully double that found in ordinary commercial steel, whilst
the per-centage of carbon is notably below the average. In lower
grades of steel the per-centage of carbon continues less than, and the
proportion of silicon is still notably in excess of that found in ordinary
steel of corresponding grados.
66
I will now describe one mode in which I can produce cast "silicon
steel."
I use an ordinary "run out" furnace or refinery large enough
to hold one or two tons of metal. On each side of this I have a pot
with a hearth at the end, the flue of which communicates with the stack
of the "run out." These pots are lower than the chamber or pot of
the "
run out" and will hold half a ton each more or less. To the
run out" are attached water tuyeres through which a blast may be
blown upon the fuel and metal. I take, say six bushels of coke and a ton
of pig metal anthracite or charcoal pig Numbers 1, 2, and three, mixed,
and first, putting one half of the coke into the furnace, I then place on
it a layer of pigs, and then on that a layer of coke, and so on alternately
until all the metal has been piled. I take from fifteen to forty per cent.
of the ore substantially such as herein-before specified, that is to shy,
from fifteen to forty pounds of ore to each one hundred pounds of pig
metal, depending upon the quality of steel required, which ore either in
a washed or unwashed condition is either mixed with the coko or is put
into the furnace when the metal is nearly melted. I now turn on the
blast until the metal is perfectly melted and the ore thoroughly mixed
with it by boiling. When the metal is nearly ready to come to nature
I run it from "run out" into the side pots, one half into cach, where
I stir it for a short time with a rabble, and when I find the metal will
bear the hammer I tap it out into moulds of any shape desired. The
metal thus produced is cast "silicon steel."

page_text: In order to make wrought "silicon steel" I proceed in the same
manner, except that I stir the metal in the side pots until it balls up or
comes to nature, after which it can be carried to the hammer and
worked in the usual manner.
I can also convert iron into silicon steel in an ordinary furnace by a
simple process of cementation. Take equal parts of an ore substantially
such as specified, and ordinary mill cinder, boil the two together, and
whilst they are in a state of fusion immerse the iron in the bath and
allow it to remain there until it comes to a white heat, after which it
should be withdrawn. By this process I am enabled to convert any
article of iron, for instance a horseshoe into "silicon steel."
I have described one or two modes I adopt in order to produce the
"silicon steel" but it is manifest that the manufacture of this steel may
be effected by the use of any ordinary or suitable apparatus employed
in the manufacture of iron and steel, for instance, a cupola, reverberatory,
or puddling furnace, or converter."
16
The ore above specified may be employed to purify iron also. In this
case I take pig or cast iron, mix with it from five to fifteen per cent. of
the ore, and then boil the same in the usual way. The ore serves to
O purify the metal in a short time. It removes especially the sulphur and
phosphorus which have a decided' affinity for the silica and are found
with the silex in the cinder or slag.
The ore is also effective in renewing "burnt out iron," such as old
gas retorts, coal grates, and the like, as it restores the qualities in which
5 such metal is deficient. The process in this case is substantially the
same as that just described for the purification of pig metal.
In making steel in a "converter" I take pig metal which may contain
as much as one per cent. of phosphorus and melt it in a suitable
furnace, preferably melting with it at the same time from fifteen to
O forty per cent. of the ore above specified. The melted pig and ore are
then run into the "converter” the melted silica of the ore forming a
coating on the top, and the blast is then turned on. After the blast has
continued a sufficient length of time, which is determined in the usual way
by the appearance of the flame the metal is run off, the production being
a very fine cast steel. The ore may be thrown into the converter but I
prefer to meet it with the iron before running the mass into the converter.
Another part of this Invention relates to the re-working of scrap,
old rails, imperfect ingots, and the like of Bessemer steel. My object

page_text: '
is to utilise this material which has heretofore been allowed to go to
waste and to re-work it into malleable iron, cast steel, or puddled steel.
To this end I first melt the old rails, ingots, or other articles to bo
re-worked in an ordinary cupola employing a hot or cold blast as
desired. When the metal is melted I run it into a refining furnace 5
and then turn on the blast into the molten mass until the carbon is
thoroughly climinated from the metal. When this takes place a
malleable iron is obtained which can be worked like ordinary malleablo
iron.
If cast steel is to be produced I conduct the melted and decarbonized 1
metal from the. refinery into a chest, pot, or retort, where the metal is
recarbonized by blowing carbonizing gases into the retort, or by throwing
sufficient pig metal into the melted mass, this pig metal being made
preferably by the intermixture of ordinary pig with from fifteen to
twenty per cent. of the ore hercin-before mentioned. When the metal 1
has been brought to proper condition it is run from the converting chest
or pot into suitable moulds. The metal thus produced is steel of a
good quality.
r
In order to produce puddled steel I take the metal from the refinery
after it has been deprived of its carbon by the process above specified, 2
and run it into the puddling furnace where it is puddled in the ordinary
way, a sufficient quantity of pig metal and silica being thrown in to
keep a bath over the metal and to keep enough carbon in the mass to
re-convert it into steel. I prefer in order to hasten the process and
to produce a finer metal to insulate both the cupola and the refining 2
furnace, and to insert into the melted metal steel bars connected with
a galvanic battery, thus causing continuous currents of electricity to
pass through the metal.
'
The following is another mode of re-working Bessemer steel by one
operation or at one heating, and without necessitating, first, the
elimination of the carbon from the metal, and afterwards the re-carbon-
ization of the same. I melt the Bessemer metal which I desire to
re-work in a puddling furnace in a bath of the orc hercin-before
mentioned, or titaniferous ore, or other ore containing titanium, silica,
and alumina, mingled or not, as preferred, with cinder, the bath being
of sufficient dimensions to cover the metal. The silica of the orc is
converted by the melting into a glass coating which excludes the oxygen
and retains the carbon. The metal will under this treatment soon
•

page_text: become a homogeneous mass of steel which can be run off in the usual
way.
Another mode I employ of excluding the oxygen and keeping in the
carbon, is to first cast the metal with a mortar composed of fire-clay
and plumbago, or fire-clay, soapstone, and asbestos; or other suitable
refractory mortar to the thickness of an inch or more, and then to place
the metal thus enclosed in its air-tight casing in a cupola or heating
furnace, where it is kept until melted, after which the refractory casing
can be broken or punctured and the melted metal run out. This process
is also applicable to the manufacture of steel from wrought iron, the
latter together with the pig required to carbonize it being coated as
above described with refractory mortar, and then heated and melted.
With either of these processes just specified I can employ electricity
to improve the quality of the steel and render it more homogeneous.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 30th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
'
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson,! Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thercafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN THE RE-WORKING OF OLD IRON AND
STEEL," a communication to me from abroad by Charles Motier Nes, of
York, in the County of York, and State of Pennsylvania, United States

page_text: of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 5
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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and 1
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
The said Invention consists, firstly, in the production of a new steel
(which the Inventor calls "silicon steel ") possessing characteristics
which do not belong to any steel hitherto known. It is formed by the
combination of melted pig or cast metal with certain ingredients herein- 1
after specified, by means of which a steel is produced containing a
greatly increased per-centage of silicon in proportion to the per-centage
of carbon as compared with commercial steel now in use.
In order to introduce the silicon into the metal it is preferred to use
a silicious magnetic ore (or other equivalent substance or substances) 2
composed in the main of free silica and the magnetic silicide of iron,
which ore may be found in Heidelberg Township, York County, Penn-
sylvania, in the United States of America, at a place known as "Nes
Hill," and in other places. An analysis of this ore is as follows :-
-

page_text: Although the Inventor prefers the use of an ore such, substantially, as
above specified, yet he does not limit himself to the special ore, as other
substances having the same characteristics may be employed for the
same purpose.
An analysis of steel of high quality made in accordance with this
In the "silicon steel" the per-centage of silicon is fully double that
found in ordinary commercial steel, whilst the per-centage of carbon is
notably below the average. In lower grades of steel the per-centage of
carbon continues less than, and the proportion of silicon is still notably
in excess of, that found in ordinary steel of corresponding grades. This
steel has increased malleability, tensile strength of material, and greater
hardness in tempering; it is capable of sustaining a higher heat, and
possesses better welding properties; it may be reheated without injury,
and is highly magnetic. The silicon appears to take the place of carbon
to a great extent, and the result is the production of a superior steel
whether wrought or cast.
I will now describe one mode in which cast "silicon steel".may be
produced. An ordinary "run-out" furnace or refinery is employed large
enough to hold from one to two tons of metal. On each side of this
there is a pot with a hearth at the end, the flue of which com-
municates with the stack of the "
run out."
These pots are lower than
the chamber or pot of the "run out,” and will hold half a ton each, more
or less. To the "run out" are attached water tuyeres through which
a blast may be blown upon the fuel and metal. The operator takes,
say, six bushels of coke and a ton of pig metal, anthracite, or charcoal
pig, numbers 1, 2, and 3, mixèd, and first putting one-half of the coke
into the furnace, he then places upon it a layer of pigs, and then on that
a layer of coke, and so on alternately until all the metal has been piled.
He then takes from fifteen to forty per cent. of the ore, substantially
such as I have herein-before specified, that is to say, from fifteen to
forty pounds of orc to each one hundred pounds of pig metal, according
to the quality of stoel required, which ore, either in a washed or un-

page_text: washed condition, is either mixed with the coke or is put into the
furnace when the metal is nearly melted. The operator then turns on
the blast until the metal is perfectly melted and the ore thoroughly
mixed with it by boiling. When the metal is nearly ready to come to
nature it is to be run from the "run out” into the sido pots, one-half
into each, where it is to be stirred for a short time with a rabble, and
when it is found that the metal will bear the hammer it is tapped out
into moulds of any desired shape. The metal thus produced is cast
"silicon steel."
In order to make wrought "silicon steel" the operator proceeds in
the same manner, except that he stirs the metal in the side pots until
it balls up or comes to nature, after which it can be carried to the
hammer and worked in the usual manner. Iron can also be converted
to "silicon steel" in an ordinary furnace by a simple process of cemen-
tation. Take equal parts of an ore substantially such as specified and
ordinary mill cinder, boil the two together, and whilst they are in a
state of fusion immerse the iron in the bath, and allow it to remain
there until it comes to a white heat, after which it should be withdrawn.
By this process, any article of iron, for instance, a horseshoe, may bo
converted into "silicon stcel."
I have described one or two modes that may be adopted in order to
produce the "silicon steel," but it is manifest that the manufacture
of this steel may be effected by the use of any ordinary or suitablo
apparatus employed in the manufacture of iron and steel, for instance,
a cupola, reverberatory, or puddling furnace or converter.
The oro above specified may be employed to purify iron also. In this
case the operator takes pig or cast iron, mixes with it from five to fifteen
per cent. of the ore, and then boils the same in the usual way. Tho
ore serves to purify the metal in a short time. It removes especially
the sulphur and phosphorus, which have a decided affinity for the silica,
and are found with the silex in the cinder or slag.
The ore is also effective in renewing "burnt-out iron," such as old
gas retorts, coal grates, and the like, as it restores the qualities in which
such metal is deficient. The process in this case is substantially the
same as that just described for the purification of pig metal.
In making steel in a "converter" the operator takes pig metal, which
may contain as much as one per cent. of phosphorus, and melts it in
a suitable furnace, preferably melting with it. at the same time from

page_text: fifteen to forty per cent. of the ore above specified. The melted pig and
ore are then run into the "converter," the melted silica of the ore
forming a coating on the top, and the blast is then turned on. After
the blast has continued a sufficient length of time, which is determined
in the usual way by the appearance of the flame, the metal is run off,
the product, being a very fine cast steel. The ore may be thrown into
the converter, but it is preferred to melt it with the iron before running
the mass into the converter.
Another part of this Invention relates to the re-working of scrap, old
rails, imperfect ingots, and the like of Bessemer steel. The object is
to utilize this material, which has heretofore been allowed to go to waste,
and to re-work it into malleable iron, cast steel, or puddled steel. To
this end the operator first melts the old rails, ingots, or other articles
to be re-worked in an ordinary cupola, employing a hot or cold blast as
desired. When the metal is melted he runs it into a refining furnace,
and then turns on the blast into the molten mass until the carbon
is thoroughly eliminated from the metal. When this takes place a
malleable iron is obtained which can be worked like ordinary malleable
iron.
.
If cast steel is to be produced the melted and decarbonized metal is
conducted from the refinery into a chest, pot, or retort, where the metal
is recarbonized by blowing carbonizing gases into the retort, or by
throwing sufficient pig metal into the melted mass, this pig metal being
mado preferably by the intermixture of ordinary pig with from. fifteen
to twenty per cent. of the ore herein-before mentioned. When the metal
has been brought to proper condition it is run from the converting
chest or pot into suitable moulds. The metal thus produced is steel of
a good quality.
°
In order to produce puddled steel the metal from the refinery, after it
has been deprived of its carbon by the process above specified, is to be
run into the puddling furnace, where it is puddled in the ordinary way,
a sufficient quantity of pig metal and silica being thrown in to keep a
bath over the metal, and to keep enough carbon in the mass to reconvert
it into steel. It is preferred, in order to hasten the process and to
› produce a finer metal, to insulate both the cupola and the refining
furnace, and to insert into the melted metal steel bars connected with
a galvanic battery, thus causing continuous currents of electricity to
pass through the metal.

page_text: The following is another mode of re-working Bessemer steel by onc
operation or at one heating, and without necessitating, first, the elimi-
nation of the carbon from the metal and afterwards the recarbonization
of the same. The Bessemer metal which it is desired to re-work is melted
in â puddling furnace in a bath of the ore herein-before mentioned, or u
of titaniferous ore, or of other ore containg titanium, silica, and alumina,
mingled or not, as preferred, with cinder, the bath being of sufficient
dimensions to cover the metal. The silica of the ore is converted
by the melting into a glass coating, which excludes the oxygen and
retains the carbon. The metal will, under this treatment, soon become 1
a homogeneous mass of steel, which can be run off in the usual way.
i
Another mode of excluding the oxygen and keeping in the carbon is,
to first coat the metal with a mortar composed of fire-clay and plum-
bago, or fire-clay, soapstone, and asbestos, or other suitable refractory
mortar, to the thickness of an inch or more, and then to place the metal ]
thus enclosed in its air-tight casing in a cupola or heating furnace,
where it is kept until melted, after which the refractory casing can bo
broken or punctured, and the melted metal run out. This process is
also applicable to the manufacture of steel from wrought iron, the latter,
together with the pig required to carbonize it, being coated as above:
described with refractory mortar, and then heated and melted.
With either of these processes just specified electricity can be
employed to improve the quality of the steel and render it more
homogeneous.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The manufacture and use of the improved steel or steel-like
metal herein-before described and denominated "silicon stecl," in which
the ratio of silicon to carbon is not less than one to two.
Secondly. The manufacture of wrought or cast steel by the use of the
peculiar orc or its equivalent herein specified in combination with pig
or cast iron, substantially in the manner set forth.
Thirdly. The use of the peculiar oro or its equivalent herein specified
for purifying cast iron and restoring "burnt-out iron," substantially in
the manner set forth. ·

page_text: Fourthly. The process of making cast steel in a converting furnace
from pig metal and the peculiar ore herein specified, substantially in the
manner herein-before described.
Fifthly. The methods herein described of producing malleable iron,
cast steel, or puddled steel from imperfect ingots, old rails, scrap, and
the like, of Bessemer metal, substantially in the manner set forth.
Sixthly. The use of titaniferous or other similar ores in the
re-working Bessemer steel, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before specified.
process of
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of
September One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.