Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 26th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Aug., 1887
Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel.
We, CARL JOHAN SANDAHL, of Trimsarn, in the County of Caermarthen, South
Wales, Engineer and JOHN BIRCHALL, of Oaklands, Rainhill, in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, and JOSEPH MUSSON, of 25 Water Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the processes of manufacturing iron and steel in which
metal when in a liquid state is run into refining apparatus in which the metalloids and
impurities of the melted metal are removed.
According to this Invention metal when tapped from a furnace, or cupola and
preferably directly from a blast furnace in a molten state is conveyed, or caused to
flow by gravity, or otherwise in a stream along a duct, or runner and is during this
passage subjected to the action of air, previously heated, or otherwise forced through
it, by which means the metalloids and impurities are wholly, or to a great extent
removed. The metal thus refined may be then further treated to ensure more
homogenity in an open hearth furnace, but for ordinary qualities the metal is taken
direct from the runner in the ladle and conveyed to ingot moulds.
The refining of the metal in the manner herein set forth and direct from the furnace
effects the manufacture of iron, or steel, in a direct process, free from, or low in
metalloids and with a small expenditure of time and at a low cost.
The refining duct, or runner may be made of iron, having an acid, or basic
refractory lining, or preferably of an entirely acid, or basic refractory material, or it
may be lined with chrome iron ore. Below this an air duct is provided and holes are
formed in the lining at any desired required pitch and conveniently distributed..
These holes lead from the air duct to the lining of the metal duct, or runner.
may be either cold or hot and is under pressure and the depth of metal run over the
holes in the duct is small, hence a small pressure only is necessary for the complete
permeation of the blast through the metal and the metal is completely, or nearly
The air

page_text: refined when it leaves the duct and has been thus treated. As only a very low
pressure is required, the air can conveniently be taken from the blast main leading to
the blast furnace or cupola and thus by the use of this Invention steel may be produced
without an expensive Plant. Should it be deemed desirable to further treat the
metal thus produced in open hearth furnaces it will require a shorter time than that
usually required for treating metal in the open hearth furnace, as the refining process
being completed, or nearly so, what is wanted is chiefly to make the metal
homogenous, which is one of the chief advantages of the open hearth steel.
Dated this 28th day of September 1886.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel.
We, CARL JOHAN SANDAHL of Trimsarn, in the County of Caermarthen, South
Wales, Engineer, and JOHN BIRCHALL, of Oaklands, Rainhill, in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman and JOSEPH MUSSON, of 25 Water Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, 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 by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to the processes of manufacturing iron and steel in which
metal when in a liquid state is run into refining apparatus in which the metalloids
and impurities of the melted metal are removed.
According to this Invention metal when tapped from a furnace, or cupola and
preferably directly from a blast furnace in a molten state is conveyed, or caused to
How by gravity or otherwise in a stream along a duct, or runner and is during this
passage subjected to the action of air, previously heated, or otherwise forced through it
by which means the metalloids and impurities are wholly, or to a great extent
removed. The metal thus refined may be then further treated to ensure more
homoginity in an open hearth furnace, but for ordinary qualities the metal is taken
direct from the runner in the ladle and conveyed to ingot moulds.
The refining of the metal in the manner herein set forth and direct from the furnace
effects the manufacture of iron, or steel, in a direct process, free from, or low in
metalloids and with a small expenditure of time and at a low cost.
The air
The refining duct, or runner may be made of iron, having an acid, or basic
refractory lining, or preferably of an entirely acid, or basic refractory material, or it
may be lined with chrome iron ore. Below this an air duct is provided and holes are
formed in the lining at any desired required pitch and conveniently distributed.
These holes lead from the air duct to the lining of the metal duct, or runner.
may be either cold, or hot and is under pressure and the depth of metal run over the
holes in the duct is small, hence a small pressure only is necessary for the complete
permeation of the blast through the metal and the metal is completely, or nearly
refined when it leaves the duct and has been thus treated. As only a very low pressure
is required the air can conveniently be taken from the blast main leading to the blast
furnace, or cupola and thus by the use of this Invention steel may be produced without
an expensive Plant. Should it be deemed desirable to further treat the metal thus
produced in open hearth furnaces it will require a shorter time than that usually
required for treating metal in the open hearth furnace, as the refining process being
completed, or nearly so, what is wanted is chiefly to make the metal homogeneous,
which is one of the chief advantages of the open hearth steel.
An example of a refining apparatus according to our Invention is illustrated in
the accompanying sheet of Drawings which forms a part of this Specification. The
Drawings are marked with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following description.

page_text: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a refining apparatus according to our Invention.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, at X X.
A may designate the tap hole of a blast furnace, or cupola, or other apparatus of any
known kind and B is the runner, or refining apparatus which is connected to say the
blast furnace A at b. It will be seen that the runner B consists of a closed duct, lined
with refractory material having a stepped bottom and lateral and inclined air
holes 62 in double rows. e is an air chest common to all the sets of holes b³.
In operation the metal flows in thin streams over the steps in cascades and during
its passage over the steps, the air is forced through the metal thereby oxidizing and
removing the metalloids of the metal. The metal may be poured into a casting ladle
at the end of the runner and run into moulds to form ingots, or treated, or used
in any other desired way as hereinbefore described.
The bottom of the runner may have a plane bottom in lieu of a stepped one as above
set forth in which case it is provided with air holes, or tuyeres arranged vertically, or
nearly vertically to the bottom of the runner. The tuyeres may be of any known
type, or the holes may be formed in the bottom when the botton is being formed.
But we prefer the construction of the stepped runner set forth with reference to the
Drawing inasmuch as the air holes being placed, or disposed in such a manner that
the metal in flowing down the bottom of the duct does not come in contact with that
portion of the material in which they are formed and they are therefore rendered free
from stoppage and they are not liable to become burnt, or filled up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-.
First. Effecting the refining of cast iron by the method herein described which
method consists in causing the molten metal to flow down a duct in a thin stream and
during its passage to force air through the flowing metal substantially in the manner
and for the purposes set forth.
Second. An apparatus for refining iron, consisting of a duct down which the metal
is caused to flow, the bottom being of stepped, or equivalent form provided with
holes, or tuyeres for the introduction of air as described by which the said holes,
or tuyeres are rendered free from liability to become stopped substantially as and
for the purposes set forth also as shown in the Drawings.