IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING STEEL INGOTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN PLATE AND FOR OTHER USES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Rogers, of the South Wales Iron and Tin
Plate Works, Llanelly, in. the County of Carmarthen, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING STEEL INGOTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
TIN PLATE AND FOR OTHER USES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Rogers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1880.
JOHN HENRY ROGERS, of the South Wales Iron and Tin Plate Works, Llanelly,
in the County of Carmarthen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING STEEL INGOTS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN PLATE AND FOR OTHER USES, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
This Invention has for its object improvements in casting steel ingots for
the manufacture of tin plate and for other uses, and in apparatus employed
therein.
For the purpose of casting small steel ingots, more suitable for the manufacture
of tin plate than the ingots now commonly inade, I employ mould blocks, each
containing, say, four, mould cavities. The cavities are of a size to produce ingots
about two feet long and weighing about two hundredweight cach; the mould
cavities are tapered considerably so that the ingots may readily leave them.
In preparing the moulds for casting they are placed with the open end downwards
over fire clay pipes or conductors, such as are at present in use, but having holes by
which the melted steel may enter and rise up within each of the mould cavities.
The joints are rendered tight by means of sand properly rammed. A suitable
number of these moulds, say cight, are thus connected with a central get or runner.
The steel being poured into the get or runner passes by the fire clay conductors
into the cavities of all the moulds. To permit the escape of air and any impurities
which may float upon the surface of the metal, a small taper passage is provided
at the top of each mould cavity, and over it there a small mould or receiver is
placed to contain the metal which rises by the passage out of the mould cavity.
Immediately after casting these upper moulds or receivers are detached from the
main mould by a blow, leaving the ingots free, and on the moulds being lifted the
ingots fall out of the mould cavities. The central get or runner I so form that it
[Prins S71

page_text: also serves as a mould for ingots; it consists of a rectangular pipe measuring
internally about eight inches by six, and about six feet long. It is set vertically
and divided longitudinally from end to end so that it may be opened to release the
long ingot which is formed within it. I render the joint in the get or runner
tight by providing corresponding channels in the two parts running parallel to the 5
main cavity from end to end. When the parts of the get or runner are clipped
together for use the channels coincide and form passages running through each
joint from end to end. These passages are rammed up with sand to prevent the
escape of the molten steel. The long ingot produced in the get or runner is broken
or divided into pieces about two feet long previous to rolling.
By casting in this manner small ingots of steel much labour, fuel, and wear of
machinery is saved in the process of rolling the metal down into black plate of the
proper substance for tinning.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th August 1880.
JOHN HENRY ROGERS, of the South Wales Iron and Tin Plate Works, Llanelly,
in the County of Caermarthen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING STEEL INGOTS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN PLATE AND FOR OTHER USES, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention has for its object improvements in casting steel ingots for
the manufacture of tin plate and for other uses, and in apparatus employed
therein.
For the purpose of casting small steel ingots, inore suitable for the manufacture
of tin plate than the ingots now commonly made, I employ mould blocks each
containing several, say, four, mould cavities. The cavities are of a size to produce
ingots about two feet long and weighing about two hundred weight each; the mould
cavities are tapered considerably so that the ingots may readily leave them.
In preparing the moulds for casting they are placed with the open end downwards
over lire clay pipes or conductors, such as are at present in use, and having holes
by which the melted steel may enter and rise up within each of the mould cavities.
The joints are rendered tight by incans of sand and clay properly rammed.
A suitable number of these moulds, say twelve or sixteen, are thus connected
with a central get or runner. The steel being poured into the get or runner passes
by the fire clay conductors into the cavities of all the moulds. To permit the
escape of air and any impurities which may float upon the surface of the metal, a
small taper passage is provided at the top of each mould cavity, and over it there
is a small mould or receiver placed to contain the metal which rises by the passage
out of the mould cavity. Immediately after casting these upper moulds or receivers
are detached from the main mould by a blow, leaving the ingots froe, and on the

page_text: moulds being lifted the ingots fall out of the mould cavities. The central get or
runner I so form that it also serves as a mould for ingots; it consists of a rectangular
pipe measuring internally about eight inches by six, and about six feet long. It is
set vertically and divided longitudinally from end to end so that it may be opened
to release the long ingot which is formed within it. I render tight the joint in the
get or runner by providing corresponding channels in the two parts running
parallel to the main cavity from end to end. When the parts of the get or runner
are clipped together for use the channels coincide and form passages running through
cach joint from end to end. These passages are rammed up with sand to prevent
the escape of the molten steel. The long ingot produced in the get or runner is
broken or divided into pieces about two feet long previous to rolling.
By casting small ingots of steel in this manner much labour, fuel, and wear of
machinery is saved in the process of rolling the metal down into black plate of the
proper substance for tinning or other purposes.
The moulds thus arranged each having in it more than one space for small
ingots last longer than ordinary moulds containing one space only.
The Drawing hereunto annexed shews apparatus constructed as above described
for casting steel ingots.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of one of the mould blocks; Figure 2 is a
transverse section of the same; Figure 3 shews a vertical section of the central get
or runner; and Figure 4, a cross section of the same.
In the mould block shown at Figure 1 there are four mould cavities A, each of
the form of the ingots to be cast. At the top of each cavity is a loose tapered
bushing B with a holo through it to all allow air and scruff to rise up from the
mould. The bushes are put in after the moulds have been washed out with clay
water and the clay sticks them in. C are the loose caps placed above these bushings;
at the top of these caps are also air holes, as shown; D is the bed upon which the
mould blocks rest. A plan view of this bed is shown at Figuro 5, in it are channels
containing fire brick runners. Two of these channels lead from the bottom of the
central get and convey the melted steel to branch channels E which form the
runners upon which the mould blocks are placed, one mould block being placed
on each branch runner. In each fire brick runner are holes, as shown at Figure 1,
by which melted steel may pass up from it into the cavities A of the mould block
placed above it. F is the central get or vertical open topped runner, it is made in
two parts held together, as shown, by rings G and wedges; H are grooves along the
edges of the two parts of the mould which abut together. These grooves, as above
stated, form a passage into which sand is to be rammed to make it a tight joint; I is
a box for supporting and securing the central get. The bed D with the mould
blocks and central get upon it has sand ramined on to it to a sufficient depth to
make a tight joint between them. The inould blocks are held down by bars placed
above them, the bars at their ends being held down by any suitable fastenings to
the bed plate. The melted steel is poured into the central get and passes from it
by the fire clay runners into the soveral cavities of each of the mould blocks, as
before described.
In the bed D, shown at Figure 5, there are sixteen branch runners E, upon eacli
of which is to be placed a mould block having in it four mould cavities so that at each
casting sixty four small ingots are produced.
Caro must be taken that the molten steel as it leaves the furnace shall be at a
sufficiently bigh temperature to enable it to remain fluid as it travels through the
runners and fills the moulds. If the molten steel cannot be drawn from the furnace
in a sufficiently fluid state to allow of so many moulds being filled at one pour, then
a lesser number of moulds should be used. With the steel that I am now using for
making plates to be subsequently coated with tin in the manufacture of tin plate I
am able to draw off molten steel from a Siemens' furnace in which the steel is
manufactured and to fill the number of moulds above mentioned.
In place of cach mould block having four mould cavities formed in it being
formed in one piece, the moulds night cach be formed with one mould cavity only,

page_text: and on their exterior be shaped to abut and fit against one another so as practically
to form a mould block similar to the one above described; it is however far better
that the mould blocks should be formed in one piece as described. In place also
of the cavities in the mould being filled from the bottom upwards they might be
filled from the side or top, and sometimes I vary the shape or form of the mould
cavities.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The use, for the purpose of casting steel ingots, of ingot mould blocks having
in each of them two or more moulding cavities in combination with an open top
get or runner into which the molten metal is poured, and from the lower end of
which it flows through runners to the bottom of the cavities in the mould blocks
and rises up into and fills these cavities, substantially as described.
Second. The construction of apparatus for casting steel for the manufacture of
tin plate and for other uses, substantially as herein before described.
Third. The construction of the central get or runner, substantially in the manner
herein before described.
Fourth. The use of caps placed over the top of the ingot moulds, substantially as
herein before described.
Fifth. The use, for the purpose of casting steel ingots, of ingot mould blocks
having in cach of them two or more moulding cavities.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Rogers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
JH ROGERS (LS).