and Forming a Homogeneous Weld.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 7th June, 1887.
and Forming a Homogeneous Weld.
I, EDWIN DAVID WASSELL, residing on Margaretta Street, East End, Pittsburgh,
County of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanic,
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 the treatment of steel and more particularly to the working
up of old steel rails, but may also be applied to the product of the open hearth and
Bessemer steel processes, in rails, bars, piles, fagots, blooms or ingots, and has for its
object the production of a superior quality of steel, from which the carbon has been
eliminated to any desired extent; it is not however limited in its application to the
treatment of steel, as practice has demonstrated that iron may be treated in like
manner and its qualities improved, in that it becomes tougher and more malleable.
The invention will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification,
Figure, 1, is a side elevation, and
Figure, 2, a vertical transverse section on line, 2-2, of figure, 1.
Reference being had to the drawing and the letters marked thereon, A, represents
a furnace, the lower part of which is formed of boiler iron a, and rests upon a saddle b,
which is pivotally secured to the bases b, c, which are secured to the masonry of the
furnace in the usual manner. At one end of the furnace is attached a gear-wheel d,
and pinion e, and upon the shaft which supports the wheel d, is also mounted a
wheel
9, which
engages with a rack h, attached to the boiler iron a, of the furnace,
and at the opposite end the furnace rests upon rollers i, which run upon tracks k
(only one of which is shown) attached to the part a.
The crown of the furnace is formed of fire brick, while the bottom m; is made of a
composition of pulverized iron ore about two parts, and one part of pulverized fire
brick, or a sufficient quantity thereof to form a bond between it and the iron ore.

page_text: B, represents furnace doors, through which the metal to be treated is charged and
removed.
At each end of the furnace I have shown an air chamber or regenerator, C, common
to metallurgical furnaces.
The gas
D. represents a pipe for supplying natural gas, which connects with both ends of
the furnace by means of a sliding joint or connection, as shown at n, o.
from the pipe D and the air from the regenerator C are mixed in ports p, as the gas
issues from the orifice q, and the air enters from the regenerators. The furnace may
however be heated in the usual manner of heating reverberating furnaces, by simply
providing a furnace to be supplied with solid fuel.
The object in providing the furnace with a bottom of iron ore is to supply a
metallic oxide to the metal treated, in the slag bath, the oxide being given off by the
iron ore and absorbed by the heated metal in the bath, where it combines with the
metal. The bottom m of the furnace is renewed as it wears away, thus keeping up
the supply of metallic oxide to the metal treated; and the bottom is formed by simply
depositing a layer of the composition on the boiler iron a, and semi-liquefying it by
heat, another layer is then added which cools the first layer and solidifies it; one
layer after another is added until the required thickness has been obtained. In
working the furnace the composition is protected by the slag which covers its
surface.
The operation is as follows:
Broken or granulated slag is charged into the furnace and subjected to heat until
it liquefies and a bath is formed of sufficient depth to cover a number of piles, fagots
or ingots; the furnace is then tilted to-one-side, which causes the molten slag to run
over to the opposite side of the furnace and leave the elevated side of the bottom free
from slag. Piles, fagots or ingots of metal, such as steel, or iron are then charged
into the furnace through the doors B, and placed in position on the bottom m, where
they are heated to about a cherry red heat; the furnace is then adjusted until the
slag has run back, found its level, and covered the metal to be treated. Or the
furnace may then be tilted up on the opposite side, the slag run over the piles,
completely immersing them, while the side free from the slag is charged with piles or
fagots as in the first instance. By operating the furnace in the aforesaid manner, it
may be worked double, that is to say, while one side is being charged, the piles on
the opposite side may be sufficiently heated to reduce the point in carbon for the
purposes to which the metal is intended to be applied. While the metal is immersed
in the slag, metallic oxide from the iron ore is absorbed by the metal, and combines
therewith.
The metal is retained in the molten slag from twenty to forty minutes, according to
the extent to which it is desired to eliminate the carbon.
The supply of iron ore in the bottom m of the furnace is kept up by tilting the
furnace to one side and fresh ore spread over the surface where it has been wasted
away, then tilting the opposite side and repairing it in like manner. The intense heat
of the furnace or the heat of the liquid slag will semi-liquefy the iron ore in a very
little time and cause it to form a new surface for the piles to lie upon.
In the practice of my invention, it has been demonstrated that steel treated by my
process forms a homogeneous weld under pressure, either of rolls or an ordinary
hammer, and the welding qualities of the steel are greatly augmented; which
qualities are retained by the steel, so that it may be worked in a blacksmith's fire
under as high a degree of heat as is usually applied to wrought iron for working it.
In working steel the product of my invention, it can be welded without the application
of chemical compounds generally applied in welding steel. Furthermore, by
submerging the metal in slag it is protected from oxidation, caused by the atmospheric
air coming in contact with the surface of the metal when worked in the ordinary way,
thus effecting a great saving of metal.
In heating ingots of "Bessemer or "Open Hearth" steel in ordinary reverberatory
furnaces, the waste caused by oxidation of the metal amounts to from ten to

page_text: twelve per cent, while in my process it is reduced to the minimum, rarely ever
exceeding two per cent.
By making the furnace adjustable horizontally, the workmen are enabled to
regulate the depth of the slag bath on either side that they may be working on, so
that in removing the piles, or fagots, they can always keep them covered, yet at the
same time hold the slag in such a position that they can see the ends of the piles next
to them lying in the slag, and thus facilitate their removal from the furnace. After
one row of piles has been removed, the furnace is tilted a little more, until the outer
ends of the piles of the next row are disclosed. By running the slag over from the
side from which the piles are being removed, the depth of the slag is increased on
the remaining piles, which protects them from the intense heat of the furnace until
they can be reached and removed, and thus prevents any injurious effects which
might otherwise be produced upon them by the heat.
Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is―
First. The process herein described for treating steel or iron to reduce the point in
carbon, and form a homogeneous weld, which consists in subjecting rails, piles,
fagots, blooms, or ingots of steel or iron, to the action of molten slag while immersed
or buried therein, substantially as described.
Second. The process herein described for treating steel or iron to reduce the point
in carbon and form a homogeneous weld, which consists in subjecting rails, piles,
fagots, blooms, or ingots of steel or iron to the action of molten slag, and combining
therewith a metallic oxide, substantially as described.
Third. The process herein described for treating steel or iron, which consists in
charging piles, fagots, blooms, or ingots into a furnace, heating the same to a cherry
red heat in the presence of a metallic oxide, and then submerging them in molten
slag and continuing the heating thereof in the presence of the metallic oxide for an
indefinite time, substantially as described.
Fourth. A furnace for treating steel or iron provided with a lining for its bottom
composed of iron ore and pulverized fire brick, substantially as described.
Fifth. A furnace for treating steel or iron supported upon journals, a slag bath
within said furnace, and suitable means for adjusting the bottom of the furnace to
different angles of inclination for charging and removing the charges, and for varying
the depth of the slag bath, substantially as described.
בד
تيمم
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1007
EDWIN DAVID WASSELL.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.