Improvements Connected with the Manufacture of Fire-clay Tuyeres, and in the Machinery or Apparatus Employed therefor.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1888.
Complete Left, 4th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 4th Mar., 1887.
Improvements Connected with the Manufacture of Fire-clay Tuyeres,
and in the Machinery or Apparatus Employed therefor.
We, ROBERT YOUNG, and ROWLEY JEX-LONG, both of the firm of John Young,
Sons and Company of 42 Bath Street, Glasgow Lanarkshire, Fire-clay Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
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This invention has for its object the manufacture of fire-clay tuyeres specially
suitable for being applied to the ordinary Bessemer converters" fitted with
gannister or acid" linings used for converting iron into steel, the blow of
compressed air being charged through holes or air passages formed in these tuyeres to
the inolten metal in the converter. These tuyeres would be also suitable for being
applied to furnaces or other combustion or oxidising chambers into which compressed
air is forced or charged.
According to our invention we first place the fire-clay necessary for making the
tuyeres through a cylindrical preferably tapering shaped die or mouth piece in the
same manner that pipes are expressed and formed, but by these improvements fitted
with mandrels corresponding to the number of holes or air passages to be made
through the tnyere. We then take the "clod" or roughly formed perforated cylinder
from the die, and prepare or manufacture the fire-clay tuyere from it in a new or
improved press or machine as will hereinafter be described.
This new or improved press or machine is constructed as follows:-To a suitable,
preferably wooden, bedframe is bolted or secured a cast metal sole plate with vertical
bosses fitted with screwed brass bushes at each end. By one arrangement, through
each of these screwed bushes at the ends of the machine, works a screwed spindle
actuated by means of a hand wheel; and to the sole-plate is secured a cast-metal
conical or tapering tubular shaped mould with open ends having its interior surface
shaped to the form in which the tuyere is to be made. This cast metal mould is
formed longitudinally in two parts with open ends, and hinged to open up at one side,
and when closed together the two parts would be secured at each end and at the
middle of the unhinged side by means of a screw or tapering pin passing through lugs
formed on each part of the mould and secured by a handle on top, or other equivalent
securing attachment might be used.

page_text: The rough fire-clay block or "clod" after being taken from the expressing die or
machine has inserted throughout its length a series of longitudinal metal mandrels or
fingers, preferably with conoidal or sharpened ends all screwed into a metal disc at the
outer end, with stem for being compressed or screwed up by, and having an inner
loose plate next the fire-clay, while a similar loose metal plate is fitted at the inner end
of the mould for the points of the mandrels to pass through, with holes throughout its
surface for the surplus clay to pass through, or this plate might be attached to the
mould; these plates being all made to fit the diameter of the internal parts of the
mould, to keep the mandrels true and parallel throughout the length of the mould and
clay tuyere being formed in the mould.
After the mandrels or fingers have been placed through the holes formed in the
rough block, and with the loose plate on the outer end and through the holes in the
metal plate at the narrow end, the block and mandrels are lifted and placed into
the open lower stationary half of the metal mould, and the upper half is then folded
over the material and secured to the under half as before described, the plate at the
narrow end of the mould abutting or bearing against inside flanges or projections
formed on the mould, while the plates at the other end of the cores or fingers would
lie in and fill up the space at the broader end of the mould.
The material or rough form so placed in the mould as stated, is now properly
formed and compressed in the mould by means of the compressing screw and hand
wheel at the wide end of the machine, having its sharp end screwed up against the
outer projecting stem of the mandrel disc, so as to compress the fire-clay within tho
mould, to take the shape of its interior surface, up to the exact length of tuyere
required, the surplus clay being expressed through the holes for the purpose as before
explained.
After the fire-clay within the mould has been sufficiently compressed, the motion of
the hand wheel is reversed and the spindle withdrawn from the stem formed on the
mandrel disc. A retainer formed of two, three or more prongs and a crosshead or
disc, is inserted through holes in the disc against the loose plate and the screw screwed
up against the crosshead so as to maintain the clay in its compressed shape; while
the mandrels and their disc are pressed back by the screw and hand wheel at the other
end of the machine and a loose disc of copper on it which is pressed up against the
sharp points of the mandrels so as to force them back a few inches, their being
sufficient taper on the mandrels to allow of their being easily withdrawn after the
mould is opened up and the tuyere so formed lifted out of it. Each tuyere so formed
is then ready for being removed to the drying house and then to the kilns, to be fired
and finished in the usual manner.
Instead of using the screw action and hand wheel for compressing the clay in the
mould any other equivalent mechanical action might be used such as a rack and
pinion motion, or a lever press action might be employed, or a closed single acting
cylinder and piston might be used, with any pressure fluid such as steam, air, or water,
of any desired arranged pressure so as to give uniformity of pressure on the clay.

page_text: and in the Machinery or Apparatus Employed therefor.
We, ROBERT YOUNG, and ROWLEY JEX-LONG, both of the firm of John Young
Sons & Company, of 42 Bath Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Fire-Clay Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object the manufacture of fire-clay tuyeres, specially
suitable for being applied to the ordinary "Bessemer converters" fitted with
gannister" or "acid linings used for converting iron into steel, the blow of
compressed air being charged through holes or air passages, formed in these tuyeres to
the molten metal in the converter. These tuyeres are also suitable for being applied
to furnaces or other combustion or oxidising chambers into which compressed air is
forced or charged through one or more holes.
And in order that the nature and novelty of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into effect or practice may be properly understood,
we hereunto append an explanatory sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference
letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of our new or improved press or machine
for manufacturing Fire-clay tuyeres, erected on a wooden frame at a proper height
for the men to work the machine. And Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same,
as taken on the line 11 of Figure 1. While Figures 3 and 4 are a transverse
section and a plan respectively of the die F, of end of pug mill used for making
the clod":
preparatory to compressing it in the mould A A¹ of our new press or
machine. And Figure 5 shows a view of the crosshead pronged device G, G¹ used
for retaining the pressing up discs in position within the mould A, A¹,
and permits
of the mandrels a being drawn back.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of these Drawings we first place the fire-clay
necessary for making the tuyeres through a cylindrical preferably tapering shaped die
or mouth piece F, on the lower end of the pug or clay expressing mill in the same
manner that pipes are expressed and formed, but by our improvements fitted with
fixed mandrels F¹ corresponding to the number of holes or air passages to be made
through the buyere, which is seven in the arrangement shown. We then take one of
the "clods or roughly formed perforated cylinders previously cut off to suitable
lengths from the die in an ordinary manner, and prepare or manufacture each fire-clay
tuyere from it in the new or improved press or machine as will hereinafter be
described.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings, our new or improved press or
machine is constructed as follows:-To a suitable, preferably wooden, bed frame E is

page_text: bolted or secured a cast metal sole plate E' with vertical strong bosses or eyes E² E³,
fitted with screwed brass bushes e, el at each end. By one arrangement, through
each of these screwed bushes c, e' at the ends of the machine, a screwed spindle D, D³,
is fitted and actuated by means of a hand wheel d d'; and to the sole-plate E¹ is
secured the lower part A of a cast-metal conical or tapering tubular shaped mould A, A¹,
with open ends A2 A3, at the outer and inner parts respectively, having its interior
surface smoothly bored and shaped to the form in which the tuyere is to be made.
This cast metal mould is formed longitudinally in two parts A A' truly planed and
fitted at their edges, and with open ends. A A³, and made to open up on hinges Cat
the back, and when closed together the two parts A A¹ would be secured at each
end, A2 A3 and at the middle of the unhinged side, by means of strong lugs C¹ formed
on each part of the mould A A' in front, fitted with gripping pins and hand levers c, c¹,
which latter c when placed in one position, as outwards, allows the top half A¹ of the
mould to be folded right over and open, and when folded down and the handle turned
at right angles, completely secures the upper part of the mould to the lower. Other
equivalent securing attachments might however be used.
,:
The rough fire-clay block or clod after being taken from the expressing die F
has inserted throughout its length a series of longitudinal metal tapered mandrels or
fingers a preferably with conoidal or sharpened points a¹ all screwed at their other
or outer end by screw stems and butt shoulders a², to a strong compressing metal
disc B, with stem B₁ for being compressed or screwed up by, and having an inner
loose plate next the fire-clay fitted on the shoulders a² of the mandrels a, while a
similar loose metal plate is fitted at the inner end of the mould A A' against an
annular hearing edge ring for the points a¹ of the mandrels a to pass through,
preferably with a few holes throughout its surface to allow the surplus clay to pass
through during compression; or this plate b¹ might be attached to the lower part of
the mould; these platos B, 6, 6 being all made to fit the diameter of the internal
parts of the mould A A' to keep the mandrels a true and parallel throughout the
length of the mould and clay tuyere being formed in the mould.
After the mandrels or fingers a, a', have been placed through the holes formed in
the rough block, and with the loose plate b on the outer large end and through the
holes in the metal plate 4, at the narrow end, the block and mandrels are lifted and
placed into the open lower stationary half A of the metal mould A A', and the upper
half A is then folded over the material and secured to the under half A by the lever
and cam gripping handles c, c', as before described, the plate at the narrow end of
the mould abutting or bearing against inside flanges or projections formed on the
mould, while the plates B, b, at the other or large end of the mandrels or fingers a
would lie in and fill up the space at the wide end A' of the mould A, A¹.
The material or rough form so placed in the mould A A³ as stated, is now properly
formed and compressed in the mould by means of the compressing screw D and hand
wheel dat the wide end of the machine, having the conical point of the screw bearing
up against the outer projecting stem B₁ of the mandrel dise B, so as to compress the
fire-clay within the mould A, A', to take the shape of its interior surface, up to the
exact length of tuyere required, the surplus clay being expressed through the holes for
the purpose in the plate as before explained; while air from the mould A, A' may
be allowed to escape through holes in the plate B, b, or through the joints at the large
end of the mould.. After the fire-clay within the mould A. A' has been sufficiently
compressed, the motion of the hand wheel d is reversed and the spindle D withdrawn
from the stem B formed on the mandrel disc B. A retainer G, G₁ shown in
Figure 5, formed with two prongs G¹ (but it might be three or more) secured to the
crosshead or disc G, has the prongs G inserted through the holes in the disc B
against the loose plate and the front of the screw D screwed up against the
crosshead G, so as to maintain the clay in its compressed shape; while the
mandrels a, a, and their disc are pressed back by the screw D¹ and hand wheel d¹
at the other end of the machine, and a loose disc of copper D² on it which is pressed
up against the sharp points a¹ of the mandrels a, so as to force them back a few inches,
their being sufficient taper on the mandrels a to allow of their being easily withdrawn

page_text: after the mould A A' is opened up and the tuyero so formed lifted out of it, by these
prongs a and stein B of the plate B. Each tuyere so formed is then ready for being
removed to the drying house, and then to the kilns, to be fired and finished in the
usual manner. Instead of using the screw action D D¹ and hand wheel d d for
compressing the clay in the mould A A¹, any other equivalent mechanical action
might be used, although not shown in the Drawings, such as a rack and pinion motion,
or a lever press action might be employed, or a closed single acting cylinder and
piston might be used, with any pressure fluid such as steam, air, or water, of any
desired arranged pressure so as to give uniformity of pressure on the clay.
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. The construction, or arrangement and combination of machinery or apparatus
for the manufacture of fire-clay tuyeres, substantially as herein described, in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction, or arrangement and combination of a press or machine
for the manufacture of fire-clay tuyeres with mould, mandrels, pressing plates, and
actuating mechanism, substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a press or machine for the manufacture of fire-clay tuycres, the
construction and arrangement of moulds with removable mandrels, substantially as
and for the purpose herein described, in reference to and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of
the accompanying Drawings.