Improvements in Apparatus or Appliances for Casting Pig Metals.
Year: 1898

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by MICHAEL KILLEEN, of Braddock, in the County
of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America.]
Improvements in Apparatus or Appliances for Casting Pig Metals.
I, WILLIAM BURGELAND JOHNSON, of 4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows: -
My invention relates to the casting of metal from a blast furnace into pigs or
ladles, and is designed to largely do away with the expense, difficulties, and
dangers connected with this operation.
Heretofore, in this casting operation metal flowed from the furnace into a short
metal trough, at the end of which was located a trough of sand provided with a
skimmer and dam to raise the level of the metal above the lower end of the
skimmer, the runners extending from this skimmer trough being made of sand,
molded into form by the workmen. The construction of the skimmer trough and
of the branch runners was a difficult and dangerous operation, since a sudden
rush of metal would wash away the walls if not carefully built, and any damp
clay or scrap metal would cause the boiling of metal, a loss of the remainder of
the cast and great danger to the workmen, besides necessitating a delay in
Another difficulty was
removing and replacing the troughs and scrap metal.
that as the bottom of the skimmer trough must be rammed loosely so that the
gases might escape, the weight of metal upon this sand would press it down thus
bringing it to a lower level than that of the short iron trough, allowing hot
metal to flow under this metal trough, and often causing explosions, by contact
with the water which is liable to collect in such place. Moreover, the sand
which always adheres to the metal in such operations is very objectionable for
the succeeding uses to which the iron is put. This latter objection has lately
been partly overcome by employing chill molds or pig beds, but the runners
have always been molded from sand in such cases, and as the stream of metal'
would carry large amounts of the sand into the chills some of the sand would
be present on the pigs, and would moreover fall into the chills, necessitating
cleaning them out.
:
In order to overcome these difficulties, I employ a permanent metal trough-
system with a skimmer and dam and by which the hot metal is conducted from
the furnace to the pig molds and thus kept out of contact with sand.
I prefer to carry my invention into practice as follows:-Joined to the end of
the usual trough from a blast furnace is a skimmer trough which is preferably
of cast metal and near its upper end is provided with side offsets having grooves,

page_text: within which is held an adjustable skimmer. In the lower portion of this
skimmer trough is located a dam which may be cast integral with the trough or
may be formed of brick or clay secured in a suitable recess in the bottom of the
trough, which prevents its being washed away. In case a dam is used of brick
or similar materials, ventilating holes may be provided in the bottom of the
trough beneath this dam.
From the end of the skimmer trough a trough of metal leads the molten metal
to the troughs which extend to the pig bed, and a branch trough leads to suit-
able ladle troughs. Between the skimmer and the dam in the skimmer trough
and leading from the side thereof, is a drain trough by which at the end of the
cast the molten metal is drained from the blast furnace trough. Extension of the
branch trough which connects with branch runners which lead to a series of
ladles, may be made there being as many series of branch troughs as desired.
Suitable shutters or movable gates are provided in the various runners by
which the stream of metal may be guided and controlled as desired. One form
of such shutter consists of a vertically movable metal plate or block, which fits
within a transverse groove in the trough, this groove preferably being lined or
filled with sand, loam, or other earthy material, in which the shutter will seat,
thus making a tight joint and effective cut-off for the metal. In another form
the metal gate
provided with a grooved edge, which fits over a rib cast in the
runner transversely thereto, so as to make a tight joint.
The runners may be protected from the cutting action of the molten metal by
a lining or luting of clay, loam or other refractory material.
The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
The skilled labor heretofore necessary to the molding of the skimmer trough and
runner in sand is done away with and the operation requires very little labor
and that unskilled. The skimming is performed without any attention on the
part of the workman, and is free from the exhaustive labor and danger here-
tofore incident to such operations. The breaking out of the metal is avoided, the
draining of the furnace trough takes away much of the heat from around the
tap-hole, and thus enables the workman to plug it more securely and the adher-
ing of the sand to the pigs is avoided.
Doted this Saranth day of f
1900
Improvements in Apparatus or Appliances for Casting Pig Metals.
I, WILLIAM BURGELAND JOHNSON, of 4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, 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;-
1
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification, in which;
Figure 1 is a general plan view of my improved apparatus. Figure 1 is a
similar view, showing an extended portion of one of the troughs or runners.
Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the skimmer trough. Figure 3
is a transverse section on the line III-III of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a detail
view of a modified form of a dam, and Figures 5, 6 and 7 are details of different
forms of shutters which are employed in the troughs.
My invention relates to the casting of metal from a blast furnace into pigs or

page_text: ladies, and is designed to largely do away with the expense, difficulties, and
dangers connected with this operation.
Heretofore, in this casting operation metal flowed from the furnace into a short
metal trough, at the end of which was located a trough of sand provided with a
skimmer and dam to raise the level of the metal above the lower end of the
skimmer, the runners extending from this skimmer trough being made of sand
molded into form by the workmen. The construction of the skimmer trough and
of the branch runners was a difficult and dangerous operation, since a sudden
rush of metal would wash away the walls if not carefully built, and any damp
clay or scrap metal would cause the boiling of metal, a loss of the remainder of
the cast and great danger to the workmen, besides necessitating a delay in
removing and replacing the troughs and scrap metal. Another difficulty was
that as the bottom of the skimmer trough must be rammed loosely so that the
gases might escape, the weight of metal upon this sand would press it down thus
bring it to a lower level than that of the short iron trough, allowing hot
metal to flow under this metal trough, and often causing explosions, by contact
with the water which is liable to collect in such place. Moreover, the sand
which always adhered to the metal in such operations is very objectionable for
the succeeding uses to which the iron is put. This latter objection has lately
been partly overcome by employing chill molds or pig beds, but the runners
have always been molded from sand in such cases, and as the stream of metal
would carry large amounts of the sand into the chills some of the sand .would
be present on the pigs, and would moreover fall into the chills, necessitating
cleaning them out.
In order to overcome these difficulties, I employ a permanent metal trough-
system with a skimmer and dam and by which the hot metal is conducted from
the furnace to the pig, molds and thus kept out of contact with sand.
In the drawings, in which I show a preferred form of my invention, 2 repre-
sents the blast furnace, having the usual tap-hole 3 and iron trough 4. Joined
to the end of the trough 4 is the skimmer trough 5, which is preferably of cast
metal and near its upper end is provided with side offsets having grooves, within
which is held an adjustable skimmer 6, which may be operated by hand lever 7.
In the lower portion of this skimmer trough is located the dam 8 which may
be cast integral with the trough, as shown in Figure 3, or may be formed of
brick or clay secured in a suitable recess in the bottom of the trough, which
prevents its being washed away, as shown in Figure 4. In case a dam is used
of brick or similar materials, ventilating holes may be provided in the bottom of
the trough beneath this dam.
From the end of the skimmer trough a trough 9 of metal leads the molten
metal to the troughs 10, 10 which extend to the pig bed, and from the trough 9
a branch trough 11 leads to suitable ladle troughs 12, 12. Between the skimmer
and the dam in the skimmer trough and leading from the side thereof, is a
drain trough 13 by which at the end of the cast the molten metal is drained from
the blast furnace trough 4. In Figure 1' I show an extension of the trough 11
which connects with branch runners 14 which lead to a series of ladles, there
being as many series of branch troughs as desired.
Suitable shutters or movable gates are provided in the various runners as
indicated at a, b, c, d, f, etc., by which the stream of metal may be guided and
controlled as desired. In Figure 5 I show one form of such shutter, which con-
sists of a vertically movable metal plate or block, which fits within a transverse
groove in the trough, this groove preferably being lined or filled with sand, loam,
or other earthy material, in which the shutter will seat, thus making a tight
joint and effective cut-off for the metal. In Figures 6 and 7 I show another
form in which the metal gate is provided with a grooved edge, which fits over
a rib cast in the runner transversely thereto, so as to make a tight joint.
The runners may be protected from the cutting action of the molten metal by
a lining or luting of clay, loam or other refractory material.

page_text: The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
The skilled labor heretofore necessary to the molding of the skimmer trough and
runner in sand is done away with and the operation requires very little labor
and that unskilled. The skimming is performed without any attention on the
part of the workman, and is free from the exhaustive labor and danger here-
tofore incident to such operations. The breaking out of the metal is avoided, the
draining of the furnace trough takes away much of the heat from around the
tap-hole, and thus enables the workman to plug it more securely and the adher-
ing of the sand to the pigs is avoided.
Many changes in the form and arrangement of the troughs and gates may be
made without departing from my invention, since I consider myself the first to
employ a permanent skimmer and runner trough system for conducting the metal
from the blast furnace to the pig beds or ladles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination with a blast furnace, of a system of pig molds therefor, a
skimmer trough extending from the blast furnace, said trough being of metal and
provided with a skimming barrier and with a dam below the barrier and project-
ing upwardly above those parts of the trough bottom adjacent thereto so as to
back up the metal in the skimmer trough, and troughs leading from the skimmer
trough to the pig molds.
2. The combination with a blast furnace, of a system of pig molds therefor, a
skimmer trough extending from the blast furnace said trough being provided
with a skimming barrier and with a dam below the barrier and extending
upwardly above the general level of that part of the trough bottom adjacent
thereto so as to back up the metal in the skimmer trough, and permanent metal
troughs leading from the skimmer trough to the pig molds.
3. The combination with a blast furnace, of pig molds therefor, a metal skimmer
trough leading from the blast furnace and having a skimming barrier and a
dam below the same, said dam extending up above the general level of that part
of the trough bottom adjacent thereto so as to back up the metal in the skimmer
trough, troughs connecting the skimmer trough with the molds, and gates
arranged to control the flow of metal through the troughs.
4. A blast furnace skimmer trough having a skimming barrier, and a dam
below the barrier and projecting upwardly above that portion of the trough
bottom which is beneath the barrier, said trough having above the dam a drain-
ing opening for the metal backed up by the dam.
5. A metal skimming trough having a skimming barrier, and a dam below the
barrier, said trough having a draining opening in its side at a point between
the dam and the barrier.
6. The combination with a blast furnace, of a metal skimmer trough leading
therefrom, said trough being provided with a skimming barrier and with a dam
below the same, said dam extending up above the general level of the trough
bottom and arranged to back up the metal in the skimmer trough, and said
trough having a draining opening for the metal at a point above the dam.
7. The combination with a blast furnace, of a skimmer trough extending
therefrom, said trough being of metal and having its bottom extending along the
same general level, said trough having a dam extending up above the level of its
bottom, and a skimming barrier in the trough at a point above the dam.
8. The combination with a blast furnace, of metal pig molds therefor, a metal
skimmer trough leading from the blast furnace, and having a skimming barrier,
and below this barrier a dam extending up above the general level of the trough
bottom and arranged to back up the metal in the skimmer trough, and metal
troughs leading from the skimmer trough to the metal molds.

page_text: 9. A metal trough for conducting hot metal, said trough having offsets project-
ing beyond its sides and provided with grooves, and a shutter or gate movable
vertically in these grooves.