Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1898
1, WILLIAM PORRITT INGHAM, of Post Office Buildings, Middlesbrough, in the
County of York, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with the manufacture of
slag wool.
In the manufacture of slag wool according to one of the processes at present
in use, the slag is blown into wool, by a steam or air jet as it runs from the furnace,
and the sheds for receiving the wool are necessarily near the furnace. This
arrangement possesses many disadvantages amongst which may be named that the
sheds and other plant are in the way and more or less interfere with the working of
the furnace, whilst it often happens that the slag produced in the furnace is not
suitable for making into wool, and inasmuch as the plant is a fixed one, the wool
making plant under such circumstances remains idle until suitable slag is produced.
According to another method of manufacture the slag is cast into balls in the.
ordinary way and suitable slag is selected and broken up into small pieces and
re-melted in an ordinary cupola placed in any convenient position adjacent to the
sheds and other plant and blown into wool directly from the re-melting cupola..
This method obviates the disadvantages above pointed out, but the cost of breaking
up and re-melting the slag is considerable and largely increases the cost of the
product.
Now the object of the present invention is by a simple apparatus and method of
working to obviate the disadvantages above pointed out. In carrying the present
invention into effect, a box, pot or ladle of suitable form is employed which is-
mounted upon a truck running upon lines or ways which lead from the blast furnace
to the wool making plant which may be located in any convenient position. The
box, pot or ladle is run into position adjacent to that one of the furnaces which is
producing a slag suitable for converting into wool and a quantity of slag is run into
the box, ladle or pot. The truck is then run away to the wool blowing plant and is
then placed into an oven, annealing stove or under a moveable cover lined with a heat
non-conducting material, whereby the slag is rendered denser and kept hot and it
also parts with some of its gas and sulphur and is therefore more suitable for being
blown into wool. Whilst the box, ladle or pot, is in the oven, annealing stove or
under the movable cover the slag is tapped and runs out from a spout in such a
position that the blowers acting upon the stream, blow it in the form of wool through
an opening directly into the receiving shed. By the means herein before described
one wool making plant may serve a number of furnaces and the plant is therefore kept
constantly employed and no delay occurs by reason of waiting for the production of::
a suitable quality of slag by a given furnace, whilst the cost of breaking up and
re-melting the slag is avoided, and the slag is improved for wool making purposes

page_text: inasmuch as whilst in transit to the oven, annealing stove or cover and whilst in the
same it becomes more dense and parts with some of its gas and sulphur.
Dated this Second dow of Namba 1007
I, WILLIAM PORRITT INGHAM, of Post Office Buildings, Middlesbrough, in the
County of York, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :---
My said invention relates to improvements in or connected with the manufacture
of slag wool.
In the manufacture of slag wool, according to one of the processes at present in use,
the slag is blown into wool by a steam or air jet as it runs from the furnace, and the
sheds for receiving the wool are necessarily near the furnace. This arrangement
possesses many disadvantages amongst which may be named that the sheds and other
plant are in the way and more or less interfere with the working of the furnace
whilst it often happens that the slag produced in the furnace is not suitable for
making into wool, and, inasmuch as the plant is a fixed one, the wool making plant
under such circumstances remains idle until suitable slag is produced.
According to another method of manufacture, the slag is cast into balls in the
ordinary way and suitable slag is selected and broken up into small pieces and
remelted in an ordinary cupola placed in any convenient position adjacent to the
sheds and other plant, and blown into wool directly from the remelting cupola.
This method obviates the disadvantages above pointed out, but the cost of breaking
up and remelting the slag is considerable and largely increases the cost of the
product.
Now, the object of the present invention is by a simple apparatus and method
of working to obviate the disadvantages above pointed out.
In carrying the present invention into effect, a box, pot or ladle of suitable form
is employed which is mounted upon a truck running upon lines or ways which lead
from the blast furnace to the wool making plant which may be located in any
convenient position. The box, pot or ladle is run into position adjacent to that
one of the furnaces which is producing a slag suitable for converting into wool and
a quantity of slag is run into the box, ladle or pot, the truck is then run away to
the wool blowing plant and is placed under a moveable cover lined with a heat non-
conducting material or the moveable cover may be first placed over the ladle and
the slag run through an aperture in the top thereof, by which means the slag is
rendered denser and kept hot, and it also parts with some of its gas and sulphur
and is therefore more suitable for being blown into wool. Whilst the box, ladle or
pot is under the moveable cover the slag is tapped and run out from a spout in such
a position that the blowers acting upon the stream blow it in the form of wool
through an opening directly into the receiving shed.
And, in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully to
describe the same.

page_text: Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the truck and ladle and part of the wool
making house separately.
Figure 3 is a plan of the ladle cover separately, and,
Figure 4 is a sectional side view of the truck and ladle representing a modified
form of cover.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a represents the pot or ladle which may be of any
suitable form and is mounted upon a truck b supported upon wheels b' running on lines
or ways c and the ladle or pot a is provided with a tap hole a¹ closed by a stopper a¹*
and with a spout a².
a³ represents a cover which is lined with heat non-conducting or refractory
material at and is provided with an eye a³ adapted to receive a hook at the end of a
chain a passing to any suitable hoisting apparatus so that the cover a³, which encloses.
the ladle a and, by its roof normally rests upon said ladle and at its sides descends to
the floor of the truck b, may when desired be lifted out of the way for the purpose of
charging or cleaning out the ladle a or otherwise, but for charging purposes the cover
is preferably provided with an aperture a7 adapted to be closed by a valve or door a³.
d represents several blast furnaces from each of which the lines or ways c lead to
the wool making house e which may be located in any convenient position.
A truck b with a ladle or pot a thereon is run on one of the lines or ways c into a
position adjacent to that one of the furnaces d which is producing a slag suitable for
blowing into wool; the cover a³ is then removed by means of the chain a or preferably
the aperture a is opened by turning the valve or door a³ upon its axis and a quantity
of slag is run into the ladle or pot a from the furnace d.
The cover a³ is then replaced in position over the ladle a or the door as is closed as
the case may be and the cover thus constitutes an annealing chamber and has the
effect of rendering the slag denser and keeping it hot for the subsequent opera-
tions, whilst, at the same time, the slag parts with some of its gas and sulphur and is
therefore more suitable for blowing into wool and the truck b is then run away to the
wool making plant.
Beneath the spout a² of the ladle a and in front of the wool making house e is
arranged a pipe f which communicates with any suitable source of steam and is
furnished with a nozzle or jet f¹.
Whilst the cover a³ is still over the ladle a the blowing apparatus is set to work,
the stopper a¹* is removed and the slag is tapped from the ladle or pot a into the
spout a from which it flows in a stream and the parts are so arranged that the blow-
ing nozzle or jet f¹ acts directly upon the stream of slag and blows it in the form of
wool through the opening e¹ directly into the receiving shed e.
After the contents of the ladle a are exhausted, the truck b is run away to the
same or another of the furnaces d and the above operations are repeated.
In the example given at Figure 4; the device is substantially the same as that
herein before described, except that the roof a³ of the cover is made separate from the
body a* and adapted to be lifted off by the chain a³, at the times required.
It will be obvious that a larger number of furnaces than three might be employed
in a single wool making plant and that several ladles a and trucks 6 with covers a³
may be employed, if desired.
By the means herein before described, one wool making plant may serve a number
of furnaces and the plant is therefore kept constantly employed and no delay occurs
by reason of waiting for the production of a suitable quality slag by a given furnace,
whilst the cost of breaking up and remelting the slag is avoided and the slag is im-
proved for wool making purposes inasmuch as by reason of the cover of non-conduct-
ing material the slag is kept hot and in better condition for working and is at the
same time annealed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A plant for the manufacture of slag wool, comprising several blast furnaces. 8

page_text: wool making plant, lines or ways leading from the furnaces and conveying to a point
in front of the wool making plant, a ladle mounted upon a truck running on said
ways and a cover lined with non-conducting or refractory material for enclosing said
ladle and constituting an annealing chamber to temper and keep hot the slag previous
to its being tapped and blown into wool, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
2. In a plant for the manufacture of slag wool, a ladle mounted upon a truck and
provided with a cover lined with non-conducting or refractory material, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
3. A plant for the manufacture of slag wool, comprising a ladle mounted upon a
truck and provided with a cover lined with non-conducting or refractory material and
furnished with a filling opening closed by means of a door or shutter, substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1898.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.