IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Geoghegan Willans, of No. 9, Saint
Stephen's Crescent, in the Parish of Paddington, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL.”
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL.“
Bealed the 8th June 1869, and dated the Brd February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Geoghega
Willans at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd February 1869.
I, JACOB GEOGHEGAN WILLANS, of No. 9, Saint Stephen's Crescent, in
the Parish of Paddington, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STREL,"
to be as follows -
My Invention consists, first, in applying one or more jets of steam not
at the tuyeres but at such a height above the tuyeres of a blast furnace
as to bring the steam into contact with the ores and fuel by preference
in that part of the furnace where the materials are at a red heat but not
in a molten state, and I apply the steam either superheated or more or
less intermittently in order that the temperature in that part of the
furnace be not permanently reduced below a red heat. The steam so
applied will be found beneficial for carrying off sulphur from sulphurous

page_text: ores, materials, and fuels; or water, or hydrogen gas, or hydrochloric
acid vapor may be substituted for steam.
My Invention secondly applies to the smelting of iron in blast furnaces
wherein raw coal of a caking character is used. My improvement is to
have some of this coal (or it may be other coal or coke) mixed with the
ore or limestone (but not in a finely crushed state) and charging the
mixture in the way usual with the ore charges, or alternate small
charges of ore and coal and limestone and coal may be applied, and
to have the other required fuel added in separate charges either with
less ore, or limestone intermixed, or without any. In this way the
charges will not so compactly cake together as to obstruct the ascending
blast.
In the smelting iron ores of a friable nature, such as those found in
the county of Antrim, or of scaffolding nature, such as some of the
iron ore in Lincolnshire, whatever the nature of the fuel employed, I
also charge them with some of the fuel in some way which prevents
the ore so readily falling down unprepared into the lower part of the
furnace or agglomerating tigthen so as to obstruct the ascending blast.
In my
Patent dated 12th February 1868 (No. 481) I describe a process
of melting down granules of cast iron in contact with carbon without
blast. Also in my said Patent, No. 481, I describe a process of melting
down granules of decarburetted cast iron into steel. In carrying out
either of these processes in an open furnace the contact of atmospheric
air is to some extent prejudicial.
My improvement in these processes is to have clay or other refractory
pipes or tube, in a vertical or inclined position communicating with the
exterior of a reverberatory or other furnace to receive the charge, the lower
part of the tubes or pipes resting on the bed or bottom of the furnaces,
or at an elevation above it, with a sufficient orifice, or with a syphon to
allow the molten metal or steel to flow out. By this means charging
and melting may be continuous, and when a sufficiency has accumulated
in the furnace it may be tapped off in the usual manner.
In order to obtain the requisite high heat to the tubes, I sometimes
supply heated air to the furnace at or near the bridge by means of a
pipe or pipes passed through the flues and along the interior of the
furnace to the points required.
Instead of refining cast iron by means of blast in a coke refinery or

page_text: by blowing air through the metal I melt the unrefined or crude cast
iron in or run it in a molten state into a reverberatory or other furnace
or vessel, and I put an oxide, or oxide or saline mixture, or cinder in
the same furnace or vessel. By agitating or rubbing the two materials
together silicon will be removed from the metal, and before it becomes
stiff it may be allowed to settle, and then tapped off into a granulating
machine, or into water or other receptable. By this means blast may
be dispensed with, and cinder of various qualities may be made for after
use with less contact with the furnace bottom.
In my Patent dated 8th March 1866, No. 702, I describe a process
wherein cast-iron granules are first heated along with crushed cinder
or oxide in one place at an oxidizing, and afterwards in another place
with a reducing flame. I have since found that both processes may be
carried out in the same place by so regulating the flame that it will be
first of an oxidizing and afterwards of a reducing nature. I obtain the
oxodizing flame by the admission of air at or near the bridge of the
furnace. I prefer to have it heated, and I lead the air to the point
required by a pipe or pipes passing through the flues and through the
interior of the furnace. When the granules have been thus treated for
a sufficient time they are collected into balls of malleable iron, or it may
be of puddled steel. In conducting this process, and also for puddling
and similar processes, I sometimes employ a furnace with a rotating or
reciprocating bed, as has before been practised, and I line this furnace
with iron blocks with passages through them into which water pipes
are inserted to prevent the blocks from becoming over heated, or metal
may be cast around iron pipes, similar to the method practised when
making water tuyeres in order to form the interior of the furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACOB
GEOGHEGAN WILLANS, of No. 9, Saint Stephen's Crescent, in the Parish
of Paddington, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
5 Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, Her
special licence that I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jacob
Geoghegan Willans, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists, first, in applying one or more jets of steam
either superheated or intermittently in iron blast furnaces not at the
tuyeres but by preference in that part in which the ores and fuel are at
a red heat but not fused in order to carry off sulphur therefrom. This
suitable part will be found at different heights in different furnaces, and
will vary even in the same furnace with the volume of blast. It may be
ascertained with sufficient exactness by the insertion or lowering of iron
rods at a depth beneath the surface, which will when withdrawn indicate
the highest part beneath the surface where the materials are at a red
heat; at about 3 feet beneath this will be found a suitable height for the
application of the steam jets through orifices in the walls of the furnace.
The jets must be applied either highly superheated or intermittently,
the object being that they shall at all times impinge upon materials at a
red heat, and that should the latter be cooled beneath that tem-
perature the application may be suspended till the heat be regained by
the action of the air blast from below. The jets may be as numerous as

page_text: the tuyeres and placed above them. I prefer to apply them to blast
furnaces, such as described in my Patent No. 481, 1868, and to work
them consecutively each for about 7 seconds, and to commence again so
soon as the furnace charge at that place has descended beneath them for
about 3 inches. Thus, for example, if the materials descend at the rate
of 30 inches per hour each jet may be applied after an interval of 5 to
6 minutes. The size of the orifice in the jet must vary with the pressure
of the steam, but in no case should it be so great as to admit such a
quantity of steam as would have a disintegrating effect on the fuel, or
O blow out the materials from the top of the furnace. With steam at
7 lbs. pressure a jet of in. diameter will be found useful on heavy ores
and fuel.
I do not confine myself to any specific number of jets, or any par-
ticular height above the tuyeres, or the exact details herein described,
but I claim, the application of steam superheated or intermittently to
fuel and ores at a height above the tuyeres in blast furnaces.
My improvement further applies to the smelting of iron in blast
furnaces wherein raw coal of a caking character is used. It consists in
having some of the coal (or it may be other coal or coke) mixed with
> the ore, or ore and limestone, but not in a finely crushed state or in such
quantity as would form the mass into a compact conglomerate, and
charging the mixture into the furnace in the same manner as if the
charge were all ore (the barrows may be of smaller size than usual with
advantage), and adding the remainder of the fuel in the usual manner
5 with or without limestone in alternate charges. This method of
charging will diminish the bulk of each fuel charge and increase the
bulk of each ore charge, the former remaining more open and the latter
less obstructive to the passage of the blast. If caking coal be altogether
used I take a measure thereof equal to the bulk of the ore charge, and
I intermix it with the ore in the charging barrows, or I have the two
materials previously intermixed in equal bulks, and I sometimes add
the required quantity of limestone to the said mixture. These may
either be mixed beforehand or in the charging barrow or so applied in
small quantities of each into the furnace that the mixture takes place in
the furnace. I then add the remaining quantity of coal, preferably
without any more ore or limestone; if the latter has not been added
along with the ore charge I prefer to apply it in alternate charges with
the coal. I also prefer to add the limestone along with the fuel in this

page_text: manner when the latter is of a highly bituminous caking character, or
the ores of a fusible or scaffolding nature. I prefer that the materials
shall be of the usual size charged in blast furnaces, the coal not being
smaller than the ore.
I claim when using caking coal in blast furnaces, the mixing of some
of it (or it may of some other coal or coke) with the ore, but not in
a crushed state or in such quantity as to form a closely cohering mass.
My Invention further relates to the treatment of friable or scaffolding
ores in the blast furnace, whatever the nature of the fuel employed may
bc. It consists in the mixing of a portion of fuel with the ores, and
applying fuel and limestone as herein-before described in the use of caking
coal. This method of charging with the friable ores will check their
descent into the hearth in an unprepared state, and will diminish the
tendency to scaffold of fusible ores. By friable ores I mean such as
may easily be crushed or become gravelly or sandy by weathering
friction or heat. Bog iron ores and basaltic iron ores, such as are found in
the county of Antrim, are of this class. Such ores as contain a con-
siderable quantity of lime or of oxide of manganesc along with carthy
matter are of a scaffolding nature and may be treated as described with
advantage.
I claim when smelting ores of a friable or scaffolding nature, the
mixing of some fuel therewith not in a finely crushed state, but sub-
stantially as above described.
In my Patent dated 12th February 1868, No. 481, I describe a process
for melting down granules of cast iron in contact with carbon witliout
blast acting thereon, and also a process for melting down granules of
decarburetted cast iron into steel. In carrying out either of these
processes or other processes for melting granules into steel in an open
furnace the contact of atmospheric air is to some extent prejudicial.
My improvements in these respects consist in the use of vertical or
inclined pipes or crucibles in which the fusion is to take place. These
may be straight pipes of fire-clay or other material commonly used for
steel crucibles about 4 inches internal diameter with an orifice at the
bottom and open at the top to allow of being charged.
In the treatment of cast iron with carbon these pipes may stand on
the bed of the reverberatory furnace, or on the bottom if a cupola be
employed, their upper part being chargeable from outside. I prefer

page_text: however to use a reverberatory furnace, which (by preference) should be
heated with a gas flame, and to leave the pipes sufficiently open at the
bottom so as to allow the metal to flow out and accumulate around
them or in any receptacle until it is tapped off, or the pipes may be
similarly constructed and suspended as herein-after described for
melting steel. I also have a sufficiency of good slag floating upon this
molten bath to protect it from any loss of carbon.
In the melting of decarburetted granules into steel the pipes should
not be so open at the bottom as to allow an immediate flow of steel
therefrom, but should be so curved, syphon-shaped, or otherwise
constructed, or the delivery orifice should be so placed that a small bath
of at least a few inches in depth of molten metal is retained at the
lowest part of the pipe, into which any unfused material must descend.
The overflow will fall into and accumulate in the bed of the furnace. I
prefer in this case to use one of Siemens' gas furnaces. I suspend these
pipes by their upper parts so that their lower ends will not touch or dip
into the molten bath, so that the latter can therefore be stirred, additions,
such as spiegeleisen, made to it, and samples withdrawn from it, as is
done usually in the open Siemens furnace. I am aware that it has been
before proposed to use pipes and crucibles for continuous steel melting,
but in these cases the bottoms of the pipes opened in such a manner
that no bath of molten metal was retained in the pipes, or if retained it
required to be tapped off.
Now my novelty consists in having the delivery orifice of the pipe at
some height above the lowest internal part. This may be accomplished
in various ways, by curving or bending the pipe on itself into a
syphon shape, by inserting another pipe directed upwards, by piercing
the sides of the pipe at a suitable height, or other means. A bath or
reservoir is thus always formed at the lowest part of the pipe, into which
any unfused materials must descend. I prefer to produce in this process
steel in a hard state, and afterwards if required deprive it of carbon in
the open bath accumulated beneath by any of the methods commonly
practised in the open steel furnace. The pipes may be four inches
internal diameter, made of an infusible material like ordinary steel
crucibles, and should be of sufficient strength to bear securely when
suspended from their upper parts their own weight and that of their
contents. They may be placed nine to twelve inches apart diagonally so
as to intercept the gas current, and should not be so numerous as to

page_text: prevent it from getting up the required heat. The holes in the roof
through which they are inserted should be large enough to admit of
their being readily taken in and out, and the fitting may be secured by
a packing of infusible material, such as ganister or sand.
I claim the melting of cast iron in contact with carbon in pipes or
crucibles from which the metal as it melts may flow continuously, and
which can be charged at the upper ends, which are open to the outside of
the furnace.
I claim the use in steel melting of pipes or crucibles admitting of a
continuous flow, but so constructed as to retain some of the contents in
a fused state, as herein described.
My Invention further relates to producing granules of refined cast
iron. In order to produce granules of refined cast iron, instead of first
refining the cast iron by means of blast in a coke refinery or by blowing
air through the metal as heretofore, I melt the unrefined or crude cast
iron in a reverberatory furnace, or I run it in a molten state into such a
furnace or other receptable, and I put an oxide or oxide cinder to which
other materials may have been added in the same, and I agitate or
rabble the metal along with the added oxide or cinder, by which the
silicon in the metal together with some other impurities are more or less
oxidized and removed. The process should be continuous as long as the
metal remains in a sufficiently fluid state for granulation. I take care
that it be not continued so long as to cause the metal to be so far
deprived of carbon as to render it stiff, and whilst still fluid I allow it to
settle, and I run it off into water or on to a granulating machine, or the
iron may be run off and allowed to stiffen and be subsequently remelted
and run into water or on to a granulating machine. By this method metal
may be refined without blast before being granulated, and cinder of
various qualities may be made for after use in puddling or other
processes in the manufacture of iron and steel with less contact with the
furnace bottom than if melted down separately.
I claim the manufacture of granules of refined cast iron by first
removing some of the impurities from the crude iron by treating the
latter, whilst fluid and contained in a furnace or vessel not heated
directly by blast, with oxide or oxide cinder, and subsequently granu-
lating the metal, as herein described.
In my Patent for puddling, No. 702, 1866, I describe a process
whereby cast-iron granules are first heated along with crushed oxide or

page_text: cinder in one place or part of a furnace at an oxidizing heat and after-
wards at another place or part of the furnace with a reducing flame.
I have since discovered that both parts of the puddling process may be
carried on in the same part of the furnace by so regulating the flame
that it will be first of an oxidizing and afterwards of a reducing nature.
The process may be conducted in an ordinary puddling furnace, and the
oxidizing flame may be made by the addition of air at or near the bridge
of the furnace, and the reducing flame by shutting off all access of air
except that necessary for the combustion of the fuel and the production
of a smoky flame in the furnace. The mixture of granules and oxide or
oxide cinder whilst at the oxidizing heat should be turned over with a
tool to expose fresh surfaces to the heat, and when they are under the
smoky or reducing flame they should be turned over in like manner.
The duration of the first part of the process may more or less depend
on the size of the granules and the extent of decarburetting it is desired
to obtain, but 10 minutes at a good red heat will be found beneficial
with granules, say, inch diameter or substance, and a longer time
for larger granules. The after part of the process should be continued
until the iron comes to nature, as it is technically called, and is fit for
balling.
By the term granules I mean such particles as will be formed by
running cast iron whilst fluid into water or a granulating apparatus. I
prefer that they should be of uniform size or substance, but I do not
confine myself to any particular size. Should they be found to melt
during the process the turning over should be more frequent so as to
prevent the metal separating from the cinder.
I claim the heating a mixture of undecarburetted granulated metal
and iron oxide and cinder in that part of a furnace in which it is sub-
sequently brought into a fit state for balling.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.