IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON & STEEL
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Syng Justice, of 14, Southampton Buildings in
the County of Middlesox, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON & STEEL." A communication from abroad by
Charles Meredith Dupuy, of the City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Syng Justice at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September 1880.
E
PHILIP SYNG JUSTICE, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON &
STEEL." A communication from abroad by Charles Meredith Dupuy, of the
City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
This Invention relates principally to improvements on my Invention described in
Specification Number 1664, of April 28th, 1877.
In practising my therein described method, I have found that the output of
metal of many furnaces in using this Invention would be limited to a considerable
extent, and also that the cost of the produced metal would be considerably
increased by the use of the sheet iron or steel canisters therein described, as the
material from which they are made has at times advanced so rapidly in price as
to make the cost of the canisters a heavy charge on the produced metal; besides
this, I have found that even when using thin sheet metal. for theso canisters
the direct action of the heat of the furnace upon the contained mixture of ore,
carbonaceous, and other substances within the canister is considerably delayed, so
that much heat and time may be said to be lost in reducing. I have also found
that the "scale" of steel and iron can advantageously be used to produce good
metal when treated by my method, as in ores. The object of the present Invention
therefore is to conduct the process of reducing the iron ores, steel, and iron scale,

page_text: and materials mixed with the same, in a more economical, quicker, and effective
manner than I have hitherto been able to accomplish, and it is to this end that
the object of the present Invention relates, as also to the means by which the
charge of the mixtures is prepared in a most convenient and suitable manner ready
for placing into the reducing furnace. The mixed constituents to be subject to the
furnace heat are prepared substantially as I have described in my Specification
first alluded to, with such variations in the nature and quantity of the ingredients
and fluxes as the character of the ores or scale to be used may demand. Instead
of placing the prepared and properly mixed constituents in canisters, as heretofore
described, I have found that by compressing the said mixed materials into
cylindrical or rectangular slabs, pipes, or almost any form of suitable length
and thickness which will give a large exposure of surface and material to the
action of the heat, I have been able thereby to obtain a more rapid reduction
of the ore and scale than heretofore. To produce a bloom of the size desired,
and to enable me to charge the materials into the furnace in the most convenient
form, I employ a board, preferably, or piece of sheet iron of a convenient size,
upon which 1 build a pile of suitable weight of the properly compressed cylinders,
slabs, or forms, all of which I prefer to cross at right angles to each other
as they rest on the base board or sheet of iron, on which they may be super-
imposed for the convenience of transportation, and also for charging into the
furnace when a sufficient quantity shall have been prepared to fill the same.
To allow the more free access of the heat-to-the-various surfaces-of-the-piles-
-of-materials,-I-prefer_to_space_the_two_lower_courses_of_each_pile_wider_
than the upper ones, regulating such spaces according to the thickness or diameter
of the cylinders or slabs employed in forming the pile. I am quite aware that
bricks composed of ore and other materials have been used in blast and other
furnaces, but I believe that my method is entirely new of forming the ground ore
and other constituents into compressed slabs, cylinders, pipes, and other forms, say,
of from 12 to 18 inches in length, and piling them in courses upon each other, at
right angles to each other, with intervening spaces between, and on a supporting
board or base upon which they can be transported to and charged into the heating
furnace when a sufficient quantity shall have been prepared, or, in other words, I
believe I have by my method rendered practical an idea which heretofore has been
of no real value, because single bricks or even slabs if piled into a heating furnace
singly could not be productive of any practically advantageous results, because the
furnace would cool whilst the singlo bricks were being charged into it, and the
quantity of reduced metal so obtained would be so small as to be valueless in
comparison to the expense of producing it. These slabs or cylinders may also be
piled into and on the sole plate of a cold furnace in the manner just described and
the heat subsequently be applied when the furnace is so charged, but this involves
some loss of time in getting up the heat, and delays the output of the furnace,
therefore, I do not consider it so advantageous as my first described method.
When the furnace is charged with the prepared cylinders, slabs, or forms, and
the heat applied in the manner described in Specification Number 1664, of
April 28th, 1877, I have found that its action will directly cause the jets of gas
of carbonic oxide to issue from some of the exposed surfaces, and to play on the
surrounding surfaces, which are thus in turn quickly ignited, and soon the whole
mass is rapidly inflamed, causing an effective reduction to a nearly solid malleable
metal in much less time than by any other method known to me, as the open
spaces between the cylinders or slabs permits the most free access of the heat to all
parts of the material, and the reduction takes place very uniformly throughout
each entire mass or pile. I have found that cylinders or slabs properly prepared do
not crumble, but they rapidly absorb the heat, and the whole pile settles down
uniformly as it gradually becomes reduced. When the reduction is completed each
pile may be taken out in its turn and shingled into a bloom, or two or more piles
may be massed together for a few moments before withdrawing them from the

page_text: furnace, and thus a larger mass may be formed into one bloom if desired. I
have also found decided advantage results from using common coal tar, and also
the "crude ends," or tarry residuum of distilled mineral oils as a means of
moistening the constituents before they are formed into cylinders or slabs, as it
incorporates into the mixture a heat producing material, which comes into active
energy when its need is the greatest. Scale of iron or steel, being composed of
nearly pure metal and easily crushed, will readily mix with the carbonaceous
mixtures employed, and thus a valuable resultant is obtained from a material
which is often largely wasted, or if used is not employed to the best advantage,
and this I consider to be an important improvement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Philip Syng Justice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th March
1881.
PHILIP SYNG JUSTICE, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND
STEEL." A communication from abroad by Charles Meredith Dupuy, of the City
of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
This Invention relates principally to improvements on my Invention described
in Specification No 1664, of April 28th, 1877. In practising my therein described
method I have found that the output of metal of many furnaces in using this
Invention would be limited to a considerable extent, and also that the cost of the
produced metal would be considerably increased by the use of the sheet iron or
steel canisters therein described, as the material from which they are made has at
times advanced so rapidly in price as to make the cost of the canisters a heavy
charge on the produced metal Besides this I have found that even when using
thin sheet metal for these canisters, the direct action of the heat of the furnace
-upon-the-contained-mixture-of-ore,-carbonaceous,-and-other_substances within_the_
canister is considerably delayed, so that much heat and time may be said to be lost in
reducing. I have also found that the "scale" of steel and iron can advantageously-
be used to produce good metal when treated by my method as in ores. The object
of the present Invention therefore is to conduct the process of reducing the iron
ores, steel and iron scale, and materials mixed with the same in a more economical,
quick, and effective manner, than I have hitherto been able to accomplish, and it
is to this end that the object of the present Invention relates, as also to the incans
by which the charge of the mixtures is prepared in a most convenient and suitable
manner ready for placing into the reducing furnace. The mixed constituents to
bo subject to the furnace heat are prepared substantially as I have described in my
Specification first alluded to, with such variations in the nature and quantity of the
ingredients and fluxes as the character of the ores or scale to be used may demand.
As an example it may be stated that with average ores containing, say, 50 per cent.
of metallic iron, I have found that an advantageous mixture will be composed of
about the following proportions:-15 to 20 per cent. of good bituminous coal, or
about 25 per cent. of charcoal; 5 to 10 per cent. by weight of good aluminous clay,
and about the same proportion of lime together with to 2 per cent. of black oxide
of manganese, and 1 to 2 per cent. of chloride of sodium, for the purpose of
liquefying the silica, and more completely forming the glassy slag that I consider so
essential for the protection of the newly formed iron and also for the elimination of
the phosphorus, sulphur, and other impurities. It may here be noted that the
ingredients should be used in such proportions as will prevent the slag leaving the
reduced mass until it is brought under the hammer. When using scale alone it is
necessary to employ a larger proportion of the fluxing materials above referred to,
as this material is composed of nearly pure metal, and works much dryer than ores
which have most of the fluxing materials mechanically combined with them.
If a combination of ore with from 10 to 20 per cent. of scale bo employed, I have
found that a fibrous iron of high quality will be produced. Instead of placing the
propared and properly mixed constituents in canisters, as heretofore described, I have
found that by compressing the said mixed materials into cylindrical or rectangular
slabs, pipes, or almost any form of suitable length and thickness, which will give a
large exposure of surface and material to the action of the heat, I have been able
thereby to obtain a more rapid reduction of the ore and scale than heretofore. The
various metal bearing and other ingredients may be conveniently ground in a pug
or mortar mill to about the size of coarse sand, and be then compressed by

page_text: hydraulic or other pressure into the desired shapes. To produce a bloom of the size
desired, and to enable me to charge the materials into the furnace in the most
convenient form, I employ a board, preferably, or piece of sheet, iron of a convenient
size, upon which I build a pile of suitable weight of the properly compressed
cylinders, slabs, or forms, all of which I prefer to cross at right angles to each other
as they rest on the base board or sheet of iron, on which they may be superimposed
for the convenience of transportation, and also for charging into the furnace when a
sufficient quantity shall have been prepared to fill the same. To allow the more
free access of heat to the various surfaces of the piles of materials, I prefer to space
the two lower courses of each pile wider than the upper ones, regulating such
spaces according to the thickness or diameter of the cylinders or slabs employed in
forming the pile. I am quite aware that bricks composed of ore and other materials
have been used in blast and other furnaces, but I believe that my method is entirely
new of forming the ground ore and other constituents into compressed slabs,
cylinders, pipes, and other forms, say, of froin 12 to 18 inches in length, and piling
them in courses upon each other at right angles to each other with intervening
spaces between and on a supporting board, a base upon which they can be trans-
ported to and charged into the heating furnace when a sufficient quantity shall
have been prepared, or, in other words, I believe I have by my method rendered
practical an idea which heretofore has been of no real value, because single bricks
or even slabs if piled into a heating furnace singly, could not be productive of any
practically advantageous results, because the furnace would cool whilst the single
bricks were being charged into it, and the quantity of reduced metal so obtained
would be so small as to be valueless in comparison to the expense of producing
it. These slabs or cylinders may also be piled into and on the sole plate of a
cold furnace in the manner just described, and the heat subsequently be applied
when the furnace is so charged; but this involves some loss of time in getting
up the heat, and delays the output of the furnace, therefore I do not consider it
so advantageous as my first described method. When the furnace is charged with
the prepared cylinders, slabs, or forms, and the heat applied in the manner
described in Specification No. 1664, of April 28th, 1877, I have found that
its action will directly cause the jets of gas of carbonic oxide to issue from some
of the exposed surfaces, which are thus in turn quickly ignited, and soon the
whole mass is rapidly inflamed, causing an effective reduction to a nearly solid
malleable metal in much less time than by any other method known to me, as
the open spaces between the cylinders or slabs permits the most free access of.
the heat to all parts of the material, and the reduction takes place very uniformly
throughout each entire mass or pile. I have found that cylinders or slabs properly
prepared do not crumble, but they rapidly absorb the heat, and the whole pile
settles down uniformly as it gradually becomes reduced. When the reduction is
completed, each pile may be taken out in its turn and shingled into a bloom, or
two or more piles may be massed together for a few moments before withdrawing
them from the furnace, and thus a larger mass may be formed into one bloom
if desired; I have also found decided advantage results from using common coal
tar, and also the crude ends or tarry residuum of distilled mineral oils as a
means of moistening the constituents before they are formed into cylinders or
slabs, as it incorporates into the mixture a heat producing material, which comes
into active energy when its need is the greatest. Scale of iron or steel being
composed of nearly pure metal and easily crushed will readily mix with the
carbonaceous mixtures employed, and thus a valuable resultant is obtained from a
material which is often largely wasted, or if used is not employed to the best
advantage, and this I consider to be an important improvement.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, what I claim and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. The improvement in the manufacture of iron or steel, bereinbefore
described, which consists of combining the various materials as stated, so pro-
portioned as to be capable of being moulded into the herein described slabs,

page_text: pipes, or other shapes, which are subsequently reduced by furnace heat, substan-
tially as described and set forth.
Second. In the manufacture of malleable iron or steel, the use of the ground
scale of iron or steel either alone or mixed with iron ore, and combined with the
various materials hereinbefore described, which are moulded into slabs, pipes, or
other shapes, and subsequently reduced by furnace heat, substantially as described
and set forth.
Third. The improvement in the manufacture of iron or steel, which consists of
charging into a reducing furnace superimposed moulded slabs, pipes, or other
shapes composed of the various ingredients and metal bearing substances herein-
before described, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Syng Justice, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
1001
Witness,
ALLEN P. JONES,
14, Southampton Bldgs.,
Chancery Lane,
7 A
PHILIP S. JUSTICE. (L.S.)