AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Brown Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
March 1868.
I, EDWARD BROWN WILSON, of No. 5, Parliament Street, Westminster, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
STEEL, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
I melt the iron in a cupola or other ordinary furnace, but I prefer to use a
furnace similar to that patented by John Birch, June 30th, 1855, No. 1493,
but instead of placing the lower tuyeres as therein described, I admit the
blast by an inverted syphon, as shown in my Patent dated April 29th, 1862,
No. 1260, and injected in the manner described by me in my Patent dated
October 18th, 1862, No. 2760, and the blast raised or generated in the
manner described in my Patent dated January 31st, 1863, No. 291, in
preference to the ordinary fan or blast engine, but such may be used without
departing from the nature of my Invention. After the furnace has been
charged in the ordinary way and sufficient metal has been melted down into the
hearth of the furnace, and operated upon as before described, and sufficiently
refined or decarbonized, I tap the furnace and run it into a ladle of the usual
kind; I then mix with it a charge of pure cast iron in a molten state, or with
it, or otherwise, any well known carbonizer, as described by Robert Mushet
in his Patent dated September 22nd, 1856, No. 2220, and then pour it into
the moulds; but I prefer instead of the ordinary kind of ladle before described

page_text: a fixed ladle with a hole or holes in the side or bottom, stopped by a gannister
or other fire or heat-resisting plug, similar to those used by founders for large
castings, and commonly termed a sow or kettle; but in order to prevent the
action of the atmosphere cooling the surface of the metal, I make around
the upper part of the ladle an annular channel, into which I put sand or
any suitable material; on the outer edge of the lid I use for covering I put
a rim, which when placed on the ladle or vessel rests in the annular channel,
and hermetically seals the ladle or vessel employed; and I make the same
arrangement to any opening I require in the lid for pouring in the metal into
the ladle or vessel, which I place in front of the furnace, so that the metal
when poured in shall have a circular current to assist the mixing of the
carbonizing charge, such fixed ladle being sufficiently elevated as to admit of
the ingot or other moulds passing under it upon a carriage, which may be
upon a turntable directly underneath, and made to rotate so that each mould
in succession may pass under the opening at the bottom or side of such fixed
ladle to receive the metal, by which I dispense with the use of cranes, such
fixed or ordinary ladle may be placed in a furnace or have an outer casing or
jacket, or coil or coils of piping, into which I inject highly superheated steam
or air for the purpose of keeping the metal therein in a fluid state, and thereby
prevent the formation of what are known as sculls, which at present form a
considerable waste in the process or processes now in use requiring receiving
ladles; the plan now described is also applicable in all cases where it is
necessary to keep metal in a fluid state and prevent waste; or jets of air or
steam, superheated or otherwise, may be driven into it by jet pipes fixed around
the upper part of the ladle, and directed on to the surface of the metal similar
to the mode described by J. M. Heath, in his Patent dated August 4th, 1845,
No. 10,798, and A. E. Belford dated April 15th, 1854, No. 878, for the
purpose of keeping the metal in a fluid state.