AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF CONVERTING CAST IRON AND ARTICLES MADE THEREOP INTO STEEL
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF CONVERTING CAST IRON AND
ARTICLES MADE THEREOP INTO STEEL."-A communication from abroad
by Henry Harrington Date, Tool Manufacturer, and Frederick
Havill Date, Machinist, both of St. Catherine's, Ontario, Canada.
Sealed the 24th September 1872, and dated the 12th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th April 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.;
5 Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for “An ImprovED PROCESS OF CONVERTING CAST
IRON AND ARTICLES MADE THEREOF INTO STEEL," a communication, to be as
follows:-

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iron or articles manufactured therefrom after they have been made
malleable by annealing when at a white heat, or at a point below that of
fusion, in a heated retort, or close chamber or vessel to the action of
gases produced or generated from vegetable charcoal, and from gasoline
or other products of petroleum, or petroleum or other hydrocarbon, or
hydrocarbon oil.
The cast iron or the article manufactured therefrom is first mado
malleable or annealed by any process or means now employed for such
purpose.
* The cast iron or the articlo made thereof after being made malleable
is inserted with a small quantity of vegetable charcoal into a heated
retort, or close vessel or chamber of suitable description, and subjected
to a degree of heat a little below the point of fusion, the retort, or close
vessel or chamber being heated for that purpose by any suitable means.
.
Gas from gasoline or other product of petroleum, or from petroleum
or other hydrocarbon, or hydrocarbon oil or oils, and from vegetable
charcoal or its equivalent, generated in any suitable manner or apparatus
is forced into or generated in the retort while the contents are heated
as aforesaid, either separately or in combination, for a period of time
varying from twenty minutes to twenty hours, more or less, according to
the size and character of the iron to be converted. When removed and
cooled the iron contained in tlie retort after being thus treated will be
converted into steel.
The gas from the charcoal may be generated in the retort by the
insertion of sufficient charcoal therein with the iron or article manu-
factured therefrom, the retort being heated as before described; and the
gas from gasoline or other product of petroleum, or from petroleum or
other hydrocarbon oil, as aforesaid, may be injected or forced into the
retort while heated.
The process thus described is well adapted to the manufacture from
cast iron of cutting tools that are now forged from wrought iron; and
by this process a cutting tool equal to the best forged tools of steel may
be produced at a reduced cost of manufacture.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her'
Letters Patent bearing date the Twelfth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty..
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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 Invention for." AN
IMPROVED PROCESS OF CONVERTING CAST IRON AND ARTICLES MADE THEREOF INTO
STEEL," a communication to me from abroad by Henry Harrington Date,
Tool Manufacturer, and Frederick Havill Date, Machinist, both of Saint.
Catherine's, Ontario, Canada, upon the condition (amongst others). that
I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an.
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
3 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 :—
This Invention has reference to the conversion of cast iron, and tools,
and other cast-iron articles of any shape into steel after they have been.
decarbonized or made malleable by any annealing process; and it consists.
in subjecting the same to the action of gases produced or generated from:

page_text: vegetable charcoal, and from gasoline or other product of petroleum or
hydrocarbon oil n a close chamber or oven of any suitable construction.
The gases may be gencrated within the said close chamber or oven by
the application of heat thereto, either internally or externally, the char-
coal and hydrocarbon fluid in such case being first introduced within the
said chamber or oven; or the gases may be generated in a suitable
apparatus, separately or combinedly, and admitted into the chamber or
oven by connecting pipes.
The cast-iron articles of various shapes or the tools must first be
decarbonized or made malleable by the usual process of annealing before 1
they are in a fit state for conversion into steel. And when in a cold
state they are to be inserted in the oven, and heat must be applied
thereto sufficient to keep the cast iron or the articles made thereof at a
heat a little below the point of fusion during the process of conversion.
The time required for the completion of this process will vary according 1
to the bulk of the cast iron to be converted; but it may be stated as
varying from twenty minutes to twenty hours, more or less.
The cast iron or the cast-iron article to be converted after being sub-
jected to the action of the gases in the heated chamber or oven is then
removed therefrom and cooled by the atmosphere or other means.
It 2
will then possess the nature and property of steel. The steel article, if
required, may then be hammered or refined, ground, and polished in the
manner now usual in the manufacture of steeled tools from forged iron.
By the Invention herein described hammer heads, axes, and other
tools and articles may be manufactured without being first forged, and 2
they will be of a quality equal to the best forged steel tools; such a tool
or article being first cast of the required shape in a mould in the manner
now usual in manufacturing articles of cast iron. By the improved
process hercin described it will not be necessary to subject the cast iron
or the cast-iron article to the action of the gases specified under pressure. 3
The aforesaid chamber or oven may be constructed of metal, or of fire-
bricks, or fire-clay.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I do not claim any particular construc- 3
tion of chamber or oven, or the mode of heating the same; neither do I

page_text: claim any special construction of apparatus for generating the gases
frow the charcoal or hydrocarbon liquid, as various modifications of the
same may be adopted. Moreover I am aware that the conversion of
wrought iron into steel by means of gases generated from charcoal and
from hydrocarbon fluid is not new; but I claim,-
-
First. The conversion of cast iron-into steel after annealing the same
by subjecting it to the action of gases generated from charcoal and from
gasoline or other product of petroleum or hydrocarbon oil in a heated
chamber or oven, as herein set forth.
Second. The manufacture of steel tools or other articles from properly
shaped pieces of cast iron, by the means and process herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
F. MILLION.
W*. ROB². LAKE. (L.S.)