IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE OR BAR IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bessemer, of Queen Street Place, New Cannon
Street, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE OR BAR IRON AND
STEEL."
Sealed the 8th August 1856, and dated the 12th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bessemer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th February 1856.
I, HENRY BESSEMER, of Queen Street Place, New Cannon Street, in the
City of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE OR BAR IRON AND
STEEL," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the decarbonization or partial decarbonization and
refinement of the crude iron which is obtained in a fluid state from the blast
furnaces in which the iron ore is usually, smelted, or the decarbonization and
refinement of crude, pig iron, or finery iron, by first remelting the pigs of crude
iron in
any suitable furnace, so as to obtain fluid metal for the purpose of being
treated by my improved means, and which consist, firstly, in running the fluid
iron into a close or nearly close vessel or chamber, formed by preference of
iron, and lined with fire-bricks or other suitable slow conductor of heat. When
the vessel or chamber is about half filled, I blow or force into and among the
fluid metal numerous small jets of atmospheric air, in a cold or in a previously

page_text: heated state, or I use any other gaseous fluid or matter containing or capable
of evolving sufficient oxygen to cause the combustion of the carbon contained
in the iron, and thereby to keep up the required temperature during the process.
The interior of the vessel may in some cases be heated by the waste gases of
the blast furnace, or by any other convenient means, previous to the crude iron
being poured or run therein. But I have discovered, that if atmospheric air or
oxygen is thus introduced into the metal in sufficient quantities it will produce
a vivid combustion among the particles of the fluid metal, and retain or increase
its temperature to such a degree that the metal will continue fluid during its
transition from the state of crude iron to that of cast steel or malleable iron
without the application of any fuel.
In carrying my Invention into practical operation, I prefer to mount
the refining vessel, or chamber on axes, not situated at or near the centre
of gravity of the said chamber, but in a line with the lip or spout of the
chamber, by which means the pouring out of its contents will be facilitated,
and the spout kept in a proper position in reference to the mould during
the time of pouring the fluid metal therein. The air may be introduced at
the sides or ends of the vessel through small holes formed in pieces of well
burned fire clay, so that by moving the chamber or vessel on its axis the holes
in the fire clay may be made to descend beneath the surface of the metal, or
be raised above it, as desired. It must be observed, that the air or other
gaseous matters must be compressed with a force greater than will balance the
weight of a column of fluid metal of a height equal to the depth of immersion
of the jets below the surface of the fluid metal. The process of decarbonization
and refinement of the metal may thus be carried on until the metal is reduced
to the condition of hard or soft steel, or to the condition of steely or soft malle-
able iron; in either state the metal so refined may be poured from the vessel
or chamber into suitable ingot moulds, for the purpose of being afterwards
hammered, tilted, or rolled into bars, rods, or plates by the processes already
known and practised in the manufacture of iron and steel. I would however
remark, that I have found in some cases that the ingots of metal contain cells
or cavities; in such cases I subject the ingot, at a welding heat, to the action of
a "squeezer," such as is used in the shaping of puddle balls, or I subject the
ingot to repeated blows in a swage or die under a powerful hammer, so that
the parts are forcibly squeezed, pressed, or driven together, and the pores closed,
and the surfaces united or welded together prior to subjecting such ingots to
the rolling mill or tilt hammer. The upper ends of the ingots are sometimes
too unsound to form a perfect bar, in which case I cut or break them off, and
return such scrap or waste pieces to the decarbonising chamber at the time of

page_text: refilling it for another operation. I have herein described how malleable
ingots of iron or steel are to be made by a direct process of refinement from
crude iron, without the application of heat or fuel to the iron during the process,
except such heat as is maintained or generated by the introduction of oxygen
into the metal.
And I will now describe a modification of the process, by which I prepare the
iron for conversion into steel of a superior quality. For this purpose, I proceed,
in the first place, to refine the crude iron in the manner herein-before described,
carrying on the process until the most omplete refinement is effected, and the
iron is as nearly pure as may be; I then pour the fluid iron into water, by
which it becomes granulated, and the grains or shots so produced are after-
wards to be converted into steel by the process of cementation with charcoal
in upright retorts, in the manner described in a Patent granted to me for
"improvements in the manufacture of cast steel, and mixtures of steel and
cast iron," and bearing date the 18th day of June 1855. The blister steel so
produced may be melted in crucibles, as at present generally practised in the
manufacture of cast steel, or by any other suitable means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Bessemer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BESSEMER, of Queen Street Place, New Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Bessemer, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Bessemer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Bessemer, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE OR BAR IRON AND STEEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Bessemer, my executors or admi-

page_text: nistrators, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent. -
NOW KNOW ÝE, that I, the said Henry Bessemer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho- following
statement thereof, that is to say:
My Invention consists in the decarbonization or partial decarbonization and
refinement of the crude iron which is obtained in a fluid state from the blást
furnaces in which the iron ore is usually smelted, or the decarbonization and
refinement of crude pig iron or finery iron, by first-rêmelting the pigs of crude
iron or the plates of finery iron in any suitable furnace, so as to obtain fluid
metal for the purpose of being treated by my improved means, and which
consists, firstly, in running the fluid iron into a close or nearly close vessel or.
chamber, formed by preference of iron, and lined with fire-bricks or other slow
conductor of heat. When the chamber or vessel is about half filled I blow or
force into and among the fluid metal numerous small jets of atmospheric air in
a cold or in a previously heated state, or I use any other gaseous fluid or matter
containing or capable of evolving sufficient oxygen to cause the combustion of
the carbon contained in the iron, and thereby to keep up the required -tem-
perature during the process. The size or number of the jets or tuyere pipes by
which the air or other gaseous matters are conducted into the molten metal
should be proportioned to the quantity of fluid metal operated upon at a time,
and may also vary with the condition or quality of the metal; thus, forge, pig, or
refined plate metal, will not require so much oxygen to complete its decar-
bonization and conversion into steel or malleable iron as is required for the
conversion of crude iron of the qualities known as No. 1 or No. 2 foundry iron,
to which last-named qualities of iron I prefer to use tuyères having an outlet of
about 20 p cent. more in area than those which are used for the white
qualities of iron. It is, however, difficult to give a precise or fixed rule for the
size of the jets or tuyere pipes, because the quantity of air passing through
them depends so much on the force or pressure of the blast; the quantity should
depend also on the quality of the iron, and the heat of the air or other gaseous
matters used with the air or in lieu thereof; but as a guide to the workman,
I will give an example, which I have found in practice to answer well :-
When using foundry iron of the quality known as No. 2, I run one ton of it
into the converting vessel, in which it rises to a height of about one foot-above

page_text: the orifices of the tuyere pipes; I then force into the fluid metal atmospheric
air in its natural or unheated state, under a pressure of about 10 lbs. per square
inch, and I employ from six to twelve tuyere pipes for the distribution of the
air, the united area of the tuyeres being equal to two square inches. The
quantity of blast admitted by this area of inlet will in general be found suffi-
cient to effect the conversion of the crude iron into a malleable condition in
about thirty minutes; but should it be preferred to use a mixture of oxygen
gas with atmospheric air or steam, or to use steam alone, or any other gaseous
fluid capable of evolving oxygen in licu of atmospheric air, then the size of the
tuyere pipes should be regulated according to the quantity of oxygen contained
in such gaseous fluids, any excess of oxygen over that usually contained in
atmospheric air will admit of a diminution of the tuyere pipes, while a deficiency
of oxygen will render necessary a corresponding increase in the size of the
tuyeres. The interior of the vessel may in some cases be heated by the waste
gases of the blast furnace, or by any other convenient means, previous to the
crude iron being poured or run therein." But this heating up of the vessel will
only be necessary at such times as the vessel is used with a new lining, which
should be well dried, or at such other times as the vessel may be used after the
process has for several hours been discontinued, in which case I prefer to reheat
the vessel, although the process may be conducted successfully in a vessel that
is perfectly cold previous to the running in of the molten iron.
. Now, it is well known that molten crude iron under ordinary circumstances
will soon become solidified, unless a powerful fire is kept up, and is applied
direct to the fluid metal, or to the exterior of the vessel containing it. It is also
well known that if the quantity of carbon which is usually associated with,crude
iron is diminished; that the temperature necessary to maintain its fluidity also
rises in like manner, so that when the iron has lost the whole or the greater
part of its combined carbon that such metal can only be kept in a fluid state
by the heat of the most powerful furnaces. "But I have discovered that
if atmospheric air or oxygen is thus introduced into the metal in sufficient
quantities it will produce a vivid combustion among the particles of fluid
metal, and retain or increase its temperature to such a degree, that the
metal will continue fluid during its transition from the state of crude iron
to that of cast steel or malleable iron without the application of
any fuel;"
the requisite high temperature of the metal by such mode of action being
obtained by the oxygen,uniting with and causing a combustion of the carbon
contained in the crude iron, and also by the combustion of a small portion of
,the iron itself.
In carrying my Invention into practical operation I prefer to mount the

page_text: refining vessel or chamber on axes not situated at or near the centre of gravity
of the said chamber, by which means the pouring out of its contents will be
facilitated, and the spout kept in a proper position in reference to the mould
during the time of pouring the fluid metal therein. The air may be introduced
at the sides or ends of the vessel through small holes formed in pieces of well
burned fire clay, so that by moving the chamber or vessel on its axes the holes
in the fire clay may be made to descend beneath the surface of the metal, or be
raised above it, as desired. It must be observed, that the air or other gaseous
matters must be compressed with a force greater than will balance the weight
of a column of fluid metal of a height equal to the depth of immersion of the
jets below the surface of the fluid metal.
In order that this particular form of apparatus may be fully understood, I
have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings marked A, in which the same is
represented; Figure 1 being an end elevation thereof; Figure 2, a longitudinal
elevation, and Figure 3 a longitudinal section, of the vessel or chamber; and
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are cross sections of the same in different positions. (The
tuyere pipes are also shown in detail on a larger scale at Figures 7, 8, 9, 10,
11, and 12.
The cylindrical vessel a is formed of stout plate iron, secured by angle iron
flanges to the cast-iron end plates a¹, on which ribs or webs are formed for the
purpose of giving to them the requisite degree of strength. At one side of the
plates a', and at a point beyond their outer edges, the bosses a are formed;
they are bored out truly, and fitted and keyed to the axes band b', on which
the converting vessel a is made to move when required. c, c, are iron frames
'secured by bolts & to the masonry or foundation, on which the whole apparatus
rests. The frame c¹ rises higher than the others, and has plummer blocks e, e,
bolted to it, in which the shaft f revolves. A worm wheel g is keyed firmly on
to the axis b, and receives motion from the worm h whenever the handle i and
shaft fare moved round. The interior of the vessel a is lined with fire-bricks
or fire-stone, as shown at m, or it may be lined with any other slow conductor
of heat capable of withstanding the high temperature and solvent action of the
slags to which the lining is exposed when the vessel is in- use. The bricks or
fire-stone may, however, be protected and mended or patched from time to
time by a coating of loam, road drift, iron ore, slags, or such other matters as
are commonly employed for mending and protecting the walls of furnaces used
in the manufacture of iron. The lining may be renewed from time to time
when worn out, by removing either of the end plates a', which may again be
bolted on to the vessel as soon as the new lining is completed, or a man-hole
(not shewn in the Drawings) may be made in one side of the vessel, through

page_text: which the lining or repairs may be effected without removing the end of the
vessel. At n there is formed a projecting spout or lip for the purpose of
running out the fluid metal. This lip is made to project from the vessel so far
as to bring it in a line with the axis, so that into whatever position the vessel a
may be moved the extremity of the lip n may retain the same position or nearly
so, and thus allow the stream of metal flowing over it to fall into the ingot
mould, which would not be the case if the axis were placed in a line with the;
centre of the cylindrical vessel. By reference to Figure 6, it will be seen that
at m¹ the lining is formed so as to prevent the metal from carrying out with it
the slags or other matters floating on its surface, until after the metal has run
out. On each side of the spout n there is a curved passage p, by means of which
the flame and gaseous products evolved during the process may escape, but the
splashes of metal thrown up by the jets of air are for the most part prevented
from escaping from the vessel by the serpentine form of these outlets. At there
is a pipe, which is made to communicate with a blast engine or with a steam
boiler, or it may be made to communicate with a reservoir containing oxygen
gas, or a mixture of oxygen with other gaseous fluids, or with any gaseous
matter capable of evolving oxygen, any or all of which gaseous fluids may be,
used for the purpose of my Invention either in a cold or heated state, although.
I prefer to use atmospheric air at its natural temperature on account of its
cheapness and efficiency. The pipe r is fitted at one end to the trunnion or
axis 6', which is made hollow, and is provided with a stuffing-box or other.
joint, so as to allow the movement of the axis without interfering with the
passage of the air or other matters through it. The pipe s is also connected.
with the hollow axis 6', and has a right-angled elbow or bend at its opposite
end, and then continues along the outside of the vessel throughout its whole;
length; that portion of the pipe is marked s*, and is turned truly on its exterior
surface, and has fitted upon it several small branch pipes u, each of which has.
a T piece connected to them, which is bored out truly, and made to fit accu-
rately to the exterior of the pipe s*, so as to admit of the pipe u being moved.
on the pipe sinto the position shown by dotts in Figure 5. Along one side.
of the converting vessel there is a row of square holes, into which small blocks
of well-burned fire clay are loosely fitted; they are held in position by ramming
a little loam well into the joint formed between them and the lining m. At
one end of these blocks or tuyeres the pipe u is fitted by a simple cone joint;
the other ends of the tuyere blocks have several small holes made in them.
leading into one larger passage, which communicates with the pipe u, so that a
communication is thus established between numerous points of the interior
surface of the converting vessel and the blast engine or reservoir of gaseous.

page_text: matters, before referred to, and by means of which numerous small jets' or
currents of air, or other gaseous fluids; may be forced into the converting vessel-
when required, a sluice cock on the pipe r (not shewn in Drawings) enabling
the workmen to turn off the supply of air when required.
a
In order that the way in which the pipe s and the pipes'u are arranged
may be better understood, I have shown a detached view of them at Figures 7
and 8, where it will be seen that the pipe s has a hole in it at x, which is
opposite the orifice of the pipe u; through this hole the air may pass freely
when the pipes u occupy their ordinary position, but whenever any of the
tuyere blocks require renewing, the pipe u can be turned up on the joint formed
at its union with the pipe s*; as shewn by dots in Figure 5, and in which
position the hole in the pipe s* will be closed, while free access to the tuyere
is obtained. I have also shown at Figure 9 an end view, and at Figure 10
longitudinal section, of a tuyère block, where., z, shew the small apertures
through which the air escapes into the metal, all of which passages unite.in
the larger one, the orifice of which is made conical; so as to fit the end of
the pipes u. I have also found that a single outlet in each tuyere block will
answer well in practice, as represented in end elevation at Figure 11, and in
longitudinal section at Figure 12, where a single parallel passage y leads direct
from the pipe u into the metal; as these passages sometimes get obstructed, I
fit a screw plug 9 at the back of the elbow of the pipe u, which plug may be
removed, if required, while the apparatus is in use, and a steel rod introduced
at the aperture, which should be thrust entirely through the tuyere block, and
any accidental accumulation of .matter will be thus removed. By reference
to Figure 1, of the annexed Drawings, it will be seen that a boss v is formed
at the point of junction of two of the webs, which are formed on the end
plates a, 1, of the converting vessel;' into this boss a studd is fixed, to which a
chain or tension rod may be attached, for the purpose of suspending a counter-
balance weight, the chain passing over a pulley supported by the roof or other
convenient part of the building, so that the vessel a may be the more easily
moved on its axis by means of the worm wheel gearing, before described.
Having thus pointed out 'the manner in which the converting vessel and
the apparatus connected therewith is constructed, I will proceed to describe-in
what manner the conversion of molten' crude or finery iron is to be effected
therein. I, however, wish it to be distinctly understood, that although I prefer
to use the above apparatus for the purpose of carrying out my said Invention,
other forms or modifications of the converting vessel may be used, with more
or less advantage, and that the same may either be made moveable or it may
be fixed. The apparatus should, by preference, be placed near to the discharge

page_text: hole of the blast or re-melting furnace from which the crude fluid iron is
obtained. The interior of the converting vessel may be heated by burning
gases therein, in a manner well understood, or some wood, charcoal, or coke
may be introduced at the passages p, and a blast of air turned on through the
tuyeres, by which the combustion of theso substances may be kept up. When
the fuel is consumed, and the vessel dried, the air or other gaseous matters
may still continue to be forced in during the time that the crude iron is
running from the smelting furnace into the vessel; for this purpose the vessel
is put in the position shown in Figure 4, a moveable gutter leading from the
tap-hole of the smelting furnace into the upper end of one of the passages.p.
The charge of metal will vary according to the size of the apparatus, but I
prefer, as a general rule, that the vessel should be a little less than half filled
with metal. As soon as the metal begins to accumulate above the orifices of
the tuyere blocks a violent ebullition will be produced, the air dividing into
globules and diffusing itself among the particles of fluid iron, and thus coming
in contact, at numerous points, with the carbon contained in the crude iron,
and producing thereby a vivid combustion, while the flame and gaseous
products resulting therefrom make their escape by the passages p. If the
crude iron is run into the vessel at a low heat, or only a little above its fusing.
temperature, it will be found rapidly to increase in temperature, and at the
expiration of about 15 minutes from the time of commencing the process, large
frothy slags will begin to be thrown violently out of the passages p, accom-
panied by a rush of bright flame; after a few minutes duration this eruption
of slags entirely ceases, but a copious flame. still continues to escape by the
passages p; the crude metal, at this stage of the process, has thrown off the
bulk of its impurities, and in a few minutes more is in the condition of cast
steel; the exact state of the metal may, however, be ascertained by turning
the handle and shaft f, so as to bring the vessel on its axis into the position
shown in Figure 6, and thereby discharge a small quantity of metal into an
ingot inould, which should be quickly cooled and examined, and if found to be
not sufficiently decarbonised, the handle should be reversed, the vessel lowered,
and the process be continued until the metal is decarbonized and purified to
the desired extent. From five to ten minutes, additional blowing is generally
found sufficient to bring the metal from the condition of cast steel to that of
soft malleable iron. Whenever it is desired to suspend the operation of
blowing for a short period, the vessel should be brought into the position shown
in Figure 5, where it will be seen that the upper surface of metal is below the
orifices of the tuyeres, so that the forcing in of the air may cease without the
tuyeres becoming stopped up with fluid metal, which would be the case

page_text: immediately the blast of air is stopped, provided the orifices of the tuyere
blocks were not raised above the surface of the metal in the manner described.
In making malleable iron from crude pig iron of No. 1 or 2 quality, about
thirty to thirty-five minutes is required for the whole process; but the exact
point to stop the process, so as to obtain metal of any degree of hardness
between hard steel and soft malleable iron, will soon be acquired in practice
by the workman, since the colour and volume of flame issuing from the pas-
sages p varies with the condition of the metal, and forms a good guide for the
workman to judge by, he can also take a trial ingot, in the manner described,
at any stage of the process if necessary. I have found that such an excess of
heat is produced in the process that the metal continues to boil even after the
blast of air has ceased, and although reduced to the condition of malleable iron
is still so far above the melting point of that metal that it is desirable to lower
its temperature before casting or pouring it into moulds; for this purpose I
bring the vessel into the position shown in Figure 5; I then stop off the supply
of air, and place a fire tile over the orifice of the passages P, so as to prevent
the heat from escaping too rapidly, and thus cooling and soldifying the surface.
of the metal. In this way the metal may subside, and be gradually lowered in
temperature, and be brought into a proper condition for pouring or casting;
or in place thereof it may be allowed to cool down, and be stirred or worked.
and taken out of the vessel in masses.
I would here state, that I am aware that it has before been proposed to
subject crude melted iron to the action of streams of air or steam when flowing
in a trough from a blast furnace or from a refinery furnace, also when in pig
beds, and it has been further proposed to apply streams of air and steam when
puddling iron heated and kept heated in a puddling furnace; but in all cases,
heretofore, the rendering of crude melted iron into malleable iron or steel, the
iron has required to be heated in a suitable furnace by the continued coin-
bustion of fuel, whereas in the process above described the heat contained in
the crude melted iron is increased, and rendered sufficient for obtaining or
producing the conversion of the iron into steel or malleable iron, by the simple
application of streams of oxygen applied to such a mass of melted iron; and
I mention these facts in order the more fully to ascertain and define the
peculiarity of this my Invention, which I declare to consist in acting on a
mass of melted crude or cast iron when in a suitable vessel by streams of
oxygen (contained in atmospheric air or otherwise) and without the further
consumption of fuel, for heating the vessel or the iron to convert such fluid,
crude, or cast iron into steel or malleable iron. During the interval occupied
in cooling down the boiling metal, the workman should get his ingot moulds,

page_text: when they are to be used, in a position to receive the still fluid metal; a
convenient way of doing this is to place them in an iron truck mounted on
wheels, which may be moved under the spout of the vessel, and pass out under
the arched openings left in the frames c, c, for that purpose.
I have not shown a truck with moulds in the Drawings hereunto annexed,
because the mode of constructing it and its size and form may be varied to
suit any particular form of ingot or mould that may be used, and which may
be easily arranged by any intelligent workman. As soon as the casting of the
ingots is completed, the moulds should be removed and the vessel again lowered
down into the position shown in Figure 4, when the blast of air may be again
turned on to the pipes u and s, and another charge of crude iron be run into
the vessel to be treated in like manner.
The process of decarbonization and refinement of the metal may thus be
carried on until the metal is reduced to the condition of hard or soft steel,
or to the condition of steely or soft malleable iron; in either state the metal
so refined may be poured from the vessel or chamber into suitable ingot
moulds for the purpose of being afterwards hammered, tilted, or rolled into
bars, rods, or plates by the pr cesses already known and practised in the
manufacture of iron and steel. I would, however, remark, that I have
found in some cases that the ingots of metal contained cells or cavities;
in such cases, I subject the ingot at a welding heat to the action of
a "squeezer," such as is used in the shaping of puddle balls; or I subject
the ingot to repeated blows in a suage or die under a powerful hammer,
so that the parts are forcibly squeezed, pressed, or driven together, and
the pores closed and the surfaces united or welded together, prior to sub-
jecting such ingots to the rolling mill or tilt hammer. In carrying into
practical operation this part of my said Invention, it will be necessary for
the workman to bring up the ingot or mass of metal to such a temperature
as will soften it sufficiently to allow the cavities in its interior to close
up and unite, so as to form it into a compact solid body. When using a
machine of the kind used for squeezing puddle balls, I prefer to form
transverse grooves both on the lower and upper jaws of the "squeezer," as
represented at Figure 1, Sheet B, of Drawings hereunto annexed, which
represent so much of a "squeezer" as is necessary to show the peculiarity
described; A, A, being the grooves or hollows; and B, an ingot placed between
the jaws; a similar effect on the ingot is produced by first hammering it in a
"suage," as shewn at Figures 2 and 3, Sheet B, of the annexed Drawings,
where C represents the lower portion of a steam hammer, having a grooved
block or suage D fitted to it; a similar block E. is secured to a heavy mass of

page_text: metal F, which forms the bed of the hammer; the workman after having
heated the ingot G, will hold it with a pair of tongs in the groove of the lower
block, while the upper one falls upon it with such force as the man who works
the hammer may consider necessary. By the use of these grooved surfaces or
suages the cast ingot of metal is less liable to be broken than when hammered
between two parallel flat surfaces, which do not afford any support to the sides
of the ingot; the workman will move the ingot backward and forward, and
turn it over on its other side, and thus work and compress the metal until he
judges that it is sufficiently solidified to be suitable for the tilting or rolling
mill. Figures 4 and 5 represent a similar arrangement to the foregoing, the
shape of the ingot being hexagonal in cross section instead of square, as in the
former case; a more perfect support to the sides of a square bar is however
obtained; by using a suage of the form shewn at Figures 6 and 7, in which a
square or nearly square notch or groove is formed at H, Figure 6; in the lower
block, a corresponding raised projection J, is formed on the upper or hammer
block, by means of which the tendency of the sides of the ingot to crush out is
to a great extent prevented; however, it will be found that in all these shapes or
modifications.of the suage or forging surface, that the metal, although consider-
ably protected from spreading and giving way laterally, is at liberty to extend
itself in the direction of its length, and is therefore liable to be driven out in
that direction, and thus escape from much of the force of the blow, and also
to become broken. To obviate these disadvantages, I use a die or cavity in
which the metal is placed, so that when an ingot or other mass of metal, refined
as herein-before described, in a soft or welding state is put into the die, it may
receive the most powerful blows or pressure without its parts being broken or
scattered about,,but it will, on the contrary, be retained within the said die, cell,
or cavity, and become there consolidated, and have its pores so closed and
united so as to be in a condition suitable for the ordinary forging or rolling
process. This effect may be produced by several different modifications of
apparatus, the details of which are not of much importance, provided that the
dies are so constructed that the ingot or mass of cellular or spongy malleable
metal, whether iron or steel, be so confined within the said die, cell, or cavity,
that when a plunger or hammer is forcibly brought in contact with it that it
may thereby be prevented from being dispersed or spread out, but will, on the
contrary, be so retained in the said die, cell, or cavity, that it will, by the force
thus brought to act upon it, have its various parts forcibly squeezed, pressed,
or driven together, and the pores closed, and the surfaces united or welded
together."
In order that the means by which this part of my said Invention may.be

page_text: carried into practical operation may be understood, I have shewn on Sheet B
of the Drawings hereunto annexed so much of the apparatus as is required to
render the following description thereof intelligible. Figure 8 represents an
elevation of the die or cavity in which the métal is pressed; it consists of a
massive ring or hoop M, made of wrought iron with a lining of steel, or it may
be made of chilled cast iron hooped with wrought iron; it has a square-hole
passing through it, which is parallel or nearly so; into this hole the anvil
block N is fitted in such a way that the hoop M may slide freely up or down.
O represents a portion of the bed or foundation plate of a steam hammer, to
which the anvil block N is secured; the hammer block P lias attached to it a
lammer or plunger Q, fitted also to the hoop M. At Figure 10 a section of
tlie die is shewn having a block of metal R placed within it, ready to receivo a
blow from the hammer. By reference to the Drawing it will be seen that the
Loop M is supported by two guide rods S, which are bolted to it and which
pass down freely through holes formed in the bed O, and by means of which
the loop may be raised or lowered as required. In using the die under a
steam or other suitably worked hammer, the hoop is raised by a lever attached
to the rods S; so as to keep it in the position shewn in Figure 10; the heated
ingot or inass of metal R is then placed on the die, and the plunger or block
Q is brought down with great force, several powerful blows being given to it in
rápid succession. The hoop M is lowered down by means of the lever before
named, until it reaches the position shewn in Figure 11, when the ingot may
be turned over by the workman, and the hoop M again raised and the
hammering of the ingot be repeated; after which the hoop may be again
lowered, and the highly compressed ingot removed, in order that the apparatus
may be made to operate in like manner upon other ingots. "The upper ends
of the ingots are sometimes too unsound to form a perfect bar; in which case
I cut or break them off, and return such scrap or waste pieces to the
decarbonizing chamber at the time of refilling it for another operation," and so
in like manner other scrap metal resulting from the spilling or splashing of
the fluid metal; and also the bar or crop ends and shearings from the plates
or bars of rolled metal may thus be brought into use, by re-melting them in the
fluid metal contained in the converting vessel, without the use of any fuel for
that purpose.
I have herein described how malleable ingots of iron or steel are to be made
by a direct process of refinement from crude iron without the application of
heat or fuel to the iron during the process, except such heat as is generated by
the introduction of oxygen into the metal; and I will now describe a modifica-
tion of the process by which I prepare the iron for conversion into steel of a

page_text: superior quality. For this purpose, I proceed, in the first place, to refine the
crude iron in the manner herein-before described, carrying on the process
until the most complete refinement is effected, and the iron is as nearly pure
as may be; I then pour the fluid iron into water, by which it becomes
granulated, and the grains or shots so produced are afterwards to be converted
into steel by the process of cementation with charcoal in upright retorts, in
the manner described in a Patent granted to me. for improvements in the
manufacture of cast steel, and mixtures of steel and cast iron, and bearing
date the Eighteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five;
the blister steel so produced may be melted in crucibles, as at present gene-
rally practised in the manufacture of cast steel, or by any other suitable means.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner in which the same
may be carried into practical operation, I desire it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein specified, provided that the
peculiar character of my said Invention be retained; but what I do claim is,
the conversion of molten crude iron or of re-melted pig or finery iron into steel
or. into malleable iron without the use of fuel for re-heating or continuing to
heat the crude molten metal, such conversion being effected by forcing into
and among the particles of a mass of molten iron currents of air, or gaseous
matter containing or capable of evolving sufficient oxygen to keep up the
combustion of the carbon contained in the iron till the conversion is
accomplished.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bessemer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
HENRY BESSEMER. (L.S.)