IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT- MENT OF CAST IRON AND IN THE APPARATUS ERFECTED THERE.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Heaton, of Langley Mill, in the County of
Derby, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT OF CAST IRON AND IN THE APPARATUS ERFECTED THERE.
Sealed the 1st April 1869, and dated the 28th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Heaton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1868.
I, JOHN HEATON, of Langley Mill, in the County of Derby, Engineer,
5 do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF CAST IRON AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved method of constructing vessels
or converters in which cast iron when in a molten state may advan-
tageously be subjected to the action of nitrate of soda, or of nitrate of

page_text: potash, or of mixtures of the same, for the purpose of effecting the
purification of the cast iron or the conversion of the same into steel,
and consists, first, in the employment of a fixed converting vessel
which is provided with a discharge opening at the lower portion thereof,
such discharge opening being furnished with a removeable plug or
stopper, or with a hinged or sliding door, in order that after the purifi-
cation or conversion of the cast iron the contents of the converting
vessel may be readily discharged without the necessity for removing
or transporting any portion of the said vessel as has hitherto been the
case. The closing plug or stopper or hinged or sliding door may be
actuated by a screw lever or other well known mechanical contrivance
in combination or not with a spiral catch for securing the said plug
or door and enabling it to support the weight of the metal above it.
The upper portion of the converting apparatus may be so constructed
as that the whole or a portion of the same may be moveable, or it may
be so constructed as that access may be obtained to the interior of the
fixed and lower portion of the converting vessel. When cast iron is to
be submitted to the action of nitrate of soda, or of nitrate of potash,
or mixtures of the same, it is found desirable to prevent the molten
metal when poured into the converter coming into immediate contact
with the nitrate, and for that purpose I employ what I term diaphragms
or separators.
And my Invention further consists in the employment for such pur-
pose of separators composed either of blast furnace slag or other fusible
silicates, by preference cast into a form suitable for the converter
employed and perforated with small holes or of layers consisting of
cast or wrought iron, or of such before mentioned fusible slag or fusible
silicates in pieces or fragments, and placed in one or more layers
intermediate between the nitrate and the cast iron, or upon the upper
surface of the nitrate or interspersed in such nitrate or mixture con-
taining the nitrates, the object being to retard and regulate the action of
the nitrate or of the mixture containing the nitrate which is placed on
the bottom of the converting vessel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Heaton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HEATON, of Langley Mill, in the County of Derby, Engineer, send
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eight day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Jolin Heaton, Her special license that I;
the said John Heaton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Heaton, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thercafter 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 TREATMENT OF
CAST IRON AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Heaton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal;
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 John Heaton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
This Invention relates to an improved method of constructing vessels or.
converters in which cast iron when in a molten state may advantageously
be subjected to the action of nitrate of soda, or of nitrate of potash, or of
mixtures of the same, for the purpose of effecting tho purification of the
cast iron or the conversion of the same into steel, and consists in the
employment of a fixed converting vessel which is provided with a discharge

page_text: opening at the lower portion thereof, such discharge opening being fur-
nished with a removeable plug or stopper, or with a hinged or sliding door
in order that after the purification or conversion of the cast iron, the
contents of the converting vessel may be readily discharged without the
necessity for removing or transporting any portion of the said vessel as
has hitherto been the case. The closing plug or stopper, or hinged, or
sliding door may be actuated by a screw lever or other well known
mechanical contrivance in combination or not with a special catch for
securing the said plug or door, and enabling it to support the weight of
the metal above it.
The upper portion of the converting apparatus may be so constructed
as that the whole or a portion of the same may be moveable, or it may
be so constructed as that access may be obtained to the interior of the
fixed and lower portion of the converting vessel. When cast iron is to
be submitted to the action of nitrate of soda, or of nitrate of potash,
or mixtures of the same, it is found desirable to prevent the molten
metal when poured into the converter coming into immediate contact
with the nitrate, and for that purpose I employ what I term diaphragms
or separators.
And my Invention further consists in the employment for such
purpose of separators composed of either blast furnace slag or other
fusible silicates, by preference cast into a form suitable for the converter
employed and perforated with small holes, or of layers consisting of cast
or wrought iron or of such before mentioned fusible slag or fusible
silicates in pieces or fragments, and placed in one or more layers
intermediate between the nitrate and the cast iron, or upon the upper
surface of the nitrate or interspersed in such nitrate or mixture con-
taining the nitrates, the object being to retard and regulate the action
of the nitrate, or of the mixture containing the nitrate, which is placed
on the bottom of the converting vessel.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the Figure on the accompanying Drawing which
represents a sectional elevation of a fixed converting vessel provided with
a discharge opening and moveable plug at the bottom thereof.
A is the body of the converter, and B the bottom thereof; C, C, are
cramps for securing the bottom of the converter whilst the process is in
operation; D is the charge hole for the metal; E is the outlet or

page_text: g
discharge opening made in the bottom B of the converter for running
out the steel when converted, such opening being closed by a hinged
or sliding door, or as shewn in the Drawing by a moveable plug or
stopper F attached to the end of the lever G; this lever when the plug
is inserted into the opening E is held in position by a hinged stop or
catch
which drops on to the lever and locks it, thereby preventing
the weight of the metal upon the plug F from forcing it out of the
opening E. When the steel is to be discharged the catch g is lifted
so as to leave the plug F free to be lowered or removed from the
discharge opening; H is a vessel having a discharge aperture I at the
bottom closed by a plug J which is worked by the lever K, such vessel
being mounted on a carriage L running on rails beneath the bottom of
the converter, which is supported some distance from the ground by
columns or uprights, as shown in the Drawing. The converted steel is
run into the vessel H direct from the bottom of the converter, and is
thence run into suitable ingot moulds through the aperture I; hooks M
are fitted to the upper end of the body of the converter for the purpose
of raising the same; N is the perforated plate for separating the nitrates
from the molten metal when first poured into the body of the converter.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First. The application and use to and in converting vessels in which
cast iron in a molten state is subjected to the action of nitrate of soda,
or of nitrate of potash, or of mixtures of the same of a discharge opening
made in the bottom of such vessel and closed by a removeable plug or
stopper, or by a hinged or sliding door actuated by a screw lever or
other suitable mechanical contrivance in combination or not with a
special catch or locking apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described.
Second. Constructing the diaphragms or separators which are to be
employed for preventing the molten metal when poured into the con-
vertor from coming into immediate contact with the nitrate of soda, or
nitrate of potash, or mixtures of the same, of blast furnace slag, or other
fusible silicates in a form similar to that described by me in the Specifi-
cation of my Patent, bearing date on or about the Third day of May, One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, No. 1295, or forming diaphragms
by means of layers of cast or wrought iron, or of such before-mentioned
fusible slag, or fusible silicates in pieces or fragments, or interspersing
such fragments in the said nitrate or nitrates or mixtures thereof, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Heaton, have to this my Specifi-
cation, set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of May, Onc
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JOHN HEATON. (L.S.).