IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL." A communication from
abroad by Hermann Schierloh, of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States of
America, Manufacturer.
Sealed the 21st October 1876, and dated the 4th September 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th September 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
STEEL" A communication from abroad by Hermann 'Schierloh, of Jersey City,
New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer.
This Invention relates to the manufacture of an excellent quality of steel from
"Besseiner steel," and provides a means whereby "Bessemer" scrap, such as old
rails and the like, may be utilized in the production of a cheap steel capable of use
for many purposes for which steel has not ordinarily been used, as well as for many
for which an expensive steel has been required.
66
In the practise of my Invention I take Bessemer" steel, such for example as
old "Bessemer" steel rails, or any other "Bessemer" stecl. 'This I hent in a
suitable furnace to a rolling heat. I then flatten by rollers, hammers, or other
suitable means. I cut the flattened metal into sizes to suit the purpose for which the
finished product is designed. 1 cover these pieces of the flattened steel with the
welding compound which I term a cherry heat welding compound, and which is
described in the Specification of former Letters Patent, dated the 15th day of
September, A.D. 1874, No. 3149. After the steel has been thus flattened I cut it
into pieces of suitable sizes and proportions J take any desired number of the
said pieces and cover or coat them with the aforesaid welding compound. This
compound may be applied to the pieces in either of two ways, that is to say, either
by wetting the pieces with water, then dipping them into the compound in order to
cause the latter to adhere, and then by a moderate blow or jar dislodging the surplus
quantity of compound but leaving a suitable coating upon the metal; or I simply
sprinkle the compound in a dry condition upon the dry metal by incans of a
pouncing box, a brush, or other suitable means or implement. The pieces being
Price 2d.1

page_text: thus coated with the welding compound aforesaid, are placed two or more pieces
together in regular "piles," or in "box piles." I prefer to bind the piles with wire
to retain the pieces in proper contact and position with reference to each other
during subsequent treatment. The piles formed of the pieces arranged together as
aforesaid are then placed in a furnace and brought to a welding heat. This done
the piles, while at a welding heat as aforesaid, are placed under a haminer and
welded and condensed by the action of the latter. When the welded and condensed
piles have become too cold for further hammering they are reheated and are then
rolled or hammered to shape and size.
Steel manufactured in this manner from Bessemer steel is very tough and strong;
for example, a rod rolled hot to No. 4 (four) size or gauge may when cool be drawn
out without annealing into rods No 14 (fourteen) gauge, thus displaying a degree of
toughness and ductility greater than that of the best British iron Moreover, steel
made in this manner from "Bessemer" steel when rolled or hammered to suitable
sizes affords excellent steel for general machine purposes, and also steel particularly
adapted for railway tires and axles, inasmuch as it has a tensile strength (as ascér-
tained from experiments privately made) of one hundred and forty-six thousand
pounds per square inch By thus, producing at a cheap rate steel practically equal
to cast steel for many purposes I enable manufacturers and others to use steel in
the production of many articles for, which steel has hitherto been inadmissible.
Furthermore, steel made from "Bessemer" metal by the aforesaid process can be
welded as readily as wrought iron, and its employment may be thus adopted for
many purposes for which by reason of the difficulty of welding steel has not hitherto
been ordinarily used
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim the process of producing steel from "Bessemer" steel by piling the
same in suitable pieces, spinkled or coated with the welding compound herein
specified, and subsequently heating and welding, or heating, welding, and rolling
the piles as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
DADT TE
RODT LAKE
(L.S.)