IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST OR BESSEMER STEEL INGOTS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ireland, of Macclesfield, in the County
of Chester, and Jonathan Ireland, the younger, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST OR BESSEMER STEEL INGOTS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Richard Pink, of Hoerde, Westphalia.

page_text: Her Majesty to grant unto us, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declara-
tion that the same has been communicated to us from abroad by Richard
Pink, of Hoerde, Westphalia.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Ireland and Jonathan
Ireland, the younger, do hereby declare that the following Complete
Specification, under our hands and seals, fully describes and ascertains
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the figures on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, and to the
letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say) :-
These improvements consist,—
First. In the production of parallel ingots, in forge bloom form, cast
of the necessary length for rolling single rails for railways, or other
descriptions of bars, or as circumstances may require in double lengths,
but for the purpose of description we take only the single lengths.
The areas and lengths of the ingots for single lengths of railway rails may
be varied as desired, but we prefer them to be about eight inches square
and three feet six inches long, this being a size which will allow the ingots
to be rolled in one heat, and at the same time give sufficient section for
the thorough working of the metal in the rolls, and the production of a
dense and tough material, equal in every respect to rails that have been
previously forged or cogged, and as these latter operations are dispensed
with a great saving both in capital and labor is effected. A great
advantage in the parallel ingot is the approximately equal pressure on
all its parts exercised by the first and second roll grooves, thereby
diminishing the tendency to crack and tear which frequently takes place
with the conical ingot. The difficulty of casting such small ingots clean,
without scales or rokes, is such that by the old method of casting great
numbers of wasters are made, whilst from the excessive number of
moulds for heavy charges, say twenty and upwards, in the casting pit
the space in the pit is insufficient. In order to meet this difficulty we
cast the ingots in groups of six, or other convenient number, fed from
a supply pipe, technically called a git, which git stands in connection
with channelled fire-bricks in the bottom bed plate which supports the
git and moulds, the bricks having openings corresponding with the
centres of the git and moulds and longitudinal channels in connection
with them. When casting the steel is allowed to run down the git

page_text: which has been previously lined, into the channels and through the
openings into the moulds, the steel rising gradually and evenly and
when the moulds are filled, or when a sufficient quantity has entered for
the purposes required, the supply is shut off and the steel in the moulds
kept in its position by cast-iron stoppers.
The moulds of cast-iron are each made in two halves, divided
diagonally and rebated, to prevent them from shifting, the halves being
held firmly together when in use by bolts and cotters, and to enable the
ingots to leave the moulds freely we plane the whole of the inner surfaces
of the moulds, including the rebated joint, for with parallel ingots if the
moulds are not planed the ingots leave the mould badly or not at all.
The cross section of the inner or planed sides of the moulds can be
hexagonal, octagonal, or any other shape, but we prefer the section
to be square on account of its simplicity, and this form is generally used
by us.
The bed or bottom plate which supports the git and moulds is of cast-
iron planed on its upper surface and cast with recesses for receiving the
channelled bricks, and the bed plate is provided with axles and wheels
for its removal with the moulds from one place to another.
In cases where the casting pit is not of sufficient dimensions or the
crane power incapable of rapidly clearing the pit, we employ two groups
of moulds and gits, the supporting plates of which have axles with
wheels on tramways, the plates forming carriages which with the filled
moulds are removed from the casting pit by a small stationary motive
power engine. Part of the wall of the pit is removed and a passage
continued into an adjoining slied, the said passage containing the
tramway, and the removal of the moulds and steel is operated by cranes
in the usual manner. By this arrangement one half of the work can
be performed in the neighbouring shed and thereby effect a rapid system
of working.
On Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are longi-
tudinal and transverse sections of the git moulds, bed plate, and carriage;
Fig. 3, a plan of the bed plate, fire-bricks, and carriage; Fig. 4, a vertical
section; and Fig. 5, a plan of one of the moulds; Fig. 6, a vertical
section, and Fig. 7, a plan of one of the stoppers; Figs. 8 and 9 are
vertical and transverse sections, and Fig. 10, an elevation of the git
detached; and on Sheet 2, Fig. 11 is a plan and Fig. 12 a transverse

page_text: section of the arrangement for clearing the casting pit, and in the
various Figures a represents the bed plate; b, the git; and c, the moulds.
The channelled bricks placed in the recesses in the bed plate are eleven
in number, of which the central brick d in one piece is manufactured
with an inlet opening or channel e on the top side communicating
with the git and also with the longitudinal outlet channels on each of
its sides, which channels communicate and correspond with longitudinal
channels in the fire-bricks f, g, h, and i, and the channels in the bricks
h and i correspond and communicate with the channels in the bricks
k, l, m, n, o, and p. The bricks f, g, k, l, o, and p, have outlet holes q
in their top sides, corresponding with the centres of the moulds placed
over them, the outlet holes being of the same size as the channels and
leading from them to the moulds, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. The bricks
are made of the commonest fire-proof materials, as they are not usable a
second time, and we prefer and use in all cases burnt bricks. In pre-
paring the bottom plate for casting we take each of the bricks separately,
and after covering the bottom, sides, and ends with a little common loam,
press them into the recesses in the plate when the bottom plate is warm,.
from use the loam quickly dries and sets the bricks fast when it is then
ready to receive the moulds, but if the plate is not warm from use then
we dry the loam by laying hot pieces of rails or other suitable material
upon them, or put them in the drying stove. The git as prepared by us
is in two halves of cast-iron rebated together, and after lining up with
loam or common red drain pipes fixed with a little wet loam is held
together by the rings r, s, t, Figs. 8 and 9. A sun dried fire-clay funnel
is then placed with loam in the recess of the top ring r, and after drying
is then ready for use. The size of the channel in the git we prefer of a
somewhat greater diameter than the channels in the fire-bricks of the
bottom plate.
As soon as the bottom plate and fire-brick channels are
prepared and the git also ready for use we place the git over the
brick d, Fig. 3, the channel of the git corresponding with the inlet
hole e on the top side of this brick, we then place the moulds on the
bottom plate so that their centres are exactly over the outlet holes in
the bricks f, g, k, l, o, and p, and the system is then ready to receive
the steel which is run in at the funnel on the top of the git, and after
passing down the same and through the channel rises into every mould
equally. The stopper as used by us is of cast-iron with a wrought
iron handle held in its place by means of a splint, as shewn in Figs. 6
and 7.

page_text: Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim,--
First. The apparatus for producing parallel steel, or other ingots, of a
dimension suitable for direct rolling without previously forging or
cogging down the same, and which dimension allows the railway rail or
other bar to be finished from the rolls in one heat.
Secondly. The use of burnt channelled fire-bricks inserted in a cast-
iron bottom plate, which plate has been cast with recesses for the
reception of the same, and which has also been planed on the whole of
its upper surface.
Thirdly. The use of an iron git lined up with loam on its inner surface,
for the purpose of conducting the molten metal to the channelled bricks
in the bottom plate.
And fourthly. The use of parallel moulds for receiving the molten
steel or iron, the said moulds being planed on the whole of their inner
surfaces, as such improvements are herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, the said William Ireland and Jonathan Ireland,
the younger, have hereunto set their hands and seals, this Third
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.