IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTERS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE HATTON, of Hagley, in the County of Worcester, Iron Manufacturer,
do, hereby declare the nature of my invention for, IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTERS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, to be as follows:-
In converters employed in the manufacture of iron and steel, as usually con-
structed and arranged, considerable injury is frequently done to the blast boxes and
valves through which blast is supplied to the tuyeres, on account of the leakage of
the metal through the converter lining; and the chief object of this invention is to
provide against such injury.
The lower part of the converter containing the tuyeres and that part of the lining
which is inost rapidly burnt out is made removeable from the upper part of the
converter, substantially in the manner as has been sometimes heretofore adopted;
but the blast receiver or boxes, with any necessary blast valves, are carried around
the upper part of the converter, and the blast is conveyed therefrom by means of a
separate supply pipe to each tuyere. These supply pipes are constructed so that
they may be easily disconnected at any convenient point in their length in order
that the lower part of the converter may be readily removed for replacement with
a duplicate.
It will thus be seen that the blast chamber or boxes remain in position upon the
removal of the lower part of the converter, and that, if during the working of the
converter any metal escapes through the lining of the lower part thereof such metal
cannot find access to the blast chamber or boxes to cause any injury to them or to
the valves therein.
A blast receiver or boxes situated as above described may also be employed in
converters which have non-removeable bottoms.
Any suitable description of blast valves may be employed, either within the blast
receiver or boxes or externally thereto, for controlling the supply of blast to the
tuyeres, or, in any case where it is found convenient, valves may be dispensed with.
I have devised an arrangement of valve, however, which I consider very suitable for
the purpose, according to which the connecting pipe to a tuyere is carried up inside
the chamber or box for a distance of say 6 or 8 inches, and is closed at the top end
either entirely, or with the exception of a very small hole, to allow according to
usual practice, sufficient passage of blast to keep the metal from running back
Salmon R1

page_text: through the tuyeres when the blast is otherwise shut off. This part of the pipe
within the tuyere is turned outside either parallel or tapering somewhat upwards,
and through the sides of it are formed one or more slits or openings forming blast
passages into the interior of the pipe. This part of the pipe constitutes the valve
seat, and the valve proper is a plain shell bored to turn around the seat. Slits or
holes, corresponding to those before-described, are formed through the shell. These
valves are turned axially to open them, by bringing the slits or openings through
them opposite to the corresponding slits or openings through the seats, or to close
them by bringing the openings through the shells blind with the openings through
the seats. One of such valves in any chamber or box may be actuated by means of
a lever on a spindle passing through a packing-box in the top of the blast chamber
or box, or by means of a rod passing out through a packing box on the side or end
of the chamber or box, and the remaining valves in a chamber or box may be
connected by rods and levers to the valve last before-mentioned so as to be actuated
simultaneously therewith.
Another form of blast valve which may be used for controlling the flow of blast
consists of an ordinary mushroom-valve seated upon the top of a connecting pipe
to a tuyere. This valve may be suspended from about the middle of a lever which
is fulcrumed at one end to the inside of the blast chamber or box and has a vertical
rod connected to the other end passing through a stuffing-box in the underside of
the blast chamber or box, by which means the valve is raised or lowered as desired.
A small hole is formed through the valve to allow sufficient passage of blast to
prevent the metal coming back through the tuyere when the blast is otherwise shut
off. A weight may be hung upon the vertical rod, if necessary, to keep the valve
securely down when shut. The valve may be kept in its raised or open position by
means of a suitable bolt or catch entering a niche in the vertical rod.
: A part of each supply pipe to a tuyere may be formed of leather, indiarubber, or
other suitable flexible material, so as to facilitate the connection of the moveable
lower part, aforesaid, of a converter.
I prefer to employ tuyeres of D-shaped outer section (that is round at the top
and flat on the under side) or tuyeres of square outside section, and in each case
preferably tapering towards their inner ends, as usual, as the use of tuyeres of these
outside sectional shapes enables the lining material to be more readily and solidly.
built or rammed around the tuyeres than in the case of the employment of round or
oval sections in which the lower part of the curve has to be under-built or under-
rammed.

page_text: I, GEORGE HATTON, of Hagley in the County of Worcester, iron manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTERS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, 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 drawing and the
letters of reference marked thereon:-
In converters employed in the manufacture of iron and steel, as usually con-
structed and arranged; considerable injury is frequently done to the blast chamber
or boxes and valves through which blast is supplied to the tuyeres, on account of
the leakage of metal through the converter lining, or through the tuyeres; and the
object of this invention is to provide against such injury and also to simplify the
lower part of the converter (that is the part containing the tuyeres and the part of
the lining liable to be most readily burnt out) which is in this case removable, by
omitting from such lower part the usual blast chamber or boxes.
I attain this object by making the lower part of the converter containing the
tuyeres and that part of the lining which is liable to be most rapidly burnt out,
removable from the upper part of the converter, substantially as has been some-
times heretofore adopted; but the blast chamber or boxes, with any necessary blast
valves, are carried around the upper part of the converter so as to dispense entirely
with a blast chamber or boxes around the lower part thereof, or such blast chamber
or boxes are otherwise carried in position to be clear of such removable bottom as
hereinafter explained, and the blast is conveyed therefrom by means of a separate
supply pipe to each tuyerè. These supply pipes are constructed so that they may
be easily disconnected at any convenient point in their length, in order that
the lower part of the converter may be readily removed for replacement with
a duplicate.
The
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
drawing, which is a half vertical section and balf elevation of a fixed converter
carried by columns so as to admit of the ready removal and replacement of the
bottom. A A are columns supporting the upper part B B of the converter.
lower part C of the converter is held by means of a flange or angle ring D and.
bolts there-through to a flange or angle ring E at the bottom of the upper part of
the converter, so that the lower part C may be readily removed from the upper part
and replaced with a duplicate. The lower part C contains the tuyeres (of firebrick,
gannister or other refractory material) one of which is shewn in section at F, and
also that part of the converter lining which is liable to be most quickly burnt out..
GG are blast boxes carried with the upper part of the converter, and therefore.
remaining fixed while the lower part is removed for re-lining. H is a plain baffler.
valve for regulating the passage of blast to a tuyere, and J J etc. are blast pipes.
A separate pipe J passes down from each blast box G. to a tuyere. Each pipe J
forms a ball-and-socket or universal joint with the short pipe K containing the
valve, and this joint is tightened up by means of a bridle or strap. L, (hanging from

page_text: t
,
studs. on the short pipe K) and set-pin M thereunder, as shewn. Each pipe J is
connected also by means of a flange joint N with a mounting O on the casing of
the lower part C of the converter. The holes a a through the flanges at a joint N
are elongated in a vertical direction and are open to the edges of the flanges, as
shewn, so as to allow, respectively, for one of the flanges not being exactly vertically
opposite to the other, and to facilitate the removal of the bolts... R is the usual
tapping hole.
When it is desired to remove the lower part C of the converter, each flange
joint N is disconnected, and each set-pin M at the bottom of a bridle L is
slackened, and the pipes lettered J are then pulled back at their lower ends so as to
be as clear from the mountings O as may be desired, and are held in such position
by tightening up the set-screws M. When a converter bottom C has been removed
and replaced, the pipes J are of course again connected up. b b are sight and
cleaning holes for the tuyeres. The joint between the upper and lower parts of the
converter is made perfectly sound with gannister in the annular wedge-shaped
space c formed between the bottom of the upper lining and the top of the lower
lining. PP are rails upon which a trolley is run for bringing in and removing
converter bottoms, and such trolley may, if desired, be raised and lowered by means
of a hydraulic ram, or such trolley may be and is preferably so constructed that
the hydraulic ram may pass up through it and so raise and lower the bottom of
converter as desired, leaving the trolley on the rails, or any convenient means may
be adopted to facilitate fixing and unfixing the bottoms. The columns AA are
shewn broken in their length for convenience of illustration: Sufficient room is
allowed, preferably, below the converter to admit of the bottom being lowered clear
of all obstructions to its removal.
. A single blast chamber may of course be employed in place of the blast boxes G.
It will now be seen that the blast chamber or boxes remain in position upon the
removal of the lower part of the converter, and that, if during the working of the
converter any metal escapes through the lining of the lower part thereof, or through
the tuyeres, such metal cannot find access to the blast chamber or boxes or to the
valves. The removable bottom is also much simpler and less expensive than when
an air chamber or boxes are attached thereto.
Any convenient form of valve may be employed instead of the baffler valve
lettered H, and such valve may be in any convenient position either within the
blast chamber, or blast box G, or immediately below, or in the vertical part of the
pipe J. The main use of the valve H, or other valve as aforesaid in substitution
therefor, is to close off the bulk of the blast at the end of the "blow" during the
process of tapping the metal from the converter, so that while sufficient blast is
allowed to pass to prevent any back-flow of metal to the tuyere, the blowing process
is practically suspended or terminated; and in order to insure a sufficient passage
of blast to prevent the outflow of metal through a. tuyere, during the process of
tapping, a small hole or holes are formed through the valve, or other means are
adopted to prevent the blast being entirely shut off by means of such valve. It
is not, however, necessary to employ a separate valve for each tuyere, as the blast
may be regulated by means of one valve in the blast main, such valve having an
opening or openings therethrough, or otherwise being constructed or geared so as
to be capable of shutting off. only the bulk of the blast and leaving a sufficient flow
thereof to prevent, the molten metal from running back through the tuyeres, or a
bye pass may be employed for this purpose in conjunction with such valve. The
blast chamber or boxes also are not necessarily fixed to the upper part of the
converter, but may be carried at or about the level shewn, by any convenient
means, or they may be fixed (to standards or other supports) at or about the level
of the tuyeres, so as to be quite separate from the removable bottom, and be
connected therewith by means of readily detachable blast pipes one to each tuyere,
thus simplifying the construction of the removable bottom, as in the former case,
and ensuring the safety of the blast chamber or box, as any outbreak of molten
metal will burn through the connecting pipe only.
=

page_text: "
My invention has been described and illustrated specially with reference to a
fixed converter, but it will be readily understood to be applicable also in the case
of a "Bessemer or tipping converter, in which (as is sometimes done) the tuyeres
are arranged in the side of the converter for the purpose of blowing with a low
pressure blast, instead of in the bottom as is usual when a high-pressure blast is
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a converter employed in the manufacture of iron and steel the combination
with the removable bottom of the converter, containing the tuyeres, of a blast
chamber or boxes, fixed to the upper or non-removable part, or otherwise carried
at a level above the removable bottom, or fixed around, but separate from, such
removable bottom, and means, substantially as described, for carrying the blast
from the chamber or boxes to the tuyeres, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
2. In a converter employed in the manufacture of iron and steel, a removable
bottom so constructed that no blast chamber or boxes are permanently attached to
it in any such way as to form part thereof and means for supplying blast through
blast pipes connected direct to the tuyeres, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described.
3. In a converter employed in the manufacture of iron and steel in which tuyeres
are employed in the sides thereof, the employment of a separate blast pipe
connecting the blast chamber or boxes direct with each tuyere, and so constructed
that no blast box intervenes between the connecting pipe and the. tuyere,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
4. In a converter employed in the manufacture of iron and steel the combination
of blast boxes, G, (or a blast chamber) with the blast, pipes, J, and the removable
bottom, C, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and shewn.
"
5. In a converter employed in the manufacture of iron and steel having blast
tuyeres in the sides thereof with blast pipes brought to such tuyeres from a blast
chamber or boxes separated from such.tuyeres in the manner referred to in claim 1,
the employment of a baffler or other valve for each tuyere, situated either within
the blast chamber or one of the blast boxes, or immediately thereunder or there-
against, or in any convenient part of the connecting pipe, or, in lieu of such valves,
a single valve in the blast main, either alone or in combination with a bye-pass,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shewn by the drawing.
6. In a converter employed in the manufacture of iron and steel having a
removable bottom with tuyeres in the sides thereof and a blast chamber or boxes
separate from such removable bottom, constructing the blast connecting pipes
between such chamber or boxes and tuyeres with ball-and-socket or other universal
joints and supporting or tightening such pipes by means of bridles and set-pins
or other convenient means, substantially as herein described and shewn by the
drawing.
Da thin
L
1007