IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND INGOT IRON
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I THOMAS HAMPTON of Arndean, Barrow-in-Furness in the County of Lancaster,
Steel Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND INGOT IRON" to be as
follows:-
"
My invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of steel by
what is known as the Bessemer, the Basic Bessemer, or Thomas-Gilchrist process,
whether carried out in a fixed or moveable converter. My invention consists in.
the application and use of carbonized steel scrap, instead of spiegeleisen as hitherto
used for the purpose of recarbonizing, the decarburized metal while in the converter
ladle.
The effect of my invention is to produce by the above and similar processes, a
quality of steel suitable for working into rails, plates, forgings railway tyres and
axles, blooms slabs, billets, bars, and for all other purposes, when the steel is
required to contain any given quantity of carbon, varying from 15 to 1.25 per
cent.
A convenient manner of putting my invention into practice is as follows After
the molten metal has been blown in the ordinary way, and wholly or partly
decarburized in the converter I add (instead of spiegeleisen) to the molten
decarburized metal, a proper proportion, of carbonized molten steel scrap say
24 cwt to an 8 ton charge when the steel is to have 40 to 50 of carbon as for rails
Such scrap may consist of rail bloom, ingot or bar ends, old steel tyres, rails, axles
and other similar kinds of steel scrap.
These materials or some of them may be melted with coke or charcoal or a
mixture of both in an ordinary spiegel or similar cupola or cupolas during which
melting the said scrap will take up from the coke or charcoal a quantity of carbon
which may be roughly stated as from 2 to 5 per cent. The quantity of the
carbonized scrap to be added to the molten metal will necessarily vary in proportion
according to the temper of the steel intended to be produced.
The steel is then poured into the casting ladle, and sufficient ferro-manganese is
added (say 1 cwt to 2 cwts (of 70 to 80 manganese) for an 8 ton charge) to prevent
any red shortness in the steel or the ferro manganese may be added previous to
pouring the steel from the converter,

page_text: My invention is intended solely for the purpose of recarbonizing Bessemer or
similarly decarburized metal with carbonized molten steel scrap instead of using
the more expensive spiegeleisen for that purpose, and I thereby enable Bessemer
steel manufacturers to utilize steel scrap or worn out materials to a greater
advantage and in larger quantities than heretofore. The quality of the steel will
be considerably improved by my process as the application of carbonized steel
scrap (instead of spiegeleisen) will minimise the silicon and manganese contained
in the decarburized metal thereby imparting greater toughness and ductility to the
Bteel.
If it is desired to facilitate the melting of the steel scrap I prefer heating the 1
same in a furnace before charging the cupolas and this may, be effected by the
waste heat derived from the cupolas, a proportion of Hematite, Swedish, or other
pure iron or spiegeleisen may be melted or mixed with the steel scrap but these are
not deemed necessary additions under ordinary circumstances.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, THOMAS HAMPTON of Arndean, Barrow in Furness in the County of
Lancaster, Steel Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND INGOT IRON
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of steel by
what is known as the Bessemer, the Thomas-Gilchrist or other processes, whether
carried out in a fixed or moveable converter.
My invention consists in the application and use of carbonized steel scrap instead
of spiegeleisen, as hitherto used for the purpose of recarbonizing the decarburized
metal while in the converter or ladle. The effect of my invention, is to produce
by the above and similar processes, a quality of steel suitable for working into
rails, plates, forgings, railway tyres, and axles, blooms, slabs billets, bars, and for
all other purposes when the steel is required to contain any given quantity of
carbon, varying from 15 to 1.25 per cent. A convenient manner of putting my
invention into practice is as follows; after the molten metal has been blown in the
ordinary way, and wholly or partly decarburized in the converter, I add (instead
of spiegeleisen) to the molten decarburized metal a proper proportion of carbonized
molten steel scrap say 24 cwt. to an 8 ton charge, when the stoel is to have '40
to 50 of carbon as for rails. Such scrap may consist of rail, blooin, ingot or bar
ends, old steel tyres, rails, axles and other similar kinds of steel scrap. The
materials, or some of them may be melted with coke, charcoal or anthracite coal or
a mixture of these materials in an ordinary spiegel or similar cupola, or cupolas,
during which melting the said scrap will take up from the coke or charcoal a
quantity of carbon which may be roughly stated as from 2 to 5 per cent. The
quantity of the carbonized scrap to be added to the molten metal will necessarily
vary in proportion according to the temper of the steel intended to be produced.
The steel is then poured into the casting ladle and sufficient ferro-manganese is
added (say 1 cwt to 2 cwts of 70 to 80 manganese for an 8 ton charge) to prevent
any red shortness in the steel, or the ferro-manganese may be added previous to
pouring the steel from the converter. My invention is intended solely for the
purpose of recarbonizing Bessemer or similarly decarburized metal with carbonized
molten steel scrap, instead of using the more expensive spiegeleisen for that
purpose, and I thereby enable steel manufacturers to utilize steel scrap or worn out
materials to a greater advantage, and in larger quantities than heretofore. The
quality of the steel will be considerably improved by my process as the application
of carbonized steel scrap (instead of spiegeleisen) will minimise the silicon and
manganese contained in the decarburized metal, thereby imparting greater
toughness and ductility to the steel. If it is desired to facilitate the melting of
the steel scrap I prefer heating the same in a furnace before charging the cupolas
and this may be effected by the waste heat derived from the cupolas A proportion
of Haematite, Swedish or other pure iron, or spiegeleisen may be melted or mixed
with the steel scrap, but these are not deemed necessary additions under ordinary
circumstances,

page_text: In addition to the Bessemer and Thomas-Gilchrist processes as hereinbefore
specified, my invention is also applicable to the manufacture of steel under the
Siemens-Martin or open hearth processes.
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
In the manufacture of steel and ingot iron, the addition to the molten bath in
the converter or ladle of carbonized steel scrap either alone or if mixed with
Hematite, Swedish or other pure iron, or spiegeleisen as above set forth and for
the purposes specified.