IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George James Snelus, of Workington, in the County of
Cumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George James Snelus at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd September 1879.
GEORGE JAMES SNELUS, of Workington, in the County of Cumberland.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
"IM-
My Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the manufacture of iron
and steel.
In the manufacture of steel by the well known "Bessemer" process, a portion of
the converter (or vessel in which the operation is performed) technically termed
the "bottom" is usually composed of a number of perforated fire clay plugs termed
"tuyeres," set in bricks or plastic material. This bottom is connected with a
"blast box" or common chamber into which the perforations of the whole of the
tuyeres open. The consequence is that when the vessel is turned up, the blast
escapes through the upper rows of tuyeres and the metal runs in and fills the holes
in the lower tuyeres to a greater or less extent, thus destroying the tuyeres or
injuring them in a serious manner. When operating upon phosphoric pig iron in a
vessel lined according to the Invention described in the Specification of former
Letters Patent granted to me 25th March A.D. 1872, No. 908, with a basic material,
it is almost impossible to get tuyeres of the same material to endure, and bottoms
are made by ramming well burnt lime (mixed with binding substances such as tar,
to render it plastic) into a box and making a number of rather large perforations in
the bottom for the blast to pass through. These perforations are as before stated
in connection with a common blast chamber, and thus the same difficulty arises as
in the ordinary method, and the bottom has the further disadvantage of being less
durable than when separate tuyeres are used.
According to my present Invention I dispense with the separate tuyeres and
perforations, and conduct the blast from the blast box through an annular chamber

page_text: about three eighths of an inch wide, having a total area about equal to that of the
whole number of holes in the tuyeres now used.
I further so arrange the parts that the blast can only escape through those
portions of the annular space that are covered or about to be covered with iron, and
I thus prevent the metal entering and plugging up the space. I also so arrange the
parts that the joint can be got at and made up outside the blast box, thereby
facilitating repairs.
The bottom as thus arranged may be made of solid block, or built up of bricks,.
or rammed, as may be desirable.
By this arrangement the bottom is not subject. to the action of the blast as in the
ordinary method, and is more durable because it is not liable to be blown up. It
is also thoroughly solid and only requires to be completely free from moisture or
anything which might cause internal disruption,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George James Snelus in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
March 1880.
GEORGE JAMES SNELUS, of Workington, in the County, of Cumberland.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."..
IM=
"In the manfacture of Bessemer steel and iron as at present conducted, a portion
of the converter or vessel in which the operation is conducted technically, the
"bottom" is usually built up with a set of perforated fire clay plugs or tuyeres, the
spaces between these being filled up with bricks or rammed up with ganister. The
bottom is connected with a blast box or common chamber into which the perforations
of the whole of the tuyeres open. The consequence is that when the vessel is
turned up, the blast escapes through the upper rows of tuyeres and the metal often
runs into and fills the holes in the lower tuyeres to a greater or less extent,
according to the pressure and volume of the blast. This destroys the tuyeres very
rapidly and they have to be cut out or replaced.
When operating upon phosphoric pig iron in a vessel lined according to my
Patent No. 908, 25th March 1872, with a basic material, it is also difficult for many
operations to get tuyeres of the basic material to stand, and bottoms are made by
ramming the well burnt lime (mixed with binding substances as tar to render it
plastic) into a box and making a number of rather large perforations in the bottom
for the blast to pass through. These are as in the ordinary plan in connection
with a common. blast chamber, and thus the same difficulty arises. Now by my.
Invention the separate tuyeres and perforations are omitted, the blast being con-
ducted from the blast box through segments of an annular passage about three
eighths of an inch in width and having a total area rather greater than that of the
total holes in the tuyers now used.
up.
I further arrange the parts so that as the vessel is turned up the blast can only escape-
through those portions of the annular space that are covered or about to be covered
with metal, and thus prevent it entering and "plugging" the blast conduits up; I
further so arrange matters that the joint between the bottom and the vessel lining
can be got at and made up outside the blast box, thereby facilitating repairs. The
inclination of the blast inlet has other advantages. The bottom as thus arranged
can be made of a solid block, or it can be built up of bricks, or rammed, as may be
desirable. By this arrangement the bottom is not subject to the action of the blast
as in the ordinary plan, and it is more durable because it is not liable to be blown
It is also thoroughly solid and only requires to be well dried and freed from
any volatile product that could produce internal disruption. To better and more
clearly explain the nature of this Invention and the manner in which the same may
be practically employed, reference is made to the annexed Drawings which form
part of this Specification, and in which Fig. I. represents a front elevation of a
Bessemer converter partly in section; Fig. II. represents a plan of the blast box or
chamber; Fig. III. represents a side elevation of a converter showing the blast
pipes; A is the blast inlet; B is the blast distributor consisting of an annular
chamber connected with the blast inlet, and having two openings at the top and
bottom b¹ and b², through either of which the blast passes to the blast pipes D', D³, D³.
These latter are fixed to an outer annular ring bored so as to revolve round B
without allowing the blast to escape. When the vessel is in an upright position as
in Fig. 1, the blast can pass freely through the passage 63 in the blast distributor
down the blast pipes D¹, D2, D³, and up through the blast inlets F1, F2, F2, and F³,
into the convertor. When the vessel is turned down, the blast can also pass freely
through the blast pipes through the passage b¹. But when the vessel is horizontal
the blast passages 61 and 62, are closed and no air can pass into the vessel; when the

page_text: vessel begins to turn up the blast first passes through D¹ & the inlet F', then (as
the vessel continues to turn up) into D³ and F³, F, and lastly into the D³ and F³
when all the four blast inlets are open to the passage of the blast.
When a bottom is worn out it is dropped in the usual way and a new plug put
into its place after cutting away sufficient of the old joint to allow a small space
between the plug and the lining of the vessel. Several pieces of sheet iron ³/, thick
and shaped to lie against the sides of the bottom, are then passed up through the
openings L1, L2, and the joint at K, K, is made good by ramming some of the same
material of which the bottom is made into these spaces after which the forming plates
are withdrawn and the corers M³, M², cottered on so as to close the blast spaces. In
order to form a smooth and hard joint the cone shaped surfaces of the bottom and
the corresponding sides of the vessel may be washed or plastered with a thin film
of Portland cement, which will flux the surfaces without doing any harm to the
metal.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. The herein described method of constructing the Besseiner converter
bottom without tuyeres, but with a narrow annular blast inlet preferably inclined
and formed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination of the blast distributor and blast pipes with the blast
inlet so arranged that when the vessel is being turned up, the blast can only pass
through those segments of the annular blast inlet that are about to be covered with
molten metal, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George James Snelus, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord 1880.
CEORGE JAMES SNELIIS (TS)