IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALLOYS OF IRON
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Browne, of the Firm of Browne and
Company, Patent Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ALLOYS OF IRON."-A communication from abroad
by the Foundries and Forges Company of Terre Noire La Voulte
and Bessèges, in the French Republic.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Browne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th October 1874.
•
I, ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent
Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALLOYS OF IRON," a communication from
abroad by the Foundries and Forges Company of Terre Noire La Voulte
and Bessèges, in the French Republic, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements on a former Invention
for which Letters Patent were applied for on the 2nd day of February,

page_text: 6:
1874, No. 422, and refers to the second part thereof, in which will be
found the following paragraph:-" The study of the process and effects
" of consolidating metallic oxides by pit coal and tar has guided me to
"the knowledge that if natural or artificial oxides are united with coal
"suitable for making coke, or of coal more or less hungry, or even of
anthracite, but accompanied with a small quantity of mineral pitch or
"tar, it is possible by baking the mass thus produced to obtain a coke
holding as much as 40% of metallic oxides, and suitable for introduc-
"tion into high furnaces, and particularly that which I have described
ct in my Patent of May 1st, 1873, No. 1574, and by this means manu-
"facture metallic alloys."
$5
The new trials which have been made for the application of the above
process have led to the following facts:-The quantity of oxide of
manganese which can practically be introduced into coke varies from
50 to 80 kilos. of oxide for every 100 kilos. of rich coal suitable for
producing coke. Experience has proved that 100 kilos. of coal and
60 kilos. of oxide of manganese form an excellent coke, very strong and
easily passed in the furnace. But in producing such a coke a mixture
containing 65 kilos. of fix carbon and 60 kilos. of oxide of manganese,
more or less reduced, is obtained.
It has been found in practice that 60 kilos. of oxide of manganese
will yield about 20 kilos. of metallic manganese, so that it would be
necessary to use 325 kilos. of coke for every 100 kilos. of metallic
manganese. This being out of the question, not only as regards the
expense but also because the quantity of ashes which are necessarily a
introduced into the furnace produce a loss of manganese, the following
are the means by which it is proposed to obviate the above objections:-
Firstly. The necessity of introducing iron into the compound which
with the manganese contained in the coke forms the ferro-manganese of
the desired standard has led to put in the furnace over the coke manu-
factured as above a certain quantity of spiegel eisen, the quantity of
which must be calculated so as to arrive at the required richness. The
spiegel eisen in melting passes through the layer of coke, arrives in the
furnace at that part where the temperature is the highest and where
the reduction of manganese takes place; the melted iron then combines
with the manganese, and the ferro-manganese is thus collected in the
crucible. It is obvious that according to the quantity of spiegel eisen

page_text: introduced into the furnace the fuel will be better utilized, and the pro-
portions of iron and manganese varied in the product obtained. It will
also be advantageous, in order to obtain a better combustion of the fuel
and better use of the manganese, to cause a large quantity of spiegel
cisen to pass through the coke, which may be found desirable to do
several times.
Secondly. Purc manganese ores or natural ores of iron and manganese
may be used instead of spiegel eisen alone or in combination with it, in
which case it is desirable to submit, firstly, these ores to a reduction,
which can be made either by Chenot's process or by one of the numerous
processes found in the special treatise, or by those which have recently
come into practice.
Thirdly. The slabs, or bricks, or solid masses described in my former
Patents, and particularly in the one of the 2nd February, 1874, No. 422,
and to which the present Invention has particular reference, may also
be introduced in the furnace.
Fourthly. In order to obtain a still greater economy of fuel and richness
of the alloy of manganese, oxides of manganese in powder, particularly
regenerated oxides, can also be introduced in the tuyere. .
The above refers to the introduction of coke and different substances
in a vertical furnace, such as the furnace described in the Patent of
May 1st, 1873, No. 1574. The same combinations can also take place
in fixed or rotary furnaces with carbon soles used for the manufacture of
ferro-manganese.
5 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Browne in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of 5,
Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, send
grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of

page_text: which case it is desirable to submit, firstly, these ores to a reduction,
which can be made cither by Chenot's process, or by one of the numerous
processes found in the special treatise, or by those which have recently
come into practice.
Thirdly. The slabs, or bricks, or solid masses described in my former 5
Patents, and particularly in the one of the 2nd February, 1874, No. 422,
and to which the present Invention has particular reference, may
be introduced in the furnace.
also
Fourthly. In order to obtain a still greater economy of fuel and
richness of the alloy of manganese, oxides of manganese in powder (par. 1
ticularly regenerated oxides) can also be introduced in the tuyere.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, as com-
municated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I would remark in conclusion that I hereby declare
this Invention to consist in and I claim, manufacturing alloys of iron 1
substantially as described.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.