IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Lyman Holley, at present residing: in
Harrisburgh, in the United States of America, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Alexander Lyman Holley, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, 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-
This Invention relates to casting ingots or masses of iron or steel.
In a previous application for Letters Patent I have described various
methods and apparatus for casting two or more ingots at one pouring
by letting the liquid iron or steel run into one ingot mould of a group
of moulds, whence it is distributed to the bottoms of the other moulds
by means of runners moulded in a flask or distributor upon which all
the moulds stand.
My Invention herein-after described consists in improvements in
casting ingots and masses when the moulds are filled from the bottom,
viz.
First. In improved flasks or distributors and improvements in moulding
the same.
Secondly. In improved means of stopping the tops of moulds filled
from the bottom.
First. The flasks heretofore used for this purpose have been simple
iron shells or boxes entirely filled with sand or moulding material,
except the places and passages made in said material for the casting
and running of the iron or steel.
Such a flask is shown in vertical section by Fig. 1 of the accom-
panying Drawings, where A, A, is the iron shell of the flask; B, B, the
moulding material; C, C, the places and runners for the iron or steel;
D, S, the moulds to be filled from the bottom; and E the mould into
which the iron or steel is poured. The moulding material B forms the
bottom upon which all the ingots are cast.
My improved flask is shown by Fig. 2, which is a vertical section of
the moulds and flask, and by Fig. 3, which is a plan of the flask moulded.
The same letters refer to like parts in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In Figs. 2
and 3, the iron flask instead of being a mere shell to hold the moulding
sand or material forms also an iron bottom upon which the bottom cast
ingots stand.
The whole top of the flask, as shown in Fig. 3, is a solid
casting (made by preference about three inches thick for ingots up to
foot square so as to chill the iron or steel), excepting the spaces F

page_text: which are made just large enough to mould the runners C, C. Although
a mass of cast iron will chill the liquid iron or steel poured upon it, I
find that a stream of liquid iron or steel running for some time over the
same surface of iron so heats it that the two are likely to unite; so
that I prefer to have the whole of the runners formed in loam, sand,
clay, or other suitable moulding material. I therefore make the openings
F in the flask large enough to have some thickness of moulding material
by preference at least half an inch between the runner C and the iron
flask A. The runners C, C, may be moulded from patterns in the usual
manner, and may be of any suitable shape and size, by preference not
less than four square inches cross sectional area if over a foot long, so
that the iron or steel will not be likely to chill in them before the moulds
are filled. I have shown the runners C, C, terminating in a pro-
longation C' of the mould E, but they may if préferred communicate with
the place into which the iron or steel is first poured in any other suitable
manner. The iron or steel is poured into the central mould E, whence
it passes through the runners C, C, into the moulds D, D, until all the
Hioulds are sufficiently full. When the ingots thus cast are set the
moulds may be removed, and the sprues cast in the runners C, C, broken
off in the usual manner. Care should be taken to dry the moulded flask
thoroughly before the ingot moulds are set upon it.
Flasks may be
made to cast any convenient number of ingot moulds at one pouring. I
find that one central mould and six or eight surrounding moulds may
be used to advantage; the object of this improvement is to save labor,
time, and moulding material in preparing the flasks for use. The iron
surface A, of the flask Fig. 3, if properly coated with plumbago or other
suitable blacking used by founders will not be injured by the liquid
iron or steel flowing upon it.
Secondly. My Invention consists in improved methods of stopping the
tops of moulds that are filled from the bottom. To produce rails, axles,
and other articles of different weights without making scrap in excess,
ingots must be made of the various suitable weights. To avoid the cost
of different sets of ingots moulds for each required weight of ingots it
is desirable to cast ingots of various weights, and hence various heights
in the same set of moulds.
My improvement consists in stopping off a mould at any required
height by means that may be easily and quickly applied, and in such a
maliner that the ingot will not be likely to crack.

page_text: One method of doing this is shown by Fig. 4, which is a vertical
section of a mould and stopper H. The stopper is a piece of sheet iron
or steel, Fig. 6, with the edges turned up on the lines J, J, so as to form
flanges H, and to appear in side elevation, as shown at Fig. 5. If the
mould G has, say, one or two inches taper the flanges H¹ may be bent
so as just to enter the large end or bottom of the mould G.
The stopper
is then set on a post K, Fig. 5, the post being as long as the required
ingot. The mould G is then raised and brought over the stopper and
post and then lowered into the position shown at Fig. 4. The flanges H¹
will have been bent more nearly to a right angle by the tapering sides
of the mould, and will be thus wedged sufficiently fast to stay in place
when the post is removed. Before the post is removed the top of the
mould above the stopper H is filled with loam or sand L, by preference
a little damp and slightly rammed. A few small (say, th inch) vent
holes are previously made in the stopper H, and vent holes may be
pricked in the sand. A plate M is then laid on the sand and wedged
down in the usual manner. The liquid iron or steel will rise up against
the stopper H, and the gases will pass off through the vent holes and
the sand L. When the ingot thus formed contracts in cooling it will
easily pull down the stopper H. The sand L prevents any "fin" of
iron or steel from running up the side of the mould beyond the stopper.
A thin film of steel chills and acquires great tenacity while the body of
the ingot is still liquid or pasty and easily pulled apart, so that such a
film hooking over the top of the mould, or otherwise getting fast
prevents the top part of the ingot from coming down as the mass cools
and contracts, and thus the ingot is cracked. In case the ingot mould
has very little or no taper the flanges H' of the stopper may be bent in
by hand while they are being entered into the bottom of the mould.
These flanges should in all cases press hard enough against the sides of
the mould to stay in place when the post is removed.
Another method I employ for stopping off the ingot mould at any
required height is shown by Fig. 7, which is a vertical section of an
ingot mould G', and N a cast-iron stopper, which may be placed at any
required height in the mould.
Fig. 9 is a plan of the mould G¹ and
top plate M'. In order to prevent any fin of iron or steel from running
up the side of the mould beyond the stopper and thus cracking the ingot
I fill the mould around and above the stopper, as at O, with sand, by
preference rammed, vented, and held down by the plate M', as before

page_text: described.
In order to prevent the sand when thrown into the top of
the mould from running down past the stopper, either the stopper must
be pretty well fitted to the sides of the mould, or the opening around
the stopper must be closed when the sand is put in. Fitting the stopper
to the mould would require a different stopper for each different height
of ingot on account of the taper of the mould, and would require the
insertion of the stopper from beneath which would lead to some delay
and inconvenience. I therefore use a stopper small enough to be set
into the top of the mould, and I keep the space around the stopper
closed while the sand is being put in and rammed. This may be done by
making the post K' fit, the interior of the mould, so that the sand around
the stopper will rest upon the top of the post, but as the post is not
likely to fit well into different moulds 1 prefer to set upon it the
adjustable blocks P, I, for the sand to rest upon. The mould is raised and
set over the post, Fig. 7, which is beveled at the top. The blocks I', P,
(shown in plan at Fig. then being laid on top of the post slide down
the bevelled top of the post into the corners of the mould, whatever the
height of the post may be, and thus close the mould sufficiently to hold
the sand so that it may be ramined. The stopper N is then set in upon the
plates P, P, and the sand O is put into the mould and rammed, vented,
and covered with the plate M'. The mould is then lifted off from the
post and plates P, P, and set upon the flask to receive the iron or steel,
as before described. When the liquid iron or steel rises in the mould
up to the stopper it is chilled by the stopper and by the sand sur-
rounding it, so that the ingot can shrink without cracking from the
cause above described, and so that the mould and stopper can be lifted
off from the ingot. The top of the post K' may if preferred be made
flat, and the plates P may be placed in the corners of the mould by
hand. The stopper may be held up in the mould after the mould is
removed from the post by any suitable means. I prefer the two hooks
Q, Q, screwed into the top of the stopper and hanging on the top of the
mould. Hooks of different lengths may be used for ingots of different
heights.
Another method I employ of stopping the top of a mould is shown at
Fig. 1.
The mould S is placed on the flask with its large end upwards
and a cast-iron plate R, by preference about the thickness of the walls
of the mould laid upon it. When the mould is filled with iron or steel,
and the ingot thus formed shrinks, the upper end of it cannot come
down on account of the taper of the mould, as well as on account of fins

page_text: of steel that are likely to run between the mould and the plate R. But
the sprue Û will bend sufficiently to let the lower end of the ingot rise
as it shrinks; and thus if the joint between the mould and the flask
at T is tight enough to prevent the liquid iron or steel from running
into the joint, the ingot can contract without cracking.
This joint may
"
to prevent its
The paste squeezed out
rammed into the joint T
be made tight in any suitable manner. I prefer to put a paste of fire-
clay, sand, and plumbago, or other suitable refractory material on the
top of the flask, or on the bottom of the mould before the mould is set
upon the flask. The flask should be warm when used, and the warmth
of the flask will very quickly dry the paste so as
'blowing" when the iron or steel strikes it.
from under the mould may also if necessary be
by a suitable tool. The plate R not fitting perfectly tight on top of the
mould a space is thus left for the ventilation of the mould. This is a
rapid method of stopping moulds, but does not allow of casting ingots
of various lengths in the same mould. If the mould were set on the
flask with the small end upwards, and this small end covered so that
a fin of iron and steel could run and hook over it, the ingot being held
fast by the taper at the large end and by this fin at the small end,
would be likely to be pulled apart by the shrinkage.
Two other methods of stopping the top of the same mould at different
heights are modifications of the method last described, and are shown
by Figs. 10 and 11, which are vertical sections of moulds S, S, and
stoppers U, V. In Fig. 10 the joint at T is made as at Fig. 1, above
described, and a cast-iron stopper U, of proper size to set in the mould
at the height of the required ingot, is placed in the top of the mould.
Some sand is then placed around the stopper U to prevent the iron or
steel from running up the side of the stopper, and is by preference
rammed and vented, as before mentioned. In Fig. 11 a sheet iron
stopper V, like that in Figure 4 above described, is set into the mould
at the required height and covered with sand properly rammed and
Additional weights or parts to hold down the stopper may be
added if required. A fin of iron or steel running past the stopper in
Figs. 10 and 11, will not cause the ingot to crack so long as the
joint T is properly made, but I prefer to put some sand on and about
the stoppers to prevent the waste of the iron or steel.
vented.
I would remark that in some cases I prefer to form cast-iron
moulds in the flask for the bottoms of the ingots that are filled from

page_text: the bottom, in order to shorten the runners and to decrease the amount
of moulding, and also in order to form a continuous iron bottom, upon
which to set any solid materials, such as rail ends, that I may wish to cast
into the ingots. This shown by Figure 12, which is a vertical section of
a flask moulded and of the ordinary ingot moulds in place upon it, and
Figure 13, which is a plan of the flask. The tops of the moulds p, p,
correspond in size with the bottoms of the ingot moulds 7, 7, and should
be considerably tapered, as shown, to allow the ingots to come out of
them easily.
The walls and bottom of the moulds p, p, should be as
thick as those of ordinary moulds for ingots of the same size, say, three
inches thick for ingots up to twelve inches square. The runners S, S,
and the continuation t of the mould into which the iron or steel is first
poured are formed by patterns, around which the moulding material u, u,
is rammed in the manner heretofore practised.
My Invention farther consists in an improved method of moulding
the distributor, which is explained by Figures 14 to 22. Instead of
moulding by means of separate patterns, as heretofore practised, I save
labor and expense by forming all the patterns on the follow board and
moulding and drawing them at one operation. Upon the follow board,
of which Figure 15 is a side or edge view, and Figure 17 a plan, I set
the flask bottom upwards, as shown in section by Figure 14, I then ram
the space a full of sand, clay, or suitable moulding material and cotter
on the bottom plate, shown by the dotted line at b; I then turn over
the flask and remove the follow board. The flask as thus moulded is
shown in plan by Figure 18; I then lay cores d (one of which is shown
in plan by Figure 22, and in elevation by Figure 21) into the places C, C;
Figure 18, moulded for them by the projections C', C', Figures 15 and
17, so as to form the runners, as shown in section at e, e, Figure 16.
Figure 19 shows the top of the flask moulded, with the cores d in their
places ready to receive the ingot moulds. I sometimes make the core d
of any suitable moulding material, such as that used for moulding ingot
moulds. I prefer to make the top of the core n, Figures 21 and 22, of
iron, so as to better resist the pressure of the iron or steel in the runner.
I prefer to mould it by laying the piece of iron n into the core box q,
Figure 20, then to ram in moulding material and to withdraw the core
box in the manner practised in foundries. The cores & may be dried before
being placed in the flask, or they may be dried with the flask.
cases, however, I propose to make the core d wholly of cast iron.
In some
In

page_text: this case it should be well coated by preference with a thick wash of
blacklead and fire-clay to prevent the liquid iron or steel that runs
through the runner e from sticking to the core. I find that there is a
considerable difference in the tendency of liquid iron and steel, made
from different irons and of different tempers to stick to the iron moulds
into which it is poured. For the mixtures most likely to stick I prefer
to use the core moulded from loam, clay, or other suitable moulding
material. At the same time the iron core can be very cheaply renewed
if the liquid iron or steel sticks to it, and its use saves the cost of
moulding loam or clay cores. The bottom and sides of the runners may
be coated with blacklead or other suitable blacking before the core is
placed in the flask. The joint between the core (whether made of loam
or iron), and the moulding material in the flask should be filled in any
suitable manner, by preference with a semi-fluid mixture of blacklead' and
fire-clay. In some cases I prefer to mould in the flask in any suitable
manner, open troughs, runners, or passages, and instead of covering such
runners with cores, as above described, I set the ingot moulds upon. them
in such a way that the bottoms of the ingot moulds form the covers of
In this case care should be taken to set the moulds on the
flask in such a way as to entirely cover the runners and to coat the
bottoms of the moulds with blacklead, fire-clay, or other suitable coating.
I prefer, however, to cover the runners with cores, as above described
when casting liquid iron or steel of a nature or temper that easily cuts
and sticks to ingot moulds.
the runners.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, E
claim,
First. The combination in a flask or distributor for casting two or
more ingots at one pouring of one Or more iron moulds or parts of
moulds with runners moulded, as described, the whole operating sub-
stantially as set forth.
Second. The flanged sheet metal stopper for stopping off ingot moulds
at various heights, constructed and operating substantially as described.
Third. The pieces P, P, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Fourth. The combination of the post K', pieces P', P; and stopper N,
substantially as and for the purposes described.

page_text: Fifth. The stoppers U, V, and R, operating as set forth in combination
with a flask or distributor for casting two or more ingots at one pouring,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Sixth. The combination of a bottom casting ingot mould with a suitable
device or devices, capable of stopping off the mould at various heights,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Seventh. The combination of a flask or distributor composed partly
of loam and partly of iron with a core which covers the runner,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Lyman Holley, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, A.D.
1868.
Witnesses,
JOHN R. COOPER.
T. B. BEECHER.
ALEXANDER LYMAN HOLLEY. (L.S.)