IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIEGEL Eisen
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Waplington, and George Elliott Barker,
both of Sheffield, in the County of York, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIEGEL Eisen."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Waplington
-
and George Elliott Barker at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 1st February 1872.
We, WILLIAM WAPLINGTON and GEORGE ELLIOTT BARKER, both of
Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIEGEL EISEN,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improved methods for the production of what
is known as spiegel eisen, and consists, firstly, in producing refined cast
iron which is carbonized and then mixed with alloys of manganese and
iron; secondly, by melting refined cast iron in a Siemens' air or other
suitable furnace in contact with the oxides or other compounds of

page_text: manganese, together with an excess of carbonaceous fuel; thirdly, in
effecting the carbonization of cast iron in one furnace and the reduction
of the oxides or other compounds of manganese in a separate furnace,
and then allowing the results to run or mix together in a suitable
converter, mould, or other apparatus.
In carrying out this Invention, we refine pig iron or other metal as it
runs from the blast furnace or produced from scrap cast iron in an
ordinary refinery or otherwise obtained until it is desiliconized (by
desiliconized we do not mean chemically free from silicon but practically
so, or what would be known in the trade as well refined cast iron), at
which stage (if working with an ordinary refinery) we reduce the blast
so that the fuel or carbon in contact with the already desiliconized iron
is kept at a high temperature, and in order that the carbon may combine
with the iron.
In an adjacent cupola or furnace we reduce the oxides or other
compounds of manganese along with a portion of refined or desiliconized
iron, and when the iron in the first before-mentioned refinery is
sufficiently carbonized we tap and run into the refinery this compound
of managanese and iron, in order that it may mix and combine with the
highly carbonized iron, the whole is then tapped out of the refinery and
run into suitable moulds, and the result will be found to be similar to
spiegel eisen both in appearance and properties.
Instead of running this product into moulds it may be run direct into
the Bessemer converter or other furnace where it may be required in
order that it may be further operated upon. Or we produce spiegel eisen
by melting refined or desiliconized iron in a Siemens' air or other suitable
furnace in contact with the oxide or other compounds of manganese
and an excess of carbonaceous fuel which must be kept at a high
temperature until the manganese compound is reduced and the iron
sufficiently carbonized. Or instead of proceeding as before-mentioned
the cast iron may be carbonized in one furnace, and the oxides or other
compounds of manganese, &c. reduced in another, and the results be
then mixed and run into moulds, a converter, &c. or furnace, as before
mentioned.

page_text: filed by the said William Waplington and George Elliott Barker
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
WAPLINGTON and GEORGE ELLIOTT BARKER, both of Sheffield, in the
County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the 35th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said William Waplington, and George Elliott Barker,
Her special license that we, the said William Waplington and George
Elliott Barker, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said William Waplington and George Elliott Barker, our
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIEGEL EISEN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Waplington and George
Elliott Barker, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Waplington and George
Elliott Barker, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:—
Our said Invention relates to improved methods for the production

page_text: manganese and iron; secondly, by melting refined cast-iron in a Siemens'
air or other suitable furnace in contact with the oxides or other
compounds of manganese, together with an excess of carbonaceous fuel;
thirdly, in effecting the carbonization of cast iron in one furnace, and
the reduction of the oxides or other compounds of manganese in a
separate furnace, and then allowing the results to run or mix together
in a suitable converter, mould, or other apparatus.
In carrying out this Invention, we refine pig iron or the molten metal
as it runs from the blast furnace (or otherwise obtained) in an ordinary
refinery until it is desiliconized (by desiliconized we do not mean
chemically free from silicon but practically so, or what would be known
in the trade as well refined cast iron), at which stage (if working with an
ordinary refinery) we reduce the blast so that the fuel or carbon in
contact with the already desiliconized iron is kept at a high temperature
in order that the carbon may combine with the iron..
In order to facilitate the carbonization of the already desiliconized
iron, we tap off the slag or cinder lying on the top of the iron by means
of a tapping hole situated at a suitable level for this purpose; by this
means the fuel sinks into and comes in direct contact with the iron, and
thus effects a quicker combination of the iron and carbon, or the
carbonization may be effected by slow refining, that is, by refining with
a low pressure of blast.
In an adjacent cupola or furnace we reduce the oxides or other
compounds of manganese along with a portion of refined or desiliconized
iron, and when the iron in the first before-mentioned refinery is
sufficiently carbonized we tap and run into the refinery this compound
of manganese and iron in order that it may mix and combine with the
highly carbonized iron, the whole is then tapped out of the refinery and
run into suitable moulds, and the result will be found to be similar to
spiegel eisen both in appearance and properties. Instead of running this
product into moulds it may be run direct into the Bessemer converter or
other furnace where it may be required in order that it may be further
operated upon. Or we produce spiegel eisen by melting refined or
desiliconized iron in a Siemens' air or other suitable furnace, in contact
with the oxides or other compounds of manganese, and an excess of
carbonaceous fuel which must be kept at a high temperature until the
manganese compound is reduced and the iron sufficiently carbonized,
or instead of proceeding as before-mentioned the cast iron may be

page_text: carbonized in one furnace, and the oxides or other compounds of
manganese be reduced in another, and the results be then mixed and
run into moulds, a converter, or furnace, as before mentioned.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
manufacture of spiegel eisen by firstly effecting the desiliconizing of
pig iron and subsequently converting the same in a refinery or other
furnace into a highly carbonized product, and then mixing with such
highly carbonized iron the products resulting from the reduction of the
oxides or other compounds of manganèse, as herein-before described.
.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Waplington and George
Elliott Barker, have to this our Specification set our hands and
seals, this Twenty-sixth day of July One thousand eight hundred.
and seventy-two.
WILLIAM WAPLINGTON.
(L.S.)
GEORGE ELLIOTT BARKER. (L.S.)