IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MAKING BESSEMER STEEL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Wilson and George Barruch Wood,
both of Sheffield, in the County of York, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MAKING BESSEMER STEEL."
Sealed the 15th March 1872, and dated the 20th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Wilson and
George Barruch Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th September 1871.
I, ALEXANDER WILSON and GEORGE BARRUCH WOOD, both of
Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MAKING BESSEMER STEEL,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the mode of lining and
making up the converter and converter bottoms employed in making
what is known as Bessemer steel.
The converter bottom is now generally formed of tuyères set in -
the refractory lining of the converter, called ganister. The bottoms

page_text: thus formed are so much injured by the removal and renewal of
the burned-out tuyères as to require renewing after from five to eight
blows or heats.
Our improvement consists in making the bottoms and lining of
converters of refractory stone (by preference that known as "fire
stone"). The bottom may be in one or more pieces, suitable openings
being provided therein for the passage upwards of the blast. The
bottoms may also be formed of what is called "artificial stone" moulded
or cast to the shape required.
We make the bottom in one piece, providing therein holes to answer
the purpose of tuyères for the passage upwards of the blast, or the holes
may be made suitable for the reception of the ordinary tuyères. Or we
build up the bottom of blocks so shaped that when put together spaces
will be left for the blast or for tuyères, or the blocks may contain in
place of forming the holes requisite for the passage of the blast, and the
the wall lining of the converter may be similarly built up of moulded
pieces of a segmental or other shape most convenient for this purpose.
The joints may be made good with ganister or with what is known
as slurrying or by any other approved cement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Alexander Wilson and George Barruch Wood
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
ALEXANDER WILSON and GEORGE BARRUCH WOOD, both of Sheffield,
in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Alexander Wilson and George Barruch
Wood, Her special licence that we, the said Alexander Wilson and.
George Barruch Wood, executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Alexander. Wilson and George Barruch:
4

page_text: Wood, executors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MAKING BESSEMER STEEL," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alexander Wilson. and
George Barruch Wood, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Alexander Wilson and George
Barruch Wood, 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, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in the mode of lining and
making up the converter and converter bottoms employed in the
manufacture of what is known as "Bessemer steel."
The practice hitherto has been to line the vessel with ground gauister,
which is rammed in in a moist state. The tuyeres are made of fire-clay,
and when .in place in the bottom of the converter vessel they are
surrounded by this ground ganister, which forms a lining for the vessel
of a thickness equal to the distance which the tuyeres project into the
vessel and set solidly around the tuyeres; thus the lining at the bottom
of the converter is brought to a level with the top of the tuyeres..
During the converting process the upper ends of the tuyeres become
rapidly injured, and when their length has been reduced some three or
four inches it is necessary to renew them. This necessitates also the
renewal of the lining of the converter bottom, which is liable to injury
during the removal of the burnt-out tuyeres, and is therefore the occasion
of considerable outlay, as the tuyeres require renewing after from five to
cight blows or heats.

page_text: Now our Invention consists in making the bottoms and lining of
"fire
converters of refractory stone (by preference that known as
stone"). The bottom may be in one or more pieces, suitable openings
being provided therein for the passage upwards of the blast. The
bottom may also be formed of what is called "artificial stone,"
moulded or cast to the shape required. When we make the bottom in
one piece we provide therein holes to answer the purpose of tuyeres for
the passage upwards of the blast, or the holes may be made suitable
for the reception of the ordinary tuyeres. Or we build up the bottom
of blocks so shaped that when put together spaces will be left for
the blast or for tuyeres. Or the blocks may contain (in place of.
forming when put together) the holes requisite for the passage of
the blast.
In the accompanying Drawing we have illustrated our improvements
under several forms. Fig. 1 represents in section the lower part of a
converter vessel of the usual form with our improved lining applied
thereto. The lining A, A, of the bottom of the converter is formed
of refractory stone with slightly conical openings made in it for
reception of tuyeres of the ordinary construction, which tuyeres when
burnt out may be readily removed without injury to the bottom lining.
B, B, are blocks of the same material, forming a continuation of the
lining. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stone bottom detached, and Fig. 3
is an edge view thereof. It is made conical and of a diameter somewhat
less than that of the tuyere box to facilitate the fitting of the same in its
place. Fig. 4 shows in plan view a bottom lining composed of blocks of
fire-clay, which blocks are respectively of the form shown in the
detached view, Figures 5 and 6. When these blocks are put together
as shewn at Fig. 4 circular openings are formed for the reception of
tuyeres, such as that shewn in Fig. 7.
Another modification of our Invention is shewn at Figures 8 and 9,
which represent a bottom lining formed of refractory stone or of fire-clay
cast in one block. This bottom is pierced with holes corresponding
to those in the fire-clay tuyeres; the diameter of the holes being.
from say three-eighths to one-half of an inch. The wall lining of the
converter may if desired be completely built up of moulded pieces (as
shewn at B, B, Fig. 1) of a segmental or other shape most convenient
for this purpose. The joints of the wall lining and also of the bottom,
(whether composed of one or more pieces as described,) may be made

page_text: good with ganister, or with what is known as slurrying, or by any other
approved cement.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improved"
Apparatus for Making Bessemer Steel," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent we claim, lining the bottom
and walls of converters in the manner and for the purpose above
described with reference to the Drawing.
.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Wilson and George
Barruch Wood, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the
Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.