IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Taylor, residing at Titley Cottage, Kington,,
Herefordshire, for the Invention of AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON."
Sealed the 5th October 1858, and dated the 3rd August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
August 1858.
I, WILLIAM TAYLOR, residing at Titley Cottage, Kington, Herefordshire,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in causing a stream or streams (if streams, the
more minute and numerous the better) of hydrogen gas to enter into and
traverse molten crude iron, while yet in the crucible of an iron smelting
furnace, such stream or streams to be applied (the lower the better) under
the surface of the said molten crude iron, and to issue above such surface.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TAYLOR, residing at Titley Cottage, Kington, Herefordshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said William Taylor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Taylor, my 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. ". AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Taylor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 I, the said William Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
My Invention consists in causing a stream or streams (if streams-the more
minute and numerous the better) of hydrogen gas to enter into and traverse
molten crude iron while yet in the crucible of an iron smelting furnace, such
stream or streams to be applied (the lower the better) under the surface of
the said molten-crude-iron-and-to-issue-above-such-surface,-whereby-the
impurities contained in the said crude iron are wholly or partially removed,
and the said crude iron becomes refined.
I now particularly describe one manner in which the said Invention may be
performed.
The Drawing indicates the apparatus for generating the gas. Steam is

page_text: forced thro' a double retort of malleable iron, whereof each separate part is
three parts filled with cast-iron borings; this retort is brought to and kept at
a bright red heat by a fire, the fuel employed in which is coke. The steam
passing thro' the retort is decomposed and hydrogen gas is generated, the
requisite pressure being obtained in the steam boiler. The precautions to be
used are two; first, that not only the retort but the borings contained in it be
brought to a bright red heat before the steam is admitted, which probably will
require an hour after the fuel in the fire is in a state of bright incandescence;
secondly, that the steam be wholly decomposed and no steam issue from
the retort, which may be seen at the safety valve. If any steam issue there
the quantity of steam forced into the retort is to be diminished until it is
observed to be wholly decomposed. The hydrogen gas thus generated is
forced at the requisite pressure by a pipe or pipes into the molten crude iron
in the crucible.
The Drawing further indicates in what manner and direction the nozzle
pipes are inserted into the smelting furnace, and descend into the crucible.
Only one nozzle pipe is shewn, and this may on some occasions be sufficient,
but two or more may be employed, as the more nozzle pipes, or the greater
quantity of gas admitted, the more rapid will be the process.
The gas
apparatus by having two or more universal joints will allow the nozzle pipe to
be inserted in any direction. A hole of three or four inches diameter is to be
bored or constructed in the brick or stone work of the furnace in an oblique
direction as shewn in the Drawing, so as to allow the nozzle pipe inserted in
this hole to descend to the bottom of the crude iron, or to be withdrawn at
pleasure, which hole may be made and adapted to any kind of smelting
furnace, the only alteration required being the hole for the admission of the
gas pipe, which, from the position it is in will not interfere with the general
operation of the furnace, as the hole will be stopped with sand in the usual
way until the gas is required. The pipe descending into the iron, as shewn in
the Drawing, there is no danger of its being stopped up, provided the gas is
caused to issue from the pipe previous to its insertion into the metal, nor is
there any danger of the pipe inserted into the metal being burned away, that
part of the pipe inserted into the metal being covered with a little fire clay, the
passing gas having the effect of keeping the pipe cool; the size of pipe may be
one inch bore for a furnace of the size indicated in the Drawing. The safety
valve in the gas apparatus will act as an indicator when the metal begins to
thicken and it is time to tap, because the resistance to the entering gas will
then be greater, and greater pressure will be requisite to cause the gas to enter.

page_text: Instead of one hole two or more may be bored or constructed in the brick or.
stone work of the furnace, and two or more nozzle pipes employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Taylor, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of.
our Lord 1859.
W. TAYLOR. (L.S.)