THE SEPARATION OF IRON AND STEEL FROM THEIR COMBINATION WITH CERTAIN FOREIGN BODIES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British
and Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire
of France, for the Invention of "THE SEPARATION OF IRON AND STEEL
FROM THEIR COMBINATION WITH CERTAIN FOREIGN BODIES." A communi-
cation.
Sealed the 25th February 1859, and dated the 25th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th September 1858.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE SEPARATION OF IRON AND
STEEL FROM THEIR COMBINATION WITH CERTAIN FOREIGN BODIES," a communication,
to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in economising the waste matters known as "grind-
stone sands" or detritus of the grindstones employed in iron and steel
manufactures by the separation and reduction of their metallic constituents.
The oxides and earthy parts of this waste material being separated, the
residue, which is composed of finely divided iron or steel, or a mixture of both,
is submitted to pressure for the double purpose of expelling the moisture and
giving a certain amount of cohesion to the mass. The metal is then passed
to the furnace and is either forged directly or reduced to castings in the
ordinary way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 39,
Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, 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 Marc Antoine Francis Mennons, Her special licence that I,
the said Mare Antoine François Mennons, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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 "THE SEPARATION OF IRON AND STEEL FROM THEIR
COMBINATION WITH CERTAIN FOREIGN BODIES," (a communication,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Marc Antoine Francois Mennons,
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 Marc Antoine François Mennons do
hereby declare the nature of the 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 :-
"
The object of the Invention communicated to me, is the utilisation of the
metallic constituents of the waste material known as " 'grindstone sand or
detritus of the grindstones employed in iron and steel manufactures. These
sands which contain on an average from fifty to seventy per cent. of iron, steel,
or a mixture of both, according to the source from which they are procured;
are first freed from their earthy matter and oxides by washing, or by one of
the known voltaic or magnetical separating processes; the product of this
operation, which consists entirely of finely divided metal is submitted to

page_text: pressure in masses of convenient dimensions which are afterwards dried.
In this state the compressed metal is passed to the furnace, and heated till
slightly softened, when the cohesion of the particles is completed by hammering
in lingot moulds. These lingots are then returned to the furnace in super-
posed layers, according to the form and dimensions of the bars required, and are
finely welded and hammered for use. The nature of the metal thus obtained,
depends on that of the objects finished off, or polished on the grindstones of
which the detritus has been worked up, so that as the case may be, the product
is either iron, steel, or an intermediate metal partaking of the character of both.
For the production of steel, the metallic particles resulting from the first
operation are dried and worked up with powdered wood charcoal; this mixture
is then packed in crucibles of refractory clay, and exposed to the action of the
furnace; the mass being fused, the steel is run off into moulds and refined
in the ordinary way.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which it may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details laid down, as these may be modified
according to circumstances; but what I claim is the separation and reduction
to bar or lingot substantially as above described of the iron and steel particles
contained in the waste material known as grindstone sand, or residue of the
grindstones employed in iron and steel manufactures.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
M. F. MENNONS. (L.B.)