AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MELTING OF IRON
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MELTING OF IRON."
A communication from abroad by Ernest Christian Haserick, of Lake
Village, in the State of New Hampshire, United States of America.
Sealed the 18th July 1866, and dated the 9th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th March 1866.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON,, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MELTING OF
IRON," to be as follows:
The object of this Ïnvention is to utilize iron chips, such for instance as the
"turnings which accumulate under the lathes in machine shops, by melting
them together, and thus bringing the metal into a common mass: To this
end the fine,chips, turnings, and shavings of iron, which if placed directly in
a furnace would be liable to be burned in contact with the oxygen of the blast;
or blown out by the blast,, are mixed with common clay, to which may be
added a little sulphuric acid, enough to create a little "alum." The whole
mass is then treated with water and mixed up to about the consistency of
common mortar. By this means the fine particles of iron are more or less

page_text: concealed in and protected by the clay and are brought to a condition some-
what resembling the condition of iron in the ore, the iron being protected from
the access of oxygen, and so the burning of the iron is prevented. Or instead
of clay moist earth or ashes may be employed to form with the chips, turnings,
or shavings of iron plastic masses for admission into the blast furnace. Iron
turnings brought into such a pasty condition-are-easily- melted without
danger of burning or of being blown away in the blast..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th September 1866.-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE, PRESENTS - SHALL COME, I, ALFRED.
VINCENT, NEWTON, of the Office. for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent-Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MELTING OF IRON," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an, instrument. in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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. Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 thereof (that is to say):-

page_text: This Invention consists in a new and useful process of treating and melting
iron chips, such, for instance; as the "turnings" which accumulate:under the
lathes in machine shops, and which, unless melted together and brought into
a common mass, are treated as 'waste and are considered useless."" Attempts
have been made to reduce such iron to a mass by placing it within pots or
castings before subjecting it to the blast, and thus preserving it from the
burning action of the oxygen and from being blown out of the cupola." But
such attempts have not been economical and profitable.
The improved method and process is as follows:-Take fine chips, .turnings,
and shavings of iron, which if placed' directly in a furnace.would be liable to be
burned in contact with the oxygen of the blast and to be blown out by the blast,
and mix them with common clay, to which may be added a little sulphuric
acid, enough to create a little "alum." Then treat the whole mass with
water and mix it up to about the consistency of common.mortar. By this
means the fine particles of iron are more or less concealed in and protected by
the clay, and are brought to a condition somewhat resembling the condition of
iron in the ore, the iron being protected from the access of oxygen, and so the
burning of the iron is prevented. It has been found, that iron turnings
brought into such a pasty condition are easily melted without danger of burning
them or of having them blown away in the blast.
In carrying out the Invention common clay is to be mixed with water to
about the consistency of milk, and iron chips, turnings, and shavings from
repair and machine shops are to be added to the iron, the mass being stirred
until the iron is well mixed and the whole brought to a pasty condition like
It is then ready to be put into the fire, when the iron will be quickly
melted without injury to its quality and without much loss of its quantity. Any
sort of moist earth can be used instead of clay and earth, and ashes inixed
with water may be used with success. An experiment made with one thousand
pounds of chips resulted as follows:-
The chips may be mixed immediately before using them or days before.
5 When the paste or mixture is rather dry more clay or earth should be added
to protect the iron, and the addition of a little sulphuric acid will be
advantageous.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of an improvement. in
the melting of iron, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part,recited Letters
Patent I claim melting iron chips, shavings, or turnings, and other fine par-
ticles of metallic iron in a furnace, and preventing them from being burned
and blown away by mixing them with earth or clay and water, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness;
J. W. MOFFATT,
-66, Chancery Lane..
A. V. NEWTON. (L.8.