IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR EQUALIZING THE TEMPERATURE IN CAST STEEL INGOTS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, FREDERICK JOHN BROUGHAM, of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Managing Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR EQUALIZING THE
TEMPERATURE IN CAST STEEL INGOTS" (a communication to me from abroad by
Albert Sailler, Chief Engineer of the "Witkowitier Bergbau und Eisenhütten
Gewerkschaft," of Witkowitz, Moravia, Austria,) to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means by which cast steel ingots,
after having been freed from the chills, may be effectively guarded against losses of
heat by radiation from the outer layers of said ingots, so as to cause the cooled
surface layers to be heated again by the centre portion not yet fully congealed and
continuously emitting latent caloric.
To this effect, the ingots cast upon slabs of refractory clay are covered with
similarly shaped but somewhat larger boxes or cases, made of a non-conductor of
heat and having rather thin sides. Said boxes or cases are heated previous to
their first use, and afterwards each box taken off from one ingot is used to cover a
fresh one.
The said heat retaining boxes have double sides, the outer sides being made of
sheet iron plates and the inner sides either of sheet iron plates or of refractory slabs,
while the hollow space between each two sides is filled up with a non-conductor of
heat, preferably with fossil meal, small pieces of coke, slag wool, or wood pulp.
Each heat retaining box is preferably provided with a hermetically closing cover
which may be partly lifted when heating the boxes, in order to allow the products
of combustion to escape.
Furthermore said boxes are fitted out with sidewise projecting eyes into which
forks can be hooked in order to direct the box when suspended on a crane ready to
be placed upon the ingot.
The refractory slabs upon which the ingots are cast, are preferably mounted
upon cars movable on a track which runs from the smelting-furnace to the rolling
mill.
F. J. BROUGHAM.

page_text: COMPLETE
DIEULTICA
I, FREDERICK JOHN BROUGHAM, managing clerk, of 46 Lincolns Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR EQUALIZING THE
TEMPERATURE IN CAST STEEL INGOTS" (A communication to me from abroad by
Albert Sailler, Chief Engineer, of the "Witkowitier Bergbau und Eisenhütten
Gewerkschaft of Witkowitz Moravia, Austria) and in what manner the same
is to be performed. to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
"
This invention has for its object to provide means by which cast steel ingots,
after having been freed from the moulds may be effectively guarded against losses
of heat by radiation from the outer layers of said ingots, so as to cause the cooled
surface layers to be heated again by the centre portion not yet fully congealed and
consequently still emitting latent caloric.
The so called "soaking pits," introduced by Mr J. Gjers into metallurgic practice,
aim at a purpose which is analogous to that of the process hereinafter described.
According to Mr J Gjers invention, a convenient number of pits, having very strong
refractory walls, intended to act as regenerators of caloric, are arranged, preferably
below the floor of the melting-house. It is true that Mr J. Gjers vaguely indicates
in the specification to his patent some modifications of the typical form of said
soaking pits" but the indications given are not of such kind as to allow of the
best manner of carrying said modification into practice being understood.
"
According to this invention the ingots are cast upon slabs of refractory clay,
preferably mounted on cars movable on a track, and after the ingots have congealed
sufficiently to allow of the moulds being removed each ingot is covered with a
similarly shaped, but somewhat larger box or case, made of refractory material,
closed at its top, and beated previous to use. This box which is named the "heat
retaining box," in consequence of the effect it produces, is allowed to remain above
the ingot until the equalization of temperature in the same has advanced so far,
that the subsequent working of the steel can take place; the proper state of
equalization is empirically judged. Preferably, the general arrangement is so
chosen that every heat retaining box removed from an ingot can immediately be
placed above another ingot freshly cast.
When compared with Mr J. Gjers method, the hereinbefore described process
presents the following distinctions and advantages.
1st The insulating sides of the heat retaining boxes being relatively thin they
absorb and deprive the ingots of a far smaller quantity of caloric than the thick
surrounding walls of the soaking pits, said walls performing in the samo time the
office of a regenerator of heat.
2nd The hōt ingots are exposed to the contact of the cold air during a very short
time only, as they are not subject to transportation, before the temperature has
been equalized,

page_text: 3rd Owing to the circumstance that the process of equalizing the temperature in
he ingots is carried through on the place where they are cast, a considerable
expense for labour is saved.
4th Facility is afforded for keeping ready the necessary means for equalizing the
temperature in ingots of different forms and sizes, without obstruction of the work-
room and without great expense.
In the annexed sheet of drawings
Fig 1 is a sectional elevation of the most common form of "heat retaining boxes,"
constructed according to my invention; Fig 2 is a sectional plan of said heat
retaining box Fig 3 is a ground plan of the general arrangement of a melting-
house, the refractory slabs for the ingots being mounted on cars. Fig 4 shows the
arrangement of the tracks in suid melting-house; Fig 5 is a ground plan of a
melting-house with fixed refractory slabs; Fig 6 is a sectional elevation of a slightly
modified form of the heat retaining boxes; Fig 7 is a horizontal section of this
modified heat retaining box; Fig 8 is a top view of the same.
As clearly shown in Figs 1, 2, 6. 7 and 8, each heat retaining box has double
sides, the outer ones a being made of sheet iron, while the inner ones b are made,
either likewise of sheet iron, as shown in Figs 1 and 2, or of refractory slabs, as
shown in Figs 6, 7 and 8. The space between the inner and outer sides is filled up
with an incoherent material c, being a non-conductor of heat preferably with fossil
meal, small pieces of coke, slag wool or wood-pulp. At its bottom the heat retaining
box is open, but when used it is closed in consequence of its being placed upon the
refractory slab & carrying the ingot. The top end of each box is provided with a
hermetically closing cover e, which is partly lifted while the box is being heated as
described, to afford an exit to the products of combustion; however, before use of
the heat retaining box, the said cover must be perfectly closed. If so preferred,
holes may be provided for giving a passage to the products of combustion, and in
this case the movable cover e is replaced by a fixed top.
That the heat retaining box, which hangs on the chains of a crane when it is to
be placed upon an ingot, might be turned at will in such a manner that it may be
deposited as symmetrically as possible with relation to the steel-block, the heat
retaining box is provided with eyes f, into which are hooked forks g having
handles h.
In newly established melting-houses, the general arrangement shown by Figs
3 and 4 may be employed to advantage, if the described process of equalizing the
With this arrangement, the
temperature in the ingots is intended to be used.
tracks jj, crossing the span or radial reach of the foundry-crane, indicated in
the drawing by the dotted arc A. B, are connected at both ends by switches, as
shown in Fig 4. The empty cars returning from the place where the ingots are
submitted to subsequent working (rolling-mill) consequently can be furnished with
moulds on one track j', and then pushed upon the shunt-track j, where they
remain until the cars k, loaded with freshly cast ingots i and heat retaining boxes m
covering the same, have been removed for the rolling-mill.
The
Fig 5 shows an arrangement, in which the fixed refractory slabs are placed along
the limit n of the radial reach of the foundry-crane. When beginning to work, the
melted steel is run into the ingot moulds on every second refractory slab and
subsequently the ingots i are covered with the heat retaining boxes m.
equalizing of the temperature in these ingots being accomplished, the other half of
the moulds are filled and the heat retaining boxes having become available are
used for covering the ingots.
By means of tho cranes n¹ n¹, the ingots in which the temperature is already
equalized are lifted upon cars on the track 13.
Should for any reason a longer interval take place between a heat retaining box
being removed from one ingot and placed upon a fresh one, the said box is during
5 this time placed over a burner fed with lighting-gas, generator-gases etc or over a
tube through which the hot products of combustion of a furnace are allowed to
escape.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The herein before described process of equalizing the temperature in cast steel
ingots, the said process consisting in covering the ingots, which have been cast upon
refractory clay plates, with heated boxes or cases of a similar shape but larger
dimensions, the said boxes or cases being made of a non-conductor of heat and
having comparatively thin sides, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In the hercinabove described process of equalizing the temperature in cast
steel ingots, the use of heat retaining boxes having double sides, the outer sides
being made of sheet iron plates and the inuer sides either of sheet iron plates or of
refractory clay plates and the hollow space between each two sides being filled up
with a non-conductor of heat substantially as set forth.
3. In the hereinabove described process of equalizing the temperature in cast
steel ingots casting the said ingots upon refractory clay plates mounted upon cars
movable on a track, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
L 1