Converters to be Used in such Manufacture.
Year: 1885

page_text: Converters to be Used in such Manufacture.
I HENRY WHITE of Derwent, Gold Tops, Newport in the County of Monmouth
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND IRON AND IN CONVERTERS TO BE USED IN SUCH
MANUFACTURE" to be as follows:-
My improvements relate chiefly to stationary converters but are also applicable
to tipping converters. They consist firstly in the means adopted for retaining the
tuyere bricks in position. I employ single tuyere bricks placed at equal distances
apart from each other all around the circumference of the lower part of the
converter and I so arrange the parts used for retaining such bricks in position and
for supplying blast to them-that each brick can be put in and made air tight or
be taken out without interfering with any of the others.
Each tuyere brick as is usual has a number of holes formed longitudinally
through it and it is placed into a hole formed through the casing of the converter
and its inner lining-the brick may be of a length to fill this hole and project
somewhat beyond it or may be divided into two or more parts.
Preferably I make the bricks square in cross section and tapered lengthwise the
outer end being the larger.
Wherever each hole is formed through the outer casing I fix on to the exterior
of the casing a cast iron block or box with a hole through it of a size somewhat
greater than the outer end of a tuyere brick. This block or box has also jointed
to it by borizontal joints the ends of a curved wrought iron bar or buckle one joint
being at one side of the hole in the block or box and the other on the opposite side.
Against the outer face of the block or box is placed a cover the centre of which
has a hole formed through it to receive the pipe connection for conveying blast to
the interior of the block or box. The hole and the end of the pipe are made to
form a ball and socket joint. The pipe is made to take an upward bend close
to its ball shaped end and its ball shaped end is held into the socket by a screw
bolt screwed through the centre of the curved wrought iron bar or buckle and
made to bear against the side of the pipe in this way also the cover is forced
against the face of the block. A tight joint may be secured between the cover and
the outer face of the block by an asbestos or other packing placed between them.

page_text: The upper portion of the coverter I surround with an air chamber which forms
part of the air blast main. The upper end of the blast pipe may be connected to
an opening in the outer side of this air chamber in the same way that its lower
end is connected to the casing of the converter.
The air blast pipe may also be formed with a telescopic or expansion joint to
allow it to adapt itself to the two openings in which its ends are held, or an elastic
tube may be used.
In place of the lower end of the air blast pipe being held against the face of a
metal block secured to the casing of the converter it might be formed to fit over
the outer end of the tuyere brick and be similarly held against the end of the
tuyere brick by a jointed curved bar or buckle and screw bolt.
By screwing back the screw bolts the blast pipes can at once be released from
the converter and can be replaced in very little time.
The annular air blast chamber which surrounds the upper part of the converter
may have partitions in it to cause the air to travel in a circuitous course through
it so that the air blast may be heated and the exterior of the convertor cooled.
The tuyere bricks may either, be set radially, towards the centre of the converter
or may be set obliquely so as to impart a more or less rapid circular motion to the
molten metal. In some cases also I place the tuyeres successively the one a little
higher than the preceding one in the manner of a screw so that the metal receives
a screw like movement which effects a perfect circulation of the metal and causes
every portion of it to be brought into immediate contact with the blast and assists
the scum and impurities to rise to the surface.
The variation in the pressure necessary to meet, the different, depths of the
tuycres below the surface of the metal may be regulated by the size of the tuyere
inlets.
The regulation of the blast can be done by a suitable main blast slide valve
which acts as a throttle valve or regulator.
This valve I form so that it cannot be shut beyond a certain point so as to avoid
all risk of an influx of metal into the tuyeres.
By imparting a circular motion to the metal as above described it will be brought
into a fibrous condition and if the metal be run out in the same direction into
moulds it will retain this fibrous condition so that in place of running the steel
into heavy ingots of a ton or more and then reducing such ingots by cogging and
bloom-shears to the size required it may, be cast in a long fibrous piece ready for
the rolls so that the converters can be placed close to the rail bar or plate mill.
Dated this 20th day of July 1885.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and Iron, and in
Converters to be Used in such Manufacture.
I, HENRY WHITE of Derwent Gold Tops Newport in the County of Monmouth
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
My improvements relate chiefly to stationary converters but are also applicable
to tipping converters. They consist firstly in means for placing the tuyere bricks
in position. I employ single tuyere bricks placed at equal distances apart from
each other all around the circumference of the lower part of the converter, and I so
arrange the parts used for supplying blast that each brick can be put in and made
air tight or be taken out without interfering with any of the others.
Also I surround the outer portion of the converter with an air chamber which
forms part of the air blast main. The blast pipe is connected to an opening in the
outer side of this air chamber.
The air blast chamber may have partitions in it to cause the air to travel in a
circuitous course through it so that the air blast may be heated and the exterior of
the converter cooled.
Each tuyere brick is placed into a hole formed through the casing of the
converter and its inner lining.
Where each hole passes through the outer casing I fix a cast iron block or box
with a hole through it of a size somewhat greater than the outer end of a tuyere
brick. This block or box has also jointed to it by horizontal joints the ends of a
curved wrought iron bar or buckle one joint being at one side of the hole in the
block or box and the other on the opposite side. Against the outer face of the
block or box is placed a cover the centre of which has a hole formed through it to
receive the pipe connection for conveying blast to the interior of the block or box.
The pipe is made to take an upward bend and is held by a screw cotter or bolt
screwed through the centre of the curved wrought iron bar or buckle and made to
bear against the side of the pipe in this way also the cover is forced against the
face of the block. A tight joint may be secured between the cover and the
outer face of the block by an asbestos or other packing placed between them.
In the same way the upper end of the blast pipe may be connected to the casing
of the converter. The cover and the blast pipe may be formed separately, but
preferably the cover and connecting pipe are formed in one piece. Or the pipe
may be formed on the block or box within the outer casing. Each tuyere brick as
is usual has a number of holes formed longitudinally through it. Preferably
I make the bricka square in cross section and tapering lengthwise the outer end
being the larger.
The tuyere bricks may either be set radially towards the centre of the converter
or may be set obliquely so as to impart a more or less rapid circular motion to the
molten metal. In some cases also I place the tuyeres successively the one a little
higher than the preceding one in the manner of a screw so that the metal receives

page_text: :
Figure 1 is a side clevation of a converter constructed according to my
invention. Figure 2 is a vertical section and Figure 3 is an horizontal section
of the same.
Figure 4 is a vertical section to a larger scale showing one method of arranging
the blast block, the cover and the connecting pipe at the apertures in the double
casing provided for the insertion of the tuyere bricks.
Figure 5 is a vertical section showing a modification of the arrangement shown
by Figure 4. In this modification the blast block or box which is fixed to the
mner and outer casings has a plain cover removeable for the introduction of
the tuyere brick and the connecting pipe is formed on the box or block between
the two casings.
Figure 6 shows a front elevation of the blast box or block of Figure 5. In this
figure the end of the tuyere brick also appears.
a is the inner and main casing of the converter. b is the outer casing, c is the
lining; d is the charging hole; e is the blast inlet to the space between the
casings a and b; f are the tuyere bricks set in the lining; g, g, are blast blocks
or boxes fixed at holes in the inner and outer linings provided for the insertion of
the tuyere bricks. h, h are removeable covers for closing the blast boxes and
i, i, are pipes by which the blast passes to the interior of the blast blocks or boxes
and so to the tuyeres. kis the tapping hole. The oblique arrangement of the
tuyeres and their arrangements at different depths below the surface of the metal
is clearly shown in the drawings.
In the arrangement shown by Figure 4 the cover of the blast block or box and
the connecting pipe i are represented as cast in one piece and the cover is held up
to the mouth of the aperture in the blast block or box by a buckle jointed to the
block and a key m is driven in between the buckle and the side of the pipe i; or a
screw may be substituted for the key or wedge.
A packing of asbestos fabric is provided for the edges of the cover to bear
against. At the upper end of the pipe i a joint is made in a similar manner
against a block fixed upon the side of the outer casing b.
In the modification shown by Figures 5 and 6 the blast box or block similarly
connects the outer and inner casing but the cover is plain or without any pipe
connection and it is fixed in its place by a key or wedge driven behind it through
lugs upon the outer casing. The connecting pipe is formed upon the block or box
and is contained in the space between the two casings.

page_text: The connecting pipe in each case serves to admit the blast to the tuyere whilst
rendering it impossible under any circumstances for metal to pass by the tuyeres
to the space between the inner and outer casings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. My improvements in the manufacture of iron and steel consisting in keeping
it in constant rotary motion whilst under treatment in the converter by means of
air introduced through tuyeres set obliquely, whereby a fibrous condition is
imparted to the metal.
2. My improvement in converters consisting in providing the same with an
inner and outer casing and connections such that the blast is led through the
casing and thereby warmed on its way to the tuyeres.
3. My improvement in converters consisting in setting the tuyeres obliquely
whereby the air entering the converter is caused to impart rotary motion to the
metal under treatment.
4. My improvement in converters consisting in setting the tuyeres obliquely
and also at different levels whereby a more perfect diffusion of the air throughout
the metal under treatment is obtained.
5. My improvement in converters consisting in providing at the holes through
the inner and outer casings, blast blocks or boxes fixed upon these casings and
having covers removeable for the introduction and fixing of the tuyeres and also
connecting pipes conveying blast into the block or box and so to the tuyeres.
6. My improved converters substantially as described and represented by the
annexed drawings.
T50 day of Anvil 1986