AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST STEEL
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Mushet, of Coleford, in the County of
Gloucester, Metallurgist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CAST STEEL."
Sealed the 11th December 1860, and dated the 29th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Mushet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
September 1860.
I, ROBERT MUSHET, of Coleford, in the County of Gloucester, Metallurgist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST STEEL," to be as follows:-.
My Invention consists in producing a superior quality of cast steel,
by melting in melting pots or crucibles blister steel, bar or puddled steel,
or scrap steel, or mixtures of these varieties of steel or malleable iron
and carbonaceous matter with those varieties of titanium ores titaniferous
iron ores, which are found naturally in the state of finely divided iron
sand, such as the variety of iserine found at Taranaki, near the port of
New Plymouth, in New Zealand, and which is found there in large quantities,
and in such a comminuted state as readily to pass through a sieve or riddle of

page_text: 3,600 meshes per square inch, and which can therefore be used for my process
without being previously pulverised.
I introduce the blister steel, bar or puddled steel, or scrap steel, or mixtures of
these or the malleable iron and carbonaceous matter along with the titaniferous
iron sand or iserine of New Zealand, into a melting pot or crucible, such as is
ordinarily used by steel melters, and which said pot or crucible is placed in an
ordinary steel-melting furnace and heated therein. I heat the said substances
together in the melting pot until the titaniferous ore is reduced, and the steel
or iron is melted and alloyed with the metals. of the said reduced titaniferous
iron ore. I then withdraw the melting pot from the furnace and pour the
steel into a suitable ingot or other mould.
I prefer to prepare the New Zealand iserine or iron sand for my process
as follows:--1st, I melt thirty pounds of pitch or resin in a pitch pot or
kettle, and when the said pitch or resin is melted, I stir and mix in ten
pounds of the New Zealand iserine or iron sand, and when well mixed I pour
out the compound upon a cold wet slab or plate or into a wet trough, and this
compound when cold, I break up for use. 2nd, or I melt fourteen pounds of
pitch or resin in a pitch pot or kettle, and when the said pitch or resin is in a
melted state I stir and mix in eight pounds of the New Zealand iserine or
iron sand, and two pounds of lampblack or finely pulverised charcoal; I then
pour out the mixture upon a cold wet slab or plate, or into a wet trough, and
when the mixture is cold I break it up ready for use.
I call the first compound, which I have herein described "No. 1 compound,"
and the second compound, which I have described, and in the composition of
which lampblack is used, I call" compound No. 2," and when charcoal is used
in the composition, in place of lampblack, I call the mixture "compound
No. 3."
To forty pounds of mild blister steel, scrap steel, bar or puddled steel, or a
mixture of these, I add from one pound to one pound and a half of one of the
compounds No. 1, No. 2, or No, 3, and I introduce the steel and the com-
pound employed into the melting pot or crucible placed in a melting furnace,
and I heat these substances therein until the iserine or titaniferous iron sand is
reduced, and the steel melted; I then withdraw the melting pot from the
furnace and pour the steel into an ingot or other mould.
Manganese oxide, or manganese oxide and carbonaceous matter, may be
added to the steel in the melting pot, as is commonly practised to toughen the
steel, if necessary, in drawing or rolling out, in order to prevent the said steel
from cracking; but I do not claim this as of my said Invention; charcoal only

page_text: or coal tar, or other carbonaceous matter may be mixed with the iserine or
titaniferous iron sand, instead of pitch or resin, but I prefer to use pitch or
resin as more convenient and efficacious.
To forty pounds of good charcoal, bar iron cut up into small pieces of a
convenient size for packing into the melting pot, I add from one pound to one
pound and a half of either of the compounds I have described as compounds
No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, and I add also from four ounces to eight or ten
ounces of charcoal in small pieces about the size of peas or beans. I introduce
these substances into a melting pot or crucible placed in a melting furnace, and
I heat the said substances therein until the iserine or titaniferous iron sand in
the compound is reduced, and the malleable iron is combined with the charcoal,
and melted; I then withdraw the melting pot from the furnace and pour the
steel into an ingot or other mould. Manganese oxide, or manganese oxide
and carbonaceous matter may be added in order to render the ingots of steel
tougher and more ductile under the hammer or rollers in drawing out; but I
do not claim such addition as of my said Invention.
I do not confine myself to the proportions of New Zealand iserine or iron
sand and carbonaceous matter herein set down in describing my compounds
Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and which may be varied, but I have found that the propor-
tions given as constituting my compounds Nos. 1, 2, and 3, afford excellent
results in practice. Neither do I limit myself to the proportions of the com-
pounds Nos. 1, 2, and 3, which I add to either blister, bar or scrap steel or to
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter herein set down; for these proportions
may be varied; but I have found that the proportions I have herein set down
afford in practice excellent results.
In place of adding the compound of New Zealand iserine or titaniferous
iron sand and carbonaceous matter to blister steel, bar steel, puddled or scrap
steel, or mixtures of these, or to malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, and
introducing these substances and the said compound together into the melting
pot or crucible, I sometimes first introduce the blister steel, bar steel, puddled
or scrap steel, or mixtures of these, or the malleable iron and carbonaceous
matter into the melting pot or crucible, and I add to the said steel or to the
said malleable iron and carbonaceous matter at a subsequent stage of the
melting operation the compound or mixture of the New Zealand iserine or
titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter. The said compound may be
added to the steel or to the malleable iron and carbonaceous matter at those
stages of the melting operation after the said steel or malleable iron and car-
bonaceous matter has been charged into the melting pot, and when the lids or

page_text: covers of the melting pots are uncovered by the burning away of the fuel, so
as to become accessible to the workman or melters. The lids or covers of the
pots are then taken off by a workman with a pair of lid tongs, the compound
of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter is dropped into the
pots, and the lids are quickly replaced. I prefer to introduce the compound
when the last fire required to melt the charge of steel or of malleable iron and
carbonaceous matter has burnt away so far as to enable the workman or melter
to remove conveniently the lid of the pot or crucible with his lid tongs. The
lid is then replaced, and when the fire has sufficiently burned away, the pot
is withdrawn from the furnace, and the steel is poured into an ingot or other
mould.
Instead of adding the mixture of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and car-
bonaceous matter to the steel, or to the mixture of malleable iron and carbon-
aceous matter during the melting operation, or after the steel or the malleable
iron and carbonaceous matter have been partly melted, the said steel or the
said mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter may be wholly melted
or brought into a a state of perfect fusion before the mixture of iserine or titani-
ferous iron ore and carbonaceous matter is added thereto; but in this case the
melting pot or crucible must be kept in the furnace for a period of from about
ten minutes to about twenty minutes after the introduction of the said mixture
of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter, in order to allow
time for the reduction of the said iserine or titaniferous iron ore.
When I add the mixture of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous
matter to the steel or mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter
during the melting of the said steel or malleable iron and carbonaceous matter,
or after these substances are wholly melted, I prefer to prepare the mixture of
iserine or titaniferous iron ore and carbonaceous matter in the following
manner: I melt twelve pounds of pitch or resin in a pitch pot or kettle, and
when the said pitch or resin is in a melted state I mix with it twelve pounds
of New Zealand iserine or iron sand and three pounds of finely pulverized char-
coal. When well mixed, I empty the compound out upon a cold wet slab or
plate, or into a wet trough, and when the compound is cold I break it up for
use, and I call it "compound No. 4."
To forty pounds of steel or of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter
charged into a melting pot I add, when the last fire required to melt the steel
or malleable iron and carbonaceous matter has burned away, so that the cover
or lid of the pot can be removed, from half a pound to two pounds of said
compound No. 4, introducing the said compound into the melting pot; I then
my

page_text: replace the lid and suffer the melting pot to remain in the melting furnace from
ten to twenty minutes until the fire has burned away, so that the pot is ready
to be taken out; I then withdraw the pot from the furnace and pour the steel
into an ingot or other mould; cold, I break it up for use, and I call it " com-
pound No. 4."
I do not confine myself to the proportions of iserine or titaniferous iron sand
and carbonaceous matter herein set down as constituting my compound No. 4,
and which may be varied, but I have found in practice that these proportions.
afford good results; neither do I limit myself to the quantity herein set down of
the said compound No. 4, which I add to forty pounds of steel or to a mixture of
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, and which may be varied, but I have
found that two pounds of the said compound when added to the said forty
pounds of steel or to the said mixture of forty pounds of malleable iron
and carbonaceous matter afford excellent results.
When I use charcoal only as the carbonaceous matter added with the New
Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand firstly to steel, or secondly to a
mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, I proceed as follows:-
1st. To forty pounds of blister steel, bar or puddled steel, scrap steel, or a
mixture of these, I add from one to two pounds of the New Zealand iserine or
titaniferous iron sand, and from four to six or eight ounces of charcoal in small
pieces from about the size of a pea to about the size of a nut, and I introduce
the steel, the titaniferous iron sand, and the charcoal into a melting pot or
crucible placed in a melting furnace, and I heat these substances therein until
the iserine or titaniferous iron sand is reduced and the steel melted. I then
withdraw the melting pot from the furnace, and pour the steel into an ingot or
other mould. When the steel which it is intended to melt is highly converted,
that is to say, when it is highly carbonised, I sometimes introduce the
New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand into the melting pot together
with the said highly carbonised steel without any further addition of car-
bonaceous matter. In this case the superfluous carbon contained in the
highly converted steel, aided to some extent by the carbonaceous matter in the
sides of the melting pot or crucible, acts upon and reduces the iserine or a
portion of it so as to improve the quality of the steel. It must be observed
that the greater the proportion of iserine thus introduced into the melting pot
without additional carbonaceous matter the greater will be the extent to which
the highly carbonised steel will be softened.
2nd. To forty pounds of good charcoal or other bar iron cut up into pieces
of a size convenient for packing into the melting pots, I add from eight to

page_text: twelve ounces of charcoal in pieces from about the size of a pea to about the
size of a nut, and I add also one pound of the New Zealand iserine or
titaniferous iron sand. I introduce these substances into a melting pot or
crucible placed in a melting furnace, and I heat them therein until the iserine
is reduced and the steel melted. I then withdraw the melting pot from the
furnace, and I pour the steel into an ingot or other mould.
I do not confine myself to the proportions of charcoal, to steel, or to
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter herein set down, nor to the propor-
tions of New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand to be added to the said
steel, or to the said malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, for these propor-
tions may be varied as circumstances may require, but I have obtained
excellent results by employing the proportions I have herein set down.
I wish it to be observed, that the greater the proportion of charcoal added to
the steel or to the mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter the
harder will be the resulting steel, and by increasing or diminishing the pro-
portion of charcoal added the hardness of the steel can be regulated with
facility.
I do not confine myself to the New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand;
for other varieties of titanium ore or titaniferous iron ore natually found in the
state of iron sand may be employed as herein-before described in respect of
the New Zealand iserine or iron sand, and which can be employed without being
previously pulverised. I have found that the said New Zealand iserine or
titaniferous iron sand, although existing in the state of an exceedingly fine iron
sand, may nevertheless be readily crushed or ground so as to become still more
comminuted, and I find that when thus ground it can be more intimately
mixed with pitch, or resin, or other carbonaceous matter than when in the state
in which it is found.
The pots or crucibles I prefer to use, and the furnaces in which they are
placed and heated, are such as are generally used by manufacturers of cast
steel, and I conduct the melting operations and the pouring or teeming of the
steel in the usual manner.
The essence of my Invention consists in melting blister steel, bar or puddled
steel, or scrap steel, or. mixtures of these varieties of steel, or a mixture of
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter in the proportions which constitute
steel, with New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand, and carbonaceous
matter, or adding the said titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter to
the steel or to the mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter during the
melting of the said steel or the said malleable iron and carbonaceous matter,

page_text: or after the said steel or malleable iron. and carbonaceous matter is melted and
reduced to a liquid state, and lastly in adding to highly carbonised steel New
Zealand iron sand without additional admixture of carbonaceous matter, and
melting the said highly carbonised steel and the titaniferous iron sand together
in a melting pot or crucible. In this case the excess of carbon contained in
the said highly carbonized steel suffices in place of any further addition of:
carbonaceous matter to reduce the iserine or titaniferous iron sand either
partially or wholly to the metallic state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Mushet, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th March 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MUSHET, of Coleford, in the County of Gloucester, Metallurgist, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,. the
said Robert Mushet, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Mushet, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert,
Mushet, 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 MANUFACTURE OF CAST STEEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Mushet, 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 Robert Mushet, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: My Invention consists in producing a superior quality of cast steel by
melting in melting pots or crucibles blister steel, bar or puddled steel, or
scrap steel, or mixtures of these varieties of steel, or malleable iron and
carbonaceous matter with those varieties of titanium ores, or titaniferous
iron ores, which are found naturally in the state of finely divided titaniferous
iron sand such as the variety of iserine found at Taranaki, near the port of
New Plymouth, in New Zealand, and which is found there in large quantities
and in such a comminuted state as readily to pass through a sieve or riddle
of 3600 meshes per square inch, and which can therefore be used for my
process without being previously pulverized. I will herein-after describe
my Invention as carried into effect by the use of the New Zealand titani-
ferous iron sand.
I introduce the blister steel, bar or puddled steel, or scrap steel, or mixtures
of these, or the malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, along with the
titaniferous iron sand or iserine of New Zealand into a melting pot or crucible,
such as is ordinarily used by steel melters, and which said pot or crucible is
placed in an ordinary steel melting furnace and heated therein. I heat the said
substances together in the melting pot until the titaniferous iron ore is reduced
and the steel or the iron and carbonaceous matter are melted and alloyed
with the metals of the said reduced titaniferous iron ore.. I then withdraw
the melting pot from the furnace and pour the steel into a suitable ingot
mould or other mould.
I prefer to prepare the New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand for
my process at follows, but I sometimes employ the said New Zealand iserine
or titaniferous iron sand without any previous preparation as herein-after
explained. 1st, I melt thirty pounds of pitch or resin in a pitch pot or
kettle, and when the said pitch or resin is melted, I stir and mix in ten pounds
of the New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand, and when well mixed
I pour out the compound upon a cold wet slab or plate, or into a wet trough,
and this compound when cold I break up for use. 2nd, or I melt fourteen
pounds of pitch or resin in a pitch pot or kettle, and when the said pitch or
resin is in a melted state I stir and mix in eight pounds of the New Zealand
iserine or titaniferous iron sand and two pounds of lampblack or finely
pulverised charcoal. I then pour out the mixture upon a cold wet slab
or plate, or into a wet trough, and when the mixture is cold I break it up
ready for use.
I call the first compound, which I have herein described "No 1 compound,"
and the second compound, which I have herein. described, and in the compo-

page_text: sition of which lampblack is used, I call "compound No. 2," and when
charcoal is used in the composition in place of lampblack, I call the
mixture compound No. 3."
.
To forty pounds of mild blister steel, scrap steel, bar or puddled steel, or a
mixture of these, I add from one pound to one pound and a half of one of the
compounds No. 1, No. 2. or No. 3, and I introduce the steel, and the compound
employed, into the melting pot or crucible placed in a melting furnace, and
I heat these substances therein until the iserine or titaniferous iron sand is
reduced and the steel melted. I then withdraw the melting pot from the
furnace and pour the steel into an ingot mould or into any other suitable
mould.
Manganese oxide, or manganese oxide and carbonaceous matter may be
added to the steel in the melting pot, as is commonly practised to toughen
the steel if necessary in drawing or rolling out in order to prevent the said
steel from cracking; but I do not claim the addition of oxide of manganese
with or without carbonaceous matter as of my said Invention. Charcoal alone,
or coal tar, or bitumen, or other carbonaceous matter may be mixed with
the iserine or titaniferous iron sand instead of pitch or resin, but I prefer to
use pitch or resin as more convenient and efficacious.
To forty pounds of good charcoal bar iron, cut up into small pieces of a
convenient size for packing into the melting pot, I add from one pound to one'
pound and a half of either of the compounds I have described as compounds
No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, and I add also from four ounces to eight or ten
ounces of charcoal, in small pieces, about the size of peas or beans, or
5 smaller. I introduce these substances into a melting pot or crucible placed
in a melting furnace, and I heat the said substances therein until the iserine
or titaniferous iron sand in the compound is reduced and the malleable iron-
is combined with the charcoal and melted. I then withdraw the melting pot
from the furnace, and pour the steel into an ingot mould, or into any other
suitable mould. Manganese oxide, or manganese oxide and carbonaceous.
matter may be added in order to render the ingots of steel tougher and more
ductile under the hammer or rollers in drawing out, but I do not claim such
addition as of my said Invention.
I do not confine myself to the proportions of New Zealand iserine or
titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter herein set down in describing
my compounds Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and which may be varied, but I have found
that the proportions given as constituting my compounds Nos. 1, 2, and 3,
afford excellent results in practice. Neither do I limit myself to the proportions
:

page_text: of the compounds Nos. 1, 2, and 3, which I add to either blister, bar, or scrap
steel, or to malleable iron and carbonaceous matter herein set down, for these
proportions may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention,
but I have found that the proportions I have herein set down afford in practice
excellent results.
In place of adding the compound of New Zealand iserine or titaniferous
iron sand and carbonaceous matter to blister steel, bar steel, puddled or scrap
steel, or mixtures of these, or to malleable iron and carbonaceous matter,
and introducing these substances and the said compound together into the
melting pot or crucible, I sometimes first introduce the blister steel, bar
steel, puddled or scrap steel, or mixtures of these, or the malleable iron and
carbonaceous matter, into the melting pot or crucible, and I add to the said
steel, or to the said malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, at a subsequent
stage of the melting operation, the compound or mixture of the New Zealand
iserine or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter. The said compound
may be added to the steel or to the malleable iron and carbonaceous matter at
those stages of the melting operation after the said steel or malleable iron and
carbonaceous matter have been charged into the melting pot, and when the
lids or covers of the melting pots are uncovered by the burning away of the
fuel so as to become accessible to the workmen or melters. The lids or covers
of the pots are then taken off by a workman with a pair of lid tongs, the com-
pound of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter is dropped into
the pots and the lids are quickly replaced. I prefer to introduce the said
compound when the last fire required to melt the charge of steel, or of malleable
iron and carbonaceous matter, has burnt away so far as to enable the workman
or melter to remove conveniently the lid of the pot or crucible with his lid
tongs. The lid is then replaced, and when the fire has sufficiently burned
away the pot is withdrawn from the furnace and the steel is poured into an
ingot mould, or into any other suitable mould.
Instead of adding the mixture of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and
carbonaceous matter to the steel, or to the mixture of malleable iron and
carbonaceous matter, during the melting operation, or after the steel or the
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter have been partly melted, the said steel,
or the said mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, may be wholly
melted or brought into a state of perfect fusion before the mixture of iserine
or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter is added thereto. But in
this case the melting pot or crucible must be kept in the furnace for a period
of from about ten minutes to about twenty minutes after the introduction of

page_text: the said mixture of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter
in order to allow time for the reduction of the said iserine or titaniferous iron
ore.
When I add the mixture of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and car-
bonaceous matter to the steel or mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous
matter during the melting of the said steel or malleable iron and carbonaceous
matter, or after these substances are wholly melted, I prefer to prepare the
mixture of iserine or titaniferous iron sand and carbonaceous matter in the
following manner: I melt twelve pounds of pitch or resin in a pitch pot or
kettle, and when the said pitch or resin is in a melted state, I mix with it
twelve pounds of New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand, and three
pounds of finely pulverised charcoal. When well mixed, I empty the com-
pound out upon a cold wet slab or plate, or into a wet trough, and when the
compound is cold, I break it up for use, and I call it "compound No. 4."
To forty pounds of steel or of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter charged
into a melting pot I add, when the last fire required to melt the steel or
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter has burned away so that the cover or
lid of the pot can be removed, from half a pound to two pounds of my said
compound No. 4, introducing the said compound into the melting pot; I then
replace the lid, and suffer the melting pot to remain in the melting furnace
from ten to twenty minutes, until the fire has burned away, so that the pot is
ready to be taken out; I then withdraw the pot from the furnace, and pour
the steel into an ingot mould, or into any other suitable mould.
I do not confine myself to the proportions of iserine or titaniferous iron
sand and carbonaceous matter herein set down as constituting my compound
No. 4, and which may be varied, but I have found in practice that these
proportions afford good results; neither do I limit myself to the quantity
herein set down of the said compound No. 4, which I add to forty pounds of
steel or to forty pounds of a mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous
matter, and which quantity of compound No. 4 may be varied, but I have
found that two pounds of the said compound when added to the said mixture
of forty pounds of steel, or to the said forty pounds of malleable iron and
carbonaceous matter, afford excellent results.
When I use charcoal only as the carbonaceous matter added with the New
Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand, firstly, to steel, or, secondly, to a
mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, I proceed as follows:-
1
1st, to forty pounds of blister steel, bar steel, or puddled steel, scrap steel, or
a mixture of these, I add from one to two pounds of the New Zealand iserine

page_text: or titaniferous iron sand, and from four to six or eight ounces of charcoal, in
small pieces from about the size of a pea to about the size of a nut, and I
introduce the steel, the titaniferous iron sand, and the charcoal into a melting
pot or crucible placed in a melting furnace, and I heat these substances
therein until the iserine or titaniferous iron sand is reduced, and the steel
melted. I then withdraw the melting pot from the furnace and pour the steel
into an ingot or other mould. When the steel which it is intended to melt is
highly converted, that is to say, when it is highly carbonized, I sometimes
introduce the New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand into the melting
pot, together with the said highly carbonized steel, without any farther addition
of carbonaceous matter. In this case the superfluous carbon contained in the
highly converted steel, aided to some extent by the carbonaceous matter in the
sides of the melting pot or crucible when the material of which the said
melting pot or crucible is made contains, as is usual, some admixture of
carbonaceous matter, acts upon and reduces the iserine, or a portion of it, so
as to improve the quality of the steel. It must be observed that the greater
the proportion of iserine thus introduced into the melting pot without
additional carbonaceous matter, the greater will be the extent to which the
highly carbonized steel will be softened, that is to say, be deprived of its super-
fluous carbon.
2nd, to forty pounds of good charcoal or other bar iron, cut up into pieces
of a size convenient for packing into the melting pots, I add from eight to
twelve ounces of charcoal, in pieces from about the size of a pea to about the
size of a nut and smaller; and I add also one pound of the New Zealand
iserine or titaniferous iron sand. I introduce these substances into a melting
pot or crucible, placed in a melting furnace, and I heat them therein until the
iserine is reduced, and the steel melted. I then withdraw the melting pot
from the furnace, and I pour the steel into an ingot mould or into any other
suitable mould.
I do not confine myself to the proportions of charcoal to steel or to
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter herein set down, nor to the pro-
portions of New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand to be added to the
said steel or to the said malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, for these
proportions may be varied as circumstances may require without departing
from the nature of my Invention, but I have obtained excellent results by
employing the proportions I have herein set down.
I wish it to be observed that the greater the proportion of charcoal added
to the steel or to the mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter the

page_text: harder will be the resulting steel, and by increasing or diminishing the pro-
portion of charcoal added the hardness of the steel can be regulated with;
facility.
I do not confine myself to the New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand;
for other varieties of titanium ore or titaniferous iron ore naturally found in the
state of iron sand may be employed without being previously pulverised.
I have found that the said New Zealand iserine or titaniferous iron sand,;
although existing in the state of an exceedingly fine sand, may nevertheless be
readily crushed or ground so as to become still more comminuted, and I find
that when thus ground it can be more intimately mixed with pitch or resin or,
other carbonaceous matter than when in the state in which it is found.
Though I have herein described only the melting of blister steel, bar steel,
puddled steel, or scrap steel, or mixtures of these varieties of steel, or a
mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter in the proportions which
constitute steel, with New Zealand iserine, or titaniferous iron sand and,
carbonaceous matter, or adding the said titaniferous iron sand and car-
bonaceous matter to the steel, or to the mixture of malleable iron and.
carbonaceous matter during the melting of the said steel, or of the said
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, or after the said steel, or the said
malleable iron and carbonaceous matter are melted and reduced to a liquid
state, nevertheless, I claim as of my Invention, the similar treatment of any
materials, or of any mixture of materials which, when melted in melting pots or
crucibles, produce cast steel, in order by such treatment to improve the quality
of the cast steel produced by the fusion of the steel-producing materials, or
mixture of materials.
The pots or crucibles I prefer to use, and the furnaces in which they are
placed and heated, are such as are generally used by manufacturers of cast
steel, and I conduct the melting operations and the pouring or teeming of the
steel into moulds in the usual manner.
The essence of my Invention consists in melting blister steel, bar or
puddled steel, or scrap steel, or mixtures of these varieties of steel, or a
mixture of malleable iron and carbonaceous matter in such proportions as
will produce steel, or any material or mixture of materials which, when
melted, produces cast steel with New Zealand or other iserine, or titaniferous
iron sand and carbonaceous matter, or adding the said titaniferous iron sand
and carbonaceous matter to the steel, or to the mixture of malleable iron and
carbonaceous matter, or to the steel-producing materials, which it is intended
to melt into cast steel during the melting of the said steel, or the said

page_text: malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, or the said steel-producing materials,
or after the said steel or malleable iron and carbonaceous matter, or the said
steel-producing materials are melted and reduced to a liquid state; and, lastly,
in adding to highly carbonized steel New Zealand or other iserine, or
titaniferous iron sand, without additional admixture of carbonaceous matter,
and melting the said highly carbonized steel and the titaniferous iron sand
together in a melting pot or crucible. In this case the excess of carbon
contained in the said highly carbonized steel suffices, in place of any further
addition of carbonaceous matter, to reduce the iserine or titaniferous iron sand,
either partially or wholly, to the metallic state.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Mushet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witnesses,
EDWP. M. MUSHET,
Coleford, Gloucestershire,
BROOKLYN MUSHET,
Coleford, Gloucestershire.
ROBT. MUSHET. (L.S.)