IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE PRODUCTION OF CASTINGS WHICH IMPROVE- MENTS ARE PARTLY APPLICABLE TO BESSEMER CONVERTERS
Year: 1884

page_text: ANTONAL DEFCIFICATION.
I, THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE PRODUCTION OF CASTINGS WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE PARTLY APPLICABLE TO BESSEMER CONVERTERS a communication
from abroad by Carl Gustaf Wittenström of Motala, Edward Faustman and Petter
Ostberg, Civil Engineers, of Stockholm all in the Kingdom of Sweden to be as
follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus to be employed in
the production of castings in iron steel and other metals.
I employ a covered casting ladle and supply to it gas and air which being
ignited produce a flame within the ladle. The flame heats the ladle and prevents
oxidation of its contents. The outlet for the flame is at the pouring lip and this
consequently becomes heated so that the metal does not adhere to it. The ladle is
hung so that in tipping it turns about the lip as a centre which much facilitates
pouring the metal in the moulis,
The same is applicable also to converters in which the metal is submitted to an
air blast; in this case gas together with air is supplied through the tuyeres after the
blowing is complete and when the convertor has been tipped so as to raise the
tuyeres out of the metal,
The following is a description of the different parts of the apparatus which may .
be easily understood by any person skilled in the art.
In the annexed. drawings the Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent different views of a
transportable casting ladle and Figures 4, 5 and 6 a stationary ladle and a casting
wagon or mould wagon with the upper part revolving.

page_text: Figure 1 is a front view of a casting ladle intended to be suspended from a crane
and thus moveable over the moulds. Figure 2 is a side view and Figure 3 a plan
of the same.
a is the casting ladle proper covered with the lid b both made of thin iron plates
lined with fire clay. The lid and the ladle both have flanges cc which unite at d
and form a hinge for guiding the lid when opened for filling the ladle with the
molten metal. The lid is opened by means of a loose key which is placed over the
lugs e on the lid.
fis the gas burner in the upper part of the lid to which gas and air are
conducted through flexible tubes or hoses attached to the pipes g and h. To causo
the gas and the air to more completely mix they have to pass through a perforated
fire brick i fitted into the lower part of the burner (see Figure 6). The flame or
the products of combustion from this burner escape after heating the ladle and the
metal through the mouth formed by lips bulged out half in the ladle and half in
the lid. The ladle a which is moveable round the joints 1, 1, is supported by two
iron frames m, n, united at the back by the connecting piece o on which the lugs PP
on the ladle rest. The framework is held together above by a bolt or shaft q
going through a loop r for the crane hooks and between the shanks of this loop a
chain-wheel is mounted. On the same shaft q outside the framework is mounted
a worm wheel-u in which the worm-v-gears. The axle of this worm is carried in
bearings attached to one of the frames mand is provided-with-the-hand wheel x.
By turning this hand wheel the worm v, the worm wheel-and the chain wheel t
are put in rotation and the chain y fixed to the bottom of the ladle a and to the
chain wheel is rolled up on the latter whereby the ladle is tipped with ease and
precision.
The flexible tubes. or hoses through which-the-gas-and-the air are conducted to
the pipes gand follow the movements of the crane post and the jib. The pipes g, h,
-are-jointed.at_. The hoses are provided with common regulating cocks or valves
but these as well as the way in-which-the hoses are carried along the crane are not
shown in the drawings.
In the stationary apparatus Figures 4 and 5 the ladlela with its lid 6 and
burnerf is of the same construction as that just described. Gas and air are led
separately through the pipes g. g. g. g. and h. h. h. h. and mingle together in the
ascending pipe a¹ whence they pass through the pipe b' and enter the burner in
the upper part of the lid. The pipes g. h. are provided with joints at c¹ d¹ round-
which the lid turns in opening and the whole of the ladle turns round the joints
at c, The supply of gas and air is regulated by cocks or valves not shown in
the drawings: The tipping of the ladle is effected as before by means of the hand
wheel the worm v the worm wheel u the two chain wheels t. t and the two
chains y, y, fastened to the lower part of the ladlo.-g', g', are counter weights on
the chains to balance the ladle. The lid is opened by means of a loose key which
fits on a bolt h¹ fixed in the T piece of the pipe a¹.
1
The ladle rests directly on pipes to which it is attached by four screw threaded
hooks und nuts, i, and together with all its parts is mounted on a framework of
gas pipes standing in sockets k¹ of cast iron fixed to the bedplate l'.
The arrangements for supporting and working the casting ladles as well as the
construction thereof can naturally be varied without departing from the essential
features of the invention.
A Bessemer convertor for use in accordance with this invention is hung by
preference in the manner shown in respect to the Figures 4 and 5 but it: may be
hung in the usual manner; the air and gas are supplied to the usual tuyeres at the
bottom.
After the blow which is conducted in the ordinary way is complete the vessel is
tipped so as to bring the tuyeres above the level of the metal and the gas is then
turned on and supplied with sufficient air to maintain combustion.
In this way the heat of the metal is fully maintained whilst time is allowed for
the separation of slag and impurities before the metal is poured,

page_text: In consequence of the heat being thus maintained and the convertor being hung
to tip about its lip it becomes practicable to cast articles directly from the convertor
to the shape required by pouring the metal into moulds. The moulds may when
convenient be of metal and of small dimensions.
The moulds are carried upon a wagon made of cast iron and mounted on wheels n¹
and movable along rails or on the floor. The upper part o¹ of the wagon forms a
sort of turn table and on the circumference of it the moulds m² are attached.
The number of moulds that can be used depends on the size of the turn table.
The turn table rests with a projecting circular rib p' on the underside on four
wheels q mounted in the frame r' of the wagon as seen in the drawing; but this
arrangement can of course be varied.

page_text: _I_THORSTEN-NORDENFELT, of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE PRODUCTION OF CASTINGS-WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE PARTLY APPLICABLE TO BESSEMER CONVERTERS," a communication
from abroad by Carl Gustav Wittenström of Motala, Edward Faustman and Petter
-Östberg, Civil Engineers, of Stockholm all in the Kingdom of Sweden, 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 improvements-in-apparatus to be employed in
the production of castings in iron-steel and other metals.
I employ a covered casting ladle and supply to it gas-and air which being ignited
produce a flame within the ladle. The flame heats the ladle and prevents oxidation-
of its contents. The outlet for the flame is at the pouring lip and this consequently
becomes heated so that the metal does not adhere to it. The ladle is hung so that
in tipping it turns about the lip as a centre which much facilitates pouring the
metal in the moulds,
The same is applicable also to converters in which the metal is submitted to an
air blast in this case gas together with air is supplied through the tuyeres after the
blowing is complete and when the converter has been tipped so as to raise tho
tuyeres out of the metal.
The following is a description of the different parts of the apparatus which may
be easily understood by any person skilled in the art.
In the annexed drawings the Figures 1. 2 and 3 represent different views of a
transportable casting ladle and Figures 4. 5 and 6 a stationary ladle and a casting
wagon or mould wagon with the upper part revolving.
Figure 1 is a front view of a casting ladle intended to be suspended from a crane
and thus moveable over the moulds. Figure 2 is a side view and Figure 3 a plan
of the same.
a is the casting ladle proper covered with the lid b both made of thin iron plates
lined with fire-clay. The lid and the ladle both have flanges cc which unite at d
and form a hinge for guiding the lid when opened for filling the ladle with the
molten metal. The lid is opened by means of a loose key which is placed over the
lugs e on the lid.
f is the gas burner in the upper part of the lid to which gas and air are conducted
through flexible tubes or hoses attached to the pipes g and h. To cause the gas
and the air to more completely mix they have to pass through a perforated fire
brick i fitted into the lower part of the burner (see Figure 6) The flame or the

page_text: products of combustion from this burner escape after hoating the ladle and the metal
through the mouth k formed by lips bulged out half in the ladle and half in the
lid. The ladle a which is moveable round the joints is supported by two iron
frames m. n united at the back by the connecting pioce o on which the lugs p. p
on the ladle rest. The framework is held together above by a bolt or shaft q going
through a loop r for the crane hooks and between the shanks of this loop a chain
wheel is mounted. On the same shaft g outside the framework is mounted a
worm wheel u in which the worm v gears. The axle of this worm is carried in
bearings attached to one of the frames m and is provided with the hand wheel x.
By turning this hand wheel x the worm v the worm wheel u and the chain wheel t
are put in rotation and the chain y fixed to the bottom of the ladle a and to the
chain wheel t is rolled up on the latter whereby the ladle is tipped with ease and
precision.
The flexible tubes or hoses through which the gas and the air are conducted to
the pipes g and h follow the movements of the crane post and the jib. The pipes
9. hare jointed at 2. The hoses are provided with common regulating cocks or
valves but these as well as the way in which tho hoses are carried along the crane
are not shown in the Drawings.
In the stationary apparatus Figures 4 and 5 the ladlo a with its lid b and
burner f is of the same construction as that just described. Gas and air are led
separately through the pipes g. 9. g. g and hhhh and mingle together in the
asceuding pipe a whence they pass through the pipe 61 and enter the burner in
the upper part of the lid The pipes g. h are provided with joints at c¹ d' round
which the lid turns in opening and the whole of the ladle turns round the joints
at elf. The supply of gas and air is regulated by cocks or valves not shown in
the drawings. The tipping of the ladle is effected as before by means of the hand
wheel the worm the worm wheel u the two chain wheels tt and the two chains
y. y fastened to the lower part of the ladle-g' g' are counter weights on the chains
to balance the ladle. The lid is opened by means of a loose key which fits on a bolt h¹
fixed in the T piece of the pipe a¹.
The ladle rests directly on pipes to which it is attached by four screw-threaded
hooks and nuts and together with all its parts is mounted on a framework of
gas pipes standing in sockets of cast iron fixed to the bed plate l'.
The arrangements for supporting and working the casting ladles as well as the
construction thereof can naturally be varied without departing from the essential
features of the invention.
A Bessemer Converter for use in accordance with this invention is hung by pre-
ference in the manner shown in respect to the Figures 4 and 5, but it may be
hung in the usual manner the air and gas are supplied to the usual tuyeres at the
bottom.
After the blow, which is conducted in the ordinary way, is complete, the vessel
is tipped so as to bring the tuyeres above the level of the metal and the gas is then
turned on and supplied with sufficient air to maintain combustion.
In this way the heat of the metal is fully maintained, whilst time is allowed for
the separation of slag and impurities before the metal is poured.
In consequence of the heat being thus maintained and the converter being hung
to tip about its lip, it becomes practicable to cast articles directly from the con-
verter to the shape required by pouring the metal into moulds. The moulds may
when convenient, be of metal and of small dimensions.
The moulds are carried upon a wagon made of cast iron and mounted on wheels n¹
and moveable along rails or on the floor. The upper part o' of the wagon forms
a sort of turn table and on the circumference of it the moulds m³ are attached.
The number of moulds that can be used depends on the size of the turn table.
The turn table rests with a projecting circular rib p' on the underside on four
wheels q mounted in the frame of the wagon as seen in the drawing, but this
arrangement can of course be varied.

page_text: 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
First. A covered casting ladle converter or vessel with connections for the supply
of gas and air above the level of the metal producing a flame within the vessel 5
which flame also issues at the pouring lip or mouth for the purpose of protecting
the metal from cooling or oxydizing substantially as described.
Second. A covered casting ladle converter or vessel heated by gas in the above
manner and which is supported on a frame work with which it is connected by a
joint or joints so placed that in tipping the vessel turns about the lip as a centre 1
substantially as described.
Third. Covered gas heated tipping casting ladles substantially as described and
represented by the annexed Drawings.