IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Mushet, of Coleford, in the County of
Gloucester, Metallurgist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON."
Sealed the 27th October 1859, and dated the 7th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Mushet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th May 1859.
I, ROBERT MUSHET, of Coleford, in the County of Gloucester, Metallurgist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in using the ores of titanium, titanic acid, titaniferous
iron ores, or titaniferous iron ores previously deoxydized, for improving the
quality of pig iron, cast iron, or refined iron, by reducing and alloying the
titanium contained in these ores with the said iron, whether the iron operated
upon be directly obtained from a smelting or blast furnace, or consist of cast
iron remelted in a cupola, refinery, or other melting furnace.
When it is intended to improve by my process the quality of pig iron or
cast iron obtained from the ordinary blast furnace, I add to the furnace charge,
technically called the "burden of the blast furnace," a quantity of titanium ore
or titanic acid, amounting to from one per centum to three per centum, by

page_text: weight, of the weight of the burden of iron ore charged into the furnace. Or
I add to the iron ore burden of the blast furnace, a quantity of titaniferous
iron ore, or of such titaniferous iron ore previously deoxydized, amounting to
from one per centum to ten per centum, by weight, of the said iron ore
burden of the blast furnace. But I do not limit myself to these proportions
which may be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention.
In order to facilitate the reduction and alloying of the titanium with the cast
iron in the blast furnace, I prefer to pulverize the titanium ores, titaniferous
iron ore, or deoxydized titaniferous iron ore, and to mix these substances
respectively with carbonaceous matter, such as pitch, resin, or tar. Thus, to
one hundred pounds of tar, or of melted pitch, or resin, I add one hundred
pounds of titanium ore, titanic acid, titaniferous iron ore, or deoxydized
titaniferous iron ore, reduced to a fine powder; and I incorporate these
substances by stirring the mixture with a rod or ladle. The compound is
then poured out upon a moistened stone pavement and suffered to cool, when
it may be broken into pieces for use.
I prefer to use titaniferous iron ores, such as iserine, as being more econo-
mical than richer ores of titanium, such as rutite, brookite, anatase, or than
titanic acid. Iserine contains about eighty-six per centum of oxyde of iron,
and from ten to eleven per centum of titanic acid. I do not confine myself
to the particular method I have pointed out for adding titanium ore, titanic
acid, titaniferous iron ore, or titaniferous iron ore previously deoxydized to the
burden or iron ore materials, which are ordinarily charged into the blast
furnace, as the methods of doing this may be varied so long as the titanium
ore or titaniferous iron ore is introduced into the blast furnace along with the
other materials used therein, so that the titanium may become reduced and
alloyed with the pig iron, or cast iron produced from the blast furnace.
When pig iron or cast iron is remelted in a cupola furnace or refining
furnace, I proceed as follows:-To every one hundred pounds of pig iron or
cast iron charged into the cupola or refinery for the purpose of being remelted,
I add from two to thirty pounds of the compound herein-before described,
consisting of pulverized ore of titanium, titanic acid, titaniferous iron ore, or
titaniferous iron ore previously deoxydized, mixed with pitch, resin, or tar in
the manner I have already described, and I charge the cast iron and the said
compound into the cupola furnace, or into the refining furnace upon the fuel,
and melt them therein in the ordinary manner. I do not, however, confine
myself to the proportions I have herein given. The essence of my Invention
consists in adding titanium ores, titanic acid, tataniferous iron ores, or
deoxydized titaniferous ores to pig iron, cast iron, or refined iron, whether

page_text: melted in a blast furnace or remelted in a cupola furnace, refining furnace, or
other melting furnace in such a manner that the titanium may be reduced and
alloyed with the pig iron, cast iron, or refined iron, in order thereby to improve
the quality of such cast iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Mushet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th November 1859.
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 Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second 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 nake, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON," 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 particularly 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 performed, to be particularly described and ascertained. in- and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in using the ores of titanium, titanic acid, titaniferous
iron ores, or titaniferous iron ores previously deoxydized, for improving the
quality of pig iron, cast iron, or refined iron, by reducing and alloying the
titanium contained in these ores or compounds with the said iron, whether the

page_text: iron operated upon be directly obtained from a smelting or blast furnace, or
consist of cast iron remelted in a cupola, refinery, or other melting furnace.
When it is intended to improve by my process the quality of the pig iron
or cast iron obtained from the ordinary blast furnace, I add to the furnace
charge, technically called the "burden," of the blast furnace, a quantity of
titaniferous iron ore or of such titaniferous iron ore previously deodydized
amounting to from one per centum by weight to ten or twenty per centum by
weight of the said iron ore burden of the blast furnace; but I do not limit
myself to these proportions, which may be varied without departing from the
nature of my said Invention, and when titaniferous iron ore can be economi-
cally obtained in abundance, I make use of double or triple the proportions I
have before named. The same proportions may be employed when I use any
other compound of titanium in place of titaniferous iron ore. In order to
facilitate the reduction and alloying of the titanium with the cast iron in the
blast furnace, I sometimes pulverize the titanium ore, titaniferous iron ore,
or deoxidized titaniferous iron ore, and mix these substances respectively
with carbonaceous matter, such as pitch, resin, or tar. Thus to one hundred
pounds of tar, or of melted pitch or resin, I add one hundred pounds of
titanium ore, titanic acid, titaniferous iron ore, or deoxidized titaniferous
iron ore reduced to a powder, so as to pass through a riddle or sieve
of from 100 to 1600 meshes per square inch, and I incorporate these
substances by stirring the mixture with a rod or ladle. The compound is then
poured out upon a moistened stone pavement and suffered to cool, when it
may be broken into pieces for use. I prefer to use titaniferous iron ores, such
as "iserine," as being more economical than richer ores of titanium, such as
rutile, brookite, anatase, or than titanic acid. Iserine contains about eighty-
six per centum of oxide of iron, and from ten to eleven per centum of titanic
acid. I use also other titaniferous iron ores, which though found in abundance,
have not been classified by mineralogists. I do not confine myself to the
particular method I have pointed out for adding titanium ore, titanic acid,
titaniferous iron ores, or titaniferous iron ores previously deoxidized to the
burden or iron ore materials, which are ordinarily charged into the blast
furnace, as the methods of doing this may be varied, so long as the titanium
ore, titanic acid, titaniferous iron ore, or titaniferous iron ore previously
deoxydized is introduced into the blast furnace along with the other materials
used therein, so that the titanium may become reduced and alloyed with the
pig iron or cast iron produced from the blast furnace.
When pig or cast iron is remelted in a cupola furnace or refining furnace,
I proceed as follows:-To every one hundred pounds of pig iron or cast iron

page_text: charged into the cupola or refinery, for the purpose of being remelted, I add
from two to thirty pounds of the compound herein-before described consisting
of pulverized ore of titanium, titanic acid, titaniferous iron ores, or titaniferous
iron ores previously deoxidized, mixed with pitch, resin, or tar in the manner
I have already described, and I charge the cast iron and the said compound
into the cupola furnace, or into the refining furnace upon the fuel, and melt
them therein along with the iron in the ordinary manner. I do not, however,
confine myself to the proportions I have herein given, as the proportions may
be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention.
By titaniferous iron ore previously deoxidized, I mean titaniferous iron ore
which has been reduced or deoxidized by having been heated in close chambers
in contact with carbonaceous matter, or in an atmosphere of hydrogen or coal
gas, or treated by any other reducing or deoxidizing process.
The essence of my Invention consists in adding titanium ore, titanic acid,
titaniferous iron ores, or deoxidized titaniferous iron ores to pig iron, cast
iron, or refined iron, whether melted in a blast furnace, or remelted in a
cupola furnace, refining furnace, or other melting furnace in such a manner
that the titanium may be reduced and alloyed with the pig iron, cast iron, or
refined iron, in order thereby to improve the quality of such cast iron.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Mushet, have hereunto set.
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witnesses,
EDW. M. MUSHET,
Coleford, Gloucestershire.
BROOKLYN MUSHET,
Coleford, Gloucestershire.
ROBT. MUSHET. (L.S.)