IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING STEEL INGOTS AND MEANS OR APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gjers of Middlesbro' on Tees in the North Riding
of the County of York Ironmaster for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gjers at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1882.
"
JOHN GJERS, of Middlesbro' on Tees, in the North Riding of the County of
York, Iron Master, IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING STEEL INGOTS AND MEANS OR
APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
According to an Invention the subject of Letters Patent granted to me the
7th day of March 1882 No 1089 steel ingots are converted into a finished state by
the use of soaking pits wherein such ingots are allowed to soak (with exclusion of
air) so that the ingots attain throughout a suitable temperature for rolling off
successfully into blooms or even directly into a finished article without reheating in
a furnace. Now my present invention relates to modified means or apparatus for
treating ingots in this way. According to one arrangement I employ portable
soaking pits constructed in a mass of brickwork mounted on a carriage or wheels
the arrangement being such that the material in which the pit is formed will
absorb a large amount of heat whilst in use so that if an ingot placed therein
should be short of heat its temperature will be raised by heat stored in the brick-
work of the pit which thus acts as an accumulator of heat giving and taking heat
as required to carry out the operation in a practical manner.
The pits may be arranged vertically or horizontally after the manner of pigeon-
holes and the pits constructed in a mass of brickwork as described may in some
cases be arranged to enclose more than one ingot at a time. In some cases when
arranging the pits as pigeon-holes the apparatus may be made stationary
According to another arrangement I place the ingots in a long chamber resembling
a flue (which may be continuous) constructed in a mass of brickwork and provided
with a travelling platform or support to carry the ingots along, whilst under
treatment, the arrangement being such that whilst the ingots are in the flue-like
chamber their temperature will be caused to become throughout sufficiently
uniform to enable them to be rolled without re-heating in a furnace as is ordinarily
practised.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Gjers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th January
1883.
JOHN GJERS, of Middlesbro' on Tees, in the North Riding of the County of
York, Iron Master IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING STEEL INGOTS AND MEANS OR
APPARATUS THEREFOR
According to an invention the subject of Letters Patent granted to me the
7th day of March 1882, N° 1089, steel ingots are converted into a finished state
by the use of soaking pits wherein such ingots are allowed to soak (with exclusion
of air) so that the ingots attain throughout a suitable temperature for rolling off
successfully into blooms or even directly into a finished article without reheating in
a furnace.
Now, my present invention relates to modified means or apparatus for treating
ingots in this way.
According to one arrangement I employ portable soaking pits constructed in a
mass of brickwork or other refractory material mounted on a carriage or wheels,
the arrangement being such that the material in which the pit is formed will
absorb a large amount of heat whilst in use, so that if an ingot placed therein
should be short of heat, its temperature will be raised by heat stored in the brick-
work of the pit which thus acts as an accumulator of heat giving and taking heat
as required to carry out the operation in a practical manner.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrate in sectional elevation and
plan respectively, such an arrangement of portable soaking pit.
The ingot a is surrounded by a mass of brickwork b whose sides and bottom are
enclosed within a strong metal box or casing c. The ingot rests on a bottom made
of sand d or such like material and a practically air tight cover e is used to close
the pit. A small space f is left at the sides between the brickwork b and the
casing c which space is filled with a broken up loose material which is a bad
conductor of heat and which also will allow for the expansion of the brickwork
Angle pieces g are employed as shewn to strengthen the casing and also as a
means of mounting it on strong girders which are supported by the axles of the
wheels by means of which the apparatus can be readily transported from the
casting pit to the blooming mill. This arrangement is convenient in cases where
these places are at a considerable distance apart.
The pits in such a portable apparatus, instead of being vertical as just described,
may be arranged horizontally, after the manner of pigeon holes as will be readily
understood from the above description and that hereinafter contained with reference
to the horizontal stationary arrangement illustrated in Figs 5, 6, and 7.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew by views similar to Figs 1 and 2 an arrangement of portable
apparatus comprising eight soaking pits or cells in a mass of brickwork. Each
soaking pit or cell is designed to receive one ingot. The arrangement is in other
respects similar to that described with reference to Figs 1 and 2.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7, shew an arrangement of stationary apparatus wherein the pits
are horizontal, like pigeon holes. These pigeon holes or cells may, as is evident, be
arranged for the reception each of more than one ingot as shewn at the right hand
portion of Fig 5 where two ingots are placed in one pigeon hole or cell, but it is
not usually desirable to arrange the pigeon hole or cell to contain more than one
ingot. The bottom of each pigeon hole or cell contains a ledge or projection j for
the ingot to rest upon, and to facilitate the charging. In the drawing I have
shewn eight pigeon holes or cells in a single structure or mass of brickwork b, but

page_text: I need scarcely remark that any other convenient number may be employed. A
door or cover e is used to close the mouth of each pigeon hole or cell, and these
doors or covers may conveniently be hinged or jointed as shewn at k.
The pigeon hole or cell (or some or all of them if more than one is comprised
within a single structure or mass of brickwork) may extend throughout the whole
width of the structure or mass of brickwork, or only through a part of its width.
In the former case (illustrated in Fig 6) two doors or covers e are used to enclose
the ingot or ingots, one at each end of the pigeon hole or cell. In cases where the
hole or cell extends only partly through the mass of brickwork (illustrated in
Fig 7) only one door or cover e is required for each pigeon hole or cell. Into
these pigeon holes or horizontal cells the ingots are charged in the manner usual
for charging ingots into ordinary heating furnaces a two pronged tool being used
for charging the ingot, which when deposited on the aforesaid ledge j will allow of
the pronged tool being readily withdrawn.
According to another arrangement I place the ingots in a long chamber
resembling a flue (which may be continuous) constructed in a mass of brick work
and provided with a travelling platform or support, to carry the ingots along,
whilst under treatment, the arrangement being such that whilst the ingots are in
the flue like chamber their temperature will be caused to become throughout
sufficiently uniform to enable them to be rolled without reheating in a furnace as
is ordinarily practised. Such an arrangement of apparatus is illustrated in Figs 8
to 11 inclusive.
Fig. 8 being a longitudinal section.
Fig. 9 a plan.
Fig. 10 an enlarged section of one end of the chamber or flue and travelling
platform or support (which may be modified in various ways) and
Fig. 11 a similar view at right angles to Fig 10.
The ingots are by the cranes k transferred from the casting pit k¹ and are lowered
into the chamber through which they are carried by means of rollers m each
carried by an axle n supported in bearings or supports o (see Fig 11). Each
axle n has at one end a bevil wheel p with which gears one of other bevil wheels
carried on a shaft q parallel with the chamber and to which rotary motion is
imparted in any convenient manner. The ingots are carried along in a horizontal
position, and are transferred from the chamber to the blooming mills by a
crane 7. At each end of the chamber an opening is formed of sufficient size to
allow of the passage of the ingots, each of these openings is provided with a
door or cover e formed of a metallic plate with, at its under side, deep blocks or
pieces of brickwork secured by bolts formed with eyes by which the doors can be
lifted.
To aid in keeping the ingots hot, I may, as described in the Specification of my
former patent abovementioned, employ false covers. These may be constructed in
various ways. For example, in Fig 3 I have at t shewn a false cover consisting
Simply of a plate of iron or Steel and furnished with a handle, at u I have
illustrated a false cover which is of brick, and is provided with a handle as shewn.
Atv in the same figure a cover is illustrated which is constructed of a deep block
or piece of brick work connected to the door or cover e in the manner described
with reference to the doors or covers illustrated in Figs 8 and 10; and at x is a
cover made of sheet iron filled with refractory material; but such false covers may
be made in various ways.
Having described the nature of my said invention and the manner in which the
same is to be or may be carried into practical effect, I claim:
1. In converting Steel ingots into a finished or partly finished state without
reheating them in a furnace, the use to equalise their temperature of portable
vertical Soaking pits, constructed to act as accumulators of heat, substantially as
hereinabove described with reference respectively to Figs 1, and 2 and to Figs 3
and 4 of the drawings.
2. The use for the purpose mentioned in claim 1, of horizontal chambers formed

page_text: after the manner of pigeon holes in a mass of material such as brick work and
acting as accumulators of heat substantially as hereinabove described, whether
such apparatus be portable or stationary as illustrated in Figs 5, 6, and 7 of the
drawings.
3. In converting Steel ingots into a finished or partly finished state, the use
of a long chamber resembling a flue constructed in a mass of brick work and
provided with a travelling platform or support to carry the ingots along whilst
under treatment, the arrangement being such that whilst the ingots are in the flue
like chamber their temperature will be caused to become throughout sufficiently
uniform to enable them to be rolled without reheating in a furnace, substantially
as described.
In Witness whereof I, the said John Gjers have hereunto set my hand and
Seal this twenty fourth day of January, in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three."