IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Lloyd, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Ironmaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
Scaled the 21st July 1876, and dated the 20th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Lloyd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1876.
"IM-
. SAMUEL LLOYD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Ironmaster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
My Invention has reference to the method or methods of manufacturing iron and
steel in which the iron ore, mixed with carbonaceous matter and fluxes, is treated
in a rotatory or moveable chamber, the said chamber being heated either by a gas
furnace or coal or coko furnace. The iron ore is reduced and the iron or steel
obtained is shingled and finished in the usual way, the said iron or steel never
having passed through the ordinary stage of cast iron. The iron or steel so
obtained is impure and generally red short, and the object of my Invention is to
improve the quality of the iron and steel obtained in this way and to convert it
into iron and steel of excellent quality. With this object I take either the balls
or rolled bars of the said iron or steel, and by crushing, grinding, or stamping I
reduce the iron or steel into small pieces. I do not limit myself to any particular
size, but in practice I find pieces not exceeding half an inch in thickness answer
very well. I heat the said lumps of iron or steel mixed with charcoal, coal, or coke
on the bed of a furnace, and I prefer to direct jets of air upon the iron during its
treatment in the furnace. I apply a very strong heat and stir the mixture with a
rabble or other stirring tool. During this treatment the greater part of the
impurities in the iron or steel melt out therefrom in the form of cinder which may
be tapped off in the ordinary way. The quantity operated upon may be as
much as is sufficient to make a ball as large as the workman can conveniently
manipulate.
After the iron or steel has been operated upon in the way described it is
withdrawn from the furnace and hammered or squeezed after the manner of a
puddled ball, after which it may be rolled into finished iron or steel, or the ball
may be rolled without hammering or squeezing. Scrap iron or spiegel eisen in

page_text: small quantity may be added to the mixture of small lumps of iron and carbon
and flux. The said addition is not necessary, but it improves the process.
The iron or steel made in the manner described and treated according to my
Invention is of excellent quality.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Lloyd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th November
1876.
SAMUEL LLOYD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Troninaster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
**IM-
My Invention has reference to the method or methods of manufacturing iron
and steel in which the iron ore, nixed with carbonaceous matter and fluxes, is
treated in a rotatory or moveablo chamber, the said chamber being heated either
by a gas furnace or coal or coke furnace. The iron ore is reduced, and the iron or
steel obtained is shingled and finished in the usual way, the said iron or steel never
having passed through the ordinary stage of cast iron. Iron and steel so made are
commonly called direct process iron and steel. The iron or steel so obtained is
generally impure and red short, and the object of my Invention is to improve the
quality of such iron and steel and to convert it into iron and steel of excellent
quality. With this object I take either the balls or rolled bars of the said direct
process iron or steel, and by shearing, cutting, or stamping 1 reduce the iron or
steel into small pieces. I do not limit myself to any particular size, but in practice
I find pieces not exceeding an inch in thickness answer very well. I heat the said
lumps of iron or steel mixed with charcoal, coal, or coke on the bed of a furnace,
and I prefer to direct jets of air upon the iron during its treatment in the furnace.
I apply a very strong heat, and stir the mixture with a rabble or other stirring
tool. During this treatment the greator part of the impurities in the iron or steel
melt out therefrom in the form of cinder, which may be tapped off in the ordinary
way. The quantity operated upon may be as much as is sufficient to make a ball
as large as the workman can conveniently manipulate.
After the iron or steel has been operated upon in the way described it is
withdrawn from the furnace and hammered or squeezed after the manner of a
puddled ball, after which it may be rolled into bar iron or steel. Scrap iron,
carburized iron, or cast iron, or speigel eisen in sinall quantity may be added to the
mixture of small lumps of iron and carbon and flux. The said addition is not
necessary, but it is in some cases beneficial.
The iron or steel made in the manner described and treated according to my
Invention is of excellent quality.
In carrying my Invention into effect I ordinarily operate upon so much iron at
a time as a puddler can conveniently manipulate, but I do not limit myself thereto,
as two or more persons may simultaneously operate upon the same charge of iron,
and a large mass may be operated upon by mechanical appliances for lifting and
removing the mass from the furnace.
I do not limit myself to the use of any particular kind of furnace, as any
furnace which, besides being of a construction convenient for the operations of the
workman, also provides for an ample supply of air, either by blast or otherwise,
may be employed. I have, however, found in practice that the furnace used in the
iron manufacture, and called a charcoal fire or furnace, answers very well. The
said charcoal fire or furnace consists of an open furnace urged by one or more
blasts of hot or cold air. The fuel ordinarily used in the said charcoal fire or
furnace is either charcoal, coke, or the small coke called "breezes." For ordinary
qualities I use coke or breezes, but when iron or steel of an exceptionally good
quality is required I employ wood or peat charcoal either alone or mixed in such

page_text: proportion with coke or breezes, as the workman finds necessary to produce the
required quality of iron or steel, which fuel may be introduced into the furnace
along with the air.
Although I prefer to urge the furnace with one or two blasts of air, yet I do not
restrict myself to any particular number. As a blast or blasts of air act only by
virtue of the oxygen they contain I do not limit myself to the use of blasts of
atmospheric air, as other gaseous mixtures containing oxygen may be employed
instead of air. Instead of employing coke or other solid fuel exclusively gascous
fuel, such as is obtained by the combustion of carbonaceous matter with limited
access of air, and which gaseous fuel consists essentially of a mixture of carbonic
oxide and nitrogen, may be employed so as to lessen or save the consumption of
solid fuel; but I prefer the use of coke, breezes, and charcoal as being more readily
controlled by the workman.
The scrap iron and steel which I add to the iron operated upon may be of
various qualities. The added iron or steel may be reduced to a suitable size by
granulation. The granulation may be effected by melting the iron or steel and
pouring it from a considerable height into water, as is well understood. Where the
iron is free, or so nearly free from carbon that it cannot be granulated in conse-
quence of its infusibility, I reduce such iron to small pieces by shearing or
otherwise. Any kind of steel may be employed in carrying my Invention into
effect. I have found in practice that an excellent result is obtained by the
employment of equal quantities of the iron to be operated upon, that is, direct
process iron, scrap iron, and scrap steel. Where a very soft quality of iron is
required the proportion of direct process irou should be increased.
In operating upon the iron to be treated or on mixtures of the iron to be treated
and scrap iron or steel I employ a flux, consisting of hammer, slag, or nativo or
other peroxide of iron or mixtures of these. Common salt may also be used in
addition. These fluxes are employed in the ordinary way.
The iron and steel treated and improved according to my Invention may be
advantageously employed in conjunction with iron manufactured in the ordinary
way. Bars made according to my Invention piled with bars of ordinary iron for
the manufacture of sheets, plates, or bars greatly improve the quality of the
finished iron.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the details herein described, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of my Invention, but I claim as my Invention, operating upon the iron
and steel obtained by heating a mixture of iron ore and carbon in a rotatory or
inoveable furnace, and commonly called direct procuss iron and steel, by melting
the said direct process iron or steel on the bed of a furnace, burning coke, breezes,
or charcoal or mixtures of these, and by preference urged by a blast or blasts of
hot or cold air, the said iron or steel being introduced into the furnace in small
pieces mixed with charcoal, with or without tho addition of scrap iron or steel, or
both, and with or without the addition of fluxes whereby the quality of the
said direct process iron or steel is greatly improved, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Lloyd, have hereunto set my hand
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
SAMUEL LLOYD. (L.S.)