IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Kinnaird York, of Grange Town Ironworks,
Cardiff, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
IRON AND STEEL."
Sealed the 3rd November 1866, and dated the 5th May 1866..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry, Kinnaird York
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th May 1866, ..
I, HENRY KINNAIRD YORK, of Grange Town Ironworks, Cardiff, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE, OF IRON AND STEEL," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for; its object improvements in the manufacture of iron
and steel, and consists. in the purifying of pig or any other description of cast
iron, so as to facilitate.its conversion into malleable iron or steel. For this
purpose I take pig or cast iron previously heated and cut it up into fine
particles by, means of circular saws driven at a high velocity, or I tear or
crumble it tinto small particles by any other convenient apparatus. The
cutting or tearing apparatus is completely cased in so as to collect the
particles of iron, and below the apparatus I place a cistern of water; or I
expose the hot particles to the oxidizing influence of a blast of air. The
particles, of iron thus obtained are treated for. malleable iron by being charged
in a reverberatory furnace, and balled; up at. a welding heat; these balls are
then shingled and rolled in the ordinary way.
:

page_text: For the production of steel the iron particles are simply melted down with
or without the addition of fluxes.
The water below the cutting apparatus may hold in solution any substances
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Kinnaird York in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
KINNAIRD YORK, of Grange Town Ironworks, Cardiff, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Kinnaird York, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Kinnaird York, my 'executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Henry Kinnaird York, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Kinnaird York, 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 per-
formed, 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 Henry Kinnaird York, 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.:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture.of iron
and-steel, and consists in the purifying of pig or any other description of cast
iron so as to facilitate its conversion into malleable iron or steel. For this
purpose I take pig or cast iron previously heated and cut it up into fine
I

page_text: particles by means of circular saws driven at a high velocity, or I tear or
crumble it into small particles by any other convenient apparatus. The
cutting or tearing apparatus is completely cased in so as to collect the
particles of iron, and below the apparatus I place a cistern of water; or I
expose the hot particles to the oxidizing influence of a blast of air.
To carry out this Invention I use an ordinary circular saw, such as is
employed in ironworks for cutting bars, or I place several of these circular
saws on the same shaft, and drive them at a high speed. The pig or other
iron to be operated upon is first heated in a furnace to a bright red heat; or I
heat the iron to as high a temperature as it will stand without melting; I
then press the iron against the surface of the revolving saw or saws; the
friction of the saw or cutter against the iron will cut or tear the iron into
small particles; these particles are collected in a trough placed under the saw,
where they are allowed to cool; or I place water or other liquids in the
trough, into which the particles fall and are cooled. When required the heated
particles as they fall are subjected to a blast of air to insure their being
oxidized. Other forms of cutters may be used.
When I treat the particles thus obtained for wrought iron they are placed
in a reverberatory furnace, and when at a welding heat the particles are
balled up and then shingled and hammered in the usual way; or I work the
particles of iron through the charcoal finery.
When working for steel the particles are melted in a crucible with or
without the addition of fluxes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Kinnaird York, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
HENRY KINNAIRD YORK,
(L.B.)