IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR APPLYING CARBONIC AND OTHER GASES TO IRON AND OTHER METALS IN A MOLTEN STATE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Cartmell Ridley, of Newcastle-on-Tyne,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR APPLYING CARBONIC AND OTHER GASES TO IRON AND OTHER METALS
IN A MOLTEN STATE."
Sealed the 10th April 1866, and dated the 14th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Cartmell Ridley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th October 1865..
t
I, JAMES CARTMELL RIDLEY, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING CARBONIC AND OTHER GASES TO IRON AND OTHER
METALS IN A MOLTEN STATE," to be as follows:-
My apparatus is composed of a sole plate or bed of fire-brick or other
refractory material upon a backing of iron, mounted upon wheels and
capable of being raised and lowered; upon the sole, when in position for
working; rest two sides of materials similar to the bed. Near the bottom
the sides are provided with apertures to receive the nozzles of tuyeres or
pipes depending from and fixed to a main gas pipe running along the top
of the apparatus on eacli side. These pipes are connected to a forked pipe
in such manner that they may be revolved or turned to a slight extent.
Standards carrying bearings or apertures are fixed at each end of the
apparatus, through which the main pipes pass. The apparatus may be

page_text: open at the top or may have a dome-shaped cover applied. This cover is
open at one or both ends. Brackets connect the sides to the main pipes.
The main pipes communicate with a reservoir or generator containing or
forming carbonic acid or other gas, which is forced into the main pipes
and through the side pipes and nozzles into the apparatus. Molten metal
is brought into the apparatus, and the blast being continued the gas is
caused to permeate the mass to the extent required. This being accom-
plished, the sides, side pipes, and nozzles are removed by causing the
main pipes to make a partial revolution, when the bloom will remain upon
the sole, and may be wheeled away for manipulation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Cartmell Ridley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CARTMELL RIDLEY, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Mechanical Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October; in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Cartmell Ridley, Her special licence that I, the
said James Cartmell Ridley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Cartmell Ridley, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLY-
ING CARBONIC AND OTHER GASES TO IRON AND OTHER METALS IN A MOLTEN STATE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Cartmell
Ridley, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Cartmell Ridley, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
.
My apparatus is composed of a sole plate or bed of fire-brick or other
refractory material upon a backing of iron, mounted upon wheels and
capable of being raised and lowered; upon the sole, when in position for
working, rest two sides of materials similar to the bed. Near the bottom
the sides are provided with apertures to receive the nozzles of tuyeres or
pipes depending from and fixed to a main gas pipe running along the
top of the apparatus on each side. These pipes are connected to a forked
pipe in such manner that they may be revolved or turned to a slight extent.
Standards carrying bearings or apertures are fixed at each end of the
apparatus, through which the main pipes pass. The apparatus may be
open at the top or may have a dome-shaped cover applied. This cover
is open at one or both ends. Brackets connect the sides to the main
pipes. The main pipes communicate with a reservoir or generator con-
taining or forming carbonic acid or other gas, which is forced into the
main pipes and through the side pipes and nozzles into the apparatus.
Molten metal is brought into the apparatus, and the blast being continued
the gas is caused to permeate the mass to the extent required. This being
accomplished, the sole plate or bed is lowered, and the sides, side pipes, and
nozzles are removed by causing the main pipes to make a partial revolution,
when the bloom will remain upon the sole, and may be wheeled away for
manipulation.
Figure of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of my im-
proved "converting apparatus;" Figure 2 is a vertical section taken at
right angles to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a plan.
The apparatus is composed of a movable sole plate A, which consists
of a backing of iron forming a shallow trough containing a bed or sole B;
formed of fire-brick or other refractory material. The sole plate A is
carried upon wheels C, which run on the rails D, so that it may be moved
readily to and fro; it is also arranged so that it may be raised or lowered'
when necessary.
As arranged in the Drawing, the rails D are fixed to a movable platform
E, which is capable of being raised or lowered as required. The sole plate
A forms the base of the converting chamber, and its sides and ends F are
composed of iron backing plates lined in like manner with fire-brick.

page_text: The ends F may be either fixed to the sole plate A, or one or both may
be made to unship. The sides F are attached to the main gas pipes G,
which are carried in the end standards H. The ends of the pipes G are
connected to a forked pipe I, which serves to convey the gas from a
reservoir or generating vessel. The converting apparatus is fitted with a
movable dome-shaped cover J, which may if necessary be provided with
a pipe leading to a stack or chimney to carry off the surplus gaseous.
products. The main gas pipes G have a series of smaller pipes or tuyeres
K depending from them, the nozzles of which enter the converting ap-
paratus. In the accompanying Drawing a single row of these tuyeres is
shown on each side of the converting vessel, but the number may be in-.
creased, or they may be arranged in rows or tiers, as may be found desirable.
The main gas pipes G are arranged in their bearings, and also as regards
their connections with the pipe I, so as to admit of their having a partial
rotary movement imparted to them by means of gearing levers or other-
wise. One mode of connecting the pipes G to the ends of the pipe I is
shewn in the sectional part of Figure 1; the ends of the pipes are flanged,
the flange of the pipe G fitting into the corresponding recess in the flange
of the pipe
This arrange
and being enclosed by the collar G¹.
ment admits of the sides F being moved whilst the sole A is brought
up to them, or vice versa. When the apparatus is to be brought into
operation the sole A is run upon the platform E, and the platform is then
raised by a screw, wedge, or other contrivance to bring the surface of the
sole in contact with the sides F. The molten metal may be conveyed
direct from the blast or other furnace or cupola in which the pig iron is
either melted or made by means of a trough or otherwise. The carbonic
acid or other gas is forced by an engine or otherwise through the pipes G
from the source of supply, and the gas passes down the pipes or tuyeres
K into the metal, permeates the mass of metal, and is allowed to act thereon
a sufficient time to effect the required chemical change or conversion.
The pipe before mentioned leading into the cover J of the apparatus, or
another pipe leading into the cover, may, if found desirable, convey car-
bonic acid gas over the surface of the metal in the converting vessel; or
the waste gases from blast furnaces may be used for the purpose of con-
verting the metal, and be caused either to permeate the mass or pass over
its surface, or both. The waste gas applied to this purpose may be used in
its natural condition or after the carbonic oxide contained in it has been
converted into carbonic acid gas, and in some cases it may be desirable to
superheat the gaseous products to be used in this process.
When the

page_text: operation of converting the metal has been effected, the platform E is
lowered to allow of the sides F being moved aside, and the bloom is left
on the sole in readiness to be wheeled away for subsequent operations.
In this way large masses of "pig" or crude iron may be quickly converted
into malleable iron in a very economical and efficient manner.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim constructing
apparatus arranged and acting substantially as herein-before described, and
represented in the accompanying Drawings, for applying carbonic and other
gases to iron and other metals in a molten state.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Cartmell Ridley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six.
JAMES CARTMELL RIDLEY. (L.S.)