IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTING CAST IRON, WROUGHT IRON SCRAPS, OLd Rails, and suCH LIKE MATERIALS INTO STEEL OR METAL HAVING THE PROPERTIES OF STEEL
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Browne, of the Firm of Browne and
Company, Patent Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONVERTING CAST IRON, WROUGHT IRON SCRAPS, OLd Rails, and suCH LIKE
MATERIALS INTO STEEL OR METAL HAVING THE PROPERTIES OF STEEL.”—A
communication from abroad by the Foundries and Forges Company,
of Terre Noire La Voulte and Bessèges, in tho French Republic.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Browne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th January 1875.
I, ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company,
5 Patent Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iч-
PROVEMENTS IN CONVERTING CAST IEON, WROUGHT IRON SCRAPS, OLD RAILS, AND
SUCH LIKE MATERIALS INTO STEEL OR METAL HAVING THE PROPERTIES OF STEEL,"
a communication from abroad by the Foundries and Forges Company,

page_text: of Terre Noire La Voulte and Bessèges, in the French Republic, to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon a former Inven-
tion, for which Letters Patent were granted on the 16th January,
1874, No. 220, and consists in converting by a simple process old rails,
axles, tyres, and such like old materials into rails of cast metal of
excellent quality.
The means by which I attain the above object are as follows:-I melt
down in a Siemens-Martin furnace 1,000 kilos. of iron, choosing that
which contains less than roboth of phosphorus; 200 kilos. of old rails,
axles, tyres, and such like old materials are then introduced at a time in
the furnace, the quantity of which may vary from 2,500 kilos. to
3,500 kilos. according to the carburetted state of the iron used. I thus
produce an iron containing only traces of carbon, but also what are
generally known as impurities in iron, such as sulphur, phosphorus, 1
arsenic, antimony, and a certain quantity of oxide of iron. In this state
the metal is bad whether hot or cold. I then throw into the mass and
during the whole time of the running off, fragments heated to redness of
ferro-manganese or ferro-silicium, or an alloy of iron, manganese, and
silicium, in such quantity that the melted metal shall contain 1% in
weight of manganese or ½% of silicium. The materials must be
quickly mixed during the addition of these fragments.
The metal thus produced is run into ingots in the usual way and
rolled with the precautions usually taken with steel. This metal is as
good when cold as hot, and will stand the usual tests to which steel rails 2
are subjected. The above qualities cannot be attained by any other
known process when such old materials are used.
The alloy of iron and manganese which I use is not the manganesed
iron known by the name of spiegel eisen. It contains from 50 to 60%
of metallic manganese, the rest being iron instead of 10 or 25% which 8
is the quantity of manganese contained in spiegel eisen. It differs from
spiegel eisen inasmuch as it is not magnetic, that it crystallizes in fine
needles instead of large facets or shining surfaces. It is produced by
totally different processes and is found now in the market, and may bo
obtained in any quantity.
The alloy of iron and silicium differs also entirely from the iron con-
taining silicium, which can be made in blast furnaces. It is a silver

page_text: white metal with large brilliant facets containing no carbon and resisting
the action of acids. It contains from 22 to 25% of silicium.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Browne in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of 5,
Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-fivo, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Browne, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Browne, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Browne, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVERTING
CAST IRON, WROUGHT-IRON SCRAPS, OLD RAILS, AND BUCH LIKE MATERIALS INTO
STEEL OR METAL HAVING THE PROPERTIES OF STEEL," a communication from
abroad by the Foundries and Forges Company, of Terre Noire La Voulte
and Bessèges, in the French Republic, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Browne, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Alexander Browne, do hereby declare .

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon a former Inven-
tion, for which Letters Patent were granted on the 16th January 1874,
No. 220, and consists in converting by a simple process old rails, axles,
tyres, and such like old materials into rails of cast metal of excellent
quality.
The means by which I attain the above object are as follows:-I melt
down in a. Siemens-Martin furnace 1,000 kilos. of iron, choosing that
which contains less than rooth of phosphorus; 200 kilos. of old rails, 1
axles, tyres, and such like old materials are then introduced at a time in
the furnace, the quantity of which may vary from 2,500 kilos. to 3,500
kilos., according to the carburetted state of the iron used. I thus produce
an iron containing only traces of carbon, but also what are generally
known as impuritics in iron, such as sulphur, phosphorus, arsenic, 1
antimony, and a certain quantity of oxide of iron. In this state the
metal is bad, whether hot or cold. I then throw into the mass and during
the whole time of the running off fragments heated to redness of ferro-
manganese or ferro-silicium, or an alloy of iron manganese and silicium
in such quantity that the melted metal shall contain 1% in weight of 1
manganese or ½% of silicium. The materials must be quickly mixed
during the addition of these fragments.
0

page_text: Ferro-manganese at 55%.
or Ferro-silicium at 25%
65
"
72"
The metal thus produced is run into ingots in the usual way and rolled
with the precautions usually taken with steel. This metal is as good
when cold as hot and will stand the usual tests to which steel rails are
subjected. The above qualities cannot be attained by any other known
O process when such old materials are used.
The alloy of iron and manganese which I use is not the manganesed
iron known by the name of spiegel eisen. It contains from 50 to 60%
of metallic manganese, the rest being iron, instead of 10 or 25% which
is the quantity of manganese contained in spiegel eisen. It differs from
3 spiegel eisen inasmuch as it is not magnetic, that it crystallizes in fine
needles instead of large facets or shining surfaces. It is produced by
totally different processes and is found now in the market, and may be
obtained in any quantity.
The alloy of iron and silicium differs also entirely from the iron con-
Otaining silicium which can be made in blast furnaces. It is a silver
white metal with large brilliant facets containing no carbon, and resisting
the action of acids. It contains from 22 to 25 % of silicium.
I would remark that I do not make use in this process of any special
apparatus for a previous preparation, such as refining or purifying the
5 substance. My object is not to manufacture maganese or silicium steel,
and the silicium which I add is not found in the substance obtained, it
simply acts (like the manganese) in the same way as the wood which is
placed in the pots of melted glass to expel the air bubbles and mix up
the materials. I use no oxydizing or recarburating blast, like in Nes'
> process, and no ores of any kind. My process is thus totally different
from that of Nes. The introduction of ferro-manganese is not intended
to expel the phosphorus and sulphur. The manganese in my opinion
acts quite differently, and the introduction of it is not followed by any
oxidation by the blast which was introduced by Mushet after his suc-
cessive additions of spiegel eisen. I do not use the same material as he
does nor his apparatuses, and my aim is totally different.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of this Invention for "Improve-
ments in Converting Cast Iron, Wrought Iron Scraps, old Rails,
and such like Materials into Steel or Metal having the Properties of
Steel," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would remark 5
in conclusion that I hereby declaro this Invention to consist in, and I
claim,―
Firstly. The improved processes of melting in a Siemens-Martin
furnace cast iron containing less than one thousandth of phosphorus with
old rails, axles, tyres, and such like old material in proportions varying 1
according to the carburetted state of the cast iron, and adding to the
molten mass ferro-manganese or ferro-silicium in various proportions in
order to convert it into steel or metal, having the properties of steel,
substantially as described.
Secondly. The compound or alloy consisting of wrought iron, cast 1
iron, and ferro-manganese or ferro-silicium combined in or about the
proportions herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five.
ALEX. BROWNE. (L.S.)
2