IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURe of STEEL INGOTS OR BLOOMS FOR ARMOUR PLATES AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Walter Knox, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
B.Sc., F.C.S., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURe of
STEEL INGOTS OR BLOOMS FOR ARMOUR PLATES AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 26th March 1878, and dated the 12th January 1878.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Walter Knox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th January 1878.
GEORGE WALTER KNOX, of Sheffield, in the County of York, B.Sc., F.C.S.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL INGOTS OR BLOOMS FOR ARMOUR
PLATES AND OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to the production of ingots or blooms to be used in the
manufacture of plates for fort and ship armour and for other purposes, and it con-
sists in casting such ingots or blooms of steel, with internal cores or bonds of
wrought iron or other suitable metal or material, by placing such cores or bonds in
the mould, and running in the molten steel over and around them, so as to form
castings, the exterior and main body of which is composed of steel, whilst portions
of the interior consist of the said cores or bonds, the interstices being filled with the
steel, which becomes cemented or united to the cores or bonds.
The cores or bonds may consist of rods, bars, plates, or wires of any convenient
section and dimensions, any required number of which, arranged in any suitable
manner or direction, may be employed.
By my Invention greater cohesive power will be obtained, whilst in the case of
armour plates a means will be provided for the relief of the waves of strain produced
in the plate under the impact of projectiles, and which waves will find outlets along
the lines of the cores or bonds in lieu of being confined within the plate until
rupture ensues.
In the term "steel" I include pure iron (Fe) and all compounds of iron con-
taining less carbon than is contained in cast or pig iron, and which pure iron or
compounds of iron are capable of being reduced to a molten condition.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said George Walter Knox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th July
1878.
GEORGE WALTER KNOX, of Sheffield, in the County of York, B.Sc., F.C.S.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL INGOTS OR BLOOMS FOR ARMOUR
PLATES AND OTHER PURPOSES."
:
My said Invention relates to the production of ingots or blooms to be used in
the manufacture of plates for fort and ship armour and for other purposes, and it
consists in casting such ingots or blooms of steel, with internal cores or bonds of
wrought iron or other suitable metal or material, by placing such cores or bonds in
the mould, and running in the molten steel over and around them, so as to form
castings, the exterior and a portion of the interior of which are composed of steel,
whilst portions of the interior consist of the said cores or bonds, the interstices being
filled with the steel, which becomes cemented or united to the cores or bonds.
The cores or bonds may consist of rods, bars, plates, or wires of any convenient
section and dimensions, any required number (more than one) of which, arranged in
any suitable manner or direction, may be employed.
The ingot thus formed may, after any necessary working, be used by itself; or it
may be used with other plates of iron or steel, or iron and steel, by being welded to
such plates; or, for convenience and economy in manufacture, by being made upon
the top of previously constructed plates properly prepared, or upon the top of pre-
-viously cast steel plates.
In order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the Figure.
on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, which is a vertical section illustrating some
modes of carrying out my said Invention.
a, a¹, a², represent cores or bonds constructed in three different forms, a, a¹, con-
sisting of rods arranged respectively transversely and longitudinally, and a² frustrums
of cones placed vertically. The cores or bonds may however be made of any other
suitable form, and arranged in any convenient manner, either parallel to the plane
of the surface of the plate b, at right angles to such plane, or otherwise, or in any
two or more directions in the same plate, or otherwise, so as to form portions of the
plate b, attached or not attached to a foundation plate c.
The cores or bonds, which must be more than one in number, should be sufficiently
separated from each other to allow of the steel surrounding them, and not forming
cells isolating the steel.
I prefer making the cores or bonds, which may be heated prior to the operation
of casting to any desired temperature, of wrought iron when a high steel is used for
the matrix, but high steel cores or bonds of sufficient thickness may be used when a
low steel matrix is employed.
I do not confine myself to any given material for the cores or bonds.
When a simple plate (without a foundation plate) is required, I place the cores or
bonds, either arranged separately and kept in their places by mechanical contri-
vances, or previously joined together and forming a skeleton or network in an open
or closed mould, and then cast steel of the required temper upon and around them,
such steel forming the matrix in which the cores or bonds are fixed. The plate is
then rolled, hammered or pressed, and finished as usual.
When a compound plate is desired, I weld my complex ingot to a foundation
plate or plates, or I place, either within the reheating furnace or after the foundation
plate has been withdrawn from it, my cores or bonds, placed separately or previously
united as a skeleton, upon the previously prepared foundation plate c, which, lying
on the furnace upon the bottom plate d, and shielded by fire-bricks e, e, (or other-
wise), has been raised to a proper temperature; or in the case of the casting of a
steel foundation plate immediately preceding, I place my cores or bonds upon it as
soon as it has been allowed to sufficiently cool; I then bring down upon the whole

page_text: the top casting box f, and cast the steel of required temper through suitable runners,
such as are shewn at g, g. (In my Drawing the casting box f is represented as in
course of removal after the plate 6 has been cast.)
I subject the compound plate, when necessary, to the usual processes for
strengthening and finishing.
The skeleton or net work referred to may be previously placed within the top
casting box before the said box is placed upon the foundation plate or plates.
When a compound plate is made as above, and it is required to have the cores or
bonds at right angles or at other angles to the plane of the surface of the plate, such
cores or bonds may be previously mechanically fixed to the foundation plate, as
shewn at h in the Figure.
In the term steel I include pure iron (Fe) and all compounds of iron con-
taining less carbon than is contained in cast or pig iron, and which pure iron or
compounds of iron are capable of being reduced to a molten condition.
By iny said Invention greater cohesive power will be obtained, whilst in the case of
armour plates there will be increased strength to resist the impact of projectiles, and
a means will be provided for the relief of the waves of strain, which will find outlets
along the lines of the cores or bonds in lieu of being confined within the plate until
rupture ensues.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and some modes in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the manufacture of steel ingots or blooms containing cores or bonds
by casting steel upon and around such cores or bonds, the said ingots or blooms to
be used in the manufacture of plates for ship and fort armour and for other pur-
poses, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Walter Knox, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
GEORGE WALTER KNOX. (L.B.)