IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM FURNACE SLAG
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wood, of the Tees Iron Works, Middlesbro'-on-
Tees, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS
AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM FURNACE SLAG."
Sealed the 9th May 1876, and dated the 25th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Wood at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th February 1876.
CHARLES WOOD, of the Tees Iron Works, Middlesbro'-on-Tees.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM FURNACE SLAG."
My Invention relates to the treatment of blast furnace slag or cinder for the
manufacture of various articles, such as bricks, blocks for paving, and ornamental
goods.
I place a circular or square sided box (without a bottom) upon the top of a small
truck with a flat top. Inside these boxes I arrange a large quantity of sand cores
or moulds, which have been previously made and dried in an ordinary core oven.
These cores or moulds are hollow, containing the shape of the brick, block, or other
casting to be made. These sand cores or moulds are stacked in rows one on the top
of the other inside the square or circular box. The slag is then run into the box in
the usual way direct from the furnace, flowing into each mould by channels or gits
left for that purpose, the slag running into each tier of moulds as the box fills up
with the fluid slag. In this way it is possible in a large box to run as many as
from 50 to 100 bricks or blocks at one time. As soon as the slag has become set
the slag block is then drawn away, and allowed to cool in the open air in the usual
way, no further annealing being necessary than the initial heat of the slag. After
the ball has become cool it is tipped off the bogie, and the bricks taken out. It is
found by this method that there is quite enough heat to thoroughly anneal the
bricks or blocks without putting them into annealing ovens. Fresh sand cores
or moulds are used each time.
If convenient space can be had at or near the furnaces I prefer to make a square
or round well, into which I place the sand, cores, as many as 300 or 400 in a block,
according to the size of the bricks. This well can be made of bricks, or even formed
of the sand cores built up on the outside, the internal space being partly filled up
also with sand cores or moulds, and the slag run into the well in the same way as
D. nii

page_text: into the boxes before mentioned. By this last plan I allow the whole pit to get
cool (before taking out the bricks or blocks), and break up the block in its place to
pick out the bricks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th August
1876.
CHARLES WOOD, of the Tees Iron Works, Middlesbro'-on-Tees.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM FURNACE SLAG."
My Invention relates to the treatment of blast furnace slag or cinder for the
manufacture of various articles, such as bricks, blocks for paving, and ornamental
goods.
I place a circular or square sided box (without a bottom) upon the top of a small
truck with a flat top. Inside these boxes I arrange a large quantity of sand cores
or moulds, which have been previously made and dried in an ordinary core oven.
These cores or moulds are hollow, containing the shape of the brick, block, or other
casting to be made. These sand cores or moulds are stacked in rows, one on the top
of the other inside the square or circular box. The slag is then run into the box in
the usual way direct from the furnace, flowing into each mould by channels or gits
left for that purpose. The slag runs into each tier of moulds as the box fills up with
the fluid slag. In this way it is possible in a large box to run as many as from
500 to 800 bricks or blocks at one time. As soon as, the slag becomes set the slag
block is drawn away and allowed to cool in the open air in the usual way, no further
annealing being necessary than the initial heat of the slag. After the ball has
become cool it is tipped off the bogie, and the bricks taken out. It is found by
this method that there is quite enough heat to thoroughly anneal the bricks or
blocks without putting them into annealing ovens. Fresh sand cores or moulds are
used each time.
If convenient space can be had at or near the furnaces I. prefer to make a square
or round well, into which I place the sand cores, as many as 800 to 1000 in a block,
according to the size of the bricks. This well can be made of bricks, or even formed
of sand cores built up on the outside of the internal space, being partly filled up
also with sand cores or moulds, and the slag run into the well in the same way as
into the boxes before mentioned. By this last plan I allow the whole pit full of
bricks to get nearly cool before taking out the mass to pick out the bricks.
Figure 1 on the Drawing annexed shows a section of a pit showing the sand
cores (in section) stacked one layer on the top of the other.
Figure 2 shows a plan of the same, showing how the sand cores are arranged
in rows.
Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation of an ordinary slag bogie, with a loose or
fixed top, as commonly used in the Cleveland district, and having sand cores arranged
within it.
Figure 4 shows a plan of the same, showing the sand cores arranged in this bogie
or wagon in the same way as in the pit.
The sand cores or shells A, A, A, are made separately or in pairs, having a shell
of about one and a half inches in thickness of sand to divide one paving brick or
article from another, and having a git or runner from one cavity to another, so that
the hot liquid slag entirely fills one cavity before it flows into the next. These
cores or shells are usually made singly, and rammed up in a core box by boys, and
are then placed in a core oven until dry. They are then removed and stacked in
the pit or wagon, as shown.
When made singly the cores or shells have only three sides, and are so constructed
that when they are placed in position in the pits or wagons that the articles to be

page_text: cast are completely covered on all sides. In each row one core can be made with
four sides, or a loose end put in separately.
A space is left at one end of the pit or wagon. This space acts as the main
runner, as shown at B, B, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, C, C, being the spout for the liquid slag
from the furnace. The slag runs from this spout C, C, into the bottom of the space
or main runner B, B, first feeding the bottom layer of cores, the slag runs from one
shell or core to another until all the cavities are filled. The slag then rises in the
space or main runner B, B, and feeds the next layer of cores or shells, and so on
until the whole pit is full, when they are left alone for three or four days to cool.
Articles thus cast are sufficiently self-annealed.
I am aware that slag has been cast in both iron and sand moulds before, and that
bricks and paving blocks and ornamental goods have often been made, but what I
claim as my Invention is,-
Firstly. The casting of bricks or blocks in masses, so that they become self-
annealed, each brick or block being separated from those around it by a sand shell
or core, as before described.
Secondly. I claim the use of three-sided cores, stacked substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wood, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
CHARLES WOOD. (L.S.)