IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE ADRADATING TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Birch, of Newton Heath, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
ADRADATING TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Birch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th June 1872.
I, John BIRCH, of Newton Heath, in the County of Lancaster, do
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN SUCH
MANUFACTURE," to be as follows :—
The object of my Invention is to make Bessemer steel and iron from
ordinary metals.
It is well known that pig metal containing sulphur and phosphorus
cannot be used for this purpose, hence none but the hematites, which
are practically free from these ingredients, are used in the process, and
it is likewise known that the Bessemer process removes nearly all other

page_text: foreign ingredients, such as carbon, silicon, and aluminium, but the
sulphur and phosphorus is not removed when ordinary metals are
attempted to be used.
I am aware that attempts have been made to render ordinary pig
metal suitable for this purpose by the use of certain oxidizing agents to
the crude metal before submitting it to the Bessemer process, but these
attempts have not been successful, and the quantity of salts required has
been very large, chiefly in consequence of the large amount of other
impurities contained in the crude metal.
Now, I propose, after blowing out all the impurities or nearly so that
can be removed by the ordinary Bessemer process, to remove the sulphur
and phosphorus from ordinary metals (which the Bessemer process will
not remove) by subjecting the decarburised metal to the action of
oxidising agents in a separate vessel or ladle lined with fire-resisting
materials, this I do in the following manner:-I place lumps of tap
cinder or calcined tap cinder, known as bulldog," iron ore, manganese
ore, or any of the ingredients generally used for fettling in puddling
furnaces, on the bottoin of the separate vessel or ladle, I then melt
tap cinder, iron ore, mill scale, or other oxygen giving substances, and
run it on to or amongst the lumps in the bottom of the vessel or ladle,
allow the mass to set, and then pour the decarburised or nearly decar-
burized iron from the converting vessel into one end of the vessel or
ladle before referred to and hereafter described, then tilt the vessel or
ladle, thereby running the metal over the mass of tap cinder before
mentioned, then after the boil (which takes place instantly the metal
and tap cinder come in contact) I add the speigel eisen when necessary.
Other substances than metallic oxides may be used in this operation,
such as chloride of sodium, chloride of calcium, fluoride of calcium or
fluor spar, nitrate of soda, chlorate of potash, and other salts of a similar
character.
:
In order to facilitate these operations I have constructed a vessel or
ladle of a novel character, to be mounted on the ordinary Bessemer
crane.
Instead of the ordinary open ladle I attach to the casting crane a
vessel or ladle lined with fire-resisting materials and mounted upon
trunnions so as to be capable of being tilted, firstly in such a position as
as to receive the decarburized metal from the ordinary Bessemer con-

page_text: verting vessel, and secondly so as to run or tilt this metal on to the
metallic oxides or other substances before mentioned.
I may here remark that it is obvious that this operation can be per-
formed, although in a less convenient manner, in the ordinary ladle, but
I wish it to be understood that the distinctive feature of my Invention
consists in subjecting converted or nearly converted iron to the action
of metallic oxides or other agents set forth in the above description,
by placing them beneath or amongst the converted or nearly converted
metal as it is poured from the Bessemer vessel, whether into an ordinary
ladle or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Birch in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BIRCH, of Newton Heath, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Birch, Her special license that I,
the said John Birch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Birch, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF
IRON AND STEEL, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN SUCH MANufacture,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Birch,
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 John Birch, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):
The object of my Invention is to make Bessemer steel and iron from
ordinary metals, and to remove the last traces of phosphorus and
sulphur contained therein.
It is well known that pig metal containing phosphorus and sulphur
cannot be used for this purpose, and hence none but the hematites
(which are practically free from these ingredients) arc used in this
process, and it is likewise known that the Bessemer process removes
nearly all the other foreign ingredients, such as carbon, silicon, and
aluminium, but the sulphur and phosphorus are not removed when
ordinary metals are attempted to be used.
I am aware that attempts have been made to render ordinary pig
metal suitable for this purpose by the addition of certain oxydizing
agents to the crude metal before submitting it to the Bessemer process,
but these attempts have not been successful, and the quantity of salts
required has been very large, chiefly in consequence of the large amount
of other impurities contained in the crude metal.
Now I propose, after blowing out all the impurities or nearly so that
can be removed by the ordinary Bessemer process, to remove the sulphur
and phosphorus from the ordinary metals (which the Bessemer process
will not remove) by subjecting the decarburized metal to the action of
oxydizing agents in a separate vessel or ladle lined with fire-resisting
materials; this I do in the following manner: -I place lumps
of good tap cinder, iron ore, manganese ore (or any one or more of
the ingredients generally used for "fettling" in puddling furnaces)
on the bottom of the separate vessel or ladle; I then melt tap cinder,
iron orc, mill scale, or other oxygen giving substances and run it
into or amongst the lumps in the bottom of the vessel or ladle and allow
the mass to set, after which I then pour the decarburized or nearly
decarburized iron from the converting vessel into one end of the vessel or
ladle before referred to and herein-after described, then tilt the vessel or
ladle, thereby running the metal over or amongst the mass of tap cinder
before mentioned, and then after the boil (which takes place instantly

page_text: when the metal and tap cinder come into contact) I add the spiegel eisen
if necessary.
Other substances than metallic oxides may be used in this operation,
such as chloride of sodium, chloride of calcium, fluoride of calcium or
fluor spar, nitrate of soda, or chlorate of potash, but in using these
materials I do not run the melted tap cinder thereon as it would decom-
pose these ingredients at once, but I either fuse the salts in the vessel
or ladle by the application of a suitable heat and then let them set solid,
or I reduce them to a plastic state in the same vessel by the addition of
water and clay, lime, or other suitable material, so as to form them into
a cake or mass, and after driving off the water by heat they are ready
for use.
In order to facilitate these operations I have constructed a vessel .or
ladle of a novel character (to be mounted on the ordinary Bessemer
casting frame), the construction and operation of which will be readily
understood on reference to the accompanying Drawing and the following
explanation thereof :-
Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation (sccn partly in
section) of the apparatus. A, A, represents the ordinary Bessemer
casting crane, and B, B, the Bessemer converting vessel; C, C, is my
improved ladle or vessel lined with fire-resisting material and mounted
on trunnions at D, D. This vessel I prefer to make in two parts, con-
nected together at X, X, by flanges and bolts. It is carried by the crane
A, A, and capable of being tilted when required by means of the
gearing E, E. It is provided with an ordinary tapping apparatus F, F.
The dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the position of the vessel or ladle C, C,
when the melted tap cinder and other ingredients are introduced, and it
is allowed to remain in this position until the whole has become one
solid mass.
It is then lowered into the position shown in full lines at
Fig. 2, when it is ready to receive the molten metal from the converting
vessel B, B, also in position for tapping into the ingot mould G, G.
Fig. 3 is a side view (partly in section) and Fig. 4 a front view of a
modification of the vessel or ladle O, C. In this case the form of the
ladle is semi-cylindrical, with the addition of a movable part C*, C*,
forming a quarter cylinder. This part contains the tap cinder and other
ingredients employed as above described, and the object in making it
movable is that a number of these parts C*, C*, may be kept ready

page_text: charged, and by removing and replacing them as required a considerable
saving in time may be effected.
Fig. 5 shows the position of this vessel or ladle when the molten metal
is poured in.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention
for "Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel, and in.the
Apparatus used in such Manufacture," I wish it to be understood that I
do not desire to limit or confine myself to the details herein-before sct
forth as they may be considerably modified, but what I claim as my
Invention is,―
Firstly. Subjecting converted or nearly converted iron to the action
of metallic oxides or other agents herein-before set forth, by placing
them beneath or amongst the converted or nearly converted metal
as it is poured from the Bessemer vessel, whether into an ordinary ladle
or otherwise.
And, secondly. I claim the construction and use of a revolving vessel
or ladle, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before more par-
ticularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Birch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
or otherwise.
And, secondly. I claim the construction and use of a revolving vessel
or ladle, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before more par-
ticularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Birch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JNO. BIRCH. (L.S.)