AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LINING, REPAIRING, OR 'FETTLING' OF PUDDLING FURNACES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Mushet, of Coleford, in the County of
Gloucester, Metallurgist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LINING, REPAIRING, OR 'FETTLING' OF PUDDLING
FURNACES."
Scaled the 3rd October 1862, and dated the 24th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Mushet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th'
April 1862.
I, ROBERT MUSHET, of Coleford, in the County of Gloucester, Metallurgist,,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LINING, REPAIRING, OR 'FETTLING' OF PUDDLING FURNACES,"
to be as follows:-
In the puddling process, as commonly practised, the iron slag or cinder
generated during the puddling process, and especially during that stage of the
process termed the boiling operation, rapidly destroys the sides of the puddling
furnace, causing great expense for repairs, and wasting much iron. To avoid

page_text: this expense and waste as much as possible, various methods have been
adopted, the usual plan being to line and repair the sides of the puddling
furnace with calcined iron slag, which, when thus employed, is technically
termed "bull-dog," and the operation of thus lining or repairing the sides
of the puddling furnace is termed "fettling." This method of lining,
repairing, or "fettling" the puddling furnace is perfectly understood by manu-
facturers of bar iron and wrought iron generally, who employ puddling
furnaces in order to convert pig iron or cast iron into bar or wrought
iron.
My Invention consists in employing that ore of titanium called ilmenite, in
place of bull-dog" or other materials, for the purpose of lining, repairing,
mending, or "fettling" the sides of the puddling furnace. Ilmenite is an ore
of titanium, containing, by published analyses, from twenty to fifty-nine per
centum of titanic acid, and on an average ilmenite ore of good quality contains
about forty-three per centum of titanic acid. Ilmenite is found in large
quantities in Norway and elsewhere, and as raised from the vein consists of
lumps of from one hundredweight each down to a few pounds in weight, as
parted by the natural cleavage of the vein or lode.
In carrying my Invention into operation, I line the sides of the puddling
furnace with lumps or pieces' of the said ilmenite, introducing from two
hundredweights to five hundredweights of ilmenite lumps, according to the size
of the puddling furnace. I do not, however, confine myself to the use of any
specific quantity of the ilmenite employed for each fettling operation, for this
may be varied as circumstances may require. Crushed, stamped, or pulverised
ilmenite may be employed in place of lumps or pieces; but I find that the
lumps or pieces answer quite well. When the lining or "fettling" of ilmenite
has become worn away by the action of the iron slag or cinder during the
operation of puddling, I renew the lining or "fettling" of ilmenite from time
to time, as such repairs may be required. Ilmenite being an exceeding
refractory ore is I find very well suited for the purpose of lining, mending,
or "fettling" the puddling furnace.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the method by
which I carry it into effect, I declare that the essence of my Invention consists
in employing that refractory ore of titanium, called ilmenite, for lining,
repairing, or fettling the sides of the puddling furnace, in order the better to
enable the sides of the said furnace to withstand the action of the iron slag or
cinder generated during the puddling process. "Bull-dog" or hematite iron
ore may be employed in mixture with ilmenite for "fettling" puddling furnaces

page_text: according to my Invention; but the addition of these substances, "bull-dog'
and hematite iron ore to ilmenite for the purpose of repairing or fettling the
puddling furnace, is not essential to the success of my Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Mushet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MUSEET, of Coleford, in the County of Gloucester, Metallurgist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the,
said Robert Mushet, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Mushet, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Mushet, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE LINING, REPAIRING, OR FETTLING OF PUDDLING FURNACES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Mushet, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Musbet, 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, state-
ment thereof, that is to say:-
In the puddling process, as commonly practised, the iron, slag or cinder
generated during the puddling process, and especially during that stage of the
process termed the boiling operation, rapidly destroys the sides of the puddling
furnace, causing great expense for repairs, and wasting much iron. To avoid

page_text: this expense and waste as much as possible various methods have been adopted,
the usual plan being to line and repair the sides of the puddling furnace with
calcined iron slag, which, when thus employed, is technically termed "bull-
dog," and the operation of thus lining 'or repairing the sides of the puddling
furnace is termed "fettling." This method of lining, repairing, or fettling
the puddling furnace is perfectly understood by manufacturers of bar iron and
wrought iron generally, who employ puddling furnaces in order to convert pig
iron or cast iron into bar or wrought iron.
My Invention consists in employing that ore of titanium, called ilmenite, in
place of "bull-dog," or other materials for the purpose of lining, repairing,
mending, or "fettling" the sides of the puddling furnace. Ilmenite is an ore
of titanium containing, by published analyses, from twenty to fifty-nine per
centum of titanic acid, and on an average ilmenite ore of good quality contains
about forty-three per centum of titanic acid. Ilmenite is found in large
quantities in Norway and elsewhere, and, as raised from the vien, consists of
lumps of from one hundredweight each down to a few pounds in weight, as
parted by the natural cleavage of the vien or lode.
In carrying my Invention into operation, I line the sides of the puddling
furnace with lumps or pieces of the said ilmenite, introducing from two
hundredweights to five hundredweights of ilmenite lumps, according to the
size of the puddling furnace. I do not, however, confine myself to the use of
any specific quantity of the ilmenite employed for each fettling operation, for
this may be varied as circumstances may require. Crushed, stamped or pul-
verized ilmenite may be employed in place of lumps or pieces, but I find that
the lumps or pieces answer quite well. The fettling of the puddling furnace
with ilmenite according to my Invention, is performed in a manner similar to
that adopted when "bull-dog" is employed for the said fettling. When the
lining or "fettling" of ilmenite has become worn away by the action of the
iron slag or cinder during the operation of puddling, I renew the lining or
fettling" of ilmenite from time to time as such repairs may be required.
Ilmenite being an exceedingly refractory ore is, I find, very well suited for the
purpose of lining, mending, or "fettling" the puddling furnace.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner by
which I carry it into effect, I declare that the essence of my Invention consists
in employing that refractory ore of titanium, called ilmenite, for lining,
repairing, or fettling the sides of the puddling furnace, in order the better to
enable the sides of the said furnace to withstand the action of the iron slag or
cinder generated during the puddling process. "Bull-dog" or hematite iron

page_text: ore may be employed in mixture with ilmenite for "fettling" puddling fur-
naces according to my Invention; but the addition of these substances, "bull-
dog" and hematite iron ore to ilmenite for the purpose of repairing or fettling
the puddling furnace, is not essential to the success of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Mushet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witnesses,
EDW M. MUSHET,
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
B. MUSHET,
Cheltenham.
ROBT. MUSHET. (L.S.)