IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ORES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING IRON IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON STEEL AND ALLOYS OF IRON AND OF A PURIFYING AND DEOXIDISING AGENT THEREFROM ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RETOETS OR KILNS FOR TREATING THE SAID ORES AND SUBSTANCES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henderson of Kensington in the County of
Middlesex Chemist for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
ORES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING IRON IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
STEEL AND ALLOYS OF IRON AND OF A PURIFYING AND DEOXIDISING AGENT
THEREFROM ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RETOETS OR KILNS FOR TREATING
THE SAID ORES AND SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th July 1868.
I WILLIAM HENDERSON of Kensington in the County of Middlesex,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING ORES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING IRON, IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON, STEEL AND ALLOYS OF IRON AND OF A PURIFYING AND DEOXIDIZING
AGENT THEREFROM, ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RETORTS OR KILNS FOR TREATING
THE SAID ORES AND SUBSTANCES to be as follows:-
These improvements relate 1st to the manufacture of iron chiefly from the
purer oxide ores of that metal such as hematites and the better qualities
of calcined black band ores as well as the residual oxides of iron obtained
from iron or coppery iron pyrites by the process described in the specification
of a patent granted to me the 20th Dec 1859 N° 2900 or other analogous
process. But my invention applies to other iron ores.
18589.

page_text: 2nd To the manufacture of alloys of cast iron more or less rich in metallic
manganese, Titanium, Chromium, or carburets thereof or other metal that may
be desirable to alloy with iron.
3rd to the apparatus or kiln for reducing iron ores.
'
My invention consists in operating as follows :-I reduce to powder the
iron ores and a proportion of coal or other carbonaceous matter varying
according to the quality of iron required to be produced and the metals to
be alloyed with the iron. I add fluxes such as lime common salt or other
chloride and mould the whole into balls or lumps of other shape as free as may
be from angles and dry them, I then charge the dried balls into my improved
retort or kiln hereafter described wherein the ore is reduced to. the metallic
state When it is intended to make wrought iron from the reduced or con-
verted balls I mix enough coal or other carbonaceous matter to convert the
whole of the oxygen contained in the ores into carbonic oxide. When the
reduced balls are to be melted in a reverberatory furnace by means of a gas
flame I combine about 5 per Cent more carbon than is required for converting
the oxygen contained in the ores into carbonic oxide and when the balls are
to be melted into cast iron in a common reverberatory furnace 10 per, Cont
excess of carbon should be originally combined. When the reduced balls are
to be melted in a cupola for the purpose of moulding the metal into shapes, I
prefer to combine with the crushed ores and make into balls, as much extra
coal as will produce when passed through the improved kiln or retort suffi-
cient coke to melt the reduced balls. In some cases I grind and mix oxides
carbonates and other salts of manganese Titanium Chromium or other metal
with the iron ores and add as much coal as will also convert their contained
oxygen into carbonic oxide. Raw black-bands containing excess of carbon
may be substituted wholly or in part for the carbon as a reducing agent. I
prefer to use a small coal of good quality as free as may be from sulphur
and ash.
To obtain steel I combine with the crushed iron ores as much oxide or car-
bonate of manganese as will produce a metal containing 5 to 8 per Cent of
metallic manganese. Titanium Iron ore or Chromate of iron may sometimes be
also advantageously used; and I add as much carbon as will produce the steel.
The balls are amalgamated dried and reduced in the retort; the reduced
balls are then rapidly melted and puddled for a short time and run into
moulds.
My improved reducing or converting retort or kiln consists of an upright
chimney by preference about 20 feet high, arched over at top, and furnished
with an air-tight iron hopper or receiver with a valve built into the centre of the

page_text: arch. The retort is slightly wider at bottom than at top; it is open at bottom
and rests on two or three sides in a pan of cast iron or in a hollow water tight
space formed of bricks and cement. The one or two spaces for drawing out
tho reduced balls should come sufficiently far down so that the under part of
the retort can be completely luted by water or other fluid and through
which the reduced ore must pass to be drawn out. In the walls of the retort
there are spaces all round, and-under the arch on the top; there are two or four
holes left for the exit of the carbonic oxide and other gases evolved by the ores
in the process of reduction. I mix these gases with heated air and allow them
to circulate through the spaces in the wall. If these gases alone do not
produce as much heat as is necessary to reduce the metals I work as a coke
oven or retort one retort for every two or as many as is necessary to maintain
the' requisite degree of heat distributing the produced gases where required
by means of pipes or flues. The retorts are first brought to a bright red heat,
by gas or a separate fire.
To
the water which would
both of the following
feet upwards from the
prevent the reduced balls dropping red hot into
partially oxidize the reduced metals I adopt either or
precautions The lower part of the retort for about 6
water line I make solid with no fire or heating spaces behind; or I fill the pan
with tar oil or other fluid hydrocarbon instead of water or with water with a
layer of a few inches of these substances on the top.
My purifying and deoxidizing agent consists of the balls reduced in the
retort above described or otherwise when containing a mixture of manganese
and iron combined us above described. I do not confine myself to the
employment of this material in the form of balls as it may be produced in any
desired shape and in some case I crush it and use it in a granular or other
state alone or mixed with sand or other materials to form a filter bed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I WILLIAM
HENDERSON of Kensington in the County of Middlesex Chemist .send
greeting
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the tenth day of July in the year of Our Lord One
thousand cight hundred and sixty-three in the twenty seventh year of Her

page_text: Reign did for Herself, Her Heirs and Successors, give and grant unto me
the said William Henderson Her special licence that I the said William
Henderson my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I the
said William Henderson 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 TREATING ORES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING IRON IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF IRON STEEL AND ALLOYS OF IRON AND OF A PURIFYING AND DEOXIDIZING AGENT
THEREFROM ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RETORTS OR KILNS FOR TREATING THE
"
SAID ORES AND SUBSTANCES upon the condition (amongst others) that I the
said William Henderson 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 William Henderson do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof that is to say :-
These improvements relate to First. The manufacture of iron chiefly from
the purer oxide ores of that metal such as Hematites and the better
qualities of calcined black band ores as well as the residual oxides of iron
obtained from iron or coppery iron pyrites, by the process described in
the Specification of a patent granted to me the 20th December 1859 N°
2900 or other analogous process But my invention applies to other iron
ores.
Second-To the manufacture of alloys of cast iron more or less rich in metallic
manganese, titanium, chromium or carburets thereof or other metal that may
be desirable to alloy with iron.
Third To the apparatus or kiln for reducing iron ores.
My Invention consists in operating as follows:-I reduce to powder the
iron ores and a proportion of Coal or other carbonaceous matter varying
according to the quality of iron required to be produced and the metals to be
alloyed with the iron I add fluxes such as lime common salt or other chloride
and mould the whole into balls or lumps of other shape as free as may be
from angles and dry them I then charge the dried balls into my improved

page_text: retort or kiln hereafter described, wherein the ore is reduced to the inetallic
state. When it is intended to make wrought iron from the reduced or con-
verted balls I mix enough coal or other carbonaceous matter to convert the
whole of the oxygen contained in the ores into carbonic oxide. When the
reduced balls are to be melted in a reverberatory furnace by means of a gas
flame I combine about 5 per Cent more carbon than is required for converting
the oxygen contained in the ores into carbonic oxide and when the balls are
to be melted into cast iron in a common reverberatory furnace 10 per Cent
excess of carbon should be originally combined. When the reduced balls are
to be melted in a cupola for the purpose of moulding the metal into shapes
I prefer to combine with the crushed ores and make into balls as much extra
coal as will produce when passed through the improved kiln or retort sufficient
coke to melt the reduced balls. In some cases I grind and mix oxides car-
bonates and other salts of manganese titanium chromium or other metal
with the iron ore and add as much coal as will also convert their contained
oxygen into carbonic oxide-Raw black bands containing excess of carbon
may be substituted wholly or in part for the carbon as a reducing agent
I prefer to use a small coal of good quality as free as may be from sulphur
and ash.
To obtain steel I combine with the crushed iron ores as much oxide or
carbonate of manganese as will produce a metal containing 5 to 8 per Cent
of metallic manganese titanium iron ore or chromate of iron may sometimes
be also advantageously used and I add as much carbon as will produce the
steel. The balls are amalgamated dried and reduced in the retort-The
reduced balls are then rapidly melted and puddled for a short time and run
into moulds.
My improved reducing or converting retort or kiln consists of an upright
chimney by preference about 20 feet high arched over at top and furnished
with an air-tight iron hopper or receiver with a valve built into the centre
of the arch; tho retort is slightly wider at bottom than at top; it is open at
bottom and rests on two or three sides in a pan of cast iron or in a hollow
watertight space formed of bricks and cement-The one or two spaces
for drawing out the reduced balls should come sufficiently far down so that
the underpart of the retort can be completely luted by water or other fluid
and through which the reduced ore must pass to be drawn out. In the walls
of the retort there are spaces all round and under the arch on the top there
are two or four holes left for the exit of the carbonic oxide and other gases
evolved by the ores in the process of reduction. I mix these gases with

page_text: heated air and allow them to circulate through the spaces in the wall-II theso
gases alone do not produce as much heat as is necessary to reduce the metals
I work as a coke oven or retort one retort for every two- or as many as is
necessary to maintain the requisite degree of heat, distributing the produced
gases where required by means of pipes or flues-The retorts are first brought
to, a bright red heat by gas or a separate fire-To prevent the reduced balls
dropping red hot into the water which would partially oxidise the reduced
metals I adopt either or both of the following precautions-The lower part
of the retort for about 6 feet upwards from the water line I make solid with
no fire or heating spaces behind; or I fill the pan with tar oil or other fluid
hydrocarbon instead of water or with water with a layer of a few inches of
these substances on the top. The solid part of the retort or kiln near the
bottom should also have one or two doors at each side. which can be luted
air tight so as to facilitate the drawing of the retorts or kilns and the removal
of any obstructions. For the perpetual kiln or oven above described an oven
may be substituted constructed on the principle of the coke ovens now com-
monly in use but having spaces in the walls and under the bottoms within
which the gases produced in the interior of the oven by the reduction of the
ores may be mixed with air and burned. When the whole contents have
been completely reduced the oven must be allowed to cool below redness
before it can be drawn or the contents must be discharged into an airtight
chamber.
My purifying and deoxidizing agent consists of the balls reduced in the
retort before described or otherwise when containing a mixture of manganese
and iron combined as described. I do not confine myself to the employment
of this material in the form of balls as it may be produced in any desired shape
and in some cases I crush it and use it in a granular or other state alone or
mixed with sand or other materials to form a filter bed.-It may also be
used for precipitating copper silver and several other metals from their
solutions.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
First The method or methods hereinbefore described for producing car-
burets of iron and manganese or iron combined with carbon and manganese
titanium tungsten chromium or other metal that it may be desirable to alloy
with iron by mixing their oxides or carbonates with oxides or carbonates of
iron and excess of coal or other carbonaceous matter moulding into balls or
blocks and exposing them to a bright red heat for several hours in close ovens

page_text: or kilns the heat being produced wholly or in part by burning the gases
evolved during the reduction of the mixtures the reduced ores being afterwards
melted in a furnace.
Second
described.
Constructing kilns or retorts in manner and for the purpose
And Third The manufacture of the deoxidizing or purifying agent con-
sisting of iron and manganese in the spongy state hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said William Henderson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this seventh day of January One thousand eight
hundred and sixty four.