IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE, OF STEEL
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson,, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE, OF STEEL."-A communication
from abroad by Victor Honoré Eugène Gallet, of Paris, in the
Republic of France.
Sealed the 12th December 1873, and dated the 19th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th July 1873.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL," a communi-
Ication to me from abroad by Victor Honoré Eugène Gallet, of Paris,
in the Republic of France. to be as follows:-

page_text: obtaining cast steel or steel of cementation of the best quality from
ordinary iron, iron puddled with coke or with wood, puddled steel,
Bessemer steel, cuttings of old steel springs, and in general all steels
obtained directly, either from the ore or from cast iron.

page_text: The soot and lampblack may also be replaced by an equivalent
additional proportion of charcoal.
The borax, caustic potash, carbonate of soda, and sal ammoniac may
be dispensed with if desired.
.
· The mixture of the various substances should be carefully effected,
and their number and proportions be varied to suit the nature of the
product to be obtained and the materials employed.
The carbonate of soda, potash, and salt may be dissolved in the water
before adding it to the other ingredients. An additional amount of
carbonate of potash dissolved in water should always be added to form a
good liquor.
The iron to be operated upon should be reduced to small fragments
and well coated with the above composition or cement, and then
introduced into the crucibles. After about 3 hours a fine steel may be
run off suitable for the manufacture of tools.
The dose of the composition will vary, but about 5 per cent. of the
weight of iron will give good results.
For steel of cementation it is preferred to treat gray cast iron con-
taining the smallest amount possible of carbon.
For cast steel obtained direct from ore, the ore is to be mixed or
coated with the said composition.
The operation may be conducted in any ordinary furnace supplying
sufficient heat to melt the steel.
::

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 STEEL," a communication to me
from abroad by Victor Honoré Eugène Gallett, of Paris, in the Republic
of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar process and composition or
cement for obtaining cast steel or steel of cementation of the best
quality from ordinary iron, iron puddled with coke or with wood,
puddled steel, Bessemer steel, cuttings of old steel springs, and in
general all steels obtained directly either from the ore or from cast
iron.
This process differs from those which have preceded it by the employ-
ment of materials and proportions, which vary according to the qualities
of the ore or steel that it is desired to treat; for it has been practically
ascertained that it is not possible to obtain the same effect by the same
treatment applied to substances of different compositions, such as iron
ores and steel. I employ, therefore, different proportions and novel

page_text: mbinations of aluminous materials, which enter into chemical com-
nation with the aluminous oxides of potash. Potash calcined and
duced in the presence of steel and carbon causes the formation of
tassium and calcium, which absorb and remove the sulphur, phos-
orous, and other metalloids contained in the iron ores or the steel
der treatment.
In order to obtain cast steel of the best qualities with the various
nds of iron herein-before- mentioned, I employ in general a cement,
hich is composed as follows, videlicit :-*
Alumina
Highly aluminous clay.
-
23
from
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Pulverized wood, charcoal, soot,
"
and lampblack
Carbonate of lime
Carbonate of potash
Carbonate of soda -
Caustic potash
Oxide of manganese
Resin
Common sait
Sal ammoniac
Borax
Water about
13
11
-
0.50 to 1 parts by weight..
12 to 20..
50
from 38 to 42
17
"
"
-
--
18 to 30
2
-
0.50 to 1
4
from 4 to 5
"
"
as
"
>>
"
"
"
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"
1
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0.50 to 1
"
-
0.50 to 1
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•
. 10 per cent, of the weight.
Highly aluminous clay may be substituted for the alumina, care being
ken to employ it in such a proportion that the quantity of alumina
ntained in the clay is equivalent to the alumina dispensed with. This
oportion varies from eight to twenty parts. It is better for the clay to
e pure aluminous clay in order that it may be entirely absorbed in the
peration. The very pure and aluminous yellow clay is to be preferred.
Wood charcoal in an equivalent proportion may be substituted for the
ot and lampblack.
The borax, caustic potash, carbonate of soda, and the sal ammoniac
ay be dispensed with without inconvenience.
The whole of the substances are to be carefully mixed; their number
ad proportions may be varied according to the nature of the products

page_text: which it is desired to obtain, and of the materials to be employed; thus
for example, for forty pounds of iron puddled with coke, such as is
manufactured at Marquise, I take of,-
manufactured at Marquise, I take of,-
Charcoal
"
(1 ounces of which is lampblack and 12%
ounces pulverized wood charcoal.)
Carbonate of lime pulverized
14 ounces.
11¼"
Highly aluminous clay
-
3%8
"
Oxide of manganese
Resin
Carbonate of potash
Common salt
Alumina
Caustic potash
Borax
Sal ammoniac
Carbonate of soda-
1
1½
"
"
"118 "
9/32 "
9/04 "
%
"
1/4 "
%4 "
%16
16">
cent. of water.
first dissolved.
These substances must be mixed with about ten per
The carbonate of soda, carbonate of potash, and salt are
After the mixture is effected there is invariably added 6 or 7 ounces of
carbonate of potash dissolved in a sufficient quantity of water to bring
the mixture to the consistency of a liquid mud.
4
The iron intended to be treated is cut into pieces of from seven to
ten and a half ounces in weight, then thoroughly coated and the whole
is introduced into crucibles. After a lapse of 3½ hours a tapping of
fine steel is obtained suitable for the manufacture of tools.
By modifying the dose of the compound formed of the aggregation
of substances mentioned in the first operation, steel of different degrees
of hardness may be obtained at will.
The dose above mentioned is equivalent to five per cent. of the iron
employed.
2
By treating Bessemer or Krupp scrap with a dose varying from 1 to
2 per cent., according to the quality that it is desired to obtain, such a
result is arrived at that the cast steel thus obtained is equal to the best
brands of commerce.

page_text: In general every description of cast steel obtained either directly from
the ore or from cast iron by puddling, is treated with the greatest
success as herein-before stated with reference to Bessemer and Krupp
steel.
For steel of cementation I treat by preference with my cement iron,
termed puddled iron, resulting from grey cast iron containing the least
possible quantity of carbon.
For cast steel obtained direct from the ore, I take the same.composi-
tion mixed with the ore.
The operation may be performed in any of the furnaces in use,
imparting sufficient heat to melt the steel.
Iron puddled with pit coal requires a larger quantity of cement,
varying from 4 to 8 per cent. according to the quality of the steel that
it is desired to obtain. Iron puddled with wood, from 3 to 6
Bessemer steel, cuttings of springs, and puddled steel, from 1
cent.
per cent...
to 4 per
***
These descriptions of steel require a larger portion of carbonate of
potash, varying from 22 to 30 parts in the composition of the cement.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner 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,-
First. The general composition of my cement and its proportions
which are necessarily to be modified according to the nature of the iron
employed, substantially as herein-before described.
Secondly. The coating the iron and ore with the said cement, so as to
preserve them from contact with the air during the working.
Thirdly. The application and use of alumina in suitable proportions
calculated according to the analysis of the iron ores and steel to be
treated, and to the action and chemical combination of the alumina so as
to always obtain similar practical results with the carbonates and
aluminous oxides of potash in order to form potassium and calcium for

page_text: the purpose of absorbing the sulphur, phosphorous, and other metalloids
which would injuriously affect the quality of the products to be
obtained.
Fourthly. The addition to the cement of an extra quantity of car-
bonate of potash dissolved in a sufficient quantity of water to reduce the
cement to the consistency of a liquid mud suitable for coating the
metallic substances to be treated.
Fifthly. The general combination of the various parts of my process
for the manufacture of steel, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day
of January, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
: