IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF STEEL
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Armand Gilbee at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
August 1861.-A communication from abroad by Jules Paulis, of
Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, WILLIAM ARMAND GILBEE, of No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF STEEL," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in an improved process and
apparatus for converting moulded and liquid cast iron into steel and cast steel.
For converting moulded cast iron into steel I place the moulded pieces of cast
iron in a recipient or cementing case having two pipes adjusted to it, one at
each extremity. The case is rapidly heated, and when the iron pieces are red
steam is admitted on them thro' a cast-iron pipe in communication with a
steam boiler, and which passes thro' the fire-place. This pipe winds round
the thick part of the furnace, whereby the steam it conducts becomes heated
to a high temperature on its arrival at the cementing case. A current of
steam is caused to pass over the iron to be decarbonized during several hours,
when it becomes converted into steel.
For converting fluid cast iron into cast steel I take the metal, on its leaving
the crucible of the coke or charcoal furnace, and free it as much as possible
from slag.
The apparatus for forming steel is constructed as follows:-At the lower

page_text: part of the furnace is a fire-place for keeping the metal in the most liquid
state, the top of the fire-place being covered with a vault supporting the appa-
ratus and provided with passages communicating with other holes or passages
round the apparatus for circulating the heat of the fire.
In the converting apparatus or furnace are two chambers made of fire
lumps with as few joints as possible & separated by a plate of similar material
perforated with holes of an oblique direction, which plate can be changed at
will, and in some cases dispensed with altogether. The upper chamber is of
an oval form and about 3 feet in height, its base being formed by the said
perforated plate, & its upper part being rounded off and perforated with a hole
for the escape of gas. Near the top of this chamber is a pipe of refractory
clay with a wide bottoni, so as to cause the fluid metal introduced thro' it to
form into thin sheets. This pipe is provided with a funnel & opening for
the introduction of powdered lime which spreads over the fluid metal in a
regular manner. The lower chamber is of an ovoidal form about 6 feet in
height with an opening for running off the molten steel when formed. Three
cast-iron tuyeres are set in an inclined position near the bottom, two being in
communication with a steam boiler, the third with an air receiver, which
pipes pass in a serpentine form thro' a fire-place so as to acquire a high
temperature.
To begin the operation the fire is first lighted in order to beat the appa-
ratus, & before admitting the fluid metal, the taps, with which the tuyeres are
fitted, are opened for the admission of steam and air into the lower chamber,
after which the metal and lime are admitted into the upper chamber, and
passing thro' the perforated top, fall into the lower chamber, where the metal
is subjected to the action of the steam and air, and comes out therefrom in the
form of steel.