IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING PIG OR CAST PROVISIONAL SPFICATIONDDINTOROUGHTALLE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Crawshay, of the Firm of Hawks, Crawshay,
and Sons, Iron Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham,
and John Thomas, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of North-
umberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING PIG OR CAST
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Crawshay and
John Thomas, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 10th November 1866.
We, GEORGE CRAWSHAY, of the Firm of Hawks, Crawshay, and Sons, Iron
Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, and JOHN THOMAS, of
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING PIG OR CAST IRON
FOR PUDDLING INTO WROUGHT OR MALLEABLE IRON," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the means of preparing
or refining pig or cast iron so that it may be fit for the process of puddling
into wrought or malleable iron.
We propose to melt the iron in a common cupola or blast furnace, or it
may be melted in any other furnace applicable to the melting of cast iron, and
to use as fluxes clay and iron slag, and if the flux made from these materials
in not fluid enough we add a small quantity of wrought iron, which will assist
in making a fluid flux; or we may add a small portion of lime, limestone, or

page_text: chalk, and when the iron is melted it will percolate through the fluxes to the
bottom of the furnace, and will be thereby cleansed of many impurities by
coming in contact in a divided state with the clay flux; the clay may be raw
or burnt, such as old bricks, if not too sandy. When sufficient metal is
accumulated to form a charge for tapping we prefer to run the iron out from
the furnace into iron moulds; but if it be run into sand moulds we prefer to
mix with the sand some coal dust or any other carbonaceous material usually
employed to prevent the sand from adhering to the iron; but we do not claim
the use of of coal dust combined with the sand as a part of our Invention. The
quantity of clay is to be regulated according to its quality, but, in the general
way about four hundredweight of clay should be used to about one ton of iron,
and six hundredweight of tap or mill cinder. Care must be taken that the
clay used is as free as possible from sulphur, phosphorous, and silica.
Iron treated as above will need no further refining, and will puddle into
wrought or malleable iron in less time than is usually consumed in puddling,
with a saving of fuel. The fluxes separate from the pig iron, the deleterious
ingredients contained in the iron, such, as sulphur, silicon, phosphorous, and
arsenic, and the proportion of fluxes must be regulated according to the
quantity of impurities in the iron. Pig iron will generally require a greater
quantity of flux than old cast scrap iron. Iron of a very superior.quality can
be produced from the above process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Crawshay and John Thomas in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
CRAWSHAY, of the Firm of Hawks, Crawshay, and Sons, Iron Works, Gates-
head-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, and JOHN THOMAS, of Newcastle-
on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her.reign,.
did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
George Crawshay and John Thomas, Her especial licence that we, the said.
George Crawshay and John Thomas, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said George Crawshay and John Thomas,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 REFINING PIG
OR CAST IRON FOR PUDDLING INTO 'WROUGHT OR MALLEABLE IRON," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Crawshay and John
Thomas, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 George Crawshay, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the means of preparing
or refining pig or cast iron, so that it may be fit for the process of puddling
into wrought or malleable iron.
We propose to melt the iron in a common cupola or blast furnace, or it may
be melted in any other furnace applicable to the melting of cast, iron, and to
use as fluxes, clay and iron slag; and if the flux made from these, materials
is not fluid enough we add a small quantity of wrought iron, which will assist
in making a fluid flux; or we may add a small portion of lime, limestone, or
chalk, and when the iron is melted it will percolate through the fluxes to the
bottom of the furnace, and will be thereby cleansed of many impurities by"
coming in contact in a divided state with the clay flux. The clay may be raw
or burnt, such as old bricks, if not too sandy. For the purpose of strengthening
and otherwise improving the pig iron a certain proportion of fine iron ores,
either raw or prepared, may be added during the process. It has been found
that a proportion of one hundredweight of ore to three hundredweight of
metal is desirable, but we do not confine ourselves to these proportions.
When sufficient metal is accumulated to form a charge for tapping we prefer
to run the iron out from the furnace into iron moulds; but if it be run into
sand moulds we prefer to mix with the sand some coal dust, or any other
carbonaceous material usually employed to prevent the sand from adhering to
the iron; but we do not claim the use of coal dust combined with the sand as
a part of our Invention. The quantity of clay is to be regulated according to
its quality, but in the general way about four hundredweight of clay should

page_text: be used to about one ton of iron, and six hundredweight of tap or mill cinder.
Care must be taken that the clay used is as free as possible from sulphur,
phosphorous, and silica.
Iron treated as above will need no further refining, and will puddle into
wrought or malleable iron in less time than is usually consumed in puddling,
with a saving of fuel. The fluxes separate from the pig iron the deleterious
ingredients contained in the iron, such as sulphur, silicon, phosphorous, and
arsenic, and the proportion of fluxes must be regulated according to the
quantity of impurities in the iron. Pig. iron will generally require a greater
quantity of flux than old cast scrap iron. Iron of a very superior quality can
be produced from the above process.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
.which the same is to be carried into effect, we claim the "Improvements in
Refining Pig or Cast Iron for Puddling into Wrought or Malleable Iron,"
substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Crawshay, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
ALEX. C. M. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
GEORGE CRAWSHAY. (L.S.)