IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL OR HOMOGENEOUS OR CONVERTED METAL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Scott, of No. 9, Great Queen Street, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL OR HOMOGENEOUS OR CONVERTED METAL"
Sealed the 12th January 1877, and dated the 15th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Scott at the Office.
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1876.
"
MICHAEL SCOTT, of No. 9, Great Queen Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL OR HOMOGENEOUS
OR CONVERTED METAL."
In the Specification of a Patent granted to, me on the 5th March, 1875, No. 816,
I described an arrangement of construction of moulds for casting steel ingots, and
of the gits and runners of the same.
My present Invention relates to improvements in the structural details of these
appliances and in apparatus employed in connection with them, and has for its
object economy of cost and labour and the production of sounder castings of steel
or converted metal, such as that known as homogeneous iron.
I will first describe my improvements in the gits and runners for a group of ingot
moulds arranged round a central git, so that the metal runs into the mould at the
bottom. I make the git by building up segmental fire-bricks, so as to form a
refractory tube, which I enclose in an iron casing put together in halves and clamped
by hoops, or otherwise. The casing is provided with lugs projecting a little inwards
at each end, so as to hold the bricks in position longitudinally; and thus the git
can be prepared in any convenient place, and can be carried to its position on the
nould bed as an entire tube.
The base on which the git rests consists of a fire-brick slab with a hole through
it, which rests on the ends of a number of rectangular fire-clay tubes which meet
near the centre of the mould bed and radiate towards the bases of the circularly
arranged moulds. These inner tube ends rest on a fire-clay lump or a layer of fire-
bricks, which forms the bottom of the git; and the outer ends of the tubes enter
each into a recess formed in a base block on which the ingot mould stands. Each
tube has an aperture on its upper side near its outer end, and this aperture presents
itself in the centre of the mould bottom. After the tubes have been placed in
[Price 18.1

page_text: position, and the git and moulds set on them, sand may be rammed round the tubes
on the mould bed, so as to make good their jointing to the git and moulds, and the
joints at the bases of the git and moulds. When the metal is poured down the
git it flows by these tubes which form runners to the several moulds; and when
the metal has set the ingots can be broken away from the runners and the runners
from the git..
In the case of moulds which are usually divided longitudinally along their middle
in order to provide for desired variations in the dimensions of ingots I divide the
moulds, not exactly in the middle, but I make the one part a trough of somewhat
greater depth than the other part, and by providing several parts somewhat varying
in depth, but of equal breadth, so that each fits the other, I am enabled to make up
from a few such parts a greater number of different sizes of moulds. For example,
if it should be desired to provide moulds of 9, 10, and 11 inches in width, according
to the usual construction with equal divisions, 3 complete moulds or 6 half moulds
would be required for the 3 sizes; I provide only 3 part moulds, which may have
respectively the depths of 4, 5, and 6 inches. By putting the first and second
together, or the first and third, or the second and third, I obtain the three different
sizes required. And in like, when a greater number of variations are required, I
provide a few additional parts, whereby I largely increase the number of possible
combinations. Taking 4 parts, respectively 4, 5, 5, and 6 inches deep, I am
enabled to produce 5 complete moulds, measuring respectively 9, 9, 10, 10, 11,
and 11 inches wide.
When ingots are run from or nearly at the bottoms of the moulds it is often
desirable to provide stoppers, which may be adjusted at various heights in the moulds,
so as to determine the lengths of the ingots cast in them. When the moulds are taper,
stoppers fitting at one height do not fit at another height; and in any case when
a stopper is made to fit when the mould is cold it ceases to fit when the mould
becomes heated by the metal run into it. Fins of metal are consequently formed
around the edge of the stopper, and on cooling, the moulds become strained and
injured by their contraction on the unyielding core thus formed; and sometimes
the cast ingot is damaged by its tendency to shrink away from the stopper, which
is held fast by the grasp of the contracted mould.
In order to avoid these evils I construct stoppers in the following manner :-
I provide a thin plate of iron or steel, which nearly fits the interior of the mould,
and which has projecting upwards from its centre a piece of pipe, such as ordinary
iron gas pipe, which passes through an eye in a bar that is fixed across the top of
the mould; this eye being provided with a setting or pinching screw, so as to grip
the pipe firmly and so hold the stopper in the desired position in the mould. The
stopper being set, sand is rammed into the mould above it, and when the mould is
filled with metal up to the stopper the stopper pipe is released, thereby leaving the
stopper free to follow the ingot as it shrinks down the mould.
Instead of employing a thin plate the stopper may be of cast iron tapering from
the middle (where the pipe is fixed to it by screwing or by being cast in it) to a thin
edge at the sides, and four pieces of iron of angular section terminating in mitre
angles at the ends, are laid into the mould on the stopper edges so as to fill
the angles between them and the sides of the mould; sand is then rammed in
over the stopper, which when the mould has been filled is released as before
described.
I construct moulds for casting cylindrical ingots such as are used for making
the tyres of railway wheels in the following manner :-On a slab of fire-brick
I place an iron ring of the depth and diameter of the desired ingot. On this
ring I place another fire-brick slab and another ring, and so on successively so
as to provide a number of moulds above one another, and I enclose the whole
within an iron casing, ramming sand between the casing and the moulds. Through
each of the fire-brick slabs there is a central hole, and the hole in the lowest slab is
over a runner leading from a git.
The melted metal supplied by the runner fills the mould successively, each being

page_text: supplied at the centre and discharging its air at the centre.
When the metal has
set the several ingots may be separated by breaking the central runners that
join them, or if necessary passing a saw through the fire-brick slabs and
runners. The iron ring forming the periphery of each mould may be made in
halves bolted or clamped together, or may be made in one piece slightly taper so as
to be readily removed from the ingot.
When it is desired that the tyre ingots should have a hole in their centres I pro-
vide cores of refractory material which are made with two or more transverse
grooves at each end. These cores I place immediately over the runner hole and the
central holes of the separating slabs. When the melted metal is supplied it rises
through the central hole of each slab, then flows laterally by the grooves in the end
of the core so as to fill the one mould, and thence it flows by the grooves at the
other end of the core to supply the next mould by the central hole and so on suc-
cessively. In cases where it is desired to cast only two tyre ingots at a time I
make the moulds as two similar basins, which I fix together, the upper one being
inverted, with a slab of fire-brick between them and a hole in the centre of this
slab for the passage of the metal from the one to the other. Between the two basins
several sets of slabs and ring moulds may be inserted so as to constitute a multiple
mould as above described.
When a single tyre mould is filled from the top it may be cored by means of a
core fixed in the mould, having at its upper. end a central aperture with lateral
passages therefrom; or the mould may be without a core, and a core may be thrust
down from above into the metal before it sets, whereby certain pressure is given to
the metal to render the casting sound.
In order to obtain great density and soundness of metal at the outer portion of
the tyre ingot, the tyre mould may be made to revolve on its axis before the metal
sets in it, so that the metal towards its periphery is subjected to the pressure re-
sulting from centrifugal force, and a core may be thrust down in the centre while
the mould revolves.
For filling successively a number of ingot moulds poured from the top I arrange
them circularly around a central column. On this column I mount a spout like
a trough, closed at both ends, so that it can revolve in a horizontal plane. Near the
outer end I provide a hole in the bottom of the spout fitted with a plug that can be
raised by a lever. I turn the spout on its vertical axis till the plugged hole is over
one of the ingot moulds, then pouring metal from a ladle or running it by a spout
from a furnace into the revolving spout over its axis of revolution, I raise the plug
at the outer end and allow the metal to flow into the mould until it is filled, where-
upon I plug the hole, turn the spout partly round until it is brought over the next
mould, and so on successively till all the moulds are filled. There may be two.or
more concentric circles of moulds arranged and fed in this manner, the spout being
made with holes to suit the radii of the several circles or with two or more arms
suited thereto. Also groups of moulds supplied from a central git may be thus fed,
the several gits being arranged in a circle around the vertical axis of the revolving
spout. In such cases I prefer to incline the gits towards the spout axis, as I thereby
shorten the spout radius and the metal pours more gently when it runs along the
side of the git.
In casting metal converted by the Bessemer process it is usual to apply heavy and
complex hydraulic apparatus for raising and moving the ladle which is filled from
the convertors so as to discharge. its contents into moulds or gits. For this purpose
I apply comparatively simple and inexpensive apparatus of the following kind :-
On a horizontal axis I mount a jib or sway beam to which I suspend the ladle in
such a position that when the jib is lowered down to nearly a horizontal attitude
the ladle is on the ground between two converters. On the ladle being charged
from these I cause the jib to make about a quarter of a revolution on its
horizontal axis, thereby raising and bringing forward the ladle suspended to it
until it is over the spout that supplies the mould or gits. When these are
charged the jib is again lowered, and so on, repeatedly.

page_text: For the purpose of working the jib in this manner I counterbalance it by a weight
on an arm opposite to that which carries the ladle, making this weight preferably
greater than that of the empty ladle and less than that of the ladle when full. On
the axis of the jib arms is fixed a toothed rack which is connected by gearing to a
capstan or windlass which is worked by hand or otherwise when it is desired to raise
or lower the jib. The counterweight and its arm, as also the toothed rack and gear,
being all in a pit underground do not interfere with the casting operations, above
ground.
As the effective leverage of the ladle and counterweight varies while the jib
makes its stroke I prefer to mount the toothed rack which works it, not on the axis
of the jib itself but eccentrically to it, connecting the jib arm to it by a link or
sliding joint, so that as the jib approaches its vertical position when the effective
leverage is least the rack is acting on it at a point near the axis, and as the jib
approaches its horizontal attitude when the effective leverage is greatest the rack
acts on it at a point farther from the axis and consequently with greater leverage to
move the load.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Michael Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th May 1877.
MICHAEL SCOTT, of No. 9, Great Queen Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL OR HOMOGENEOUS
OR.CONVERTED METAL."
،
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me on the 5th March, 1875, No. 816,
I described an arrangement and construction of moulds for casting steel ingots, and
of the gits and runners for the same.
My present Invention relates to improvements in the structural details of these
appliances, and in apparatus employed in connection with them, and has for its
object economy of cost and labour, and the production of sounder castings of steel
or converted inetal, such as that known as homogeneous iron.
I will first describe my improvements in the gits and runners for a group of
ingot moulds arranged round a central git so that the metal runs into the mould at
the bottom. I make the git by building up segmental fire-bricks so as to form a
refractory tube which I enclose in an iron casing put together in halves and
clamped by hoops or otherwise. The casing is provided with lugs projecting a
little inwards at each end so as to hold the bricks in position longitudinally, and
thus the git can be prepared in any convenient place, and can be carried to its
position on the mould bed as an entire tube.
The base on which the git rests consists of a fire-brick slab with a hole through
it which rests on the ends of a number of rectangular fire-brick tubes which meet
near the centre of the mould bed and radiate towards the basis of the circularly
arranged moulds. The inner ends of these tubes rest on a fire-brick lump or a
layer of fire-bricks which forms the bottom of the git and the outer ends of the
tube enter each into a recess formed in the base block on which the ingot mould
stands. Each tube has an aperture on its.upper side near its outer end, and this
aperture presents itself in or near the centre of the mould bottom. After the tubes
have been placed in position and the git and moulds set on them, sand may be
rammed round the tubes on the mould bed so as to make good their jointing to the
git and moulds and the joints at the bases of the git and moulds. When the metal
is poured down the git it flows by these tubes which form runners to the several
moulds, and when the metal has set the ingots can be broken away from the
runners and the runners from the git.
In the case of moulds, which are usually divided longitudinally along their
middle, in order to provide. for desired variations in the dimensions of ingots, I

page_text: divide the moulds, not exactly in the middle, but I make the one part a trough of
somewhat greater depth than the other part, and by providing several parts some-
what varying in depth, but of equal breadth, so that each fits the other, I am
enabled to make up from a few such parts a greater number of different sizes of
moulds. For example, if it should be desired, to provide moulds of 9, 10, and 11
inches in width, according to the usual construction, with equal divisions, three
complete moulds or six half moulds would be required for the three sizes. I
provide only three part moulds which may have respectively the depths of 4, 5, and
6 inches. By putting the first and second together, or the first and third, or the
second and third, I obtain the three different sizes required. And in like manner
when a greater number of variations are required I provide a few additional parts, .
whereby I largely increase the number of possible combinations. Taking 4 parts,
respectively 4, 5, 5, and 6 inches deep I am enabled to produce 6 complete moulds
measuring respectively 9, 9, 10, 10, 11, and 11 inches wide.
When the ingots are run from or nearly at the bottoms of the moulds it is often
desirable to provide stoppers, which may be adjusted at various heights in the
moulds so as to determine the length of the ingots cast in them. When the
moulds are taper stoppers fitting at one height do not fit at another height, and in
any case when a stopper is made to fit when the mould is cold it ceases to fit when
the mould becomes lieated by the metal run into it. Fins of metal are consequently
formed around the edge of the stopper, and on cooling, the mould becomes strained
and injured by its contraction on the unyielding core thus formed; and sometimes
the cast ingot is damaged by its tendency to shrink away from the upper cooled
part, which may be held fast by the grasp of. the contracted mould.
In order to avoid these evils I construct stoppers in the following manner:-I
provide a thin plate of iron or steel which nearly fits the interior of the mould, and
which has projecting upwards from its centre a piece of pipe, such as ordinary iron
gas pipe, which passes through an eye in a bar that is fixed across the top of the
mould; this eye being provided with a setting or punching screw so as to grip the
pipe firmly, and so hold the stopper in the desired position in the mould. The
stopper being set, sand is rammed into the mould above it; and when the mould is
filled with metal up to the stopper, the stopper pipe is released, thereby leaving the
stopper free to follow the ingot as it shrinks down the mould.
Instead of employing a thin plate the stopper may be of cast-iron, tapering from
the middle (where the pipe is fixed to it by screwing or by being cast in it) to a
thin edge at the sides, and four pieces of iron of angular section terminating in
mitre angles at the ends are laid into the mould on the stopper edges so as to fill
the angles between them and the sides of the mould; sand is then rammed in over
the stopper, which, when the mould has been filled, is released as before-described.
I construct moulds for casting cylindrical or polygonal ingots, such as are used
for making tyres of railway wheels, in the following manner:--On a slab of fire-
brick I place an iron ring of the depth and diameter of the desired ingot; on this
ring I place another fire-brick slab and another ring, and so on successively, so as
to provide a number of moulds above one another, and I enclose the whole within
an iron casing, ramming sand between the casing and the moulds. Through cach
of the fire-brick slabs there is a central hole, and the hole in the lowest slab is over
a runner leading from a git.
The melted metal supplied by the runner fills the moulds, successively, each being
supplied at the centre and discharging its air at the centre. When the metal has
set the several ingots may be separated by breaking the central runners that join
them, or if necessary passing a saw through the fire-brick slab and runners. The
iron ring forming the periphery of each mould may be made in halves or parts
bolted or clamped together, or made in one piece slightly taper so as to be readily
removed from the ingot.
In cases where it is desired to cast only two tyre ingots at a time, I make the
moulds as two similar basins which I fix together, the upper one being inverted with
a slab of fire-brick between them, and a hole in the centre of this slab for the passage

page_text: of the metal from the one to the other. Between the two basins several sets of slabs
and ring moulds may be inserted so as to constitute a multiple mould as above
described.
For filling successively a number of ingot moulds poured from the top I arrange
them circularly around a central column. On this column I mount a spout like a
trough closed at both onds, so that it can revolve in a horizontal plane. Near the
outer end I provide a hole in the bottom of the spout fitted with a plug that can be
raised by a lever. I turn this spout on its vertical axis till the plugged hole is over
one of the ingot moulds, then pouring metal from a ladle or running it by a spout
from a furnace into the revolving spout, I raise the plug at the outer end and allow
the metal to flow into tlie mould until it is filled, whereupon I plug the hole, turn
the spout partly round until it is brought over the next, and so on successively till
all the moulds are filled. There may be two or more concentric circles of moulds
arranged and fed in this manner, the spout being made with holes to suit the radii
of the several circles or with two or more arms suited thereto. Also groups of
moulds supplied from a central git may be thus fed, the several gits being arranged
in a circle around the vertical axis of the revolving spout. In such cases I prefer
to incline the gits towards the spout axis, as I thereby shorten the spout radius and
the metal pours more gently when it runs along the side of the git.
In casting metal converted by the Bessemer process it is usual to apply heavy
and complex hydraulic apparatus for raising and moving the ladle which is filled
from the converters so as to discharge its contents into moulds or gits. For this
purpose I apply comparatively simple an inexpensive apparatus of the following
kind-On a horizonal axis I mount a jib or sway beam to which I suspend the
ladle in such a position that when the jib is lowered down to nearly a horizontal
attitude, the ladle is on the ground between two converters. On the ladle being
charged from these I cause the jib to make about a quarter of a revolution on its
horizontal axis, thereby raising and bringing forward the ladle suspended to it until
it is over the spout that supplies the mould or gits. When these are charged the
jib is again lowered, and so on repeatedly.
For the purpose of working the jib in this manner I counterbalance. it by a
weight on an arm opposite to that which carries the ladle, making this weight
preferably greater than that of the empty ladle and less than that of the ladle when
full. The axis of the jib arms is worked by a toothed segmental rack which is
connected by gearing to a capstan or windlass which is worked by hand or
. otherwise when it is desired to raise or lower the jib. The counterweight and its
arm, as also the toothed rack and gear being all in a pit underground do not interfere
with the casting operations above ground.
As the effective leverage of the ladle and counterweight varies while the jib
makes its stroke, I prefer to mount the toothed rack which works it not on the axis
of the jib itself but eccentrically to it, connecting the jib arm to it by a link or
sliding joint, so that as the jib approaches its vertical position when the effective
leverage is least, the rack is acting on it at a point near the axis, and as the jib
approaches its horizontal attitude when the effective leverage is greatest, the racks
act on it at a point farther from the axis and consequently with greater leverage to
move the load.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a git and mould with its runner according
to my Invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan, the lower half of which is taken
through the bases of the git and moulds surrounding it, and the upper half is taken
at a higher level. The central git A is built up of segmental fire-bricks a enclosed
within an iron casing B put together in halves which are held by hoops b. The
casing is made with lugs projecting inwards at each end so as to prevent the fire-

page_text: The tubes D
tubes D which themselves rest upon a bed or slab of fire-brick c.
radiate outwards and are let into recesses in the bases E of the moulds F, a hole d
being provided on the upper side of each tube by which the metal flows upwards
into the mould. A surplus mould G may be provided to receive the overflow from
the git when the moulds F have become fully charged; H is sand which may be
rammed round the git and runner tubes to make good the jointing, the sand being
retained by side plates h closing the spaces between the moulds.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent sections of unequal parts of moulds; and Fig. 5 represents
a section of a mould consisting of two of such unequal parts put together and
secured by a spring hoop.
Fig. 6 represents a vertical section of the upper part of an ingot mould with a
plate stopper according to my Invention; Fig. 7 is a plan of the same; and Fig. 8
part of a side view of the top of the mould with its eye for lifting. The stopper
consists of the plate A turned slightly down at the edges and fixed to a piece of
pipe B which passes through a slotted hole in a bar C, that extends across the top
of the mould and passes through the lifting eyes D and is secured in them by
wedges. A pinching screw E secures the pipe B in such position as retains the
stopper plate at the desired height in the mould, and this screw is slacked after the
mould has been filled. The upper part of the mould above the stopper plate A is
filled with sand. By slotting the hole in the bar C and rounding the ends of the
bar, as shewn, freedom is given for the angling of the stopper and its pipe stem in
either direction.
Fig. 9 represents a vertical section of an ingot mould with concave stopper and
base; and Fig. 10 represents a like section of a mould with convex stopper and
base, Fig. 11 being a sectional plan, and Fig. 12 being a plan of the top of the
mould. The stopper F consists of a metal casting, having a piece of pipe cast or
screwed in it. The edges of the stopper are sloped off and four pieces of metal G
of angular section are laid into the angles at the edges of the stopper. The pipe f
is secured in a screw clamp H formed on a cross bar that is inserted and wedged
in the eyes K of the mould. Angle pieces, such as G, may be applied to the plate
stopper shewn in Figs. 6 and 7, also for circular or polygonal moulds, such pieces
may be made in any suitable number of segments.
Fig. 13 is a vertical section; and Fig. 14 a sectional plan of octagonal moulds for
tyre ingots arranged according to my Invention. On a fire-brick slab A¹ I place
a metal ring B¹, on it a second slab A2 and ring B, and so on to any desired height.
Each of the slabs has a central hole through it by which metal supplied from a
runner C flows into the successive moulds, the air escaping therefrom upwards.
The series of moulds are enclosed in a casing D, sand E being rammed in the space
between them and the casing. The casing may be provided with internal ribs or
projections & to keep the moulds central.
Fig. 15 is a vertical section of a mould for two ingots, consisting of two similar
basins separated by a fire-brick slab, the lower basin having its bottom mostly
occupied by a fire-brick slab to avoid sudden cooling of the metal as it enters the
mould and to save the mould itself from the injurious effects of the heated metal.
Fig. 16 is a vertical section; and Figs. 17 and 18 are sectional plans shewing
my arrangement of divided moulds of either circular or square section. In this
case the two parts of each mould may be made unequal as already described with
reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, so as to give facility for varying the size of the
ingots, and these parts are clamped together by spring hoops E. In Fig. 16 I have
shewn the upper mould covered by a fire-brick slab, which arrangement might be
employed when there are several tiers of moulds, as in Fig. 13, the said slab being
held down by the sand rammed in over it.
Fig. 19 is a vertical section; and Fig. 20 a plan of a revolving spout, arranged
according to my Invention, for running metal into a number of moulds or gits
arranged circularly. The spout A is mounted on a vertical axis a, so that it can be
turned round in a horizontal plane. Near its end is a tap hole provided with a
plug B which can be raised by means of a lever C. A plug is also provided in the

page_text: -
feeding head or receiver D. Several gits, such as E, being arranged in the circular
path of the tap hole of the spout can be successively supplied with metal. By
inclining these gits, as shewn, the circle in which they are arranged is reduced in
radius and the flow of metal by the gits to the moulds is rendered more gentle.
Fig. 21 represents diagrammatically a plan of a revolving spout, having two tap
holes for supplying a number of ingot moulds circularly arranged. It is obvious.
that by additional tap holes several circles of moulds might be thus supplied.
Fig. 22 is a diagram plan of a revolving spout A, arranged to receive metal direct
from the furnace by a short spout F. On receiving its charge the spout can be
turned aside, as indicated by the dotted lines, and the furnace F can be removed.
The spout A is turned round on its vertical axis so as to supply successively gits E
or separate moulds G, arranged in the circular path of the tap holes of the spout.
The end of the spout, if it be not balanced, may run upon a circular rail K.
The spout, instead of being charged at its end, as shewn in Fig. 22, may receive
its charge at the side, as shewn diagrammatically in Fig. 23, in which case the
spout A has a projecting lip a at the side to receive the flow of metal from the
furnace spout F.
In the Diagrams, Figs. 22 and 23, I have shewn the spout of such dimensions
that it can receive as a ladle the whole charge of the furnace.
Fig. 24 represents a plan; and Fig. 25, a vertical section of such an arrangement
of revolving spout containing a ladle and spout in one. In this case the spout A
is widened out so as to have the capacity required for a ladle. It is mounted by
the vertical axis a on the column B, and in order to facilitate its turning it may be
provided with a roller carriage C. For the purpose of turning it a worm wheel D
is fixed on the axis a, and a worm d gearing therewith is fixed on a horizontal
shaft E which may be extended to any convenient place where it can be worked
by a winch or other suitable motor; F, F, indicate two groups of moulds to be run
from inclined gits f, f; and G, G, indicate moulds to receive surplus metal. The
gits f, f, and surplus moulds G, G, are in the circle described by the tap hole H of
the spout which is furnished with a plug h. In operating with this revolving spout
ladle the fused metal is run into it from the furnace by the spout K, and the spout
ladle is then turned aside, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 24, so as to
permit the slag to run from the furnace into trucks or other convenient receptacles.
The spout being in such a position that the tap hole H is over one of the gits or
moulds, the plug h is raised, and metal is allowed to flow till the mould or git is
charged. The tap hole is then closed and the spout is turned so as to charge
another git or mould, and so on until the whole charge is exhausted. In case of
any accidental stoppage of the tap hole H it is convenient to provide one or more
tap holes, as indicated at L, like those of an ordinary cupola so as to run the
metal off.
Fig. 26 is a plan; and Fig. 27, a vertical section of an arrangement according to
which the revolving spout is made as a circular ladle with its tap hole eccentric, so
that by turning the ladle round on its vertical axis the tap hole can be brought
over successive gits or moulds arranged in the circular path of the tap hole. For
supplying this ladle I provide a spout M extending to it from the tapping spout F
of the furnace. This spout may be pivotted on a pin at N, so that its mouth can be
moved from side to side, causing the metal as it flows to mix thoroughly in the
ladle, and after the metal is discharged from the furnace a pin may be inserted at O,
and the other end of the spout can then be raised and turned aside, as indicated by
the dotted lines in Figure 26, so as to let the slag run out of the furnace spout
without passing on to the ladle.
Fig. 28 represents a side view; and Fig. 29, an end view of a ladle crane, ac-
cording to my Invention applicable, as described above, for conveying molten metal
from converters to moulds or gits. The crane consists of a strong sway beam A mounted
on a horizontal axis a. At the upper end it is forked and provided with bearings to
receive the trunnions b of a ladle B. At the lower end it carries a counterweight C.
The bean A is connected by links d, d, to arms D, D, fixed on a horizontal shaft E

page_text: which may be extended under the floor line F to a pit in any convenient place
where it can be turned by a capstan or other suitable motor working a pinion
gearing with a toothed segmental rack fixed on the shaft E. The position of the
shaft E relatively to the axis a of the crane, and the arms D and links d, are so
arranged that the power to move the crane is greatest when the ladle has to be
raised from its lowest position, and becomes diminished as the ladle approaches the
highest position (indicated by dotted lines) when it has less effect to move the
beam in oppostion to the counterweight.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim,―
First. Constructing a git for supplying a number of ingot moulds of separate
segmental bricks retained in a metal casing made in halves, secured together by
hoops, substantially as herein described..
Second. Constructing the radiating runners from a central git to a number of
ingot moulds as square tubes having their inner ends bevilled off so as to form by
their junction a base for the git, and having their outer ends let into recesses in the
base blocks of the moulds, substantially as herein described.
Third. Making the parts of divided ingot moulds unequal in depth, so that by
various combinations of a few such parts various sizes of moulds may be obtained,
substantially as herein described.
Fourth. Fixing the stopper in an ingot mould by means of a tubular stem
clamped to a cross bar, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. The use, in combination with a stopper for an ingot mould, of moveable
angular pieces covering the edge of the stopper, substantially as herein described.
Sixth. Arranging moulds for tyre ingots one above the other, separated by slabs
of fire-brick, having central holes for the upward flow of the metal and escape of
air, substantially as herein described.
Seventh. The use of revolving spout or ladle for successively supplying a number
of moulds or gits arranged circularly round the axis of revolution, substantially as
herein described.
Eighth. The use of a ladle crane constructed and operating substantially as
herein described with reference to Figs. 28 and 29 of the accompanying Drawings,
the said crane consisting of a counterweighted sway beam worked by links from a
shaft eccentric to the axis of the beam.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Scott, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
MICHAEL SCOTT. (L.S.)