IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUSRNALICABLE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gjers, of Middlesbrough, in the North
Riding of the County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUS
93
Sealed the 14th August 1868, and dated the 28th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gjers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th February 1868.
I, JOHN GJERS, of Middlesbrough, in the North Riding of the County
of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUS
IRON, AND IN FURNACES APPLICABLE THERETO," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object "Improvements in the Manufac-
ture of Cast Steel and Homogeneous Iron, and in Furnaces applicable
thereto. I melt malleable iron, be it more or less steely, with a pro-
portion of manganiferous iron ore or pure iron ore mixed with pure.
manganese ore, the necessary flux and an excess of carbon or carbon-
[Price 8d.]

page_text: .
aceous matter. I by preference coat the iron or steel to be melted
with such mixture, which for that purpose may be made into a grout
with water, but I prefer to employ a bituminous fatty, oily, or analogous
fluid substance or substances, or such as under the influence of heat
give off hydrocarbons, and leave a carbonaceous residue (common gas
tar or crude petroleum being suitable on account of their cheapness),
in all cases regulating the mixture and the quantity or thickness of
conting to suit the material under treatment, in order to arrive at the
desired carbonization and temper as nearly as possible. This mixture
of pure iron and manganese ores with the necessary flux and an excess
of carbon being in itself of such a nature as under the influence of
heat to turn into a highly carboniferous and manganiferous iron and
a fluid slag will have the effect (particularly when being used as a
coating) of carbonizing and fluxing the material to be melted, and
will cause it to fluidify more readily, and the product of the two
combined to form fluid steel and a fluid slag to protect it.
Thus according to my Invention puddle bar (be it more or less
steely) or other iron or steel bar stampings, iron or steel scrap (prefer-
ring stampings from the hammered out puddle ball) is or are cut up, and
either before or by preference after being so cut up is or are dipped
into a mixture as aforesaid composed by taking, say 100 parts of coal
tar, 50 parts iron ore, 25 parts manganese ore, and 25 parts of
slacked lime, with more or less of oxides or of lime according as a
harder or softer product is required, or if necessary more carbon in
the shape of charcoal, after which such prepared material being dried
may be melted either in crucibles or on the bottom of a reverberatory
furnace as heretofore practised, but I prefer to use a continuous melting
steel furnace, for which purpose I employ a Siemens' regenerative gas
furnace, formed with a deep receptacle in the centre to contain the
liquid steel, and either over this receptacle or by preference around or
on each side of it, I set one large tube or retort, or preferably a number
of smaller tubes or retorts, made of material capable of resisting great
heat.
These tubes or retorts are placed in a vertical or inclined position,
and their upper ends are built in and come through the arch or roof
of the furnace, while their lower ends, which are open or formed with
apertures, rest on or are more or less removed from the floor of the
furnace which is level with or slightly sloping towards the top of
the receptacle for the fluid steel. The tubes or retorts having been

page_text: filled with the material prepared as previously mentioned, and their tops
closed by arrangements provided for the purpose, will now act as so
many continuous crucibles being filled with fresh material at the top,
as that already melted runs out at the bottom and the steel and flux
continually issuing from the lower ends of all the retorts will run into
the general receptacle, where the steel will remain at rest exposed to
the heat but protected by the flux. The steel in the receptacle may be.
tapped therefrom at intervals and run into ingots as desired, but should
the requisite degree of carbonization not have been obtained, either
crude, refined, or malleable iron may be previously added to the steel as
a regulator. Furnaces arranged as described besides being continuous in
their action have also this advantage, that the tubes being of consider-
able size the material under treatment is exposed for a considerable time
to the heat and to the carbonizing influence of the coating, and that
as all or a greater part of the volatile hydrocarbons or cyanous com-
pounds have to pass out with the melted steel at the bottom they have
to pass through the whole column of intensely heated material under
treatment, and will thus exert their beneficial influence to the greatest
advantage. Continuous melting tubes, retorts, or crucibles as described
may be advantageously employed in connection with other arrange-
ments of furnace capable of giving the requisite heat, and besides being
used for the materials I propose, either in a coated or uncoated state,
they are equally applicable to the melting of other materials or mixtures
of materials intended for making fluid steel or homogeneous iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Gjers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOHN
GJERS, of Middlesbrough, in the North Riding of the County of York,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Gjers, Her special licence that

page_text: I, the said John. Gjers, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Gjers, 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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUS IRON, AND IN FURNACES APPLICABLE THERETO,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gjers,
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 John Gjers, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement;-
My Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
cast steel and homogeneous iron, and in furnaces applicable thereto.
I inclt malleable iron, be it more or less steely, with a proportion of
manganiferous iron ore or pure iron ore mixed with pure manganese
ore, the necessary flux and an excess of carbon or carbonaceous matter.
I by preference coat the iron or steel to be melted with such mixture,
which for that purpose may be made into a grout with water; but
I prefer to employ a bituminous, fatty, oily, or analogous fluid substance
or substances, or such as under the influence of heat give off hydro-
canbons and leave a carbonaceous residue. (common gas tar or crude
petroleum being suitable on account of their cheapness), in all cases
regulating the mixture and the quantity or thickness of coating to suit
the material under treatment in order to arrive at the desired car-
bonization and temper as nearly as possible. This mixture of pure iron
and manganese ores with the necessary flux and an excess of carbon
being in itself of such a nature as under the influence of heat to turn
into a highly carboniferous and manganiferous iron, and a fluid slag
will have the effect (particularly when being used as a coating) of
carbonizing and fluxing the material to be melted, and will cause it to

page_text: fluidify more readily, and the product of the two combined to form fluid
steel and a fluid slag to protect it.
Thus according to my Invention puddle bar (be it more or less steely)
or other iron, or steel bar stampings, iron or steel scrap (preferring
stampings from the hammered out puddled ball) is or are cut up, and
either before or by preference after being so cut up is or are dipped into
a mixture as aforesaid composed by taking, say 100 parts of coal tar,
50 parts iron ore, 25 parts manganese ore, and 25 parts of slacked lime
with more or less of oxides, or of lime, according as a harder or softer
product is required, or if necessary more carbon in the shape of charcoal,
after which such prepared material being dried may be melted either in
crucibles or on the bottom of a reverberatory furnace, as heretofore
practised; but I prefer to use a continuous melting steel furnace, for
which purpose I employ a Siemens' regenerative gas furnace formed
with a deep receptacle in the centre to contain the liquid steel, and
either over this receptacle, or by preference around or on each side of
it, I set one large tube or retort, or preferably a number of smaller tubes
or retorts made of material capable of resisting great heat. These tubes
or retorts are placed in a vertical or inclined position, and their upper
ends are built in and come through the arch or roof of the furnace,
while their lower ends, which are open or formed with apertures, rest
on or are more or less removed from the floor of the furnace, which is
level with or slightly sloping towards the top of the receptacle for the
fluid steel. The tubes or retorts having been filled with the material
prepared as previously mentioned and their tops closed by arrangements
provided for the purpose will now act as so many continuous crucibles,
being filled with fresh material at the top as that already melted runs
out at the bottom, and the steel and flux continually issuing from the
lower ends of all the retorts will run into the general receptacle, where
the steel will remain at rest exposed to the heat but protected by the flux.
The steel in the receptacle may be tapped therefrom at intervals and run
into ingots as desired, but should the requisite degree of carbonization
not have been obtained, either crude, refined, or malleable iron may be
previously added to the steel as a regulator. Furnaces arranged as
described, besides being continuous in their action have also this
advantage, that the tubes being of considerable size the material under
treatment is exposed for a considerable time to the heat and to the
carbonizing influence of the coating, and that as all or a greater part

page_text: of the volatile hydrocarbons or cyanous compounds have to pass out
with the melted steel at the bottom they have to pass through the whole
column of intensely heated material under treatment; and will thus exert
their beneficial influence to the greatest advantage. Continuous melting
tubes, retorts, or crucibles, as described, may be advantageously em-
ployed in connection with other arrangements of furnace capable of
giving the requisite heat, and besides being used for the materials I
propose, either in a coated or uncoated state, they are equally applicable
to 'the melting of other materials or mixtures of materials intended for
making fluid steel or homogeneous iron.
:
I will now proceed to more fully explain the manner of carrying my
said Invention into effect with reference to the accompanying Sheets of
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, premising
that similar letters of reference relate to corresponding parts in all
the views.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan view of part of
a continuous melting furnace constructed according to my Invention.
Those parts of the furnace which are not shewn in the Drawing are
in this instance intended to be arranged on the principle well known as
Siemens' Patent regenerative gas furnace, according to which the solid
fuel used is decomposed in a separate apparatus, so that the introduction
of solid fuel into the furnace may be altogether avoided and the gaseous
fuel may be heated to a high degree prior to its entering into com-
bustion with atmospheric air, also heated to a high degree, thus causing
a great economy of fuel, for which purpose four regenerators are
arranged below the bed of the furnace, two of which serve to communi-
cate heat separately to the combustible gases and atmospheric air on
their way to the furnace, and the remaining two to absorb the waste heat
from the products of combustion passing through them indiscriminately
before reaching the chimney (their respective action being reversed at
intervals), the currents of heated gas and air in ascending through and
from the regenerators into the furnace, causing a plenum of pressure
within the same which is capable of being modified or regulated by
valves for the admission of the gas and air to the regenerators and by the
chimney damper. Each of the regenerators consists of a chamber built
of fire-brick, near the bottom of which is a grating having fire-bricks or
other refractory material piled upon it in such a manner as to leave small
interstices between each brick. These regenerators are arched over at

page_text: the top and support the bed of the furnace. In order to prevent
the accumulation of excessive heat in the arch covering the
regenerators, and forming at the same time the support of the furnace,
bed chambers are provided between the same for the circulation of
atmospheric air.
Having thus stated the general principle of Siemens' Patent rege-
nerative furnace, which is sufficiently well understood by metallurgists
to need no farther description here, I will proceed to describe the
application of my Invention thereto, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2
aforesaid.
The regenerators being arranged in two sets the gases generated in
the gas producers, already referred to, are conducted therefrom through
a flue and directed by the reversing valve through one or other of the
regenerators, whence after becoming heated they pass into the furnace
alternately at the right or left hand side of the heated chamber a, as
the case may be, at which points the gas meets the heated atmospheric
air proceeding from the other regenerator of the same set and enters
into combustion with the same, as will be found more particularly
explained in the Specifications of Siemens' Patents. The products of
combustion pass out of the heated chamber a at the opposite side to
that at which the gases and heated atmospheric air enter. b is the
receptacle formed in the centre of the furnace to receive the liquid steel.
The bed or lining b' of this receptacle is composed of pugged ground
ganister, similar to that used in the well-known Bessemer converters,
beaten in solid to form a bottom and sides, the bottom gradually sloping
towards the tapping hole h, or the ground ganister may be mixed with
about one per cent. of burnt lime, or with about two per cent. of fine
ground fire-clay; or otherwise I employ a mixture consisting of pure
silicious sand with about one per cent. of burnt lime, or about two per
cent. of fine ground fire-clay; the mixture of ganister and burnt lime,
or ganister and fine ground fire-clay, or pure silicious stone and burn't
lime, or fine ground fire-clay, as the case may be, to be pugged up with
water so as to form the bottom or lining, the principle to keep in view
being in every case to mix pure silicious sand or material with a suffi-
cient quantity of such other matter as will when exposed to great heat
flux the particles of silica together to form a hard crust. In some cases
the bed or lining b' of the receptacle 6 may be formed of a mixture of
b

page_text: white and red sand, the former being nearly pure silica and practically
infusible, and the other a red sand, which in being acted upon by the
heat of the furnace near the surface fuses, and thus binds the white sand
together. Two or three parts of white sand with one of red sand well
mixed together and charged dry into the furnace will be found to answer
well. c is the large continuous melting tube, retort, or crucible con-
structed of fire-brick or other material capable of resisting great heat.
This tube, retort, or crucible, as will be seen, is set vertically over the
receptacle b, and is heated by flues or passages d, through which a
certain portion of the flame is allowed to escape from the heated
chamber a into the chimney without passing through and heating the
regenerators at the opposite side of the chamber to that at which the
gases and heated air enter. It will be observed that the lower part c
of the continuous melting tube, retort, or crucible c rests upon a ganister.
or plumbago stand, shewn in dotted lines, and tapers downwards. It
is closed at bottom, but is provided with apertures e through which the
melted steel or homogeneous iron therein produced runs into the
receptacle b. In some cases it may be found convenient to suspend
the lower part c' of the continuous melting tube, retort, or crucible from
the arch or roof of the furnace, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 5, instead of
permitting it to rest upon a stand k, as shrewn.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The requisite materal to be
melted for the production of the cast steel or homogeneous iron having
been fed in through the top of the upper part of the continuous melting
tube, retort, or crucible c, the cover of the latter is placed over it, and
the materials under treatment are gradually heated and reduced therein;
those in the tapering lower part c' of the tube, retort, or crucible being
subjected to the most intense heat of the furnace will gradually assume
a fluid, state, and will run out through the apertures e in the form of
fluid steel or homogeneous iron into the receptacle already mentioned,
where it will remain exposed to the heat, but protected by the flux. I
would remark that the steel, although protected by slag while at the
bottom of the receptacle will by standing for a length of time gradually
lose carbon and become more like homogeneous iron, therefore, in
working I always melt it out of the bottoms of the continuous tubes,
retorts, or crucibles harder (that is, in a more highly carbonised state)
than is ultimately required, calculating upon a certain amount of loss

page_text: in carbon in the receptacle b. In making homogeneous iron I prefer to
increase the proportion of iron ore and to decrease the proportion of
manganese and carbon, that is to say, that in making hard steel I use
an excess of carbon sufficient to reduce all the oxide of iron, and to
highly carbonise the resulting iron and make it easily fusible, but that
in making homogeneous iron I only use sufficient carbon to reduce all
the ore and only slightly to carbonise the resulting iron. Thus, for
example, the mixture to be melted with the malleable iron for the
production of hard steel should contain from about 20 to 25 parts (more
or less) of charcoal or equivalent matter to 100 parts of ore, and the
proportion of mixture to be melted with the iron will vary from about
20 to 35 parts (more or less) of the mixture to 100 parts of iron, whereas
for the softer kinds, more like homogeneous iron, I use from 15 to 20
parts (more or less) of carbon to 100 parts of the ore, and the proportion
of mixture varies from about 35 to 50 parts (more or less) of the mixture
to 100 parts of iron. I may mention, that in practice I have obtained
a very good mild steel, according to my Invention, by melting about
100 lbs. of rather steely puddle bar or stampings with about 33 lbs. of
a mixture composed of, say, 100 parts of rich pure iron ore containing
in itself from 2 to 3 per cent. of oxide of manganese with the necessary
proportion of lime and silica to form a fluid slag mixed with 20 parts
of charcoal. The mixture is not in this case used as a coating, but being
ground or reduced into coarse powder composed of particles somewhat
like small shot, may be mixed and melted with the puddle bar or stamp-
ings in the continuous melting tubes, retorts, or crucibles without the
use of tar or fatty matter; the charcoal in this case serving as a substitute
for the tar and fatty matter. Before tapping the liquid steel or homo-
geneous iron from the receptacle 6 1 test samples thereof for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether it has attained the requisite degree of
carbonization, and if it has not I add to it a sufficient quantity of crude,
refined, or malleable iron to regulate the fluid metal to the desired degree
of carbonization; after which I tap it from the receptacle b, and run it
into ingots. In order to keep up the continual action of the melting
tube, retort, or crucible, I supply fresh materials in at the upper part,
as the materials already formed into steel or homogeneous iron and flux
run out of the bottom thereof.

page_text: :
taken through the line C, D, of Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is a plan, and
Fig. 5 a longitudinal section through the line E, F, of Figs. 3 and 4,
shewing another arrangement of my Invention as applied to a
regenerative gas furnace constructed on Siemens' Patent principle.
In this oase instead of having one large central continuous melting tube,
retort, or crucible, as shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 1
and 2, a number of smaller melting tubes, retorts, or crucibles c, made
by preference of plumbago, are built in the roof of the heated chamber
a, and the lower parts c' are built in and suspended from the upper
pants c, the joint being made good with plugged ganister or fire-clay.
The roof of the heated chamber a is made of considerable length and is
placed in communication with the respective sets of regenerators f, f',
and g, g', by means of a number of short flues or passages a¹, a³, as
shewn. The upper parts of the melting tubes, retorts, or crucibles c are
not in this instance drawn with flues or passages d as in Figs. 1 and 2
In applying iny continuous melting tubes, retorts, or crucibles to
Siemens' Patent regenerative furnace, I consider that arrangement less
desirable than the modifications wherein the tubes, retorts, or crucibles
are situated chiefly in the main current of the flame, nevertheless, it
will be abvious to competent persons that these small melting tubes,
retorts, or crucibles may be readily arranged with extended upper por-
tions having flues so as to be heated by a portion of the escaping gases
if desirable. The upper part or chamber of each retort or crucible is
provided with a lid or cover c³, but such lids or covers do not fit closely.
The operation of the furnace is substantially the same as of that de-
scribed with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the fluid steel or homogeneous
iron after having been regulated to the desired degree of carbonization
being at intervals tapped into ingots through the tapping hole h. i,
are iron doors lined with fire-brick, ganister, or other refractory mate-
rial for gaining access when required to the heated chamber a and
receptacle b.
Fig. 6 on Sheet 3 is a vertical section through the line G, H, of Fig. 7,
and Fig. 7 is a plan view shewing another modification of my improve-
ments as applied to a Siemens' Patent regenerative gas furnace, a is
the heated chamber; a, a, are the side flues leading thereto from the
regenerators; b is the receptacle for the melted steel or homogeneous
iron; c', are the continuous melting tubes which may be made of either
plumbago, ganister, or other refractory material: £ #1
and a al are

page_text: the regenerators. is the tapping hole; i are the doors for gaining
access when requisite to the chamber a. It will be observed that in the
present modification the lower ends of the continuous melting tubes c¹
instead of being suspended from the roof of the heated chamber a rest
upon and are closed by ganister or plumbago stands placed along the
centre of the hearth or receptacle b, so that the bottoms of such lower
ends are situated just above the position of the highest level which the
fluid metal is allowed to attain in the receptacle b; apertures e being
provided for the escape of the fluid steel or homogeneous iron from the
tubes c' into the receptacle b. In this case the lower parts c¹ of the
continuous melting tubes are independent of the arch of the furnace
which may be provided with continuations of the retorts or melting
tubes c formed of fire-brick or other refractory material, above each of
the lower parts c' as shewn in connection with the tubes, retorts, or
crucibles in Figs. 3 and 4, leaving the lower parts c¹ capable of ready
substitution or renewal when damaged by the intense heat to which
they are subjected when working.
Another modification illustrating the application of a double row of
similarly constructed continuous melting tubes to a Siemens' Patent
regenerative gas furnace, is shewn at Figs. 8 and 9, the former Figure
being a vertical section of part of the furnace taken through the line
J, K, of Fig. 9, and the latter Figure itself representing a plan view.
In this case, however, the lower ends c¹ of the plumbago or ganister
melting tubes, instead of resting upon a ganister or plumbago stand k
formed in the receptacle b, rest upon and are supported and closed by
the bottoms of the flues a¹, a²; and are provided with apertures e per-
mitting the flow of the fluid steel or homogeneous iron towards and
into the receptacle b, as will be readily understood on reference to the
Drawings.
It will be observed that the parts a³, a', of the bottoms of the
flues a, a, incline slightly towards the receptacle to facilitate the
flow of the fluid metal from the continuous melting tubes, retorts, or
crucibles to the receptacle.
Having thus described various 'applications of my imunnsend

page_text: constructions, premising that I do not confine myself to the precise
arrangements herein described and shewn in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fig. 10, Sheet 4, is a vertical section through the line L, M, of
Fig. 11, and Fig. 11 is a plan view shewing a large continuous retort
or melting tube similar to that represented in Figs. 1 and 2, but applied
to a furnace with two gas producers adjoining the furnace itself instead
of to Siemens' Patent regenerative furnace. a is the heated chamber;
a', a, are the side flues leading thereto; b is the receptacle for the fluid
steel or homogeneous iron, and its bed or lining; c is the retort or
melting tube, and c¹ the lower end of the same; d are the flues or
passages by which the upper part of the continuous tube or retort is
heated; e, are the apertures in the lower part c¹ of the continuous
melting tube or retort through which the fluid metal runs into the
receptacle b; h is the tapping hole; L, l, are gas producers intended to
be worked both at once; m, m³, cast-iron covers to same; n, n¹, the
fire-bars for supporting the fuel from which gas is produced; o, o',
nozzles for injecting steam to the gas producers; P, p', tuyeres or tubes
for admitting currents of steam and air.
The operation of the arrangement is as follows:-Coal, lignite, peat,
or other solid fuel for the production of the requisite gas is supplied to
the gas producers 1, 1, for which purpose their covers m, m³, are
temporarily removed and such fuel is burnt upon the bars n, n', currents
of steam and air induced by the jets o, o', simultaneously passing
through the column of carbonaceous matter or fuel so as to produce
carbonic oxide and free hydrogen, which being met by the currents of
hot blast from the pipes z, z¹, enter into rapid combustion. I prefer
to use as fuel non-coking coal charged a little at a time through the
covers at the top, the chambers being kept about 3 parts full, but by
preference I would charge the chambers by means of an arrangement of
hopper contrived to feed the chainbers constantly and to keep them
regularly supplied up to a given level. The products of combustion
escape through the flues & and pass into adjoining chambers or stoves
for the purpose of heating pipes, through which the blast is passed and
wherein it is heated on its way to the pipes z, z. In this arrangement
of gas-producing furnace it is not necessary to heat the gas, but in cases

page_text: where the gas is made at a distance and brought up cold, then it would
be necessary to do so.
Fig. 12, Sheet 5, is a vertical section through the line N, O, of Fig.
13, and Fig. 13 itself is a plan view partly in section shewing another
application of a large continuous retort, melting tube, or crucible
similar to that shewn in Figs. 10 and 11, but in this case the furnace
instead of being worked as a reverberatory gas furnace more nearly
resembles in its operation that of a blast furnace with solid coke which
is fed in through cast-iron doors g, as shewn, and is blown by a highly
heated blast through a number of tuyeres arranged around the
heated chamber a, the blast being heated in pipes as previously de-
scribed by the waste heat from the furnace which escapes through the
flues d. By this arrangement the lower portion c¹ of the continuous
melting tube, retort, or crucible situate within the combustion chamber
a is intensely heated, and the materials therein are melted down into
fluid steel or homogeneous iron and fluid slag to protect it, the ashes of
the fuel in the chamber a also melting together and forming additional
slag. The operation of this continuous melting furnace is in other
respects similar to that of the furnaces worked by gas. The superfluous
slag may be removed at intervals through a hole y provided for that
purpose, and the steel or homogeneous iron tapped into ingots as already
described with reference to previous arrangements. t is a gallery
placed around the upper portion of the continuous melting tube or
retont from which the ore and other materials may be fed thereto.
I am aware that it has previously been proposed in the manufacture
of cast steel to coat puddled bar iron with a paste made by mixing water
with limestone, carbonate of potash, oxide of manganese, resin, char-
coal, and common salt with or without vegetable mould and soot and to
melt the iron so coated in a crucible, but as the composition in question
would merely produce a carbonizing flux, it is materially different from
my Invention inasmuch as the mixture of manganiferous iron ore or
pure iron ore mixed with pure manganese ore the necessary flux and
an excess or regulated proportion of carbon or carbonaceous matter as
described is, as already stated, in itself of such a nature as under the
influence of heat to turn into a highly carboniferous and manganiferous
iron and a fluid slag which will have the effect (particularly when being

page_text: used as a coating, which mode of application however I do not consider
essential) of carbonizing and fluxing the materal to be melted, and will
cause it to fluidify more readily, and the product of the two combined
to form fluid steel or homogeneous iron and a fluid slag to protect it.
By an excess of carbon or carbonaceous matter I mean a certain
quantity over and above what would be requisite to reduce the oxide
(ore) to a metallic state, so that there may be some carbon or car-
bonaceous matter left to carbonize the reduced metal to the desired
extent which may in some cases vary from 2 to 3 per cent., or
thereabout.
I am also aware that it has been proposed in making cast steel upon
the open hearth of a furnace to effect simultaneously the reduction of
iron ores in heated hoppers, and the dissolution of the reduced metal
without exposing it to the flame in a metallic bath provided in the
furnace, but it is a distinguishing feature of my Invention that I make
and melt the steel or homogeneous iron in the continuous tubes, retorts,
or crucibles themselves, and merely use the hearth as a receptacle in
which to accumulate the steel or homogeneous iron and to keep it fluid
until there is sufficient to tap, thus entirely dispensing with the metallic
bath, which is an essential feature of the prior arrangement to which I
have just referred; what I believe to be new and desire to claim as of
my Invention is,-
Firstly. Melting malleable iron more or less steely with a proportion
of manganiferous iron ore or pure iron ore mixed with pure manganese
ore and carbon, or carbonaceous matters and the necessary flux, so that
when exposed to the heat of a steel furnace the ore will produce an iron
rich in manganese and carbon, easily fusible, and which melting together
with the malleable iron will form steel or homogeneous iron of the
desired quality as described.
Secondly. The use or employment in furnaces for the manufacture of
cast steel and homogeneous iron, of continuous melting tubes, retorts, or
crucibles in which the requisite materials are melted and the cast steel
or homogeneous iron produced as described.
Thirdly. Arranging and working furnaces so that the melted steel or
homogeneous iron produced in continuous melting tubes, retorts, or
crucibles as herein set forth, is accumulated upon the open hearth of
the furnace in such manner as that it may be there sufficiently exposed

page_text: to the heat of the furnace to keep it fluid, but will nevertheless be
protected by the slag formed with the iron from the iron ore and flux as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gjers, have hereunto seit my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JOHN GJERS. (L..s.)