IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING INGOTS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Martin, of the Firm of Stephen Martin,
junior, and Company, of Clarence Works, Sheffield, in the County
of York, Iron Merchants and Steel Converters, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING INGOTS."
Scaled the 10th June 1878, and dated the 25th February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Martin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th February 1878.
I, STEPHEN MARTIN, of the Firm of Stephen Martin, junior, and
Company, of Clarence Works, Sheffield, in the County of York, Iron
Merchants and Steel Converters, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING INGOTS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a special method of making moulds for
casting ingots of metal, by which the following advantages aro
obtained :-
--
First. Economy, any one side being renowable at pleasure, whereas

page_text: useless and has to be replaced, besides which the parts of this mould
being only plain castings the absolute first cost would be less, there
being no cores required they would be cast with the least possible
amount of care and labour.
Second. The insurance of a parallel ingot and one uniform in size, which
is a great desideratum in the Bessemer manufacture, and can scarcely
bo over estimated. In a solid mould it is impossible to cast an ingot
without a considerable taper; this, of course, makes it difficult to cast
ingots all of one weight, and when they have to be hammered the
unequal sizes of the ingots cause a great jar to the hammers, and con-
sequently extra wear and tear, and if they are to be rolled a parallel ingot
is much preferable.
Third. Convenience and a great saving of time (and therefore money),
it being nearly impossible for an ingot to stick, as the withdrawal of
three wedges causes all the sides of the moulds to be free, and they can
be separated to any required distance within the limits of the rings
which encircle them (while cross pieces or projections cast on the sides
prevent them falling out altogether), the mould still retaining its form
and being ready again for use after the removal of the ingot and
replacement of the wedges.
Fourth. In the case of a running stopper or accident of any kind, by
which the metal is spilt over the top and sides of the mould (not at all
an unfrequent occurrence in in the manufacture of Bessemer steel) the
lower wedges being taken out and the mould reversed the ingot will in
most cases drop out, whereas in a solid mould this would be impossible
(on account of the taper); the spilt metal would therefore have to be cut
off and the top entirely cleared, which takes a long time to do and
great labour as well, and as all Bessemer manufacturers know even
then the mould has very often to be broken before the ingot can be
set free.
The mould is composed of four loose pieces or castings, as seen in
the accompanying Drawings, which are so constructed that when put
together and enclosed in a ring R or rings of any suitable strength and
form (octagonal by preference) and wedged by three wedges marked W,
shewn in Figures 1 and 2, they form a mould practically solid (but
without any of the disadvantages of a solid one) which, after having
been filled with molten steel or other metal, can be set free from the
ingot by withdrawing the three wedges W, and although all four sides

page_text: of the mould are then quite loose, yet from the peculiar construction of
tho sides the mould cannot fall to picces, as may be seen on reference to
the Drawings attached, Figure 1 of which represents a plan of top of
mould when filled with steel or other metal. Figure 2, an elevation of
tho mould at sides S' or S', showing the projections P, which, fitting into
suitable cavities (C, Figures 6 and 8) in the sides S and S', prevent the
sides S'and S from falling downwards, while the edges, as shewn in
Figures 1, 3, and 9, being in the form of a double dovetail prevent them
going inwards, and also insures a perfect joint at each corner. Figure 8
represents a plan of top of mould after the wedges W have been with-
drawn and the ingot set free. I is an ingot. Figure 4 is an elevation
of the same, and shows the lugs L for preventing the rings R from
slipping down the mould when the wedges are out, these lugs being
made of such a depth that the rings R can just be slipped over when
the mould is put together, but deep enough to support the rings R.
Figure 5 is a plan of top of sides 8 and S. Figure 7 is a front clovation
of the same. Figure 6 is a cross section of sides 8 and S³ at centre
line B in Figure 8, which shews the end clovation of the same sides.
Figuro 9 is a plan of top of sides 8' and S. Figuro II. a front alevation
of same. Figure 10, a cross section of same sides at centre A in
Figure 12, which shows the end elevation of them.