IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING WASTE OR REFUSE CAST IRON
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Butler, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford,
Manager of Iron Works, and Frederic Edwin Lewis, of Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Iron Broker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UTILIZING WASTE OR REFUSE CAST IRON."
Sealed the 21st August 1877, and dated the 2nd March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Butler and Frederic
Edwin Lewis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March
1877.
JACOB BUTLER, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford, Manager of Ironworks, and
FREDERIC EDWIN LEWIS, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Iron
Broker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING WASTE OR REFUSE CAST IRON."
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in treating
waste or refuse cast iron, by which improvements iron of excellent quality is pro-
duced from the said waste or refuse cast iron.
We construct two or more shallow iron pans or moulds, as near as convenient to
the tapping hole of an ordinary cupola, air furnace, refinery, or other furnace
suitable for the melting of cast iron. We charge the said cupola or furnace with a
mixture of the waste or refuse cast iron to be operated upon, and coal, coke, and
fluxing stone. The said materials are charged into the furnace from time to time
until the melting chamber of the said furnace contains sufficient molten metal to
fill the pans or moulds herein-before referred to placed near the furnace. We cover
the bottoms of the said moulds with a layer of dry wood, sawdust, or ground wood
bark, to the depth of about half an inch, and upon this we strew a little common
salt. We next place in the said moulds tinman's clippings, that is, scrap tin plate
from which the tin has been stripped or removed by acids or otherwise, the pro-
portion of the said tinman's clippings being from fifteen to eighteen parts by weight
to every two hundred and forty parts by weight of the melted cast iron; the greater
the proportion of the said tinman's scrap the finer generally is the quality of the
resulting-iron-;-but-we-do-not-limit ourselves to these proportions. We press these
materials closely on the bottom of the mould, and then tap the cupola or furnace
[Price 4d1

page_text: and run out the melted cast iron upon the materials in the said mould as rapidly
as possible till the clippings are completely covered and the mould filled to within
about one inch of the top. The melted cast iron takes up or dissolves the tin plate
clippings, a great ebullition takes place, scum forms on the surface, jets of gas at
the same time escaping from the surface and burning with a pale blue flame. After
the lapse of a few minutes, and when the reaction has ceased, we pass a stream of
water over the surface of the metal until it is sufficiently cool to handle. The
resulting metal is of great purity and high commercial value, being equal in all
respects to what is known in the iron trade as best plate metal. It may be puddled
and rolled in the usual manner.
The kinds of cast iron to which our Invention is especially applicable are blast
furnace and foundry refuse, such as gets, runners, ladle scum, and the like, as well
as silky and other inferior pig iron, but our Invention is also applicable to all kinds
of waste or refuse cast iron.
Instead of employing the moulds described the stripped tin plate clippings may
be placed in a shallow moulder's ladle, in which has been previously strewed the
sawdust and common salt herein-before described with reference to the pans or
moulds. We tap the cupola or furnace and run the melted cast iron into the said
ladle till there is sufficient to make a full charge for an ordinary puddling
furnace. We allow this to stand -for a few minutes, and then convey it to a
puddling furnace and charge it into the puddling furnace in a molten state, and
proceed to puddle it in the ordinary way. The puddled iron produced is of
excellent quality.
The cupola and other furnaces which we employ for melting the waste or refuse
cast, iron are such as are ordinarily used in the melting of iron.
We prefer to employ as fuel coke as far as possible free from impurities which
injuriously affect the quality of the iron.
-
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jacob Butler and Frederic Edwin Lewis in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th August 1877.
JACOB BUTLER, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford, Manager of Ironworks, and
FREDERIC EDWIN LEWIS, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Iron
Broker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING WASTE OR REFUSE CAST IRON."
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in treating
waste or refuse cast iron, by which improvements iron of excellent quality is pro-
duced from the said waste or refuse cast iron.
We construct two or more shallow iron pans or moulds, as near as convenient to
the tapping hole of an ordinary blast furnace, cupola, air furnace, refinery, or other
furnace suitable for the manufacture or melting of cast iron. We prefer to make
the said iron pans or moulds of such a size that they will each hold about a ton of
molten cast iron. We charge the said cupola or furnace with a mixture of iron
ores, waste or refuse cast iron to be operated upon, and coal, coke, and fluxing
stone. The furnace is worked in the usual way, so as to effect the melting of the
cast iron introduced into it and the reduction of the iron ore. The fluxing stone
we employ consists essentially of carbonate of lime. The said materials are charged
into the furnace from time to time until the melting chamber of the said furnace
contains sufficient molten metal to fill the pans or moulds herein-before referred to
placed near the furnace. We cover the bottoms of the said moulds with a layer
of sawdust, charcoal dust, or ground wood bark, to the depth of about an inch, and
upon this we strew a little common salt. Two handfulls of common salt are
sufficient for each mould. We next place in the said moulds tinman's clippings,
that is, scrap, tin plate from which the tin has been stripped or removed by acids

page_text: or otherwise, the proportion of the said tinman's clippings being from fifteen to
eighteen parts by weight to every two hundred and forty parts by weight of the
melted cast iron; but we do not limit ourselves to these proportions. We press
these materials closely on the bottom of the mould, and then tap the cupola or
furnace and run out the melted cast iron upon the materials in the said mould as
quickly as possible till the clippings are completely covered and the mould filled to
within about one inch of the top. The melted cast iron takes up or dissolves the
tin plate clippings, a great ebullition takes place, scum forms on the surface, and
jets of gas at the same time escape from the surface. After the lapse of a few
minutes, and when the reaction has ceased, we pass a stream of water over the
surface of the metal until it is sufficiently cool to handle. The resulting metal is
of great purity and high commercial value, being equal in all respects to what is
known in the iron trade as best plate metal. It may be puddled and rolled in the
usual manner.
The kinds of cast iron to which our Invention is especially applicable are blast
furnaces and foundry refuse, such as gets, runners, ladle scum, and the like, as well
as silky and other inferior pig iron, but our Invention is also applicable to all kinds
of waste or refuse cast iron.
Instead of employing the moulds described the stripped tin plate clippings may
be placed in a shallow moulder's ladle in which has been previously strewed the
sawdust, charcoal dust, and common salt herein-before described with reference to the
pans or moulds. We tap the cupola or furnace, and run the melted cast iron into the
said ladle till there is sufficient to make a full charge for an ordinary puddling
furnace. We allow this to stand for a few minutes, and then convey it to a
puddling furnace and charge it into the puddling furnace in a molten state, and
proceed to puddle it in the ordinary way. The puddled iron produced is of
excellent quality. The cupola and other furnaces which we employ in carrying our
Invention into effect are such as are ordinarily used by manufacturers of iron.
We prefer to employ as fuel coke as far as possible free from impurities which
injuriously affect the quality of the iron.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Inven-
tion of improvements in utilizing waste or refuse cast iron, treating the said waste.
or refuse cast iron by melting it either alone or mixed with iron ores and fluxes in
a cupola or other furnace, or taking the said iron direct from the blast furnace and
pouring the said melted cast iron into pans, moulds, or ladles containing tinman's
clippings, that is, tin plate from which the tin has been stripped or removed, the said
clippings being supported upon a layer of carbonaceous matter, either with or without
common salt, by which treatment the melted cast iron is purified and converted
into cast iron of excellent quality, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jacob Butler and Frederic Edwin Lewis,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOSEPH CORKINDALE,
Stocktaker,
Wombridge,
Salop.
JACOB BUTLER.
(L.S.)
FREDERIC EDWIN LEWIS. (L.S.)