IMPROVEMENTS MANUFACTURE OF PUDDLED IRON AND STEEL INTO FINISHED BARS. PLATER, OR OTHER FORMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Radcliffe, of Consett Iron Works, in the
IN THE
County of Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
MANUFACTURE OF PUDDLED IRON AND STEEL INTO FINISHED BARS. PLATER,
OR OTHER FORMS."
Sealed the 28th July 1868, and dated the 30th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Radcliffe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
January 1868.
I, JAMES RADCLIFFE, of Consett Iron Works, in the County of
Durham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PUDDLED IRON AND STEEL INTO FINISHED
BARS, PLATES, OR OTHER FORMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the process of producing
bars, plates, rails, or other forms from puddled iron or steel, the ordinary
"puddling mill " train of rolls for rolling the bloom after hammering or squeezing
being dispensed with, whereby a great saving of time, labour, and cost of pro-
duction is effected.

page_text: For this purpose in carrying out my improvements any suitable
number of puddled balls of iron
balls of iron or steel in proportion to the size
or weight of the bar, plate, rail, or other form of article required
are conveyed from the puddling furnace to a steam hammer or other
mechanical equivalent of suitable power or dimensions, and are ham-
mered, worked, and combined into one homogeneous mass of suitable form
for the purpose required. Before the bloom thus produced is allowed
to get cool it is taken direct to the finishing mill and re-heated (either
with or without being passed through "soft plate" or "blooming"
rolls). When sufficiently re-heated the "bloom" is rolled off by
a train of finishing rolls, as is well understood, into a finished bar,
plate, rail, or other form required, thus dispensing with the ordinary puddling
train of rolls, saving the cost of rolling, shearing, piling, and loss of crop ends
or other waste material and fuel, together with considerable saving in plant
and machinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Radcliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
RADCLIFFE, of Consett Iron Works, in the County of Durham, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by ler
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, 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
and grant unto me, the said James Radcliffe, Her
special licence that I, the James Radcliffe, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Radcliffe, 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
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
Man, an
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PUDDLED IRON AND STEEL INTO FINISHED BARS, PLATES,

page_text: OR OTHER FORMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Radcliffe, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, of 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 James Radcliffe, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention has for its object improvements in the process of producing
finished bars, plates, rails, or other forms from puddled iron or steel carried
into effect by improving the manner and order in which the pro-
cesses should be conducted, and dispensing with operations hitherto employed
in the manufacture of the articles above mentioned, which I have
found may with economy and advantage be omitted, So that a
finished bar, plate, or rail may be produced from the puddled iron
or steel without the metal being allowed to grow cold or losing more heat
than can be avoided.
The following important advantages are secured by my improvements:-
The number of processes required in the manufacture being diminished a con-
siderable saving is effected in the cost and wear of plant and
machinery, and much of the wasting of the iron during the process of manu-
facture is prevented; the amount of fuel and labour required is considerably
lessened, and a shorter time occupied in the process of
manufac-
ture than has hitherto been the case in manufacturing puddled iron
or steel into finished plates, rails, bars, or other forms, the iron when manu-
factured according to my improvements being of superior quality and
strength.
When manufacturing puddled iron or steel into plates, bars, rails, or other
finished forms by the mode hitherto practiced, the ordinary puddled
ball of iron or steel after being hammered or "squeezed" is passed through
the ordinary puddling mill train of rolls and rolled into "puddled
bar."
This "puddled bar" after being weighed is sheared before or after
cooling, and when cooled the sheared bar is "piled." The next
process to which the iron is usually subjected is submitting the "pile" of

page_text: "puddled
to
bar " heat in a heating furnace, from which it is
taken either to be operated upon by a hammer or by a "bloom-
ing" train of rolls, and in some instances first to the hammer, and afterwards
to the blooming rolls; the pieces of "puddled bar " of which the
"pile" is composed being by this means formed into a "slab" or "bloom."
The "slab" or "bloom" of iron is next taken to a re-heating
"wash-heating" furnace, where the temperature of the iron is
raised sufficiently to allow of its being "rolled off" at the finishing rolls into
a finished plate or bar of the desired thickness or form. In some
cases the use of the hammer or "blooming rolls" is dispensed with by heating
the "pile" to a higher degree in the first heating furnace, and then "rolling
off" into the finished form.
ог
In carrying out the above-described series of processes it is usual
to operate with one puddled ball, but I am aware that in some cases two and
in other cases a larger number of such puddled balls have been
combined and acted upon as one mass in the first process in order to produce
a "puddle bar." In these cases, however, the metal was allowed
to cool, and afterwards required to bc re-heated to enable
it to form part of a pile to be subsequently dealt with
as above described.
Now according to my improvements I first combine into one
homogeneous mass of suitable form and weight to form the required shape
and weight when finished five or any larger number of ordinary puddled balls
of iron or steel, each of which usually weighs about one hundred-
weight, or an equivalent weight of puddled iron or steel may be taken direct
from the puddling furnace sufficient to form a mass of inetal of
the required shape and weight when finished by means of a powerful steam
hammer or other mechanical equivalent of suitable power or dimen-
sions, or by means of pressure suitably applied.
For this purpose
balls of iron
in carrying out my improvements the puddled
or steel (or an equivalent weight of puddled iron or steel in one
mass) are conveyed from the puddling furnace or furnaces to the working,
pressing, or combining apparatus. which may be variously constructed
and arranged. but which I prefer to be a powerful steam hammer
so proportioned, arranged, and worked by high-pressure steam that the hammer
can be quickly raised and caused to descend rapidly by means of
pressure of steam on the upper side of the piston. By this
means the puddled balls of iron as they are accumulated upon the
the

page_text: rapid
anvil from the puddling furnaces (or an equivalent weight of puddled iron in
one mass) are directly operated upon and quickly consolidated and
combined into a
by
mass
and
series
a
of powerful
blows, and after a sufficient mass of puddled iron is accumulated
and dealt with in this way it is turned upset" and worked under the
hammer on all sides until it is formed into one homogeneous "slab" or
of suitable form for the subsequent processes; and I will here
"bloom
"
it is
"
advisable to employ
remark that
weight for dealing with
an
accumulated
a
of
mass
hammer ten tons in
ten
ordinary
puddled balls or an equivalent weight (say, eleven hundred pounds) of puddled
iron or steel according to my improvements, and a hammer of twenty tons in
an accumulated mass
weight should be employed for dealing with
of twenty ordinary puddled balls, or an equivalent weight of puddled iron, and
so on in proportion.
In order to produce a good quality of iron or steel the puddling process
must be conducted with great attention, and so as to produce puddled iron
and strength,
be
as will
of good body
persons acquainted with the manufacture of iron.
iron
to
my
readily understood by
When preparing the puddled
con-
33
to
be manufactured according
improvements I prefer
to use grey pig iron of good body well carbonized, and to
duct the puddling process at a comparatively high temperature. I "ball up
the puddled iron with the damper of the puddling furnace, raised when it is
desired to produce fibrous iron, but when it is desired to produce
finely granulous iron I "ball up" the puddled iron with the damper of the
puddling furnace down. When preparing puddled steel to be manu-
factured according to my improvements I conduct the puddling process at a
comparatively low temperature. In all cases the process of puddling
will require to be conducted in accordance with the character and quality of
the pig iron operated upon, as is well understood by persons acquainted with
the manufacture of iron.
In order to obtain satisfactory results when manufacturing iron or steel
that the balls of
according to my improvements it is necessary
puddled iron or steel should be brought out "young," and that the puddled
balls be brought out and placed under the hammer as rapidly one after another
each puddled ball is
as possible; I also find it desirable that as
actively
the anvil
the
hammer
placed on
employed so as to keep the cinder
be
should
kept
"alive," and thus enable the
heavy prolonged hammering which immediately follows to produce a perfectly

page_text: solid and homogeneous mass. During the process of working the mass of
puddled iron or steel into a suitable form it is necessary to turn it over on to
its various sides and ends, so that the hammer may express the
impurities and condense the mass of puddled iron or steel, and when the mass
of iron is of considerable weight I employ a lifter actuated by
steam ог some other suitable motive agent, which can be brought
into operation by an attendant when required so as to partially raise the mass
of iron and enable the workmen quickly to turn and hold it in
the desired position under the hammer, and at Figure 1 (Sheet 1)
of the accompanying Drawings is shown so much of the front elevation of a
steam hammer having lifting apparatus applied thereto as will enable
me to describe one means which may be employed for this
purpose.
a
A is the framing, and B the cylinder of a steam hammer; C is the piston
rod; D, the hammer, and E the anvil upon which the mass of puddled iron or
steel is placed to be acted upon by the hammer D; F is a cylinder arranged
as shown or in any other convenient situation, and by means of
steam or some other suitable motive agent, acting upon
piston working within the cylinder F, a rod, lever, or pusher
(which is not shown in the Drawing) can be caused to act (as will be readily
understood by an engineer acquainted with this class of machinery) so as to
push the mass of iron to one side of the anvil of the steam
hammer E; G is another cylinder arranged as shown, or in any other con-
venient situation, and by means of steam or some other suitable
motive agent acting upon a piston working within the cylinder G the piston
rod is caused to act upon the lever H, H', ог other suitably
arranged lever, rod, or pusher. When the mass of iron has been pushed
by means of the piston in the cylinder F a short distance over the edge of the
anvil of the steam hammer E the piston in the
caused to act upon the lever H so as to cause the end
to partially raise the mass of iron into a position which will enable the work-
men to turn and hold it in the desired position under the hammer.
It will be readily understood that the pipes and valves for admit-
ting the steam or other motive agent to act upon the pistons working within
the cylinders F and G are so arranged as to be under the con-
trol of an attendant (or attendants), who regulates the motion of the pistons
in accordance with the requirements of the workmen. After the
"slab" or "bloom" is worked by the means above described into a suitable
form it is next removed from the anvil and placed upon a truck
cylinder G is
of the lever H

page_text: ог
in
Dogie
το De carried
and
away Ior further treatment,
order to prevent loss of time and consequent cooling of the
iron I lift the slab or "bloom" from the anvil by means of an automaton crane
actuated by steam or other suitable means, and I so arrange this lifting appa-
ratus that the slab or "bloom" is suspended from a steelyard or lever weigh-
ing apparatus, by means of which the weight of the slab or
"bloom" can be ascertained before the "slab" or "bloom" is deposited
from the crane upon the truck or "bogie;" and Figure 1, Sheet 1 of the
Drawings, shows so much of a side elevation, and Figure 2 so much of an
end view of a suitable arrangement of apparatus for lifting, weighing,' and
depositing the slab or "bloom," as above described, as will enable
me to describe the same.
a, a, is a frame supported and capable of moving on pivots at its upper and
lower ends, the support for the pivot at the upper end of the
frame a not being shown in the Drawing; b is a jib frame attached to the
frame a, and supported from it by tic rods c; d; is a weighing lever or steel-
yard, the fulcrum of which is supported by the outer end of the
crane jib b; c are the tongs for taking hold of the slab or bloom of iron or
steel upon being operated upon by the hammer D, and the tongs e are con-
nected by chains to the counterbalance weight f. The tongs è and weight f
are suspended to a chain passing over the pulley revolving in
.
suitable bearings formed in the steelyard or weighing lever d; the
chain after passing over the pulley passes under the pulley h
revolving in bearings in the jib b, and the chain is then conducted over the
pulley revolving in bearings upon the revolving frame. a. The
end of the chain is connected to the piston rod of a piston capable of moving
within the cylinder which is attached to and moves with the
crane frame a, and upon steam or some other suitable motive
agent being admitted by an attendant (by means of a suitable tap or valve)
within the cylinder ;, and upon the upper side of the piston work-
ing within it, the piston will be caused to descend and raise the tongs e with
the slab or "bloom" by means of the chain passing around the
pullies i, h, and g, as above described. The weight of the slab
or "bloom" is ascertained after it is raised by means of weights placed upon
the rod d. is a stationary spur wheel, in the centre of which the pivot of
the crane frame a revolves, and is a pinion upon the axis 1¹
taking into the spur wheel k; the axis revolves in bearings
carried by the frame a, and by turning the crank handle m motion

page_text: is given to the axis 11 by means of the bevel wheels m¹, P. when the pinion !
taking into the spur wheel k causes the frame a and parts attached to rotate
into any desired position for raising ог depositing a slab or
"bloom." After the weight of the slab or bloom has been ascertained and the
crane has been caused to carry the slab or bloom into a suitable position for
being deposited. the attendant by means of suitably arranged taps and valves
and exhaust passages allows the steam to escape and the slab or
bloom to be lowered on to the truck ог "bogie." A slab
or "bloom" having been produced as above described from five or any larger
number of ordinary puddled balls, or five hundred and fifty pounds or any
larger weight of puddled iron or steel. I next carry it in its heated state
directly from the hammer or other condensing and combining apparatus to a
heating furnace. where additional heat is imparted to it. When the slab or
"bloom" is sufficiently heated it is removed from the furnace and "rolled
off" by a train of finishing rolls into a finished bar. plate. rail,
ог other required form. thus dispensing with the rolling into a
puddled bar, cooling. shearing, piling, and loss of "crop ends or waste
material, at the same time effecting a considerable saving of fuel
and labour, and in the cost of plant and machinery, and completing the process
much shorter time. the iron being also
from
prevented
wasting away in reheating from a cold state. In some cases I find it desirable
when dealing with the larger masses of puddled iron or steel before placing
the slab or "bloom" in the heating furnace to pass it through "soft plate"
of the finishing train
"blooming rolls"
of rolls,
spread it and cause it to present a larger surface to the action
of the furnace, and consequently become more uniformly heated. When the
slab or "bloom" is to be forged into any required form, instead of being
rolled it is taken from the heating furnace to a suitable forging hammer or
machine to be forged into the required shape. After the slab or
in
a
or
as previously
is placed
described
upon
the
"
SO
as to
"bloom"
truck
ог
produced
"bogie" it is at once carried without allowing it to become cool to the heating
furnace, and
while in that
furnace is turned
by the attendant
several times, so as to present its various sides to the full action of the fur-
nace, so that the slab or "bloom
prefer to construct the heating
of moderate height, SO
to
conduct the
as
may become evenly heated throughout. I
furnace of considerable capacity and
well its flame and
to
carry
tem-
perature, so as to impart a soft, mellow, and uniform heat throughout to the
bloom and avoid all "rashing" in the heating.
heating processes at a comparatively low

page_text: The furnaces, plant, and
machinery for carrying out my improved pro-
cesses as above described may be variously arranged, and the pro-
cesses can be carried out as above described by employing hammers or equiva-
lent contrivances of sufficient power without otherwise changing the existing
arrangements of furnaces, plant, and machinery; but in cases where works
to be erected
the
I prefer to arrange
furnaces, plant, and
machinery so as to conduct the processes in the most economical and con-
are
secutive manner.
may
At Figure 3, Sheet 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, is shewn so much
of a ground plan of an iron works so arranged as to carry out my improved
process of manufacture in an effective manner, though I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to such an arrangement of the plant and
the arrangement thereof
be
machinery, as
varied as found
advisable according to the circumstances under which the manufac-
ture is carried on. I, I, indicate the positions the puddling furnaces, from
which the iron
as
steel when puddled is withdrawn,
or
is well
understood, chain barrels and winches being placed at 1', I', to assist the
or steel. The
workmen in withdrawing the balls of puddled iron
puddling furnaces I, I, are so situated that as the balls of puddled iron or steel
withdrawn from them they
be quickly carried to and
accumulated upon the anvils E. E, of the steam hammers, where they are con-
densed
homogeneous slab or
as
"bloom."
are
into
one
can
through
rolls.
previously
described; the slab or "bloom" is then raised, weighed, and lowered on to
a truck or "bogie" by the crane weighing apparatus at J, J, and carried to
the heating furnaces K, K, where additional heat is imparted to it, and where
it is desirable to
the slab or
pass
"bloom"
"blooming
rolls," as previously described, before placing it in the heating furnaces
K, K, it may
"blooming
be carried to and passed through the
rolls" of the finishing train of rolls at L. or a pair of "blooming" rolls may
be arranged to work separately from the finishing train of
The heating furnaces are so arranged that the slab
is introduced on one side o, o, of the heating furnaces and taken
out at the other side p, p, the furnaces being arranged with suitable openings
and doors, and
provided
at o', o', and p, p, for assisting the workmen in introducing and withdrawing
the slab or "bloom" into and from the heating furnaces K, K,
and at p, p, are chain barrels and winch handles to assist the
workmen in turning over the slab or "bloom" while in the fur-
When the slab
nace, so as to cause it to become evenly heated throughout.
chain
winch
barrels with
or
handles are
"bloom"

page_text: ог "bloom" is sufficiently heated it is removed
removed from the heating
furnaces K, K, and rolled off in the finishing train of rolls at M.
when the process is complete.
Part of my Invention relates to an improved method of dealing with a slab
or "bloom" which has been formed as previously described from three or any
larger number of ordinary puddled balls, ог from three hundred
pounds, or any larger weight of puddled iron or steel; and consists in taking
such slab or "bloom" without allowing it to cool, to be "rolled off" or
forged into any
any required shape, the slab or "bloom" being first
heated in a heating furnace when necessary before "rolling off" or forging,
as previously described.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for carrying the same into operation, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein shewn and
described which may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention, which consists in the improved and economical
process of manufacture herein described, by means of which several puddled
balls, or their equivalent, in the form of an agglomerated mass of puddled iron or
steel may, without allowing the metal to become cool, be combined and con-
solidated into one homogeneous mass, and after any unavoidable loss of heat
has when necessary been repaired be "rolled off" or forged into a
finished form of improved quality, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Radcliffe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
JAS. RADCLIFFE. (L.S.)