AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Haden Richardson, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL."
Sealed the 12th June 1868, and dated the 19th December 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Haden Richardson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th December 1867.
I, WILLIAM HADEN RICHARDSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON and
STEEL," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the use and application of cured or straight tubes
made of iron, refractory material, or of iron and refractory material combined,
for the purpose of introducing a blast or blasts of air or steam or other gases
or air and steam and other gases combined into or below masses of molten
or fluid iron in a puddling, boiling, or other furnace or receptacle for the
purpose of manufacturing iron and steel under the process known as "the
Richardson process," in place of using specially made bollow or tubular rabbles
as shown in the Drawings appended to the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to William Haden Richardson, bearing date the Fourth day of

page_text: December 1866, and numbered 8189. In the experiments which have been
made with "the Richardson process" it has been found that the best results
are obtained by employing in place of the specially constructed hollow rabble a
tube or tubes having the end or ends which dip into the fluid metal curved
or bent over so that the blast or blasts of air, steam or other gases combined
or separate may be injected and thoroughly diffused through the molten
metal. To enable the puddler to know when the tube is immersed at the right
depth and as a protection to the mouth, the tube may have a projecting
piece or pieces of metal attached to it on one or both sides, or a circular
piece with projections may be fixed round the bent portion or extreme end
thereof, which bears upon the furnace bottom, or it may have a flat piece of
metal attached to its back or side by wielding or otherwise to permit of the
more effectual diffusion of the blast and consequent agitation of the molten
metal by the increased surface thus brought to act upon it. In lieu of using
a tube with one curved end it may have two or more such extremities proceed-
ing in horizontal or other directions, so that the blast of air, steam, or gas,
separate or combined, may be diffused into the metal in different directions at
the same time; and in place of using curved pipes they may be made straight
or bent at right angles, although it is preferred that they should be curved.
The blast of air, steam, or gas, either separate or combined, is conducted to
the tube or tubes by means of flexible pipes or otherwise preceeding from
receivers. The orifice of the tube or tubes may be oblong, circular, oval, or
of other form. In place of forming the tubes with open tubular orifices the
extremites may be wholly or partially closed, and the tubes perforated over
any requisite part of their length, so that the blast of air, steam, or gas,
separated or combined, may be diffused into the liquid metal. It is to be
understood that hot as well as cold blast may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Haden Richardson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, WILLIAM
HADEN RICHARDSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Haden Richardson, Her special license, that I, the said
William Haden Richardson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Haden Richardson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Haden Richardson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 William Haden Richardson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the use and application of curved or straight
tubes made of iron, refractory material, or of iron and refractory material
combined, for the purpose of introducing a blast or blasts of air or steam or
other gases, or air and steam and other gases combined into or below masses
of molten or fluid iron in a puddling, boiling or other furnace or receptacle for
the purpose of manufacturing iron and steel under the process known as "the
Richardson process" in place of using specially made hollow or tubular rabbles
as shown in the Drawings appended to the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me bearing date the 4th day of December 1866, and numbered
3189. In the expiriments which have been made with "the Richardson
process" it has been found that the best results are obtained by employing
in place of the specially constructed hollow rabble a tube or tubes having the
end or ends which dip into the fluid metal curved or bent over, and to enable
the puddler to know when the tube is immersed at the right depth, and as a
protection to the month, the tube may have a projecting piece or pieces of
metal attached to it on one or both sides, or a circular piece with projections
may be fixed round the bent portion or extreme end thereof which bears upon
the furnace bottom, and it may have a flat piece of metal attached to its back

page_text: or side by welding or otherwise to permit of the more effectual diffusion of
the blast and consequent agitation of the molten metal by the increased surface
thus brought to act upon it. In lieu of using a tube with one curved end it
may have two or more such extremities proceeding in different horizontal or
other directions, so that the blast of air, steam, or gas, separate or combined,
may be diffused into the metal in different directions at the same time, and in
place of using curved pipes they may be made straight or bent at right angles,
although it is preferred that they should be made curved. The blast of air,
steam, or gas either separate or combined is conducted to the tube or tubes by
means of a flexible pipe or otherwise proceeding from receivers. The orifice of
the tube or tubes may be oblong, circular, oval, or of other form. In place of
forming the tubes with open tubular orifices the extremities may be wholly or
partially closed and the tubes perforated over any requisite part of their length.
so that the blast of air, steam, or gas, separate or combined, may be diffused
into the liquid metal. It is to be understood that hot as well as cold blast
may be used.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference
being had for the sake of more complete elucidation to the letters and figures
upon the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended,
that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a plan of a rabble formed of a tube or pipe drawn into the
branches a, b, and curved at the ends which dip into the fluid metal, so that
the air, steam, or other gases, or other substances, combined or separate, and
supplied from any adjoining reservoir through the flexible pipe coupled thereto
may be injected and thoroughly diffused through the molten metal. At the
same time this form of rabble whilst being used is advantageous in enabling
the metal to be thoroughly worked about.
Figure 2 shows an arrangement of duplex or compound rabble formed by
screwing or otherwise fixing a socket e un the end of the tube f which forms
the outer or handle end of the rubble. Into the socket e two tubes g, h, are
screwed, and may be bent at the ends which dip into the molten metal, as
shown at Figure 1. The air, steam, or other gas, gases, or substances is or
are conducted from the receiver to the rabble or tube by the flexible pipe p,
which is connected to a short hollow socket i screwed into the end of the
rabble.
Figure 3, shows an arrangement of rabble with three tubes or pipes for
injecting the gas, gases, or substances separately or combined into the molten

page_text: metal. The three pipes a are screwed in a socket band fixed to the handle
or outer end c as herein-before described in reference to and shown at
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an end view of the rabble shown at Figure 3, the orifice of each
pipe opening downwards, but the arrangement of the bends may be varied so
that the centre pipe may be bent down at the end so as to inject the gas,
gases, or substances downwards and the side pipes horizontally or at any other
convenient angle.
Figure 5 shows a modification of a rabble formed of three tubes; in this
case no socket is required, the three branches being drawn out from or formed
in one piece with the main pipe.
Figure 6 shows another form of rabble consisting of one pipe or tubo
having a duplex end through which the gas, gases, or substances may be
injected in different directions.
Figure 7 is a modification of the rabble shown in Figure 6. In this caso a
band of iron a with feathers or projections for facilitating the working of the
fluid metal is welded round each of the curved ends 6 of the rabble which at
the same time serves to support the rabble on the bottom of the puddling
Learth.
Figure 8 is a section of a rabble formed out of a length of pipe having one
curved end with a projecting piece welded on it similar to what is shown in
Figure 7, and for the same purpose as herein-before described in reference
thereto, this rabble may be turned over by the workman as he is using it, and
the gas or gases injected into the mass in either a right or left hand direction.
In place of forming the end of the tubes or rabbles circular they may be
made oblong or of other form as shown in Figures 10 and 11, or through a
greater breadth as shown in Figures 12 and 13. It is found that in using the
foregoing instrument the best effects are obtained by turning the orifices
vertically downwards, but they may be used at other angles and may be
actuated by mechanical as well as manual labour. In lieu of forming the
ends of the various rabbles herein-before set forth with tubular orifices the ends
of the tubes themselves may be closed and the immersed part of the rabble
perforated. When using more then one gas or mixture of gases the compound
rabble of the various arrangements or modifications thereof herein-before
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings is specially advantageous,
because by providing each of the branches with a stop-cock or valve in
communication with the reservoir in which the various gases or other
substances are contained, and by opening or closing these stop-cocks or valves
at the required intervals the injection or admission of the various gases or

page_text: substances may be so regulated as to produce any intended quality of
iron or steel.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The special arrangements and constructions of single and compound
rabbles or tools for injecting gases or other substances into molten iron in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
Second. The combination of two or more tubes constituting a compound
tubular rabble and the providing of the extremities of such rabbles whether
single or compound with projecting pieces for the purpose of enabling the
molten metal to be more effectually worked as herein-before set forth and
shown in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Haden Richardson, have
bereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of June, One thousand
eight bundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM HADEN RICHARDSON. (L.s.)