IMPROVEMENTS IN MOULDS, FOR CASTING CRUCIBLE, BESSEMER, AND OTHER STEEL INGOTS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Foster and William Lockwood, both of
Sheffield, in the County of York, Iron Founders, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOULDS, FOR CASTING CRUCIBLE, BESSEMER, AND
OTHER STEEL INGOTS."
Sealed the 11th July 1873, and dated the 3rd May 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Foster and
William Lockwood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 3rd May 1878.
We, DAVID FOSTER and WILLIAM LOCKWOOD, both of Sheffield, in
the County of York, Iron Founders, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOULDS FOR CASTING CRUCIBLE, BESSEMER,
AND OTHER STEEL INGOTS," to be as follows:-
Hitherto the moulds employed for casting steel ingots have generally
been made solid or in one piece only, but attempts have been made to
form them in two or more parts, having corresponding lugs cast on
the different segments of the mould, and the various parts or segments
have been securely held together by passing bolts through the lugs and
having either taper cotters passing through the ends of the bolts or nuts

page_text: screwed on so as to draw the joints of the segmental mould closely
together. When secured as described there is no possibility of the parts
or segments of the mould yielding to the expansive force of the molten
metal without submitting the casting to a severe strain, the result being
that the castings, crack, or the lugs of the mould are broken off, ren- 5
dering it wholly or partially useless.
In order to overcome this difficulty the ingot moulds have been made
of soft iron, the consequence being that there is great liability of the
hot steel burning into the mould and thereby fastening itself therein.
According to our improvements we prefer to construct the moulds for 1
casting steel ingots (of parallel taper or other form) with a plain parallel
joint at the diagonal corners, and having lugs with a small recess in the
sides facing each other, so that by our improved method of fastening the
segments we are able to bring the parrallel joints closely and firmly
together. This we accomplish by having the lugs cast on the segments 1
of the mould with corresponding holes through which bolts are passed,
and these bolts are secured by cotters (elastic or otherwise).
Now in order to counteract the expansive force of the molten
metal from injuring the mould or the lugs we introduce a sufficiently
strong spring or other equivalent appliance under the head of each bolt 2
(or otherwise), the springs or other elastic means employed causing the
mould to adapt itself to the expansive force of the molten metal. By
removing the strain from the mould to the springs or other elastic
means employed we are enabled to use a much stronger iron in casting
the mould, and by so doing we run far less risk of the molten metal
of the ingot eating into the mould and fastening itself therein.
The spring or other elastic means employed in accordance with our
improvements for holding the segmental parts of the mould together
allows the mould to expand as far as may be required, and as is well
known the molten metal becoming "chilled" by contact with the inner
surface of the mould the metal will not run through the parallel plain
joints although they may be slightly opened by the expansive force of
the molton steel or other like metal.
Another advantage obtained by the application of the springs or other
elastic fastenings to the mould is that the inside of the mould may be
made parallel and then cast-iron stoppers fitting the mould exactly
may be used, and the ingot stopped at any point, as may be desired,

page_text: According to our improvements the application of springs or other
elastic means to ingot moulds is not confined to lugs cast on the
segments, but may be applied to the moulds in a variety of ways in
order to impart elasticity to the moulds when the molten metal is run
into them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said David Foster and William Lockwood in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd November 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, David
FOSTER and WILLIAM LOCKWOOD, both of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Iron Founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said David Foster and William Lock-
wood, Her special license that we, the said David Foster and William
Lockwood, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said David Foster and William Lockwood, our 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
upon the
IN MOULDS FOR CASTING CRUCIBLE, BESSEMER, AND OTHER STEEL INGOTS,"
condition (amongst others) that we, the said David Foster and William
Lockwood, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us or them, 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
3 of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said David Foster and William Lock-
wood, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
Hitherto the moulds employed for casting steel ingots have generally
been made solid or in one piece only, but attempts have been made to
form them in two or more parts, having corresponding lugs cast on the
different segments of the mould, and the various parts or segments
have been securely held together by passing bolts through the lugs and
having either taper cotters passing through the ends of the bolts or nuts:
screwed on so as to draw the joints of the segmental mould closely
together. When secured as described there is no possibility of the parts
or segments of the mould yielding to the expansive force of the molten
metal without submitting the casting to a severe strain, the result being
that the castings crack or the lugs of the mould are broken off ren- 1
dering it wholly or partially useless.
In order to overcome this difficulty the ingot moulds have been made
of soft iron, the consequence being that there is great liability of the hot
steel burning into the mould and thereby fastening itself therein.
According to our improvements the moulds for casting steel ingots 2
may be of parallel, taper, or other form, with a plain parallel joint, or
otherwise, at the diagonal corners, as shown in the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and having lugs with a small recess in the sides facing each
other, so that by our improved method of fastening the segments we are
able to bring the parallel joints closely and firmly together. This we 2
accomplish by having the lugs a¹ cast on the segments a, a, of the
mould, with corresponding holes through which bolts are passed, and
these bolts arc secured by cotters (clastic or otherwise) as shown.
Now in order to counteract the expansive force of the molten metal
from injuring the mould a or the lugs a¹ wo introduce a sufficiently 3
strong spring c (or other equivalent appliance) under the head of each.
bolt b, or otherwise the spring c or other elastic means employed
causing the mould to adapt itself to the expansive force of the molten
metal. By thus removing the strain from the mould to the springs or
other elastic means employed for keeping the parts of the mould in close 3
contact we are enabled to use a much stronger iron in casting the mould,
and by so doing we run far less risk of the molten metal of the ingot
eating into the mould and fastening itself therein.

page_text: The spring c or other elastic means employed in accordance with our
improvements for holding the segmental parts of the mould together
allow the mould to expand as far as may be required, and as is well
known the molton metal becoming chilled by contact with the inner
surface of the mould the metal will not run through the parallel plain or
other joints a², a³, of the mould, although they may be slightly opened
by the expansive force of the molten steel or other like metal.
Another advantage obtained by the application of the springs c or
other elastic fastening to the moulds is that the inside of the mould
may be made parallel, and then cast-iron stoppers fitting the mould
exactly may be used and the ingots stopped at any point, as may be
desired.
According to our improvements the application of springs c or other
elastic means to ingot moulds is not confined to lugs at cast on the
segments a, but may be applied to the moulds in a variety of ways in
order to impart elasticity to the moulds when the molten metal is run
into them.
Our improvements are applicable to all descriptions of moulds com-
posed of two or more parts for casting steel ingots.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into practice, what we claim is, the application of
springs c or other equivalent elastic means to moulds for casting crucible,
Bessemer, and other steel ingots, substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described and shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Foster and William Lock-
wood have hereunto set our hand and seals, this Thirtieth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-three.