AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL WITH CAST IRON TAKEN IN A SUBDIVIDED STATE
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse Anthelmo Antoine Baron de Rostaing, of
29, Boulevard St. Martin, Paris, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL WITH CAST IRON TAKEN IN A
SUBDIVIDED STATE."
Sealed the 7th January 1864, and dated the 28th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Anthelme Antoine
Baron de Rostaing at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 28th July 1863.
T, ALPHONSE ANTHELME ANTOINE BARON DE ROSTAING, of 29, Boulevard St.
Martin, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL WITH CAST IRON TAKEN IN
A SUBDIVIDED STATE," to be as follows:-
In developing the various applications of a process for subdividing metals
in the melted state, for which I obtained Letters Patent in England on the
3rd of May 1858, No. 987, I have ascertained that cast iron reduced to
shavings, filings, dust, or in short to a suitable state of subdivision, may be
transformed into iron or steel by processes different from those heretoforo
applied.
According to my improved method of manufacturing iron I dispense with
the refining and puddling operations, and therefore all the fuel consumed in
these two operations is saved, as also the large amount of labor in puddling in
the manufacture of wrought from cast iron.
My Invention consists. 1st, in agglomerating subdivided cast iron into a
mass or lump of a certain size; 2ndly, in introducing such agglomerated
mass in a reheating furnace where under the oxydizing action of the air and

page_text: flame on a porous body, the particles of cast iron are quickly decarburetted
and transformed into iron; 3rdly, in submitting said agglomerated mass as
soon as it is raised to a welding white heat to the action (moderate at first,
and successively rendered more and more energetic) of a tilt or other suitable
hammer, so as to closely unite the subdivided parts and multiply their points
of connection. After this operation, which may also be effected in a mould
under the action of a press in order to avoid the sudden impacts of the
hammer, the agglomerated mass will in the subsequent forging be found to
possess exactly the same properties as the ball or bloom which has been
shingled or rolled after passing through the puddling furnace. The agglo-
meration of the subdivided cast iron into a mass fit to be introduced direct
into the reheating furnace may be effected either in a cold or heated
state. In the cold state by moistening it either with pure water simply,
acidulated water, or it may be with water containing any reagent in solution
or suspension, and afterwards compressing it in a mould. The greater the
compression the better will be the adherence of the particles previously sub-
divided, and the mass thus formed should be dried either in the open air or in
a stove. The addition of an acid or other reagent is intended for oxydizing,
purifying, or coagulating the metal. In the heated state I introduce the
subdivided cast iron into a reverberatory furnace, in as many separate heaps
as it is desired to form distinct agglomerations or masses in order to avoid tho
welding it into too large a mass, the separation of which would afterwards bo
difficult on taking it out of the furnace. In the case of agglomeration in the
hot state the same furnace will serve the purpose of a reheating furnace by
raising it to the welding white heat. The agglomeration by a wet process and
compression in the cold state determines a weaker or stronger tendency to
oxydation according to the quantity of water, acid, or reagent employed; tho
subsequent action of the air and flames in the reheating operation may be
allayed by a coating of clay, silica, or lime, with which the mass should be
previously enveloped.
My process for the manufacture of steel consists in agglomerating the sub-
divided particles of cast iron by moistening and compressing them in the cold
state in a mould, as above mentioned, for manufacturing iron, but instead of
introducing the mass into a furnace directly in contact with the air and flames.
on the contrary, great care should be taken to avoid a fresh oxydation, by
which would be destroyed the previously calculated proportions (when com-
pression in the cold state takes place) to produce such or such quality of steel
according to the reagents employed, and the state of subdivision of the
particles of cast iron of which the mass is constituted. To operate the smelting

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alphonse Althelme Antoine Baron de Rostaing in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALPHONSE
ANTHELME ANTOINE BARON DE ROSTAING, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said Alphonse Anthelme Antoine Baron de Rostaing, Her special licence
that I, the said Alphonse Anthelme Baron de Rostaing, ny executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alphonse Anthelme
Antoine Baron de Rostaing, 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL WITH CAST IRON TAKEN IN A
SUBDIVIDED STATE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alphonse Anthelme Antoine Baron de Rostaing, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or 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 Alphonse Anthelme Antoine Baron de
Rostaing, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :—
In developing the various applications of a process for subdividing metals
in the melted state, for which I obtained Letters Patent on the Third day of
May One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, Number 987, I have found
that cast iron reduced to shavings, filings, dust, or in short to a suitable state

page_text: of subdivision, may be transformed into iron or steel by processes differing from
those heretofore employed.
According to my improved method of manufacturing iron I dispense with
the refining and puddling operations, and therefore save all the fuel consumed
in these two operations, as also the large amount of labor in the puddling in
the manufacture of wrought from cast iron.
My Invention consists, Ist, in agglomerating subdivided cast iron into a
mass or lump of a certain size; 2ndly, in introducing such agglomerated mass
in a reheating furnace, where under the oxydizing action of the air and flame on
a porous body, the particles of cast iron are quickly decarburetted and trans-
formed into iron; 3rdly, in submitting said agglomerated mass as soon as it is
raised to a white welding heat to the action (moderate at first and successively
rendered more and more energetic) of a tilt or other suitable hammer, so as
to closely unite the subdivided parts and multiply their points of adhesion.
After this operation, which may also be effected in a mould under the action
of a press or by rolling it, in order to avoid the sudden impacts of the hammer,
the agglomerated mass will in the subsequent forging be found to possess
exactly the same properties as the ball or bloom which has been shingled or
rolled after passing through the puddling furnace. The agglomeration of the
subdivided cast iron into a mass fit to be introduced direct into the reheating
furnace may be effected either in a cold or heated state.
In the cold state. By simply moistening it either with pure or acidulated
water, or it may be with water containing any reagent in solution or suspension,
and afterwards compressing it in a mould. The greater the compression the
better will be the adherence of the particles previously subdivided, and the
inass thus formed should be dried either in the open air or in a stove. Tho
addition of an acid or other reagent is intended for oxydizing, purifying, or
coagulating the material.
In the heated state.-I introduce the subdivided cast iron into a rever-
beratory furnace in as many separate heaps as it is desired to form distinct
agglomerations or masses, in order to avoid having too large a mass, the sepa-
ration of which would afterwards be difficult on withdrawing it from the furnace.
In the case of agglomeration in the heated state the same furnace will serve
the purpose of a reheating furnace by raising it to a white welding heat. The
agglomeration by a wet process and compression in the cold state determines a
weaker or stronger tendency to oxydation according to the quantity of water,
acid, or reagent employed; the subsequent action of the air and flame in tho
reheating operation may be tempered by the application of a coating of clay,
silica, or lime, with which the mass should be previously enveloped.

page_text: My improved processes for the manufacture of steel consists in agglomerating
the subdivided particles of cast iron by moistening and compressing them in
the cold state in a mould, as before described, for manufacturing iron, but
instead of introducing the mass into a furnace directly in contact with the air
and flames, on the contrary, great care should be taken to avoid fresh oxydation,
which would destroy the proportions previously calculated (at the time of the
compression in the cold state) to produce such or such quality of steel accord-
ing to the reagents employed and the degree of subdivision of the particles of
cast iron of which the mass is constituted. To operate the smelting of theso
masses they are dipped into a bath of dross or scoria, when the smelting is to
take place in a reverberatory furnace, or introduced into covered crucibles
when ordinary smelting furnaces for steel are used.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention of improvements in
manufacturing iron and steel, and the manner in which the same are to be
carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that what I claim is,-
First, the employment as a starting point of cast iron reduced to a state of
divided particles.
Secondly, I claim the agglomeration either in a cold or heated state of said
particles with or without the addition of reagents, as before described.
Thirdly, I claim welding together such agglomerated particles when iron is
to be obtained by raising them to a whito welding heat, afterwards subjecting
them to shingling, hammering, or stamping processes, as described.
Fourthly, I claim the method of smelting said agglomerated particles frec
from contact with the air or flames when steel is to be obtained, as herein
described.
And, lastly, I claim the method of tempering such action of the air and
flames by means of a coating of clay, silica, or lime, enveloping the
ngglomerated blocks, whether employing a reverberatory or a reheating
furnace without reducing the metal to a state of fusion, when it is desired to
produce what is termed puddled steel or steely iron.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Antheleme Antoine Baron de
Rostaing, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
cinty Cou
A. A. A. BON. DE ROSTAING. (L.B.)