CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
WALL, of Bisterne Place, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of November (One thousand eight hundred
and forty-three), in the seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Wall, my exors,
aduiors, and assigns, Iler especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Arthur Wall, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Arthur Wall, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within that part of Her said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, and also in all IIer said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Arthur
Wall, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, and to cause the same
to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Arthur Wall, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed:-
My Invention consists in the use and application of certain substances, and
of the agency of electricity in the manufacture of iron. The operations by
which my Invention is performed, may be conveniently divided into two
classes, either of which may be applied independently of the other; the one
consisting in the addition of the substances herein-after mentioned to the
metal when in a state of fusion, and before it has been run out or permitted
to consolidate, the other consisting in subjecting the metal, whilst in a state of
fusion and during the time of its becoming set or solid throughout its entire
mass, to the action or influence of a current of electricity, transmitted
throughout the entire mass. The first class of operations is as follows:-
When the iron is in a state of fusion, whether in the smelting, puddling,
balling, reheating furnace or cupola, I add certain compound masses to it,
which I shall for convenience designate as A and B. The composition A
consists of a mixture of steel or wrought iron in a comminuted state, as filings
or fine cuttings, and common rosin, in the proportions of about two pounds of
the filings to five pounds of the rosin, and I prepare this composition by melting
the rosin with the filings in any convenient vessel; this compound mass of the
filings and rosin is to be made into balls of about five pounds weight each.
These balls are thrown upon the surface of the iron, whilst in a state of
fusion in the smelting or other furnace or cupola, in the proportion of a ball
to five hundredweight of metal. Although for the composition of these
balls I prefer common rosin, there are many other analagous substances, which
may be substituted for it, such as other resinous substances, and the varieties
of turpentine, asphaltum, tar, and pitch. A few pounds of charcoal may be
added in compounding the mass or ball A, but I do not consider that as an
essential ingredient of the above composition. The composition to which I
have above adverted as marked B, consists of a mixture of common salt, rosin,
charcoal, or other carbonaceous matter, and although these are the substances
which I prefer for the preparation of this composition, I find that certain
other fluxes, as borax, nitre, or fixed alkalis may be substituted for the salt.
I throw a few pounds of these last-mentioned balls upon the surface of the
fused iron, whilst in the smelting or other furnace, and after it has been
subjected to the action of the balls A, in the proportion of a pound to a
hundredweight of iron.

page_text: The second class of operations above adverted to consists in subjecting the
metal whilst in a fluid state, and also whilst in the act of congealing or
solidification, to a current of electricity, which I cause to traverse as completely
as possible throughout the entire metallic mass. In casting a bar or similar
mass, I cause the current to traverse from end to end by conductors properly
placed for the purpose, and so arranged that when the metal runs into the mould
it may be made to complete the circuit of the electric current; or I previously
make such arrangement by means of a wire or wires of iron or other metal
stretched in or passing from end to end of the mould, so that the electric current
may in the first instance be made to traverse the wire around or over which the
fused iron is afterwards allowed to flow. There are other methods of per-
forming this operation, and of making such arrangements as may admit of
the melted iron or the iron during its solidification being traversed by or
subjected to the influence of the electric current. The following are instances
of the mode in which I effect this in particular cases :-If the castings are
horizontal I place at each end of the mould, which I suppose is to be made of
sand, clay, or some similar bad conductor or non-conductor of electricity, a piece
of clean wrought iron or other proper conducting metal, which is called the
pole or conductor, and I then connect each of these poles or conductors, by
means of a copper or other wire, with the extremities of a galvanic apparatus
or voltaic pile or electro-magnetic or other battery of sufficient power for
the purpose. I have found that eight pairs of plates of about four by six
inches area, consisting of alternations of platinum and zinc, arranged in
separate cells of nitric acid and dilute sulphuric acid, so as to constitute
what is usually denominated Grove's voltaic battery or apparatus, to be con-
venient for my purpose, and sufficient for a ton of metal; though any of the
other forms of voltaic apparatus or battery, or any other source of an adequate
electric current, particularly that commonly known by the name of "Smee,"
and consisting of from twenty to thirty pairs of plates of the above size, may
be employed with advantage. Having then connected the extremities of the
battery with the respective poles or conductors, in such a way that when
the melted iron is allowed to run into the moulds it may so complete the
electric current as to admit of the castings being traversed from end to end
by the electric current, I allow the cast metal to cool and set while in
that condition; and as soon as it has entirely set or solidified throughout, the
connections with the battery may be broken; though I think it is advantageous,
particularly in casting ordnance, to continue the electric current for some
time after the metal has entirely solidified. When the castings are vertical
a similar arrangement is made for the passage of the electric current through

page_text: the metal; and this I effect by placing at the bottom or sole of the mould a
plate or rod of iron or other conducting substance, while a similar conductor
is inserted into the upper end of the mould, in such a way that the electric
circuit may be completed the moment that the mould is filled with the liquid
metal. In applying electricity to iron in a smelting furnace or cupola, I
insert one rod of wrought iron in or alongside of the tap-hole, until it comes
into contact with the melting metal, and another rod into the upper and
posterior part of the hearth, or in at one of the tuyre holes or apertures,
until it comes into contact with the surface of the metal, the outer ends of
these two rods being placed respectively in connection with the opposite poles
of the electric battery so as to complete the circuit, care being taken not
to continue it so long as entirely to decarburate the iron, and bring it into a
malleable state. In applying electricity to the iron in the puddling or balling
furnace, I insert one rod similar to the above, into one part of the fused metal,
and I attach to one end of another iron rod an insulating handle of porcelain
pottery, or other substance nonconductive of electricity, and then fix to the
end of that iron rod, close to the handle, the conducting wire from one pole of
the voltaic battery; and the other fixed iron rod being connected with the
other pole of the battery, I seize the insulated rod by the handle, and make
its extremity traverse in contact with various points of the iron in its melted
state, or during its transition into the solid state; thus making the electrical
current pass through the metal in every possible direction.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Wall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
Enrolled the Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.