IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE APPARATUS USED IN THE BESSEMER PROCESS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Middleton Justice, of 14, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE APPARATUS USED IN THE BESSEMER PROCESS." A communication
from abroad by Alexander Lyman Holley, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings,
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Middleton Justice at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th May 1880.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent: "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS USED IN THE
BESSEMER PROCESS." A communication from abroad by Alexander Lyman Holley,
of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, State of New York, United States of
America.
The ordinary vessel or converter for refining crude iron by the Bessemer process
consists of an iron shell which contains the refractory lining, and a "bottom" which
contains the tuyeres and tuyero box. To the shell two trunnions are permanently
secured, by means of which the converter is supported, rotated, and supplied with
blast. As the tuyeres are rapidly destroyed during the refining operation the
"bottom" is usually made removeable so that a repaired bottom can be quickly
substituted. The lining of the shell is more durable, but when it is made of lime
or other materials which require frequent repairs it is necessary to change the
lining as well as the bottom with celerity, so that the operations of refining may
go on without delay. For this purpose the entire converter with its trunnion may
be lifted out of its seat and carried away for repairs by means of a travelling crane,
and a repaired converter may be substituted. But the apparatus for this purpose
is costly, and much time and labour are necessary to effect the change. My
improvements consist in constructing the trunnions and a frame or ring connecting
them independently of the shell of the converter, so that the shell can be readily
taken out of the trunnion ring and removed for repairs, and a repaired shell can
be quickly substituted. This substitution may thus be made by means of a simple
lift or hoist and car. In changing, the shell instead of the whole converter much
delay and costly labour are avoided. I make the trunnion ring of the converter
[Price Gd1

page_text: either of forged or cast iron or steel. I prefer to cast the ring, the trunnions, and
a part of the air pipe in one piece, and to strengthen this by a wrought iron lining.
I make the shell smaller in maximum exterior diameter than the interior of the
trunnion ring, so that the former will readily slip into the latter. I prefer to leave
a space of about an inch between the ring and the shell to allow for the distortion
of the latter by heat. I temporarily secure the shell to the ring for service by
means of brackets and cotter bolts that can be readily disconnected, or in any
convenient and suitable manner. I prefer to remove the shell with its nose down
so that the nose part can be readily repaired. The "bottom" may be removed with
the shell, but I prefer to remove the "bottom". by one of the usual methods before
removing the shell. The shell may be hoisted out of the trunnion ring or pulled
out laterally, but I prefer to lower it on a car. I therefore place the trunnion ring
at such a height above the floor upon which the shell is to be repaired that the
shell can be lowered out of the ring and removed laterally on a car. A hydraulic
lift under the converter may either lower the shell upon the car or it may raiso the
car up to the shell and lower both together. Any form of hoist, lift, or crane may
be used for this purpose. The car may then be drawn to the place where the
lining of the shell is to be repaired, and here the shell may, if desired, be lifted into
a mounted trunnion ring, by which it may be rotated to facilitate repairs.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Philip Middleton Justice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th November 1880.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS USED IN THE
BESSEMER PROCESS." A communication from abroad by Alexander Lyman Holley,
of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, State of New York, United States of
America.
The ordinary vessel or converter for refining crude iron by the Bessemer process
consists of an iron shell which contains the refractory lining, and a bottom which
contains the tuyeres and tuyere box. To the shell two trunnions are permanently
secured, by means of which the converter is supported, rotated, and supplied with
blast. As the tuyeres are rapidly destroyed during the refining operation the
"bottom" is usually made removeable so that a repaired bottom can be quickly
substituted. The lining of the shell is more durable, but when it is made of lime
or other material which requires frequent repairs it is necessary to change the lining
as well as the bottom with celerity, so that the operations of refining may go on
without delay. For this purpose the entire converter with its trunnion may be
lifted out of its seat and carried away for repairs by means of a travelling crane,
and a repaired converter may be substituted. But the apparatus for this purpose
is costly, and much time and labour are necessary to effect the change. My
improvements consist in constructing the trunnions and a frame or ring connecting
them independently of the shell of the converter, so that the shell can be readily
taken out of the trunnion ring and removed for repairs, and a repaired shell can be
quickly substituted; this substitution may thus be made by means of a simple lift
or hoist and car. In changing the shell instead of the whole converter, much delay
and costly labour are avoided. I make the trunnion ring of the converter either
of forged or cast iron or steel. I prefer to cast the whole or half of the ring, the
trunnion, and a part of the air pipe in one piece and to strengthen this by a
wrought iron lining. I make the shell smaller in maximum exterior diameter than
the interior of the trunnion ring, so that the former will readily slip into the latter.
I prefer to leave a space of about an inch between the ring and the shell to allow
for the distortion of the latter by heat. I temporarily secure the shell to the ring
for service by means of brackets and cotter bolts that can be readily disconnected,
or in any convenient and suitable manner. I prefer to remove the shell with its
nose down, so that the nose part can be readily repaired. The "bottom" may be
removed with the shell, but I prefer to remove the bottom by one of the usual
methods before removing the shell. The shell may be hoisted out of the trunnion'
ring or pulled out laterally, but I prefer to lower it on a car. I therefore place the
trunnion ring at such a heighth above the floor upon which the shell is to be
repaired that the shell can be lowered out of the ring and removed laterally on a
car.
A hydraulic lift under the converter may either lower the shell upon the car
or it may raise the car up to the shell and lower both together. Any form of
hoist, lift, or crane may be used for this purpose. The car may be then drawn to
the place where the lining of the shell is to be repaired, and here the shell may, if
desired, be lifted into a mounted trunnion ring by which it may be rotated to
facilitate repairs. A convenient mode of carrying out my Invention is shown by
the Drawings forming a part of this Specification. The "bottom A of the converter,
Fig. 1, is removeable in the usual manner. When the "bottom" is removed the⚫
shell may be lowered so as to pass out under the supporting beam on the car, as
shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The converter is preferably hung under the
beam so as not to place its centre inconveniently high above the general floor.
"

page_text: Fig. 2 shows the trunnion ring F and the shell at the dotted lines H, H. The shell
is shown dropped out of the trunnion ring upon the car L by the full lines H¹, H¹.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the car L. To remove a shell I prefer to run the car L upon the
table M of a hydraulic lift, and to raise it by the lift to the position shown by the
dotted lines L¹, where it comes in contact with suitable lugs on the shell;
the cotters are then knocked out of the bolts P, P., Fig. 5, releasing the shell from
the trunnion ring, when the car bearing the shell may be lowered and 'run out to
where the lining is to be repaired. Figs. 5 and 6 show respectively a vertical and
cross section of the trunnion ring and part of the shell. The shell Q by means of
the brackets U bears upon the trunnion ring when the mouth of the shell is up;
when the mouth is down the shell is held in the trunnion ring by the cotter bolts,
see also P, P, Fig. I. The trunnion ring is here shown as a cast iron hoop S and a
wrought iron ring R. Wedges V may be used to keep the shell from moving
laterally in the ring. When it is desired to have the converter at a less considerable
heighth from the ground I apply my Invention in another form, as shown in
Figs. 7, 8, and 9 of the accompanying Drawings. I here divide the trunnion ring
into two halves a and b, which are bolted together when the converter is in place
but unbolted when it is desired to change the shell. The trunnions in this form of
my Invention are cast in one piece with, or otherwise permanently secured to, one
half of the trunnion ring or belt, this half section being permanently left in
place and being independent of the converter shell. The other half ring á is fixed
to the converter shell cither permanently by bolts, or by strong angle iron brackets,
or by a ridge on the shell fitting into a groove in the half ring. When changing a
shell the converter is turned into a horizontal, vertical, or inclined position, as is
most convenient, and the converter car with a suitable cradle for the shell is run
underneath the vessel so that the cradle is just in position to receive the vessel.
The cradle has the small lift necessary to enable it to firmly grasp and support the.
vessel given it, preferably by three strong screws, or by a hydraulic ram, or a
crane, or other convenient means; a lift of from one to eight inches will be sufficient
for this purpose; the bolts c, c, are then loosened, the cradle and cradle or car
lowered an inch or two, and the car or shell run out to the repairing shop, as before
described. In this form of my Invention the trunnions of a six ton converter need
not be more than seven feet above the general level, and a very trifling lift or none
at all is necessary. Fig. 8 shows a vessel shell that has been removed in a hori-
zontal position on its car L. Fig. 9 shows the converter in its trunnions with
the divided sectional trunnion ring or bolt a, b, the half section b being in one
piece with tlie trunnions, and the half section a being attached to the converter
shell.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, what I claim and desire to securo by Letters
Patent is,
The construction and arrangement of Bessemer converters so that the shell is
readily detachable from the trunnion ring, or from that part of the trunnion ring
which carries the trunnions and blast pipe, so as to enable the converter shell to be
readily removeable and replaceable without disturbing the trunnions, substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said. Philip Middleton Justice, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord 1880
PHILIP M. JUSTICE. (Ls.)