A Method of Treating Molten Iron or Steel with Pulverulent Material and Apparatus for that purpose.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of Treating Molten Iron or Steel with Pulverulent Material
and Apparatus for that purpose.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, in
the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention (as communicated to me from abroad by James Richardson
Billings, of 151, West Van Buren Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of
America), to be as follows:-
-
Many methods have been proposed for treating molten iron or steel with
pulverulent material for the purpose of adding carbon or other substances in
order to vary or improve the quality of the metal. In some cases
the pulverulent material has been blown in with an air blast, in
some cases it has been held in cases of paper or other combustible material and
thrown on a layer of the molten metal over which more metal has been poured;
but in all these cases it has been found difficult, if not impossible to secure
uniform admixture of the material with the molten metal. The present inven-
tion relates to a method of operating whereby uniform treatment of the whole
molten mass is secured, preferably by the use of apparatus, which forms part
of this invention, and which is represented in the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a
part section of the bottom of the hopper, and Fig. 4 is a part section of the
lower end of the tube shewing a modified valve.
The
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a is a ladle of considerable depth, placed under a
platform on which is mounted the apparatus for feeding the pulverulent
material. This comprises a tube fitted with a piston c and screwed into the
bottom of the hopper d which is held down by ties on the platform x. The
bottom of the tube is closed by a valve or plug f carried on a rod 9 which
projects up through the hopper and is urged upwards by a spring .
lower parts of the tube and the rod y are protected by coatings of refrac-
tory material.
On the hopper d is mounted a shaft which can be turned by a
winch handle and carries a pinion c gearing with rack teeth on the rod of the
piston e which is guided between the pinion e and an anti-friction roller r. In
the hopper is fixed a ring m into which the piston c is drawn and held while
the tube is being charged with the pulverulent material.
The operation is carried on as follows:-
The ladle a having been charged with molten iron or steel and the tube b
having been charged with the pulverulent material, the handle q is turned so as
to push down the piston c which forces down the pulverulent material. The plug
valve f is caused by the pressure, aided it may be, by hand applied to the top
of the rod g, to open, and the contents of the tube are discharged and rise
through the molten metal in a uniformly distributed manner.
As shewn in Fig. 3, tubes of various sizes may be fixed to the bottom of the
hopper; and as shewn in Fig. 4. the tube may be closed by a plugs which has

page_text: no rod, but is merely forced out by the pressure of the pulverulent material when
it is forced down the tube by the piston c.
Doted this 20th
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
A Method of Treating Molten Iron or Steel with Pulverulent Material
and Apparatus for that purpose.
.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, in
the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention (as communicated to me from abroad by James Richardson
Billings, of 151, West Van Buren Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of
America) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Many methods have been proposed for treating molten iron or steel with
pulverulent material for the purpose of adding carbon or other substances in
order to vary or improve the quality of the metal.
In some cases the pulverulent material has been blown in with an air blast, in
some cases it has been held in cases of paper or other combustible material and
thrown on a layer of the molten metal over which more metal has been poured;
but in all these cases it has been found difficult, if not impossible to secure
uniform admixture of the material with the molten metal. The present inven-
tion relates to a method of operating whereby uniform treatment of the whole
molten mass is secured, preferably by the use of apparatus, which forms part
of this invention, and which is represented in the drawings accompanying my
Provisional Specification.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a
part section of the bottom of the hopper, and Fig. 4, is a part section of the
lower end of the tube shewing a modified valve.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, is a ladle of considerable depth, placed under a
platform on which is mounted the apparatus for feeding the pulverulent
material. This comprises a tube fitted with a piston and screwed into the
bottom of the hopper which is held down by ties on the platform .c. The
bottom of the tube is closed by a valve or plug f carried on a rod g which
projects up through the hopper d'and is urged upwards by a spring n.
C
The lower parts of the tube band the rod are protected by coatings of refrac-
tory material. On the hopper d is mounted a shatt 7 which can be turned by a
winch handle g and carries a pinion gearing with rack teeth on the rod of the
piston c which is guided between the pinion and an anti-friction roller r.
the hopper d is fixed a ring m into which the piston e is drawn and held while
the tube is being charged with the pulverulent material.
The operation is carried on as follows.
In
The ladle a having been charged with molten iron or steel and the tube b
having been charged with the pulverulent material, the handle q is turned so as
to push down the piston which forces down the pulverulent material. The plug
valve is caused by the pressure, aided it may be by hand applied to the top
of the rod g to open, and the contents of the tube are discharged and rise
through the molten metal in a uniformly distributed manner.
As shewn in Fig. 3, tubes of various sizes may be fixed to the bottom of the
hopper and as shown in Fig. 4. the tube may be closed by a plugs which has

page_text: no rod, but is merely forced out by the pressure of the pulverulent material when
it is forced down the tube by the piston c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The herein described method of treating molten iron or steel with pulveru-
lent material, by causing the material to issue from the end of a tube immersed
in a body of the molten metal, so that it has to rise through the metal in a
uniformly distributed manner.
2. Apparatus for treating molten iron or steel with pulverulent material, com-
prising a tube containing the material and immersed in the molten metal, a
valve closing the lower end of the tube, a piston fitting the tube and means of
moving the piston along the tube, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1900.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.