IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT IRON
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Stenson, of Northampton, in the County of
Northampton, Civil Engineer and Iron Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT IRON."
Sealed the 13th July 1858, and dated the 14th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Stenson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th January 1858.
I, JOSEPH STENSON, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, Civil
Engineer and Iron Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT IRON," to be as
follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in making forge bars with grooves,
and forming therewith a box pile in manner following:-I roll a series of
grooved forge bars into the form shewn in end section in Figure 1 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and I roll another series of forge bars into the
form shewn in end section in Figure 2, and I cut these forge bars into lengths
suitable for the intended pile, the length being determined by the size of the
bar proposed to be made.
These forge bars are to be rolled or manufactured in the ordinary way,
excepting that the rolls are so turned as to make the grooves as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
In making the box pile and for the purpose of preventing the sides of the
box pile falling outwards during the process of piling or filling up, I employ a

page_text: frame of the form represented in Figure 3; at the bottom of this frame I
place one of the bars of the form shown at Figure 1 to form the bottom of the
box pile, and I then take two of the bars of the form represented by Figure 2
to form the sides, and so place the three bars together inside the frame
Figure 3, as to form a box pile, the end section of which is shewn in Figure 4.
I fill the interior of this box with forge bars or scrap iron, or a mixture of
forge bars and scrap iron, and when filled I cover the whole with another of
the bars of the form shewn in Figure 1; I then remove the pile from the
frame Figure 3, when it is ready to be put into the furncce to be heated and
afterwards rolled into a bar.
The two bars of the form Figure 1, and the two bars of the form Figure 2,
must be cut of the same length, so that when put together in the manner
above described, they will form a box pile.
The length to which the bars must be cut will depend upon the weight of
the bar which is required. The employment. of grooved bars in forming the
box pile as above described, prevents the existence of straight lines of cleavage
through the joints.
The second part of my Invention relates to improvements in manufacturing
that description of iron known in the trade as angle iron, and consists in the
employment of angular forge bars for that purpose, in manner following:-
I roll a series of forge bars into an angular form by the ordinary process
employed in the trade in rolling forge bars; the forge rolls, however, being
so turned as to produce angular forge bars of the form required. The form
of bar which I require is a bar rolled to an angle of 45 degrees, but bars of a
more obtuse or a more acute angle may be employed. The number of angular
forge bars employed in each pile will depend upon the size of the finished bar
to be produced. End sections of a series of angular forge bars to the number
of five are shewn in Figure 5 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, and are
distinguished by the letters a, a, b, b, c, c, d, d, and e, e. In order to make
the pile, I cut a series of these angular forge bars of gradually decreasing
width to an uniform length, such length being determined by the size of the
bar proposed to be made.
Taking one of the largest size, a, a, I place inside it one of the next size, b, b,
and inside that one of the next, c, c, then one of the next size, d, d, and lastly,
one of the smallest, e, e.
Each forge bar of the series must be made of such a size as that, when the
whole are piled together as above described, the outer edges of all the forge
bars, whatever number of them may be required, (and the number may be
varied), will be level or nearly level with each other as shewn in Figure 5,"

page_text: which represents an end section of a pile composed of a series of five angular
forge bars. This pile is shewn as ready for placing into the furnace.
The pile, when heated, is to be passed through the rolls in the ordinary way,
such rolls being so turned as to enable the pile to be passed through them
without changing the relative positions of the angular forge bars with cach
other, so that in the finished bar of angle iron, each half of the bar may
consist of an equal number of forge bars reduced by uniform pressure to one
homogeneous substance.
Figure 6 of the Drawings above referred to represents the end section of a
finished bar of angle iron made from five angular forge bars, and finished
according to my improved method, the dotted lines indicating the junction
lines of the several forge bars; these lines of junction between the different
forge bars will not be perceptible in the finished bar except on close exami-
nation. The finished bar being cut, however, and one end being polished and
touched with acid. so as to develop the grain of the iron, the lines of junction
will then be perceived, and it will be seen that each half of the angle iron
manufactured according to my method consists of the same number of angular
forge bars as above described, and on comparing this with an end section of a
bar of angle iron, prepared according to the ordinary method, and similarly
treated for the purpose of showing its construction, it will be seen that in the
angle iron as heretofore constructed, one half must necessarily possess less
strength than the other. An average section of such bar of angle iron
as made by the ordinary process, is shown in Figure 7; the dotted lines
indicating the junction lines of the component bars as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Stenson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
STENSON, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, Civil Engineer and
Iron Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto. me, the said Joseph Stenson, Her special licence that I, the

page_text: said Joseph Stenson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Joseph Stenson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT
IRON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Stenson,
my executors or administrators, 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 Joseph Stenson, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention consists in making forge bars with grooves, and
forming therewith a box pile in manner following:-I roll a series of grooved
forge bars into the form shewn in end section in Figure 1 of the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and I roll another series of forge bars into the form shewn
in end section in Figure 2, and I cut these forge bars into lengths suitable for
the intended pile, the length being determined by the size of the bar proposed
to be made.
These forge bars are to be rolled or manufactured in the ordinary way,
excepting that the rolls are so turned as to make the grooves as shewn
in Figures 1 and 2.
In making the box pile and for the purpose of preventing the sides of the
box pile falling outwards during the process of piling or filling up, I employ a
frame of the form represented in Figure 3. At the bottom of this frame. I
place one of the bars of the form shewn at Figure 1 to form the bottom of the
box pile, and I then take two of the bars of the form represented by Figure 2
to form the sides, and so place the three bars together inside the frame
Figure 3, as to form a box pile, the end section of which is shewn in Figure 4.
I fill the interior of this box with forge bars or scrap iron, or a mixture of forge
bars and scrap iron, and when filled I cover the whole with another of the

page_text: bars of the form shewn in Figure 1. I then remove the pile from the frame
Figure 3, when it is ready to be put into the furnace to be heated, and
afterwards rolled into a bar.
The two bars of the form Figure 1 and the two bars of the form Figure 2
must be cut of the same length, so that when put together in the manner
above described they will form a box pile.
The length to which the bars must be cut will depend upon the weight of
the bar which is required. The employment of grooved bars in forming the
box pile as above described prevents the existence of straight lines of cleavage
through the joints.
. The second part of my Invention relates to improvements in manu-
facturing that description of iron known in the trade as angle iron, and
consists in the employment of angular forge bars for that purpose, in manner
following:-
I roll a series of forge bars into an angular form by the ordinary process
employed in the trade in rolling forge bars, the forge rolls however being so
turned as to produce angular forge bars of the form required. The form of
bar which I require is a bar rolled to an angle of 45°, but bars of a more
obtuse or a more acute angle may be employed. The number of angular forge
bars employed in each pile will depend upon the size of the finished bar to be
produced. End sections of a series of angular forge bars, to the number of
five, are shewn in Figure 5 of the. Drawings hereunto annexed, and are
distinguished by the letters a, a, b, b, c, c, d, d, and e, e. In order to make
the pile, I cut a series of these angular forge bars of gradually decreasing
width to an uniform length, such length being determined by the size of the
bar proposed to be made..
:
Taking one of the largest size, a, a, I place inside it one of the next size,
b, b, and inside that one of the next, c, c, then one of the next size, d, d, and
lastly, one of the smallest, e, e..
Each forge bar of the series must be made of such a size as that when the
whole are piled together as above described, the outer edges of all the forge
bars, whatever number of them may be required, (and the number may be
varied,) will be level or nearly level with each other, as shewn in Figure 5,
which represents an end section of a pile composed of a series of five angular
forge bars. This pile is shewn as ready for placing into the furnace.
The pile, when heated, is to be passed through the rolls in the ordinary
way, such rolls being so turned as to enable the pile to be passed] through
them without changing the relative positions of the angular forge bars with
each other, so that in the finished bar of angle iron each half of the bar may

page_text: consist of an equal number of forge bars reduced by uniform pressure to
one homogeneous substance.
Figure 6 of the Drawings above referred to represents the end section of a
finished bar of angle iron made from five angular forge bars, and finished
according to my improved method, the dotted lines indicating the junction lines
of the several forge bars. These lines of junction between the different forge
bars will not be perceptible in the finished bar except on close examination.
The finished bar being cut, however, and one end being polished and touched
with acid so as to develop the grain of the iron, the lines of junction will then
be perceived, and it will be seen that each half of the angle iron manufactured
according to my method consists of the same number of angular forge bars as
above described, and on comparing this with an end section of a bar of angle
iron prepared according to the ordinary method, and similarly treated for the
purpose of shewing its constitution or grain, it will be seen that in the angle
iron as heretofore constructed, one half must necessarily possess less strength
than the other. An average section of such bar of angle iron, as made by the
ordinary process, is shewn in Figure 7, the dotted lines indicating the junction
lines of the component bars as before.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in the manufacture of wrought iron,--
First, the making of forge bars with grooves, and the forming therewith a
box pile as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive
of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
And secondly, the employment of angular forge bars in the manufacture of
angle iron, as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 5, 6, and 7 of
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Stenson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JOSEPH STENSON.
(L.S.)