AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Dawes, of Handsworth, in the County
of Stafford, Ironmaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON."
Sealed the 28th November 1854, and dated the 19th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Dawes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th September 1854.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DAWES, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford,
Ironmaster, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON " to be as follows:-
My said Invention relates to that stage of the iron manufacture at which
puddled balls of iron are made into blooms or slabs, and consists in the
combination of two processes, both of which processes are well known and
hitherto practised separately. In carrying my said Invention into effect I
proceed as follows:-I take a ball of iron from the puddling furnace, and
subject the said ball to the action of any of the machines which are or may
be used for squeezing and moulding the said ball into a bloom; I next
subject the said bloom to the action of a forge hammer, or drawing out
hammer, or steam hammer, or any other convenient instrument or machine
having a percussive action. The bloom treated by the successive processes
of squeezing and percussion is sounder, tougher, and more fibrous than a
bloom treated by the squeezing process only; and blooms made by my
method are, from their high temperature, better fitted to be rolled into bars
or billets than blooms made according to the ordinary methods. The blooms,
after the squeezing process, are sufficiently hot to permit of two or more of the

page_text: said blooms being welded together under the hammer, when a mass of iron of
larger size is required than can readily be produced from a single ball. In
practising my method there is less loss of iron incurred and less skilled labour
required than in practising the ordinary method. My said method is also
more economical than the ordinary method, as there is less wear and tear of
machinery in my said method than in the said ordinary method. I wish it to
be understood that the essence of my Invention consists in the combination
of the processes of squeezing and hammering in the manufacture of blooms
or slabs of iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
1 by the said William Henry Dawes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY DAWES, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Ironmaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Dawes, Her special licence that I, the said William
Henry Dawes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Heury Dawes, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OP IRON," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Dawes, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 William Henry Dawes, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 (that is to say) :-

page_text: My said Invention relates to that stage of the manufacture of wrought iron
at which balls of puddled iron are made into blooms or slabs, and consists in
the combination of the two processes of squeezing and hammering, both of
which processes have been hitherto used separately for the same purpose.
In carrying my Invention into effect I proceed as follows, namely:-I
take a ball of iron from the puddling furnace, and subject the said ball to the
action of any of the machines which are now or may be used for squeezing
and moulding the said ball into a bloom; I next subject the said bloom to
the action of a forge hammer, or drawing out hammer, or steam hammer, or
any other convenient instrument or machine having a percussive action. The
bloom treated by the successive processes of sqeezing and hammering is
sounder, tougher, and more fibrous than a bloom treated by the squeezing
process only.
Blooms made by my method have when finished a higher temperature than
blooms made by the ordinary method, and are consequently better fitted to bo
rolled into bars or billets. The blooms after the squeezing process are suffi-
ciently hot to permit of two or more of the said blooms being welded together
under the hammer when a mass of iron of larger size is required than can
be produced from a single ball. In practising my method of manufacturing
blooms or slabs, there is less loss of iron incurred and less skilled labour
required than in practising the ordinary method. My said method is also more
economical than the ordinary method, in consequence of their being less wear
and tear of machinery.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention, the combination of the processes of squeezing and hammering in
the manufacture of blooms or slabs of iron.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Dawes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
CHARLES ARKINSTALL.
10
WILLIAM HENRY DAWES. (L.8.)