IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OR SEPARATION OF GASES FROM MOLTEN METALS GLASS, SLAGS, AND THE LIKE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE SAID EXTRACTION OR SEPARATION."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Russel Aitken of Great George Street in the City of
Westminster, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OR
SEPARATION OF GASES FROM MOLTEN METALS GLASS, SLAGS, AND THE
LIKE
AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE SAID EXTRACTION OR SEPARATION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Russel Aitken at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th March 1882.
RUSSEL AITKEN of Great George Street in the City of Westminster
IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OR SEPARATION OF GASES FROM MOLTEN METALS, GLASS,
SLAGS, AND THE LIKE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE SAID EXTRACTION
OR SEPARATION
"
My said Invention relates to the extraction of gases froin molten iron, steel,
glass slags and other molten metals and materials and has for its object to effect
the said extraction or separation in a much more effective and complete manner
than has hitherto been practicable. According to my said Invention I cause the
metal, glass, slags, or other molten material to enter and pass through a vacuum or
a partial vacuum in a thin stream or spray. This may be effected in au apparatus
constructed as follows:-A ladle chamber or vessel is closed in air tight and is
provided with a connection to a pump or exhanster by which a vacuum or partial
vacuum may be created therein. Communicating with the interior of this ladle
chamber or vessel is another receptacle the passage between the two being closed
by. a valve or plug capable of being raised or lowered by a lever or attachment
extending to a position outside so as to be readily operated.
The valve or plug
being closed and a vacuum or partial vacuum being formed in the ladle chamber
or vessel the molten material is poured into the receiver from which it is gradually
allowed to pass into the vacuum ladle chamber or vessel by easing the valve or
plug the molten metal falling into the vacuum in a thin stream and thus not being
subject to pressure on any side will allow of the escape from the molten material
of the gases which were occluded or enclosed therein.
The molten material

page_text: preferably strikes against a projection or disperser to facilitate the spraying and
dispersion of the metal and facilitate the freeing of the gases. By this passing
through and spraying or dispersion of the metal in the vacuum or partial vacuum
the gases are readily extracted or separated and drawn off which drawing off may
be effected by the pump or exhauster which maintains the vacuum or partial
vacuum.
The vessel in which the vacuum or partial vacuum is formed may be of an
inverted syphon like form at bottom so that the metal as it accumulates passes off
by the turned up or syphon like.end.
In a modification of the apparatus suited for treating molten substances of a
comparatively low specific gravity the receiver containing the molten substance is
placed at the side of or beneath the vessel in which the vacuum or partial vacuumn
is created and the said receiver and vessel are connected by a pipe or passage up
and over which the molten material passes to the vacuum vessel being drawn
thereinto by the vacuum or partial vacuum therein.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Russel Aitken in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th September
1882.
RUSSEL AITKEN of Great George Street in the City of Westminster
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OR SEPARATION OF GASES FROM MOLTEN METALS, GLASS,
SLAGS AND THE LIKE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE SAID EXTRACTION
OR SEPARATION
23
My said Invention relates to the extraction of Gases from Molton iron steel and
other metals and also from molten Glass, slags, basalt and other materials and has
for its object to effect the said extraction or separation in a much more effective
and complete manner than has hitherto been proposed thereby improving the
quality of the materials so treated.
According to my said Invention I cause the metal, Glass slag or other material
in a molten state to enter into and pass into a stream or streams or spray into or
through a chamber or space in which a vacuum or partial vacuum is maintained
so that the molten material may be in the condition most favorable for parting
with the gases occluded in them. This may be effected in many different ways
for example it may be effected in the following apparatus.-A ladle chamber or
vessel is closed in air tight and is provided with a connection to an air pump or to
an exhauster of any suitable construction by which a vacuum or a partial vacuum
may be created therein communicating with the interior of this ladle chamber or
vessel is another receptacle the passage between the two being closed by a valve or
plug capable of being raised or lowered by a lever or other attachment extending
to a position outside so as to be readily operated.-The valve or plug being closed
and a vacuum or partial vacuum being forined in the first mentioned ladle chamber
or vessel the molten material is poured into the second mentioned receptacle from
which it is gradually allowed to pass into the vacuum or partial vacuum in. the
first mentioned ladle chamber or vessel by opening the valve or plug the molten
material falling or passing into the said vacuum or partial vacuum in a thin stream
or in thin streams or in a spray and thus owing to its not being subjected to
pressure on any side it will be in the most favourable condition to allow of the
escape from the molten material of the Gases which were occluded or enclosed
therein. The molten material passing into the vacuum or partial vacuum may be
made to strike against a projection or disperser so as to break up the said material
further to facilitate the freeing of the Gases.-By thus passing the molten material
into and through the vacuum or partial vacuum the gases are readily extracted
separated and drawn off which drawing off may be most conveniently effected by
the air pump or other exhauster which maintains the vacuum or partial vacuum.
After the molten material has been so treated it may be left to cool in the ladle
chamber or vessel or it may be drawn off by means of a tap hole in the bottom of
the ladle chamber or vessel and poured into moulds or the cover may be removed
and the ladle chamber or vessel used as a ladle in the usual manner.
The vacuum ladle chamber or vessel for treating the molten material may be
placed above or at the side of the receptacle containing the molten material to be
treated and when the connection between the vacuum or partial vacuum chamber
is effected by a pipe or otherwise the molten material passes into the vacuum
vessel being driven there into by the pressure of the atmosphere.
In some cases I may place the vacuum chamber immediately over the receptacle
containing the molten material to be treated in which case the connecting pipe
may open from the bottom of the vacuum chamber into the molten material to be

page_text: treated and extend so that on a vacuum or partial vacuum being created the said
material will be forced by atmospheric pressure into the vacuum chamber to there
part with the occluded gases or some of them and when thereafter air is admitted
into the vacuum chamber the molten material will run back into the receptacle
from which it had been forced. This process may rapidly be repeated any
requisite number of times until the required freedom from gas in the material under
treatment is attained.
If any form of apparatus should be used which may cause explosion from the
atmospheric air left in the partial vacuum not being sufficiently reduced in quantity
when the molten material is introduced or when the remaining atmospheric air is
not so situated as to be able to burn or combine slowly with the gases drawn
from the molten material under treatment in such cases I introduce nitrogen or
other gas and exhaust that gas also and so reduce the proportion of oxygen in the
partial vacuum to a non explosive amount. If it should be found that the
introduction of any substance into or the passing of any Gas or Gases through the
partial vacuum chambers improves the quality of the materials being treated I may
introduce such substances or gases.
And in order that my Invention may be properly understood I will now proceed
to describe with reference to the accompanying sheet of diagrams some forms or
arrangements of apparatus suited for carrying my said Invention into effect.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section an apparatus for this purpose & represents
a ladle chamber or vessel closed so as to be air tight by a cover b having formed or
carried thereon a receptacle c into which the molten material to be treated is
poured. Opening into the said vessel a is a pipe or passage & leading to an air
pump or other exhauster by means of which a vacuum or partial vacuum is created
in the said vessel a-The opening e³ forming the communication between the said
vessel a and the receptacle c is closed by a valve e which can be opened by a
lever The valve e being closed and the air pump or exhauster being set to
work a vacuum or partial vacuum is created in the vessel a and the molten
material is run into the receptacle c-When a sufficient vacuum is established the
valve e is raised and the material passes in a stream or streams into and through
the said vacuum or partial vacuum-A disperser f may be provided to break up
the material into a spray to facilitate the separation of the occluded gases. The
action of the air pump or exhauster being maintained, the gases escaping from the
material are drawn from the chamber a and may be condensed or treated in any
desired or customary manner. The molten material thus freed wholly or partially
from occluded gases may be taken out of the vessel a in a solid state after cooling
by removing the cover b or the molten material may be drawn off by a special
outlet g provided for the purpose or in any other convenient way.
Figure 2 represents a vertical section of an apparatus shewing a method by
which the large ladle chamber or vessel may be dispensed with and the molten
material be made to pass into and through a vacuum or partial vacuum in a
chamber a² from which the material after treatment continually passes off the head
of treated material being sufficient to secure the vacuum or partial vacuum. The
receptacle cat top communicates by a passage which may be closed by a valve
as shewn. The opening at bottom for the continuous escape of the treated
material will at first also require to be closed by a plug g²; d is the passage leading
to the air pump or exhauster and f is the disperser. The passages c³ and g being
closed and the air pump or exhauster being worked, a vacuum or partial vacuum
is created in the vessel a² and the valve c is then raised when the molten material
flows by the passage e³ from the receptacle c into the vessel a² and when a sufficient
head is attained the plug g² is forced out by the weight of the molten material and
the material flows out by the passage g. Thus so long as a supply of untreated
material is passed into the receptacle c a continuous flow of treated molten material.
will be maintained from the passage g
Figure 3 represents a form of apparatus generally resembling that shewn in:
Figure 2 but adapted for treating molten materials which can be caused to pass

page_text: into the vessel a² by reason of the vacuum or partial vacuum therein. The pipe or
passage h leads from the melting furnace vessel (or other place where the material
to be treated is contained) to the vessel a². The vacuum or partial vacuum
created in the vessel a² causes the material to pass into this vessel a² in a thin
stream or streams favorable to the separation or escape of the gases as before
described.
The parts shewn in this Figure which correspond with those shewn in Figure 2
are marked with the same letters of reference.
By the term "molten" I mean the liquid or semiliquid state into which metals
and other materials which are solid at the ordinary teinperature of the atmosphere
have been reduced by the application of heat.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and some of the various
forms of apparatus suited for carrying the same into effect I would observe in
conclusion that I do not limit myself to the use of the forms of apparatus shewn
but what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is:
Effecting the extraction or separation of gases from molten metals or other
molten materials by passing the said molten materials in a stream or streams or
spray or equivalent divided condition into or through a space, ladle chamber or
vessel in which a vacuum or partial vacuum is created and maintained substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
illustrative diagrams; also the apparatus employed in such treatment as aforesaid.
In witness whereof I the said Russel Aitken have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal the twenty sixth day of September One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
RUSSEL AITKEN. (L.S.)