A MATERIAL OR SAND FOR THE FORMATION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING IRON, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gjers, of Middlesbrough, in the North Riding
of the County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "A MATERIAL OR
SAND FOR THE FORMATION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING IRON, AND FOR OTHER LIKE
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 15th August 1862, and dated the 4th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gjers at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th March
1862.
I, JOHN GJERS, of Middlesbrough, in the North Riding of the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A MATERIAL OR SAND FOR THE FORMATION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING IRON, AND FOR
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
In making pig iron, as at present commonly practised, the melted metal is
run from the blast furnace into moulds formed of natural sand. Instead of
this natural sand, I employ for such moulds as above named, and for other
similar purposes, an artificially prepared material or sand, or a mixture of
such artificially prepared material or sand with natural sand.
The artificial material or sand I employ consists of slag from blast, puddling,
ball, mill, or other furnaces, brought to a suitably minute state of division by
crushing it when cold in suitable mills, or by any other convenient means.

page_text: But the method I prefer to employ is by causing the slag in a melted state to
pass in a small stream into a quantity of water, wherein its sudden cooling
causes it to become divided into small particles, somewhat resembling natural
sand, as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gjers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GJERS, of Middlesbrough, in the North Riding of the County of York,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Gjers, Her special licence that I, the said John Gjers, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Gjers, 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 "A MATERIAL OR SAND FOR THE
FORMATION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING IRON, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gjers, 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 John Gjers, 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, that is to say:-
In making pig iron as at present commonly practised, the melted. metal 'is
run from the blast furnace into moulds formed of natural sand. Instead of
this natural sand I employ for such moulds as above named, and for other

page_text: similar purposes, an artificially prepared material or sand, or a mixture of
such artificially prepared material or sand with natural sand:
The artificial material or sand I employ consists of slag from blast, puddling,
ball, mill, or other furnaces, brought to a suitably minute state of division by
crushing it when cold in suitable mills, or by any other convenient means.
But the method I prefer to employ is by causing the slag in a melted state to
pass in a small stream into a quantity of water, wherein its sudden cooling
causes it to become divided into small particles, somewhat resembling natural
sand, as required.
The particles obtained by this process of running the slag into water are
deprived of such sulphur as may happen to be in the slag, and are so porous
in character as to be capable of being still further easily reduced by being
passed between rollers, or by any other suitable mechanical means.
It is obvious that edge runners, stampers, rollers, various arrangements of
rolling balls, and other apparatus now in use for crushing ores and other
purposes, may be employed for crushing or reducing the slag to the required
state of fineness or division, and I do not therefore confine myself to any
particular method or methods for arriving at that end.
As a material for forming "pig beds" or moulds for the casting of iron in
the form of pigs or otherwise, this artificial sand is for several reasons superior
to ordinary natural silicious sand as commonly used. The "pigs" come out
cleaner, and show what is technically termed "kish" on the outside, and the
silicious coating left by ordinary sand (and which requires a certain amount of
limestone to flux it in the cupola) being avoided and a smaller amount of slag,
which is in itself a flux, substituted, sufficient limestone to flux the ashes of
the fuel only is required in the cupola. And further in the process of puddling
this artificial sand avoids the waste of iron due to the presence of the greater
amount of silica existing in pigs run in ordinary sand, while at the same time
the lime and alumina are to the extent of the quantity contained in the
artificial sand that adheres to the pigs favorable to the removable of the
sulphur and phosphorous contained in the pig iron.
It is also evident that the artificial sand described, reduced to any required
degree of fineness, may be employed either alone or mixed with natural sand.
in the formation of moulds for casting any required forms or objects either in
iron or other metal.
Hence I do not limit the use of my Invention to the formation of moulds
for any particular class of objects; but I claim the use or employment of
furnace slag, reduced to the required state of fineness or division (either alone

page_text: or mixed with natural sand) in the formation of moulds for casting iron or
other metals.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gjers, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness to the signature of
John Gjers,
ROBERT LLOYD, Iron Master,
Middlesbro'-on-Tees.
JOHN GJERS. (L.S.)