IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONVERSION OF CAST IRON INTO A METAL HAVING A STEELIFIED NATURE OR FORGEABLE STEEL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Pierre Etienne Roche, of 2, Rue Sainte
Appoline, Paris, (Empire of France,) Mechanician for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONVERSION OF CAST IRON INTO A METAL
HAVING A STEELIFIED NATURE OR FORGEABLE STEEL."
Sealed the 7th January 1870, and dated the 13th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Pierre Etienne
Roche at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th July 1869.
}
I, CHARLES PIERRE ETIENNE ROCHE, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline,
Paris (Empire of France), Mechanician do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONVERSION OF CAST IRON
NTO A METAL HAVING A STEELIFIED NATURE OR FORGEABLE STEEL" to be as
follows:-
This Invention essentially consists in the employment of certain
nineral ores found at the Island of Bourbon or Reunion, and which in
heir purest state contain oxygen, titanium, chrome, manganese, and all
oncurrent. metallic acids in combination with cast iron containing
Price 8d.]

page_text: scoria, carbon, graphite, whereby a metal of a steelified nature or
forgeable steel is obtained and substantially as hereafter described
The metal bath into which the ore is introduced is stirred or kept
a state of agitation during the process, so that the molecules in fusioff
may become incorporated, and by this action in the bath the excess of
scoria, carbon, and graphite are put into a state of combustion and
expelled therefrom. I introduce the ore into the furnace by insuflation
of air forced by fans or other blowing apparatus generally employed for
such purpose. I place at a point of the air passage, as near the furnaces
as possible without interfering with the operation, a distributor or hopper
containing or loaded with ore; this distributor receives the pressure of
the air at its upper part at the top of the ore, it is fixed on the air pipe
at its lower end. In operating the valves with which it is provided
the ore is placed between two equal pressures, and the latter, acting by
its specific weight, runs through the lower valve, drawn by the air at
one or two atmospheres, and which is produced from a fan or other ai
producing machine. In other words the ore is introduced into the
furnace through insufflation by means of compressed air coming from
a fan at the will of the operator, and according to the influence he
wishes to exert on the duration of the operation and on the degree of
decarbonisation to be produced in the material treated..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Pierre Etienne Roche in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th January 1870.
1
CHARLES 2
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME
PIERRE ETIENNE ROCHE, of 2, Rue Ste. Appoline, Paris Empire of
France, Mechanician, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
today Her
eyear
Thirty 3
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and ass, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Pierie Etienne Rog
licence that I, the said Charles Pierre Etienne Recheny
administrators, and assigns, or such. others as
special
cutors,
Charles
Pierre Etienne Roche, my executors, adminstrators and should 3

page_text: 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
5 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONVERSION OF CAST IRON INTO A METAL
HAVING A STEELIFIED NATURE OR FORGEABLE STEEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Pierre Etienne Roche, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
10 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.
!.
3.1.
O NOW KNOW YE that. I, the said Charles Pierre Etienne Roche, do
15 hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing, and the letters of reference marked thereon,
that is to say:-
13г...
20. This Invention essentially consists in the employment of certain
mineral ores found at the Island of Bourbon or Reunion, and which in
their purest state contain oxygen, titanium, chrome, magnanese, and
all concurrent metallic acids in combination with cast iron containing
scoria, carbon, graphite, whereby a metal of a steelified nature or
5-forgeable steel, is obtained and substantially as hereafter described.
The metal bath into which the ore is introduced is stirred or kept
-state of agitation during the process, so that the molecules in
fusion may become incorporated, and by this action in the bath the
excess of scoriæ, carbon, and graphite are put into a state of combustion
and expelled therefrom. I introduce the ore into the furnace by in-
sultation of air forced by fans or other blowing apparatus generally
Employed for such purpose.. I place at a point of the air passage as
near the furnaces as possible without interfering with the operation
distributor or hopper containing or loaded with ore; this distributor
receives the pressure of the air at its upper part at the top of the ore,
its fixed-on the air pipe at its lower end. In operating the cocks
so alves with which it is provided the ore is placed between two equal
and the latter, acting by its specific weight, runs through

page_text: the lower valve, drawn by the air at one or two atmospheres, and
which is produced from a fan or other blast-producing machine. In
other words the ore is introduced into the furnace through insufllation
by means of compressed air coming from a fan at the will of the operator,
and according to the influence he wishes to exert on the duration of
the operation and on the degree of decarbonisation to be produced in
the material treated..
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section
thro' the distributor containing the powdered ore, and so arranged
that the same may be drawn off by the current of air from the blowing
apparatus a; b is the blast pipe leading from the blowing apparatus
to the converting apparatus; c, c, arrows shewing the direction of the
blast; h is a cock for admitting air pressure on the ore through the
pipe during the work; j is a cock for regulating the quantity of
ore that is to be drawn into the converter by the current of air; k is
a small rotative mechanism worked from outside for insuring the
fall of the ore, its specific gravity being 3.10. A small gauge hole,
stoppered when at work, is shewn at m; this is for regulating the
level of the ore to n when filling the hopper from the shoot p, the
cock y then being open for recharging the hopper when the appa-
ratus is in a state of rest. On shutting the cock y and plugging up
the hole m the apparatus is ready for work. The quantity of ore in
this hopper (by preference made of sheet iron) is 170 litres, which
multiplied by the specific gravity 3'10, equals about 525 kilos, sufficient
for the treatment of ten thousand kilos of iron, or about five per cent.,
or five thousand kilos, if ten per cent. are judged necessary.
I have sometimes found it well to use a hopper containing pure
powdered charcoal; it may be made very similar to the one described;
it serves to add carbon to the metal if the point of carbonisation
should have been exceeded.
This novel apparatus composed of two hoppers is shewn at Fig. 2,
the same letters indicating corresponding parts in the two, only that
the letters in the charcoal hopper are primed. The arrangements of
cocks admits of letting more or less magnetic or titanic ore or more or
less carbon into the métal as required for the different qualities and
operations of the metal.
More simple means may also be employed; one may, for instance,
sprinkle by band from 7 to 10 per cent. of the ore in the molten metal

page_text: in the moment it has ceased to plow, which facilitates the 'puddling and
can produce, even with the worst brands, a fibrous metal that successfully
will stand squeezing, rolling, and stretching.
The following method may also be employed:-Form a kind of
hollow pig, a cast-iron vessel, and enclose therein ore from the Island
of Reunion, or of a similar nature; then mix these vessels with the
cast iron in the converter, which may be a puddling furnace, a rever
beratory furnace, or a cupola. These hollow vessels are shewn in
Figs. 3 to 8.
Fig. 3 is an end view, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a
vessel p; one end is closed, and has there only got a small hole for
the rod, having the core on it when in the casting mould to pass
through. The other end is cast open, and has three inside.lugs p
corresponding to three notches 7. in the lid r, which is put in its place
after having filled the vessel p with titanic or magnetic ore and plugged
the hole g with fire-clay. The cover is got into the position shewn in
Fig. 4 by giving it a fourth of a turn, and the bottom of the vessel
being then plugged it is tight. These vessels may also be made as
shewn in section by Fig. 6, having similar openings at each end; one
end is first plugged with fire-clay, then the vessel is filled with ore,
and then the other end is plugged. Figs. 7 & 8 shew a vessel with
a hole at one end only, which is plugged after the vessel has been
filled with ore.
It is evident that the shape and dimensions of these
vessels may vary to suit the operations for which they are used. These
vessels are placed in the puddling furnace, after first having been
heated to red heat at the back of furnace along with the cast iron
when three-fourths of the charge is melted, and while the last fourth
is about to melt. This mode ensures a regular dosing operation,
retaining all the steely elements of the ores, and prepares its conversion
while the cast-iron shell melts.
In the reverberatory furnaces heated by oil the vessels are placed
midway in height of the charge of 4 to 5,000 kilos of iron; they thus
form a bed for receiving all the liquid iron of the greatest part of the
charge, so as to prepare the reduction of the ore for the moment of the
final flow of the iron mass.
In the cupola furnace the magnetic ore enclosed in the vessels receivēs
partial reduction on the subsequent stage where the temperature is

page_text: highest, the reduction is completed,, and the titanic wolfram and man
ganese ore is absorbed by the molten iron. Although these vessels
should tumble in a heap with and in amongst the ordinary pigs it is best
to charge in such a way that a bed of liquid metal is obtained on the
bed of the cupola before the first charge of ore vessels or hollow pigs.
Besides the special application, which I shall state, it is clear that, the
magnetic and titanic ore of the Island of Reunion, or other similar
mineral, whatever its origin, may be employed for the improvements of
iron, so as to produce excellent sheet iron.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, what I claim
as such is, the employment of ores. (notably those from the Island of
Reunion) which are in a corned or powdered state, and all other similar
ones, whatever may be their conditions or origin, for introduction into
cast iron, submitted to decarbonisation in converters of all sorts and
dimensions with the employment of such processes for that object, as
described, namely, the sprinkling of the ore by hand, the introduction
of the ore by an automatic apparatus, also the introduction of carbon
in a similar way in cases where it may be necessary, the use of the said
minerals and other matters and substances by means of the hollow
vessels described, or other similar means for the object claimed..
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Pierre Etienne Roche,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight. hundred and seventy.