IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL." A communication from abroad by
Lorenzo Sibert, of Mount Solon, Daniel Charles Elliott Brady, of
Buffalo Forge, and John Daniel Imboden and Seth Maxwell
Barton, both of Richmond, all in the State of Virginia, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th August 1868.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new and improved method of treating
iron ores while in process of reduction in a blast furnace, and of treating

page_text: steel or a superior quanty of iron having in some degree the properties
of steel. It also relates to a method of treating the molten metal
after it has left the blast or melting furnace, but while it is retained
in a molten state, for the purpose of effecting a more complete
purification.
The first part of the Invention relating to the treatment of the ore
or iron in the reducing or melting furnace consists in the use of a flux
composed of manganese and common salt (chloride of sodium) with
limestone or shells, such flux being introduced into the furnace to or
with the ore or iron, and acting upon the ore or iron during and after
its fusion and while subjected to the action of the blast to decarbonize
it and to cause the expulsion and carrying off of silicon, sulphur,
phosphorus, and other impurities, and bring the iron to such a state
that on its being simply cast into moulds it will have the character
of cast steel, and may when cast in moulds of suitable form be used
for various purposes, without further manipulation, or may when cast
in ingot moulds be subjected to the operations of hammering and
rolling to reduce it to the form of bars of any required shape for the
manufacture of tools or other articles requiring hardness and temper.
The method of introducing the flux to the furnace may be the same
as that of introducing any other flux, but in order to prevent the salt
from sinking too rapidly through the furnace it is proposed generally
to reduce it by water to a saturated solution, and to throw or sprinkle
this solution upon the ore or pig or cast iron and allow or cause its
water to evaporate before introducing the ore or metal to the furnace.
The fuel and ore or metal may then be introduced to the furnace in
the usual manner, and the requisite quantities of manganese and lime-
stone or shells introduced above each charge of ore, and the operation
of reducing or melting be proceeded with in the usual manner. The
quantity of the flux employed may be varied according to the quality
of the ore or iron to be treated. In aid of the manganese, and to some
extent as a substitute for it, there may be used iron ores of qualities
containing large proportions of oxygen, and by such use of such ores or
of crude metal more or less highly carbonized the fused. mass may
be operated upon to regulate and grade the quality of the metal produced.
. When the steel or refined iron thus produced is to be made by ham-
mering or rolling, or both, into bars of suitable shape for the manufacture

page_text: of tools or other articles it may be run from the reducing or melting.
furnace into heated ingot moulds of cast iron and then covered with
powdered manganese, and the moulds set in a heating furnace and kept.
at a uniform high heat, but not in a molten state for several hours or
until the metal has parted with a portion of its carbon which is taken›
up by the oxygen in the manganese, and has become of a more steel-
like character. The metal having been thus kept at a uniform high
temperature for a long time is cooled slowly in the furnace, and in
the process of crystallization under these conditions the molecules
arrange themselves in such relation that the metal after hammering
and rolling possesses the flexibility and tenacity of cast steel.
When it is desired to give the metal a higher quality resembling
that of the better qualities of cast steel instead of running it from the
reducing or melting furnace into ingot moulds as herein-before described
it is run into crucibles which are placed in a heating furnace, wherein
it is kept in a molten state for several hours before casting into bars,
or ingots, or other forms, and about from twenty to thirty minutes before
casting there is introduced and stirred into it sulphate of magnesia
in the proportion of about one part by weight to every one thousand
parts of the metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 IRON AND STEEL," being a
communication to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 (that is to say) :-
-
This Invention relates to a new and improved method of treating
iron ores while in process of reduction in a blast furnace, and of
treating cast iron in a cupola or other melting furnace for the pro-
duction of steel or a superior quality of iron having in some degree
the properties of steel. It also relates to a method of treating the
molten metal after it has left the blast or melting furnace, but while
it is retained in a molten state, for the purpose of effecting a more
complete purification.
The first part of the Invention relating to the treatment of the ore or
iron in the reducing or melting furnace consists in the use of a flux com-
posed of manganese and common salt (chloride of sodium) with limestone
or shells, such flux being introduced into the furnace to or with the ore or
iron, during and after its fusion and while subjected to the action of the
blast to decarbonize it and to cause the expulsion and carrying off of
silicon, sulphur, phosphorus, and other impurities, and bring the iron to
such a state that on its being simply cast into moulds it will have the
character of cast steel, and may when cast in moulds of suitable form
be used for various purposes without further manipulation, or may when
cast in ingot moulds be subjected to the operations of hammering and
rolling to reduce it to the form of bars of any required shape for the
manufacture of tools or other articles requiring hardness and temper.

page_text: The method of introducing the flux to the furnace may be the same as
that of introducing any other flux; but in order to prevent the salt from
sinking too rapidly through the furnace it is proposed generally to
reduce it by water to a saturated solution, and to throw or sprinkle
this solution upon the ore or pig or cast iron and allow or cause its
water to evaporate before introducing the ore or metal to the furnace.
The fuel and ore or metal may then be introduced to the furnace in
the usual manner, and the requisite quantities of manganese and lime-
stone or shells introduced above each charge of ore, and the operation
of reducing or melting be proceeded with in the usual manner. It is
desirable that the furnace or blast apparatus employed in connection
with it be so arranged or provided with suitable appliances that the
blast may be varied at will, and may be continued for a longer or shorter
time after the reduction or fusion has taken place. The quantity of
the flux employed may be varied according to the quality of the ore
or iron to be treated. In the treatment of pig or cast iron the pro-
portions to one hundred parts by weight of iron may be manganese in
the form of black oxide or "wad" twenty parts, salt two and a half
parts, and the quantity of limestone or shells such as is or would be
commonly used. In treating the ore directly the quantity of manganese
used may be in the proportion of five parts by weight to every one
hundred parts of ore, and the salt in about the same proportion to
the manganese as before specified. For a spathose ore containing
manganese the quantity of manganese may be reduced. In aid of the
manganese, and to some extent as a substitute for it, there may be used
iron ores of qualities containing large proportions of oxygen, and by
such use of such ores or of crude metal more or less highly carbonized
the fused mass may be operated upon to regulate and grade the quality
of the metal produced. When the steel or refined iron thus produced is
to be converted by hammering or rolling, or both, into bars of suitable
shape for the manufacture of tools or other articles it may be run from
the reducing or melting furnace into heated ingot moulds of cast iron
and then covered with powdered manganese, and the moulds set in a
heating furnace and kept at a uniform high heat, but not in a molten
state, for several hours or until the metal has parted with a portion of
its carbon which is taken up by the oxygen in the manganese, and has
become of a more steel-like character. The metal having been thus
kept at a uniform high temperature for a long time is cooled slowly in

page_text: the furnace, and in the process of crystallization under these conditions.
the molecules arrange themselves in such relation that the metal after
hammering and rolling posseses the flexibility and tenacity of cast steel.
Railroad rails or any heavy ironwork requiring strength may be made
of this refined and decarbonized metal by taking it in the molten state in
which it leaves the reducing furnace and casting it in proper moulds, and
the quality of the metal in tenacity and flexibility will resemble that.
of steel bars. The faces of rails, may be hardened by placing a cold
wrought-iron bar in the bottom of the mould and casting upon it to
produce a chilled surface, while the body of the iron will be as strong
as wrought iron, thus obtaining at a cost not much greater than that of
pig iron a rail of superior quality.
When it is desired to give the metal a higher quality resembling that
of the better qualities of cast steel instead of running it from the
reducing or melting furnace into ingot moulds as herein-before described
it is run into crucibles which are placed in a heating furnace, wherein
it is kept in a molten state for several hours before casting into bars,
or ingots, or other forms, and about from twenty to thirty minutes
before casting there is introduced and stirred into the metal sulphate
of magnesia in the proportion of about one part by weight to every
one thousand parts of the metal. This treatment, which constitutes
the second part of the Invention, renders the metal extremely fluid
for casting and further cleanses it of phosphorous and silicon. This
purification of molten iron or steel by sulphate of magnesia may be
advantageously used when the iron or steel has not been previously
treated in the reducing or melting furnace in the manner herein-before
described.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of " Improvements
in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel," as communicated to me from
abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,-
First. The treatment of iron ore or pig or other cast iron in a
reducing or melting furnace, in a manner substantially as herein-before
described, with a flux composed of manganese, common salt, and lime-
stone or shells.

page_text: Second. The treatment of molten iron or steel with sulphate of
magnesia, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Third day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.s.)