IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND OF REVOLVING PUDDLING FURNACES OR CONVERTORE AND ADDADALI MO DE EMPLOYED IN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Richardson, John William Richardson,
and Adam Spencer, all of West Hartlepool, in the County of
Durham, Ironmasters, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND OF REVOLVING PUDDLING FURNACES
OR CONVERTORE AND ADDADALI MO DE EMPLOYED IN "
Sealed the 31st January 1873, and dated the 6th August 1872.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Richardson,
John William Richardson, and Adam Spencer at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 6th
August 1872.
We, THOMAS RICHARDSON, JOHN WILLIAM RICHARDSON, and Adam
SPENCER, all of West Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, Ironmasters,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND OF REVOLVING PUDDLING FURNACES OR
CONVERTORS, AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows :—
The Invention embraces certain apparatus and combinations of ap-
paratus, some of which apart from the combination possess no-separate

page_text: dealing with the balls or divided heats, as above mentioned, and when
not divided, then specially large hammer or horizontal duplex hammers
combined with the ordinary vertical one for hammering, or squeezer for
squeezing in one mass the heat as drawn from the revolver.
It will be convenient to mount the stack on pillars of iron or brick-
work to provide space for the travelling ladles and spouts and the
adaptation of the sliding neck. Morcover, the opening at end of
revolver against which the neck fits will be conveniently made of large
size, and as required may be wholly or partially exposed accordingly
as the moveable neck is placed, the neck thus serving the purpose of a
screen.
We sometimes arrange the converting chamber so that two or more
of its sides may be pitched diagonally or obliquely with reference to the
axis of its rotation, so that the charge of iron may have a motion given
to it from bridge to flue, and vice versa, as the convertor revolves, which
causes the iron or steel to be better mixed, and is especially advantageous
in furnaces of the large size, proposed by bringing each portion of the
charge in turn in contact with the hottest flame, thus causing it to come
to nature uniformly as to time and quality, also to ball more uniformly,
and the balls to be more round and compact.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Richardson, John William Richardson,
and Adam Spencer in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 5th
February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WC, THOMAS
RICHARDSON, JOHN WILLIAM RICHARDSON, and ADAM SPENCER, all
of West Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, Ironmasters, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto the said Thomas Richardson, John William Richardson,
and Adam Spencer, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas

page_text: Richardson, John William Richardson, and Adam Spencer, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas
Richardson, John William Richardson, and Adam Spencer, our
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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL, AND OF REVOLVING PUDDLING
FURNACES OR CONVERTORS, AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN,” upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Richardson, John
William Richardson, and Adam Spencer, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters

page_text: The revolver will probably be larger than those hitherto employed,
and for the purpose of charging it as hereafter mentioned, and of
fettling or lining it with molten cinder, we employ troughs or spouts
which we mount on bogies, and fettle or line with oxide of iron free
from silica or other deleterious matter, instead of the hitherto lining of.
The
roughs and spouts with loam and other siliceous substances.
mproved troughs or spouts are to be introduced at ends or sides of

page_text: We sometimes arrange the converting chamber so that two or more
of its sides may be pitched diagonally or obliquely with reference to the
axis of its rotation, so that the charge of iron may have a motion given
to it from bridge to flue, and vice versa, as the convertor revolves, which
causes the iron or steel to be better mixed, and is especially advantageous
in furnaces of the large size, proposed by bringing cach portion of the
charge in turn in contact with the hottest flame, thus causing it to come
to nature uniformly as to time and quality, also to ball more uniformly,
and the balls to be more round and compact.
axis of its rotation, so that the charge of iron may have a motion given
to it from bridge to flue, and vice versa, as the convertor revolves, which
causes the iron or steel to be better mixed, and is especially advantageous
in furnaces of the large size, proposed by bringing cach portion of the
charge in turn in contact with the hottest flame, thus causing it to come
to nature uniformly as to time and quality, also to ball more uniformly,
and the balls to be more round and compact.
The following Drawings (two Sheets) will serve to illustrate the im-
provements and a convenient mode of carrying the same into effect.
The grate may be of the ordinary shape and construction, but in size
proportionate to the capacity of the revolving chamber.
The bridge may be a common water bridge (1), open to the top and
bolted on the end plate (2) of furnace. The bridge neck (3) has a 1
flange or ring upon it for the double purpose of confining the brickwork
immediately above the bridge, and for supporting a loose ring (4), which
serves to form a close joint between the fire grate and the revolving
chamber.
The revolving chamber is a long square box, as in the machine a
described in Specification of Letters Patent, No. 1788 (A.D. 1871), but
longer. In the present machine all the sides are parallel to the axis of
rotation so that each side can be fettled with the molten cinder so as to
have a perfectly level surface and be of an even thickness throughout.
The sides are composed of open trays or girders of cast iron placed a
transversely instead of longitudinally, as described in aforesaid Speci-
fication, No. 1788) in order to resist the torsion when revolving. As in
the former machine it is supported at each end by a cast-iron disc, and
on account of its greater size there is also in the middle of its length a
third disc or ring as an additional support. These three discs which a
carry the chamber revolve on large rollers fixed in a strong frame and
bed plate beneath the machine. At the flue end of the chamber the
movable neck (6) is placed, made of wrought iron, lined with fire-bricks,
which forms the junction with the chimney (7), provided at the lower
end with a cast-iron mouth piece (S) in halves, suitable guides, aud 3
mcaus of lifting.

page_text: The chimney (7) is of the ordinary type, having a wrought-iron
mouth piece (9) on its side, corresponding with that of the sliding neck,
and is supported upon girders (10) and columns (11) made sufficiently
strong, with the intention when desired of placing a boiler to utilise
the waste heat.
"
The fettling is composed of "mill tap'
"
ог mill tap” mixed with
"pottery mine," « purple ore,"
," "roll scale," or any other suitable oxide
of iron cast into the sides, and is built in blocks properly moulded
against the ends, the whole being cemented together by "molten tap "
into one smooth and regular form; this may be called the structural
lining. The repairing is done by means of the wrought-iron spouts (14)
which convey the molten fettling direct from the furnace or ladle to
cither end or sides, as may be required, and occupies about three
minutes.
The difficulty experienced in the expansion of the semicircle of cast
iron, used as described in Specification No. 1788, aforesaid, has been
overcome in the present machinery by making the end discs into two
perfect rings (17 and 18) fitting loosely one within the other, with
sufficient space between them to allow for expansion, the inner ring or
centre piece (18) of each disc being kept in position by bolts passing
through flanges provided for the purpose on both rings; it is also further
strengthened by having strong, hoops of wrought iron (19) contracted
on it.
As it is of similar size and shape to the inside of the chamber it
absorbs the greater part of the heat, and thus relieves the outer ring of
undue strain through expansion. The sides of the revolving chamber
are made up of open trays (20) of cast iron of girder form, with wrought-
iron plates (21) rivetted on them and held in position by bolts passing
through them and through the discs, thus tying the whole together by
wrought iron capable of allowing of any expansion without danger of
breaking.
The movable neck or flue is made to slide somewhat like a wedge
between the aperture of the revolving chamber and the chimney. The
wedge shape is given to it for the purpose of allowing it to recede from
the face of the chamber when lifted and free itself easily from any cinder
which might otherwise clog the joint (16). Weighted levers give it the
requisite pressure when the machine is in motion to keep the joint quite

page_text: tight without the use of wedges, screws, or luting, at the same time
admitting it with the most perfect case to serve the purpose of a door
and screen, and may be opened wholly or partially, as may be necessary,
when the heat is being drawn, but as it is most frequently required in
such cases to be only partially opened it still admits of the licat being
carried to the chimney (7) or boiler if there should be one applied to the
furnace.
For withdrawing the charge, immediately on the neck being lifted a.
frame upon wheels and carrying nicely balanced tongs is advanced to
the doorway and made to grip a ball; the whole is then steadily drawn
back by means of a chain attached to a small hauling engine. This
process is repeated until the chamber is discharged.
The mode of working is as follows:-The charge of iron is melted in a
cupola, and then carried by a ladle or by a spout to the flue end (5) of
the revolving chamber. In the movable neck a small door (15) is
opened, which admits a spout mounted on wheels which reaches over the
joint (16) and dips slightly so as to allow the iron to run freely, and
lessen the height which it has to fall. Immediately the iron begins to
flow the chamber is made to revolve slowly, thus preventing the iron
cating into the bottom and at the same time hastening its conversion.
The charging of a ton of iron occupics about three minutes. When
completed the spout is withdrawn from the neck (6), the small door
The boil
(15) closed, and the revolving of the chamber continued.
begins in about five minutes and continues from 10 to 15 minutes, the
coming to nature, dropping, balling, occupies ten or fifteen minutes
more.
If several balls are required, the operation going on inside the
chamber is observed very carefully through spy holes in the neck, and
when balls of a sufficient size are formed the machine is immediately
stopped. Should the whole heat be wanted in one mass or ball, the
chamber is allowed to continue revolving slowly, and the firing kept
well up for about ten minutes, when it will be found that one compact
and well formed ball is the result.
The withdrawing of the heat is effected by a pair of long tongs
mounted on rollers, attached by a chain to a small hauling engine.
The movable neck is found to be a very compact and simple arrange-
ment, as it may be raised or lowered just as casily as the door of the
ordinary puddling furnace.

page_text: The charging ladle is of the ordinary form hung on a frame which is
carried on a four wheel bogie, and so arranged that the tilting and lifting
goes on simultaneously by the same power, hand or otherwise, the spout
of the ladle being coincident with the pivot upon which it turns.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Richardson, John William
Richardson, and Adam Spencer, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.