IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR MELTING OF CAST STEEL
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Sanderson, of Worksop, in the County of
Nottingham, Steel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OR MELTING OF CAST STEEL."
Sealed the 15th November 1867, and dated the 24th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Sanderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th May 1867.
I, CHARLES SANDERSON, of Worksop, in the County of Nottingham, Steel
5 Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "I-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR MELTING OF CAST STEEL," to be as
follows:-
other kind of steel is
sufficiently heated to
The furnace used is
In the ordinary process of melting steel, bar or
charged into a crucible which has previously been
prevent its cracking when the cold steel is charged.
technically called a melting hole, and this furnace is beated with coke, and the
heat is increased to a point capable of completely fusing the contents of the
crucible. The coke thus consumed varies from 3 to 4 tons per ton of steel
melted, the hardest steel consuming the smaller quantity, which is gradually
increased in proportion as the steel to be melted is softer. When the steel is
perfectly melted the crucible is withdrawn from the furnace, and the steel is
poured into a mould, the crucible is then replaced in the furnace, when the
operation is repeated.
My Invention consists in bringing the steel to a soft or curdy state by
means of heat obtained from coke in combination with combustible gases.

page_text: obtained from the blast furnace, or produced in any special furnace similar to
those used by Siemens or Eckmann, and others, or by means of gas and
heated air alone. The gas obtained is conducted into a suitable furnace along
with a sufficient quantity of heated atmospheric air, the combustion of which
produces considerable heat. Into this furnace a considerable number of
crucibles, say 20, are introduced, and when they are sufficiently heated they
are charged with steel and subjected to the heat of this furnace until the steel.
has been brought into a thick pasty mass. The crucibles are then withdrawn
from this furnace and placed in other and smaller furnaces constructed and
arranged to give out a heat sufficient to completely melt the steel in the
crucibles. Four or more crucibles may be placed in one of these second
furnaces, which are heated with coke combined with a heated current of gas
which is drawn from the generator and atmospheric air.
By the use of furnaces as described, and by utilizing the heat obtained from
the combustion of gas and atmospheric air I am enabled to reduce the steel
first into a pasty or disintegrated mass; and, secondly, to melt it into a
perfectly fluid state, with great economy of fuel and without damaging the
crucibles so much as heretofore.
The combustible gases necessary for carrying out my Invention are obtained
very cheaply from solid fuel, and the air combined therewith is heated by the
waste heat evolved from any furnace, so that by the use of gaseous fuel I
effect a very considerable economy in cost of fuel, and also in labour. I do
not find that a reverberatory furnace is a convenient or suitable construction
of furnace for the preliminary heating of the crucibles; but any convenient
number (20 to 40) are placed in a space made so as to allow the unconsumed
gas and air to pass through and escape. Gas produced as above stated and
obtained by the incomplete combustion of fuel is introduced into this space
along with a sufficient quantity of beated air to ensure its combustion, and in
this heated chamber the crucibles are heated with the steel to the point
required. The gas which is produced apart from this heating space when
it is introduced along with heated air produces an equal degree of heat
throughout the whole space within which the steel and crucibles are placed,
thus they become equally heated in any given time, and when the contents
have become soft and curdy, all having been subjected to the same intensity of
heat are in the same state or nearly so at the same time. They are in this
state removed to a furnace in which this partial melting is to be completed in
furnaces of a higher temperature. As all the crucibles, are equally heated
when removed their contents will all be melted at or about the same time, one
portion will not have to wait for another, thus there will be no loss of coke or

page_text: time, and great economy will be ensured. The wear and tear of the melting
furnaces per ton of steel produced will also be much lessened, as these
furnaces will be continually melting the steel prepared for them. Ordinary
furnaces with 10 holes will melt about 25 tons a month before they are worn
out; I shall be enabled to melt four times that weight in the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Sanderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
SANDERSON, of Worksop, in the County of Nottingham, Steel Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.
the said Charles Sanderson, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Sanderson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Sanderson, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR MELTING OF CAST STEEL," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Sanderson, 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 Charles Sanderson, 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 (that is to say):-
In the ordinary process of melting steel, bar or other kinds of steel or iron
is charged into a crucible which has previously been sufficiently heated to

page_text: prevent its cracking when the cold metal is charged. The furnace used is
technically called a melting hole, and this furnace is heated with coke, and
the beat is increased to a point capable of completely fusing the contents of
the crucible. The coke thus consumed varies from three and a half to four
tons per ton of steel melted, the hardest steel consuming the smaller quantity,
which is gradually increased in proportion as the steel to be melted is softer.
When the steel is perfectly melted the crucible is withdrawn from the furnace
and the s'eel is poured into a mould, the crucible is then replaced in the
furnace, when the operation is repeated.
My Invention consists in bringing the steel to a full red heat, or if required
to a soft or curdy state by means of heat obtained from combustible gases
obtained from the blast furnace, or produced in any special furnace similar to
those used by Siemens or Eckmann, and others. In this first heating no
solid fuel is used, the crucible and its contents are heated by the combustion
of gas with air. The gas obtained is conducted into a suitable chamber
along with a sufficient quantity of heated atmospheric air, the combustion
of which produces considerable heat. Into this chamber a considerable
number of crucibles, say twenty to forty, are introduced, and when they are
sufficiently heated they are charged with iron or steel, and subjected to the
heat of this furnace until the steel has been brought to a high red heat, or if
required to a thick pasty mass. The crucibles are then withdrawn from the
furnace and placed in small furnaces constructed and arranged to give out a
beat sufficient to completely melt the steel in the crucibles. Two, four, or
more crucibles may be placed in one of these second furnaces, which are
heated with coke, or coke combined with a beated current of gas which is
drawn from the generator; heated atmospheric air is also employed in
combination with the other fuel.
By the use of furnaces as described, and by utilizing the heat obtained from
the combustion of gas and atmospheric air, I am enabled to reduce the steel
first to a red heat, or if required to a pasty or disintegrated mass; and,
secondly, to melt it into a perfectly fluid state with great economy of fuel and
without damaging the crucibles so much as heretofore. The combustible
gases necessary for carrying out my Invention are obtained very cheaply from
solid fuel, and the air combined therewith as well as the gas is heated by the
waste heat evolved from any suitable construction of furnace, so that by the
use of gaseous fuel I am enabled to effect a very considerable economy in cost
of fuel, and also in labor. Any convenient number of crucibles, say twenty
to forty, are placed in a space made so as to allow the unconsumed gas and
air to pass through and escape. Gas produced as above stated, and obtained

page_text: by the incomplete combustion of fuel is to be introduced in a heated state into
this space along with a sufficient quantity of heated air to ensure its com
bustion, and in this heated chamber the crucibles are heated with the steel to
the temperature required. The gas which is produced apart from this heating
space when introduced thereto with heated air imparts an equal degree of
heat to the whole space within which the steel and crucibles are placed, and
thus the crucibles are equally heated in any given time. When the contents
have attained a red heat or a soft curdy state, which they will do at or about
the same time, they are removed to a furnace, in which this heating or partial
melting is to be completed by exposure to a bigher temperature. As all the
crucibles are equally heated when removed, their contents will all be melted
at or about the same time, no one portion having to wait for another, thus no
loss of coke or time will occur, and great economy will be ensured. The wear
and tear of the melting furnaces per ton of steel produced will also be much
lessened, as these furnaces will be continually melting the steel prepared for
them.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture
or Melting of Cast Steel," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, the manufacture or melting of cast steel by first submitting the
metal in crucibles to a preliminary heating, so as to bring it into a soft pasty
state by the combustion of heated air and gases in a close space or chamber,
and then completing the melting of the steel in a second furnace in the
manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Sanderson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
PETER WHITE,
66, Andover St.,
Sheffield.
CHARLES SANDERSON. (L.S.)