USRE4153E - Louis la breche-viger - Google Patents

Description

dulled finder;

@ stout (Militia.

LOUIS LA BRECHE-VIGER, 0F MONTREAL, CANADA, ASSlGllOR TO WILLIAM W. AVERELL, 0F BATH, N. Y.

Lotto" Potent M15358, dated September 28, 1863; reissue No. 3,635, dated February 15, 1870.; reissue No. 4,153, da'ted llctober 11, 1870.

IHPROVEMENT iN l'HE MANUFACTURE OF CAST-STEEL- The Schedule referred to Ln the hotter! Potent nnd mnking port of m. lame.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LooIs Ln. Bnuonn vronn, of Montreal, in the Province of Qucbco, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented a new Mode of Linking Cast-stool at our, operation, of a homogeneouschamctcr, and or any desircd quality, by the use of the admixture in predetermined and definite propou tions:

First, of pulverized piumbsgo, anthracite, or bituminous coal or coke, compressed. into suitable forms, or used in the loose state, with pulverized iron ores, or oxide of iron, and also with what is called magnetic-iron sand-ore, with wroughtr iron, iron scraps, iron shavings, iron chips, and with what is styled iron or steel-sponge, either in clay or other non-fusible pots or crucibles, or in a rcvcrberntory or other suitable furnace.

-"-Secoml, of powders!)--oharmsl,-mmpiwssed into suitable form with the above-mentioned ores or oxide of iron, iron-sand ore, wrought iron, scraps, shuv lugs, chips, and sponge, in clay crucibles or other non-fusible pols; andulso of the same admixture,

Whether it be compressed or used in the loose state, in a. mverberatory or other suitable furnace.

The following is a description of the process:

I.--T0 dewrmiiw' the exact proportion of the carbon in (my one of the above admixtures.

The manufacturer must have accurate analyses of the ores, ironsand ore, and of the carbonaceous matter to be used, by which lhcquautitics of iron and oxygen present, and tho amount; and character of the impurities ol the ore, amount of carbon and impurities of rho carhousom ous matter are made known.

Then, by applying-the wei1-knowu proportions which exist between the chemical equivalents of iron, oxygen, and carbon,. to the given weights of iron audoxygen present in tho ore or oxide of iron, the quantity, by weight, of carbon, required for reduction, will be known; to which will have to be added that required to oarburizc the resulting iron to any dcslrcd degree.

.I I .--Required conditions.

as well as tho reliable.

separated as for as practicable,

the mroouaccous matters used, they must'bodosulphurizod as nearly as possible by careful washing and subsequent heating.

III.-Dcfinite admixture.

To any given quantity of pulverized 01c in which the quantity of oxide of iron is known add a, sufficicut quantity, by weight, of pulverized carbon, to climinutc the oxygen, together with the quantity of carbon required to curburize tho resulting iron to the required degree. 7

' To the mixture may be added oxide of manganese, the amount of which, ior any desired quality of steel, may be easily determined by observing .iud comparing a few results.

Lin-lo, or floats of lime, may be added, in equii-- proportion, to tho silioious matters present in the; ore. ,..V The fluato-of limo is bcliovod also to excrt'a. bone-zficiul influence whore injurious-clients of sulphurin the carbonaceous matter, or of phosphorus in tho: ores, are apprehended. v

Alter weighing the material's tboy should be thoroughly, intimately, and uniformly mixed.

I V.-Compression.

The ohjcct and advantages of compression arer First, the particles of oxide of iron and carbon are brought ni-nrly'to contact, and more convenient for reduction and carburizution.

Second, more matter can be charged at one opera tion, particularly in crucibles, rendering thereby profitablc on operation which could not otherwise be Third, lhe conduction of heat through the admim turn is increased and fiicilitated, whereby time is saved in reduction and fusion.

Fourth, when compressed, the blocks may easily be coated to preserve crucibles and furnace-Martha, which cannot so readily be accomplished when the admixture is in n. loose state.

To compress the admixture into blocks or bricks of any convenient size, from one. to eight per centum of tho weight of oxide of iron used, of, wood-tar, mayhe added to the admixture, to cement it, careful account being taken of the amount of carbon contained in the tar in the determination of proportions. This percentage of wood-tzir will be diminished as the degree of compression is increased.

lor small operations, tlic compression may be effected by manual lnbor for extensive manufacture, by machinery, that of impact being best, one machine being, capable of compressing twenty tons per dny,

, After compression, tho blocks should be stacked up and allowed to dry. The drying may be accelerated by storing them in a room or oven previously heated.

l .Oouting.

First, if it be intended to use the admixture in a loose state, either in a crucible or in a furnace, from one to five per centum of pulverized plumbago should first be thoroughly mixed with the ore or oxide of iron, so that each particle may rceive a coating of carbon; after which, any of the above-mentioned carbons maybe added, and the admixture completed,

as before described.

Second, if the compressed admixture be used, aiter the blocks are dried, they should-receive a light coating of dry plumbago; or plumbago made into a thin paste with water. The amount of'plunibago thus used as coating in either case should bc't-aken into account as forming a part of the proportion of carbon required to deoxidize the ore and carburize the metal to the extent required.

l"I.--Object of the coating.

The oxide of iron, strongly heated, in contact with silicious matters, readily combines with the silica,

and thereby destroys any crucible or fin'nace-hearth exposed to its action.

By coating each particle of finely-pulverized ore with that amount of carbon suiiicieut to effect its reduction, this aiiinity of the iron-ore for silica is neutralized, and silicious crucibles or liirnaco-heart-hs may then be used.

TIL-To rise the admixture in crucibles.

In a-loose state, the admixture in which charcoal is the carbon, should never be used in crucibles, The volume of tbocharcoal would render the product too ineousiderable for profitable manufacture;

but when it is so used, or when the admixture, as tocarbon, is pluuibago, anthracite, or bituminous coal, or coke, used in the same way, the crucible is filled, covered, and heated until fusion takes place, when the steel is cast into ingots; but, particularly, in crucibles, it is preferable to use all the above-named admixtures in a compressed stat-c, fitting the crucible.

VIII-' -TO use the admixture in a fliracce.

Crucible operations are of little consequence com pared to those in a furnace. v

For this process any heating, puddling, or gas-furnaco of any kindmay be used, and particularly the Siemens furnace.

, The bottom or hearth of'the furnace should be carefully made of silicions sand, closely packed and slightly hollowedor dished on-its surface, with a gentie slope toward the tapping-hole.

When the hearth has been glazed by a suflicieut heat, the admixture, loose or in bricks, is charged' If loose, the upper surface is leveled; if compressed, \vhich'is far preferable, the bricks cover the bottom closely, like a pavement.

IX.0over-iny. In either condition, loose or compressed, the 'admixture, as soon as charged, is covered with a quan tity of broken glass'or blast-furnace or other furnacccinder, or glass-making materials, so as to make, when melted, a perfect covering of not less than one inch in depth.

The object of the covering is to prevent the reoxidation or the metal when the flame is an oxidiziug one, and its OVtf'CitI'bllIlZfltiOll when the flame is carburizing.

When a neutral flame can be created no covering will be required.

X. Melting. After the covering is placed the furnace is closed the operation.

During reduction, an ebullition'ol' escaping gas is observed in-thc molten covering. \Vhen reduction is finished this boiling ceases. It may be ascertained by feeling with a small iron rod when the cast stcel is completely fused.

It is then tapped out and cast into ingots, care sand with the metal in the molds.

XI.--Practical proportions.

An excellent cast-steel has been produced in a furnace by the use of an admixture of the following proportions, viz: v

One hundred pounds iron ore, nearly pure, nineteen to twenty pounds selected anthracite coal, eight pounds of wood-tar,four pounds of oxide manof one-eighth pound of plumbago.

The time required for reduction and fusion in a paddling-furnace is from four to six hours, depending upon the steadiness and intensity of the heat applied.

I do not claim the use of powdered.charcoal as a reducing and carburizing agent in principle.

What I claim as peculiarly thy-invention is H 1. The admixture, in predetermined and definite proportions, of pulverized piumbago, compressed or not, with pulverized iron ores, oxide of iron, earhonatc of iron, iron-sand, or iron, to make cast-steel of any desired quality in oueoperation.

2. The admixture, in predetermined anddeiiuit-e proportions, of pulverized anthracite or coal, coked, orin the natural state, compressed or not, with pulverized iron ores, oxide or'c arbonate of iron, iron-sand, or iron, toinake cast steel of any de-" sired quality in one operation. Y

proportions, of pulverized plumbago, pulverized arr-- thracite or bituminous coal, pulverized coke, comcarbonate of iron,- iron-saud, wrought-iron, iron scraps, shavings, chips, and sponge, ina crucible, orin a reverberatory furnace, or reheating or paddling Siemens furnace, or in any furnace heated by gas, to make cast-steel of any desired quality in one op-' oration; the said mi ture, if used in a furnace, to be covered, or not, with has of glass or blast-furnace or other furnace-finders, or with glass-making materials, or with slabs of soapstone, or with tiles or fire-bricks; or ii the ore or carbon used contains earthy matters the slags scoria: which they will i'ur-, nish may render other covering unnecessary. In a furnace-heated by gas, if a neutral flame, neither oxidizing nor czn'lmrizing can beproduced, no covering is required.

proportions, of powdered charcoal, compressed with. pulverized iron ores, -oxldc or carbonate of-iron, iron sand, and wrought-iron, or metallic iron of any description in a crucible, to make cast-steel of any desired quality in one operation.

5. The admixture, in predetermined and definite not, with iron ores, oxides or carbonates of iron,

in any of the furnaces, and with or without the covering mentioned in No. 3o! this claim, to make tiou. 6. The above admixtures, in the following proand heated, only one man being required to attend .being taken to prevent any accidental admixture of gancse, one pound of fluate of lime, with a coating bituminous 3, The admixture, in predetermined and delinito' pressed or not, with pulverized iron ores, oxide or or air-furnace, or in what is called and known as a 4. The admixture, in predetermined.amLdefinlte I proportions, of pulverized charcoal, compressed or iron-sand, or with metalliclron of any description,

cast-steel, of any desired quality, in one operaport/inns, viz: 51mm m" cf one 1101' emit. to thirtypsar cem and gum 'ihi11l"-fi\0 per cent. of mid carbons, in Weight, of: the are as d, or of the ax'ide of iron, 21* cawonat" 0.? iron, cw-r imn, {weal-(L ing t0 the puzit-y 0f the k x31 uzu'bnnatw of iron,

compressed state, with a coating of plumbago or other carbonaceous matter, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set: forth in flue foregoing specification.

and of ca-rbnn mso to we Ci'imesses: quahty of the u L" 'la'onms A. FORAE,

T. 3% aum'gz mm. e'sthszr in a lnuswm 1 Inaorom; LA-FLABHWE