38 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



Mr. Adams core testimony to the efficiency of the machine ; but he had 

 seen a bloom passed through the rolls from it, and noticed that a con- 

 siderable quantity of cinder still oozed from the ends. He thought, 

 after leaving the machine, the iron might be subjected to a few blows 

 of the hammer with advantage, and thus aim at the production of a 

 highly superior article, rather than at the saving of Is. a ton. Mr. 

 Beazley thought the hammer would be superfluous, as the rolls effected 

 what the machine had left undone. Mr. Cowper had often seen the 

 machine in operation, and had not noticed the cinder in the iron at the 

 rolls, as represented by Mr. Adams. Mr. Williams said, if iron was 

 imperfectly puddled, the hammer would knock it to pieces and show 

 the defect ; but he feared the machine would roll the iron up, whether 

 good or bad. From the rolling action, the cinder would be lapped 

 up in the iron. He considered the cost of the machine and repairs 

 would be an important consideration. Mr. Beazley assured Mr. Wil- 

 liams he was in error ; it had been repeatedly proved that if the iron 

 was imperfectly puddled, the machine instantly tore it in fragments ; 

 that, as to complexity, it was as simple as the ordinary rolls, and no 

 more likely to get out of repair. It had worked four months with only 

 one trifling accident, which arose from faulty construction at first. 

 London Mechanics' 1 Magazine. 



MALLEABLE IRON. 



THE manufacture of this article, which was introduced only a few 

 years since, is already extending over various parts of the country. 

 The process of manufacture, which is not generally understood, is thus 

 explained in the New York Farmer and Mechanic. 



To make iron malleable, the common pig, reduced to a state of fusion, 

 is submitted to a melting heat for many successive hours, by which it 

 is refined. From this refining furnace, the iron is poured into moulds, 

 and thus given various forms, according to the wishes of those who use 

 it, just as common pig is fashioned by moulds. When taken from the 

 sand, each piece is carefully examined, and, if found perfect in form, it 

 is, with other articles, submitted to the annealing furnace, where, for 

 six or eight days and as many nights, the iron is kept in a state of red 

 heat. The time during which the annealing process is continued, 

 varies, according to the quality and size of the articles desired. If the 

 articles to be annealed are large, or are desired of an extra quality, the 

 time of annealing is prolonged to nine or ten days ; but, if the articles 

 are small, and the quality is not a matter of much importance, they are 

 taken from the annealing furnace in a shorter time. Such is the process 

 of making malleable iron, which is fast coining to be used instead of 

 wrought iron, in the manufacture of many utensils. For making iron 

 garden rakes, for culinary utensils, for patent wrenches, and especially 

 for the manufacture of pistols and guns, malleable iron is used for pur- 

 poses for which wrought iron was formerly used. Malleable iron, by a 

 process of refining and annealing, has become tough, and thus answers 

 the ends, in many cases, of wrought iron. 



