A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.

ORDER VII.—METAL WORKERS (NOT ELECTRO PLATE OR PRECIOUS METALS)

Sub-order 2.—Furnacemen (not Foundry) and Puddlers

170.—Converters

blower ; Bessemer converter man, converter, converter man, steel converter: in charge of process of conversion of iron into steel in Bessemer converter and directs work of men engaged thereon, including pulpitman (173), ladleman (279), pitman (278), teemer (278), vessel man (278) ladle liner (279), stopperman (279) q.v.; gives instructions to workers and watches all operations, in which charge of molten pig-iron (usually 10-30 tons) is run into tilted converter, valve admitting high pressure air blast to tuyeres passing through bottom of converter, is opened, and levers controlled by which converter is hydraulically or electrically brought into upright position; watches flames issuing from mouth of converter until their colour shows that all carbon has been burnt up; gives instructions as to amount of molten spiegeleisen to be run into ladle and causes converter to be tapped and contents run into ladle; in event of temperature of charge falling too low, causes steam to be admitted with air blast; instructs labourer to add steel scrap to cool charge when too hot.
converter, converter man, Bessemer converter man: see blower.
converter man (copper) ; Manhes man: a blower q.v. who is in charge of and often himself manipulates levers of a Bessemer converter for oxidising and removing impurities in copper matte; when all impurities except sulphur are burnt away or contained in slag, tilts converter and runs off slag into pots.; continues blow, keeping surface of copper covered with coke, which is fed in from hoppers to prevent oxidation, till sulphur is burnt away; tilts converter and pours copper into ladle for casting into ingots; judges progress of operations by watching colour of flames at top of converter.
Manhes man: see converter man (copper).
steel converter: see blower.

From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016. This text is in the Public Domain.