IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING and PREPARING IRON, COPPER, AND OTHER WIRES FOR TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRESERVING THEM FROM CORROSION OR DECAY
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Knight, of Dunkirk, in the Empire of
France, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING and
PREPARING IRON, COPPER, AND OTHER WIRES FOR TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER
Scaled the 9th October 1863, and dated the 17th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Knight at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th April 1863.
I, RICHARD KNIGHT, of Dunkirk, in the Empire of France, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
AND PREPARING IRON, COPPER, AND OTHER WIRES FOR TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER
USES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRESERVING THEM FROM CORROSION OR DECAY," to. bo
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture and
preparation of iron, copper, and other wires for the purpose of protecting and
preserving them from corrosion or decay when exposed to atmospheric,
aqueous, or submarine influences. The iron, copper, or other wires, previously
prepared, are covered with a coating of pure metallic tin. This coating of tiu
is afterwards so treated mechanically that all air holes or other small porous
apertures in or upon the surface or under the immediate surface of the coating
of pure tin are completely closed, and the coating itself of tin rendered compact
and close grained, so as entirely to prevent (even under the influence of
external pressure) the possibility of any atmospheric, gaseous, or aqueous

page_text: particles penetrating through the surface, or into this coating of pure metallic
tin, and reaching the interior metal of iron, copper, or other wires, the interior
metal thus coated being thereby thoroughly protected, and preserved from the
oxidation, corrosion, or decay that would otherwise take place from the effects
of atmospheric, gaseous, or aqueous influences acting on the surfaces of the
iron, copper, or other wires chemically subject to oxidation, corrosion, or
decay when exposed to such influences.
In carrying out my Invention for treating and preparing metallic wires by
coating or covering the same with pure metallic tin for telegraphic and other
uses, I first thoroughly cleanse the wire by submitting it to the action of
sulphuric or other acid solutions usually termed the "pickling process," and
when the surface has been sufliciently acted upon thereby, the wire is, by
preference, conducted slowly through suitable scouring apparatus, and operated
upon by rubbing surfaces, to which silver sand or other scouring material is
continuously supplied. From the scouring apparatus the wire is conducted
through a vessel containing spirits of salts or other suitable material, and from
thence, whilst wet, into a bath of pure melted tin, and as the wire emerges
from the bath the access of metal adhering thereto is removed by suitable
wipers or other instruments, but other methods, such as ordinarily practised in
the process of tinning other metallic surfaces, may be employed in carrying
out this part of the process of preparing metallic wires for the purposes of my
Invention. The wire thus coated is, by preference, conducted through or
between two pairs of adjustable grooved or other form of metal rollers, one
pair being placed horizontally and the other pair vertically, or they may be
placed diagonally or in other suitable positions, so as to be at right angles or
nearly so to one another, by which the coating of tin is compressed upon tho
surface of the wire in two or more different directions, but other mechanical
means may be employed for compressing or condensing the coating of pure tin
upon the surface of the wire according to my Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 30
by the said Richard Knight in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
KNIGHT, of Dunkirk, in the Empire of France, Engineer, send greeting.
• WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Knight, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Knight, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Knight, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING AND PREPARING IRON, COPPER, AND OTHER WIRES FOR TELEGRAPHIC AND
OTHER USES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRESERVING THEM FROM CORROSION OR DECAY,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Knight, 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 Richard Knight, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
pure
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture and
preparation of iron, copper, and other wires for the purpose of protecting and
preserving them from corrosion or decay when exposed to atmospheric, aqueous,
or submarine influences. The iron, copper, or other wires previously prepared
are covered with a coating of pure metallic tin. This coating of tin is after-
wards so treated mechanically that all air holes or other small porous apertures
in or upon the surface or under the immediate surface of the coating of
tin are completely closed, and the coating of tin itself rendered compact and
close grained, so, as entirely to prevent (even under the influence of external
pressure) the possibility of any atmospheric, gaseous, or aqueous particles
penetrating through the surface or into this coating of pure metallic tin, and
reaching the interior metal of iron, copper, or other wires, the interior thus
coated being thereby thoroughly protected and preserved from the oxidation,
corrosion, or decay that would otherwise take place from the effects of
atmospheric, gaseous, or aqueous influences acting on the surfaces of the iron,
copper, or other wires chemically, subject to oxidation, corrosion, or decay
when exposed to such influences.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention for treating and preparing metallic wires by
coating or covering the same with pure metallic tin for telegraphic and other
usos, I first thoroughly cleanse the wire by submitting it to the action of
sulphuric or other acid solutions, usually termed the "pickling process," and
when the surface has been sufficiently acted upon thereby, the wire is, by
preference, conducted slowly through suitable scouring apparatus, and operated
upon by rubbing surfaces, to which silver sand or other scouring material is
continuously supplied. From the scouring apparatus the wire is conducted
through a vessel containing spirits of salts or other suitable material, and from
thence, whilst wet, into a bath of pure melted tin, and as the wire emerges
from the bath, the excess of metal adhering thereto is removed by suitablo
wipers or other instruments, but other methods, such as ordinarily practised in
the process of tinning other metallic surfaces, may be employed in carrying
out this part of the process of preparing metallic wires for the purposes of my
Invention. The wire thus coated is, by preference, conducted through or
between two pairs of adjustable grooved or other form of metal rollers A, A,
and B, B, a suitable arrangement of which for carrying out this part of my
Invention is shewn in perspective view, Figure 1, of the accompanying
Drawing. One pair of compressing rollers is, by preference, placed in a
horizontal position, and the other pair in a vertical position. Figure 2 shows
the rollers without the framework, or they may be placed diagonally or in
other suitable positions, so as to be at right angles or nearly so to one another,
by which the coating of tin is compressed upon the surface of the wire in two
or more different directions.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the use of any
particular number or arrangement of compressing rollers for condensing the
coating of pure tin upon the wire, and motion may be communicated to such
rollers to cause the wire to travel between them or the wire may be drawn
through between the rollers by any suitable mechanical means.
C, C, are sliding weights to give more or less pressure to the adjustable
compressing rollers A, A, and B, B, but other mechanical means may be
employed for compressing or condensing the coating of pure tin upon the
surface of the wire, according to my Invention, which need not be described
here, as what I claim is the treating and preparing of iron, copper, and other
wires for telegraphic and other uses, by coating such wires with pure tin, and
condensing the same thereon by any suitable mechanical means, as herein
described, for the purpose of compressing or condensing the coating of tin
when applied on the surfaco of metallic wire, in order to so completely close
up the pores of the tin as to prevent the coated wire from being chemically

page_text: acted upon by acid or other solutions, or from the oxygen of the atmosphere,
or from other atmospheric, gaseous, aqueous, 'or submarine influences.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Knight, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.
RICHARD KNIGHT. (L.B.)