Improvements in Treating Metals for Modifying, Hardening, or Alloying the same, Applicable more Especially to the Case Hardening of Iron or Steel.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887
Complete Left, 12th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 8th June, 1839
Improvements in Treating Metals for Modifying, Hardening, or
Alloying the same, Applicable more Especially to the Case
Hardening of Iron or Steel.
I, ROBERT KIRK BOYLE, of 15 St. Stephen's Avenue, Shepherd's Bush, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
My Invention consists in the application of electricity to the modification of metals
by causing the metals under the influence of a powerful electric current to take up or
give up the matter which is to be added or removed in order to effect the required
modification.
I. will describe my Invention with reference to the hardening of the journal of a
shaft by causing it to take up the requisite amount of carbon to effect the desired
hardening from which description its general application will also be well understood.
According to my Invention I place in or on a suitable holder or support powdered
carbon and a suitable flux and I connect one pole of a generator of electricity to this
holder or support. The article to be hardened I connect with the other pole of the
generator and bring the article into contact with the carbon and flux and on the
current being put on, the carbon enters the iron and effects the requisite hardening.
The shaft may be rotated in the carbon whilst it is under treatment. If it be desired
to soften the metal carbon can be withdrawn by using a suitable flux or material and
the carbon will leave the metal and enter the flux. It will be understood that a
current of electricity is required for this the reverse of that employed when the carbon
is to be taken up by the metal.
Instead of carbon it will be evident that any other material or metal can be used
which is required for the modification of the metal under treatment.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.,
Agents for the said Robert Kirk Boyle.

page_text: Improvements in Treating Metals for Modifying, Hardening, or
Alloying the same, Applicable more Especially to the Case
Hardening of Iron or Steel.
I ROBERT KIRK BOYLE of 15 St. Stephens Avenue Shepherds Bush in the County
of Middlesex Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My Invention consists in the application of electricity to the modification hardening
or alloying of metals by causing the metals under the influence of a powerful electric
current or are and in the presence of the matter by which the modifying hardening
or alloying is to be effected to take up or give up the matter which is to be added or
removed in order to effect the required alteration of the previous character of the
metal by the incorporation with the substance of the metal or with any desired portion
thereof of the material or agent used to effect the required modification hardening or
alloying to the desired extent.
The Invention may be applied in various ways according to the shape and size of
the piece or article of metal to be treated or to the extent to which the modifying
hardening or alloying is to be carried for example in hardening the journal of a shaft
it can be caused to take up the requisite amount of Carbon to effect the desired
hardening by placing it in or on a suitable holder or support or supports which is
preferably made of or covered with a beat resisting material such as asbestos
powdered Carbon (and a suitable flux if required) being placed on or on this holder or
support so that the journal rests thereon. I connect one pole of a dynamo electric
machine to this holder or support so that there is electric contact with the Carbon
or carbon and flux. The journal to be hardened I connect by a Conductor with the
other pole of the dynamo electric machine the article or the part of it to be hardened
being in contact with the Carbon and on the current being passed through the
Conductors fusion occurs under the electric arc or by the electric action and carbon
enters the iron and effects the requisite hardening. The shaft may during treatment
be rotated or moved in the desired direction or directions by any suitable arrange-
ment of mechanism. The accompanying drawing represents a mode of performing
the Invention wherein the Carbon or the like is spread upon the surface of the metal
to be modified thereby. A is a table covered with Asbestos on which is supported
a metal plate. B to which is attached the conductor C from one pole of a dynamo
electric machine D, the conductor from the other pole of the dynamo is attached to
a metal collar E capable of sliding along a rod F affixed to brackets on the table A
and from this collar a flexible conductor G leads to a clip H holding a piece of
carbon I and provided with a wooden or like handle J. The piece of metal to be a
treated is supported on the plate B and carbon or other suitable modifying hardening
or alloying material or mixture of materials is put thereon preferably in a finely

page_text: divided condition and the carbon I is then moved gently over the modifying hardening
or alloying material so placed on the metal to be treated and when the current is put
on a number of arcs form and the penetration of the modifying material into the
metal takes place in consequence of the fusion under the electric arc or by electric
action.
Or the process according to my Invention may be effected by fixing the metal to be
treated (for instance iron to be steelified) on a lathe or apparatus by which it can be
rotated and electrically connecting it to one pole of the generator or dynamo the lead
from the other pole being a carbon plate or rod so arranged that whilst the metal to
be treated is being rotated I can lightly touch it with the said carbon plate or rod so
that as the arc forms carbon from the plate or rod enters the metal and modifies it as
herein before described.
As the metal under treatment becomes temporarily softened whilst under the
treatment described I can readily smooth it by applying pressure to its surface during
rotation.
Instead of carbon it will be evident that any other material or metal can be used
which is required for the modification or treatment of the metal under treatment.
Although I have particularly described the hardening of the metal by the intro-
duction of carbon it is to be understood that the Invention is not limited to the
treatment of any particular metal or any particular article nor to the use of carbon as
the material to be added as it will be evident that the Invention may be applied to the
treatment of metal in other forms and for combining therewith other material than
carbon such as for instance for combining a metal therewith to alloy an article or part
of an article and also to the abstraction of carbon or other constituent (such as one or
more of the metals of an alloy) from the article under treatment by providing a flux
or agent which will combine with the material or metal to be withdrawn but not with
that or those not to be withdrawn.
For example if it be desired to soften iron or steel carbon can be withdrawn by
using in place of the carbon used for hardening a material or flux such for example as
oxide of iron or of manganese which will combine with carbon from the iron or steel
and then on the electric arc or action being set up as hereinbefore described carbon
will leave the metal and so make it softer.
The process of modification may be effected whilst electric welding is being
conducted by conducting the electric welding in the presence of the modifying agent
material or metal substantially as hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The treatment of metals for modifying hardening or alloying the same by
electric fusion or electric action whilst the said metal is in the presence of the modi-
fying hardening or alloying agent material or metal so as to cause it to be taken up
by the said metal to the desired extent substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The treatment of metals for modifying the same. by electric fusion or
electric action whilst the said metal is in the presence of the modifying agent so as to
cause the said metal to give up carbon or other constituent substantially as herein-
before described.