IMPROVEMENTS IN ANNEALING CLEANING, AND GALVANIZING, OR OTHERWISE COATING WIRE, AND SHEETS OR STRIPS OF METAL WITH METALS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bedson, of Manchester,
County or
Lancaster, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANNEALING
CLEANING, AND GALVANIZING, OR OTHERWISE COATING WIRE, AND SHEETS OR
STRIPS OF METAL WITH METALS."
Sealed the 22nd February 1861, and dated the 5th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bedson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
September 1860.
I, GEORGE BEDSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ANNEALING, CLEANING, AND GALVANIZING, OR OTHERWISE COATING WIRE AND SHEETS
OR STRIPS OF METAL WITH METALS," to be as follows:-
I wind the article to be coated upon a reel, or otherwise conveniently dispose
it so as to allow it to be drawn or passed through a furnace, where it becomes
heated, it then passes into muriatic acid or other suitable cleansing substance,
and subsequently through the zinc or other molten metal. I have spoken of
the above as one continuous operation, but if desired, the annealing and
cleaning may be used separately.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Bedson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th March 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BEDSON. of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Bedson, Her special license that I, the said George Bedson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Bedson, 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN ANNEALING, CLEANING. AND GALVANIZING, OR OTHERWISE COATING WIRE
AND SHEETS OR STRIPS OF METAL WITH METALS," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said George Bedson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 George Bedson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in causing the wire sheet or strip of metal to pass
through a furnace where it becomes heated, from whence it is conveyed direct
to a vessel containing muriatic acid or other cleansing liquid, and thus the
operations of annealing and cleaning are effected, and this portion of the pro-
cess necessary for galvanizing or otherwise coating with metals may be used
separately but I also continue the operation by causing the article to pass
onward direct to the bath of molten metal, where it becomes coated.
The apparatus required for carrying out my Invention may be varied to suit
different situations or the will of the manufacturer, I have, however, appended
to this my Specification a Drawing, showing an arrangement which I have
found to answer, and as applied to the treatment of wire.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of the whole apparatus in section; and Fig. 2
a transverse section of the furnace for heating the wire.
At A is a reel upon which the wire is wound, there being several of such
reels. placed side by side; at B is the heating furnace, the construction of
which is as follows:-A fire-place is shewn at a, Figs. 1 and 2, the flame from
which passes along an arched way b, and through apertures c to a passage d,
and from thence to the chimney eat f is a second fire-place, the bars of
which are at right angles to those shown at a, from this the flame also passes
along the way b, and from thence through the apertures c. Between the
arched way b and passage d are a series of tubes g through which the wire from
the reel A is drawn, as shewn by the red line. At C the cleaning is effected,
the apparatus consisting of a leaden or other suitable vessel h, surrounded by a
jacket i, through which cold water is caused to flow. In the vessel h, is a
roller, also of lead or other suitable material, and by means of which the wire
is bent downward, so as to cause it to pass through the muriatic acid or other
cleaning liquid with which the vessel h is supplied.
At D is the galvanizing trough, consisting of a vessel containing the molten
metal, which is kept heated by fuel placed in the space m, as usual. The
wire is bent downward into this trough by the fork n, and from thence, after
passing over a guide roller o, is wound upon the reel E, any desired number of
reels, according to the number of wires to be passed through the tubes, being
placed as at A; the wires are conducted as before described, and as shown by
the red line onward to the reel E, and this being put in motion they are
gradually drawn forward. At the furnace B they become heated, and in that
condition pass into the cleaning liquid at C, where they immediately become
ready for the galvanizing at D.
In order to explain clearly an advantage arising from my improvements, I
may state, that if, for instance, wire of No. 12 gauge be operated upon, it may
pass through the apparatus at a speed of about one hundred feet per minute,
so that it remains but a very short time in the cleaning liquid. This speed will,
however, of course be modified by circumstances, as for instance, the length of
tube through which the wire passes, or the amount of heat generated in the
furnace. I have spoken particularly of wire as the article to be operated upon,
but strips or sheets of metal may in like manner be treated, the tubes g being
removed from the annealing oven B, and a flat passage left therein.. The
strips or sheets may be pushed in at one end, and drawn out at the other by
hand by revolving rollers or other apparatus, and conveyed at once onward
through the vessels C and D.
So far my Invention has been described as a continuous treatment for

page_text: annealing, cleaning, and galvanizing; but if desired. the annealing and cleaning
may be used separately from the galvanizing, that process being conducted
subsequently.
I would also observe, that as the method of cleaning is an important feature
of my Invention, it may be used separately from annealing, as applied to wire
which is to remain hard. In such cases the article is passed through the
oven B, as above described, but it is there heated to a less degree than for
annealing, as is well understood; this may be accomplished by less firing, or
by causing the wire to travel more rapidly, and having passed as before
described, through the liquid at C, it is properly cleaned.
Having thus described my said Invention, and the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I desire it to be understood, that I claim as secured to me
under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the continuous operation of annealing, cleaning, and galvanizing.
Secondly, the continuous operation of annealing and cleaning.
And, thirdly, the cleaning by passing the article in a heated state into the
cleaning liquid.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bedson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEORGE BEDSON. (..)