A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING IRON
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING IRON" a communication to me from abroad by
Russell Bigelow Abbott of Albert Lea, County of Freeborn, State of Minnesota,
United States of America to be as follows:-
This Invention, which is not restricted to iron of any special quality, but is
applicable to ordinary or inferior grades thereof, has for its object the improvement
of the metal and the production of malleable or wrought iron which shall possess
superior toughness and hardness and shall have imparted to it certain of the
peculiar properties and qualities of steel.
It consists in treating the iron with a mixture of sand, salt, and black oxide of
manganese, subject to alternate heating of the metal and subsequent cooling of it,
substantially as hereinafter described. Iron thus treated will be found especially
serviceable in the manufacture of railroad rails, ploughs, journals, journal-boxes,
bearings and for various purposes where hardness and toughness are required, and
in which steel has heretofore been usually employed.
To carry the invention into effect, for ordinary use by workers in iron, I take for
instance, wrought iron of ordinary quality and heat it to a welding heat, or nearly
so, then roll the same in a preparation of sand, cominon salt and black oxide of
manganese thoroughly mixed and being in the proportion of about fourteen parts
(by measure) of sand to one part each, more or less, of black oxide of manganese
and salt, then work the iron and re-heat it to a somewhat higher temperature than
before, rolling it again while thus heated in the above named preparation or
mixture, and subsequently heat it to a welding heat again and immediately immerse
the same in water. This is the course I propose to adopt in treating iron by the
single bar or in small quantities: In treating it in larger masses, the metal at or
after leaving the furnace or furnaces is subjected to the above named mixture at
the required temperature, then worked and manipulated in the usual manner,
afterwards reheated to a higher temperature, and then again treated with the
mixture.

page_text: Instead of rolling the metal in the mixture of sand, salt and black oxide of
manganese, it may have its surface otherwise forced or pressed into contact with
said mixture and the mixture be worked into it, and when not required to be
immediately hardened and tempered by immediately cooling or immersing it in
water as hereinbefore described, but its hardening is required to be done at a future
time; the metal treated as specified should be allowed to cool slowly. Thus, when,
for the convenience of working the iron treated with the hercin described pre-
paration or mixture it is desirable that it should not be too hard, the immediate
cooling of it by immersion in water may be omitted, or rather be deferred until
after the artisan has fashioned the metal into the desired shape, after which the
metal may be reheated and be immersed in water to harden it and give it the
properties required for it.
Iron treated by this process may be heated and welded or be otherwise worked
and manipulated without loss or impairment of the properties imparted to it by the
process.

page_text: OR
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for A NEW
IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING IRON (a communication to me from abroad by
Russell Bigelow Abbott of Albert Lea, county of Freeborn State of Minnesota,
United States of America) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention, which is not restricted to iron of any special quality but is
applicable to ordinary or inferior grades thereof, has for its object the improvement
of the metal and the production of malleable or wrought iron which shall possess
superior toughness and hardness and shall have imparted to it certain of the
peculiar properties and qualities of steel. It consists in treating the iron with a
mixture of sand, salt, and black oxide of manganese, subject to alternate heating of
the metal and subsequent cooling of it substantially as hereinafter described and
claimed. Iron thus treated will be found especially serviceable in the manufacture
of railroad rails, ploughs, journals, journal boxes, bearings and for various purposes
where hardness and toughness are required and in which steel has heretofore been
usually employed,
To carry the invention into effect for ordinary use by workers in iron, I take for
instance wrought iron of ordinary quality and heat it to a welding heat, or nearly
so, then roll the same in a preparation of sand, common salt and black oxide of
manganese thoroughly mixed and being in the proportion of about fourteen parts
(by measure) of sand to one part each more or less, of black oxide of manganese
and salt, then work the iron and re-heat it to a somewhat higher temperature than
before, rolling it again while thus heated in the above named preparation or
mixture, and subsequently heat it to a welding heat again and immediately immerse
the same in water. This is the course I propose to adopt in treating iron by the
single bar or in small quantities. In treating it in larger masses the metal at or
after leaving the furnace or furnaces is subjected to the above named mixture at
the required temperature, then worked and manipulated in the usual manner,
afterwards reheated to a higher temperature and then again treated with the
mixture.
Instead of rolling the metal in the mixture of sand, salt and black oxide of
manganese, it may have its surface otherwise forced or pressed into contact with
said mixture and the mixture be worked into it, and when not required to be
immediately hardened and tempered by immediately cooling or immersing it in
water as hereinbefore described but its hardening is required to be done at a future
time, the metal treated as specified should be allowed to cool slowly. Thus, when
for the convenience of working the iron treated with the herein described pre-
paration or mixture, it is desirable that it should not be too hard, the immediate
cooling of it by immersion in water may be omitted, or rather be deferred until
after the artisan has fashioned the metal into the desired shape, after which the
metal may be reheated and be immersed in water to harden it and give it the
properties required for it.
Iron treated by this process may be heated and welded or be otherwise worked
and manipulated without loss or impairment of the properties imparted to it by
the process.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The within described process of treating iron in the course of its manufacture
or when heated for the purpose, by rolling forcing or pressing into it a preparation
or mixture composed of sand, salt, and black oxide of manganese, and alternately
heating the metal and repeating said treatment and afterwards cooling the metal
as required for immediate or future use, substantially as specified.
2nd In the process of treating iron in the course of its manufacture or while
heated to a preparation or mixture of sand, common salt and black oxide of man-
ganese, first incorporating said mixture with the heated iron, then working or
manipulating the iron, afterwards reheating it to a higher temperature and then
again treating it with the mixture essentially as described.
3rd The hereinbefore described process of treating iron which consists in repeated
heating at increasing temperatures, alternated with rolling or pressing into it sand,
common salt, and black oxide of manganese, and, before or after fashioning the
metal as required, heating it to about a welding point and hardening or tempering
it substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 13th day of January 1885
A. M. CLARK.
By A. M. & W Clark.