A New or Improved Method and Apparatus for the Continuous Production of Compound Metal Sheets, Pipes, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 16th July, 1898
A New or Improved Method and Apparatus for the Continuous
Production of Compound Metal Sheets, Pipes, and the like.
I, JOHN JEPSON ATKINSON, of Cosgrove Priory, in the County of Northampton,
Barrister at Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates chiefly to the process and apparatus for the combination
of woven or interlaced wire with lead, metal, or similar material, whereby all
the valuable properties, viz. ductility, malleability &c. are secured, together with
the increased strength consequent on the presence of the steel or metallic wire
core. Hitherto, attempts made to secure this object by pressing or forcing the
metallic fabric into or between sheets of lead have not been successful as the re-
sulting material was not homogeneous or materially stronger, the lead being simply
cut by the wire into small pieces, while the wire could easily be separated from
the lead.
The material produced by my process is however, homogeneous, and the metal
is firmly soldered to the wire, so that the strength-tensile and compressional―
is very much greater than the sum of the strengths of the lead and metallic
wire separately-moreover, the wire cannot be separated by ordinary mechanical
means from the lead.
In order to make the mode of working my invention clear, I will describe the
apparatus and method employed in the production of compound lead sheets, al- .
though I do not confine myself to the use of lead solely.
A rectangular pot of cast iron placed over a suitable heating apparatus is pro-
vided at one side with a horizontal opening or slot near the bottom. On this
side is bolted a pair of dies, which may be water-jacketted or provided with means
for cooling so arranged as to leave an opening between the thickness and width
of the sheet desired. These dies may project any distance from the pot according
to the speed of the subsequent working or the temperature employed, for keeping
the contents of the pot molten.
The woven wire is first led under and over guide rollers in the pot, and then
through the opening, or passage between the guides, till sufficient projects outside
the dies, to enable the end to be clamped or secured to an apparatus for drawing
or pulling the wire fabric through the pot and the dies.
Molten lead is then run into the pot till the opening to the dies is well covered,
when the drawing or pulling apparatus is set in motion. The wire fabric on its
passage through the pot and the dies takes with it molten lead which becomes
solid and firmly soldered to the wire before it leaves the dies forming a homo-
geneous sheet, the width and thickness of the opening between the dies. The
drawing may be continued as long as any woven fabric remains to be drawn and
the material may be rolled or cut into lengths.as desired.

page_text: When pipes or other forms are required, the dies are made of suitable shape,
rollers and guides being also arranged to mould the wire fabric so as to pass
easily through the dies.
A. New or Improved Method and Apparatus for the Continuous
Production of Compound Metal Sheets, Pipes, and the like.
JOHN JEPSON ATKINSON, of Cosgrove Priory, in the County of Northampton,
Barrister at Law, 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 relates to the process and apparatus for the combination of woven
or interlaced wire with lead or similar fusible metals and alloys, whereby all the
valuable properties viz.; ductility, malleability &c. are secured together with
the increased strength consequent on the presence of the steel or other metallic
wire core.
Hitherto, attempts made to secure this object by pressing or forcing the metallic
fabric into or between sheets of lead have not been successful as the resulting
material was not homogeneous or materially stronger, the lead being simply cut by
the wire into small pieces. while the wire could casily be separated from the lead.
The material produced by my process is however, homogeneous and the metal is
firmly soldered to the wire so that the strength tensile and compressional is
very much greater than the sum of the strengths of the lead and metallic wire
separately; moreover, the wire cannot be separated by ordinary mechanical means
from the lead.
Compound sheets produced by this process can therefore not only be used with
advantage and economy for the purposes where lead sheets have hitherto been
employed, but united in this manner, the malleable and ductile properties of lead
can be utilised where its want of rigidity and elasticity has hitherto excluded
it, e.g. as an efficient steam joint.
In order to make the mode of working my invention clear, I will describe the
apparatus and method employed in the production of compound lead sheets al-
though I do not confine myself to the use of lead solely.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention Figure 1 represents a
section of the essential feature of the apparatus.
Figure 2 shows an end view of the dies attached to the pot.
A rectangular pot. A of cast iron, placed over a suitable heating apparatus, is
provided at one side with a horizontal opening or slot near the bottom. On this
side is bolted a pair of dies or moulds B, B, which may be water jacketed or pro-
vided with means for cooling, so arranged as to leave an opening or space D,
between them the thickness and width of the sheet desired. These dies may
project any distance from the pot, according to the speed of the subsequent working,
or the temperature employed for keeping the contents of the pot molten.
The woven wire tinned, or otherwise suitably prepared and coiled as shown at C,
is led under and over guide rollers E, E, E, in the pot and thence through the
opening or passage D, between the dies B, B; till sufficient projects outside the
dies, as indicated by the arrows at C2, and C1, to enable the end to be clamped
or secured to an apparatus for pulling or drawing the wire fabric through the

page_text: pot and dies: Molten lead is then run into the pot till the opening to the dies
is well covered when the drawing and pulling apparatus is set in motion.
The wire fabric on its passage through the pot and the dies takes with it
molten lead which becomes solid and firmly soldered to the woven material before
it leaves the dies forming a homogeneous sheet the width and thickness of the
opening between the dies.
This drawing or pulling may be continued as long as any material remains and
the finished sheets may be coiled or cut into lengths as desired.
When pipes or other forms are required the same principle is adopted, the dies
being made of suitable shape, rollers and guides being also arranged to mould
the wire fabric so as to pass easily through the dies. -
Although I have here described the manufacture of compound sheets of lead
and woven wire yet I do not limit myself to the use of these materials alone, as
the
process may equally well be carried out with materials having similar properties
rendering them capable of being united in the manner described. Nor do I limit
myself to the exact form of apparatus specified, as the dies may be made in various
ways for sake of convenience, ease of manipulation, and accuracy.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A process for making compound metal sheets, pipes and the like consisting
in leading tinned or suitably prepared woven or interlaced wire through a pot con-
taining molten lead or other similar fusible metal or alloy drawing it through a
slot in the side thereof and through or between dies or moulds having an opening
or space corresponding to and in alignment with the said slot and provided with
water jackets or other cooling means substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for the continuous production of compound metal sheets, pipes
and the like of the kind indicated in the preceding claim, comprising a drum
on which the tinned or suitably prepared woven wire is wound, a pot for containing
the molten lead or other similar fusible metal or alloy means for heating the pot
so as to keep the metal molten guide rollers journalled in the said pot, an opening
or slot in one side of said pot, a pair of water jacketed or otherwise cooled dies
or moulds secured on the exterior of said pot and containing a space between
them corresponding to and in alignment with said slot, and means for drawing
the woven wire through said space and slot substantially as described and for
the purposes stated.
3. A continuous compound metal sheet, pipe or the like comprising a woven
or interlaced wire core to which the metal is soldered and fused in the course of
the formation of the sheet, pipe or the like in the manner and by means sub-
stantially as described.
20
1 .
13
1000