CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ANNEALING OR SOFTENING METALLIC WIRES AND SHEETS OF METAL; ALSO IN REDUCING, COMPRESSING, OR DRAWING METALLIC WIRES; ALSO IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF METAL ROLLS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FILDES COCKER, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Wire, Steel, and File
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing dato
at Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Fildes Cocker, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Thomas Fildes Cocker, my exors, adiññors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas Fildes Cocker, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term therein mentioned, should and
lawful might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN ANNEALING OR SOFTENING METALLIC WIRES AND SHEETS OF METAL; ALSO IN
REDUCING, COMPRESSING, OR DRAWING METALLIC WIRES; ALSO IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF METAL ROLLS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said Thomas Fildes' Cocker, by an instrument in writing
under- .my band and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my

page_text: said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Fildes Cocker, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Certain Improvements in Annealing or Softening Metallic
Wires and Sheets of Metal, also in Reducing, Compressing, or Drawing Metallic
Wires, also in the Manufacture of Metal Rolls," consists, in the first place, in
annealing or softening metallic wires and sheets of metal by immersing them
in melted lead or other fused metal, in such a manner as either to bring them
in direct contact with the fused metal, or to cause them to be acted upon
thereby through the medium of the sides of a metal vessel in which they are
contained. By this means the wires and sheets of metal are exposed to the
action of heat more equably distributed over their whole surface than here-
tofore, and are at the same time protected from the action of the atmosphere
during the process of annealing or softening and cooling.
My Invention consists, in the second place, in reducing, compressing, or
drawing metallic wires either in a hot or cold state, by means of suitably
formed cast metal or steel rolls, instead of the ordinary plates with holes in
them through which the wires have been drawn; I prefer the use of four
rolls for the purpose, and they may be variously arranged. Two modes of
arranging them will be herein-after described.
And my Invention consists, in the third place, in the manufacture of metal
rolls, composed of either a wrought-iron, mallable cast iron, or cast steel
mandril or shaft, with an outer casing of metal cast on or round the said
mandril or shaft. The object of such composition of the rolls is to combine
the tenacity of the wrought iron with the hardness of the cast metal; and
the mode of manufacturing these rolls, which is herein-after described, will
indicate the means by which the required combination of the metals is
effected.
In order, however, that my Invention may be more fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the accompanying Drawings, which contain illustrations of

page_text: the means employed for carrying into effect the several heads of Invention
above referred to.
Sheet 1 contain several Figures representing apparatus suitable for carrying
into effect the above-named process of annealing or softening metallic-wires
5 and sheets of metal.
In Sheet 2 are represented two modes of arranging the cast metal or steel
rolls, and their requisite mechanism for reducing, compressing; or drawing
metallic wires; and Sheet 3 contains Figures illustrating the composition of
the metal rolls.
Sheet 1.-Fig. 1 is a vertical section, shewing the vessel containing the
melted lead or other fused metal, with the furnace for heating the same;
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan or horizontal
view of the vessel; and Fig. 4 is a plan of a vessel intended to contain
the wires or sheets of metal to be annealed or softened. a is the furnace
set in brickwork b, b, bound by iron hoops or rings c, c; d, d, are flues,.
through which the heat from the furnace passes up and escapes by the
general flue to the chimney; e is the vessel containing melted lead or
other fused metal, into which is immersed the inner vessel f containing the
wire or sheets of metal to be annealed or softened. This vessel f is formed
with a hollow tube or space 9 in the centre, which becomes filled with
the fused metal up to its level in the vessel e. By means of this form of
vessel the wire or sheets of metal contained therein are entirely surrounded by
the fused metal; h, h, is a cap or cover at the top of the vessel f, to keep it
air-tight while the wire or sheets of metal are within it; i is a cover for the
vessel e. The vessel f is secured by metal bands k, k, passing down its sides
and underneath it; there is also a bar extending over the tube or space g, as
shewn; m is a floor over the furnace, on which is fixed a crane for raising and
lowering the cap or cover of the vessel e, and also the vessel f, when required.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The vessel e being charged with lead
or other suitable metal, this becomes fused by the heat from the furnace
passing up the several flues d. The cover of the vessel e is then withdrawn
by means of the crane fixed over it, and the vessel f is by the same means
lowered into the position shewn in Fig. 1. This latter vessel containing the-
wire or sheets of metal remains immersed in the fused metal with its cover h
closed as long as is found necessary to complete the process, the state of the
metal under operation being determined by inserting a piece of metal through
a hole in the covers and i into the vessel f. When it is judged that the
vesself has been immersed in the fused metal a sufficient length of time,

page_text: the cover is withdrawn, and the said vessel 15 drawn up by the crane and
placed to cool, the cover h, h, of the vessel remaining closed. At this time
the vessel e is ready to receive another vessel containing wire or sheets of
metal to be annealed, and the above described course of operation is repeated.
The mode of operation just described is that which I prefer for the purpose,
but the process of annealing may be carried on by bringing the wire or sheets
of metal into direct contact with the fused metal. In such case they may be
lowered by means of the crane into the heated bath in a skeleton frame of
iron, instead of in the closed vessel, as described, and after remaining a
sufficient length of time in the fused metal the said frame with its contents
is drawn up, the fused metal having circulated amongst the articles to be
annealed, and being in a fluid state running off from the same as they rise
from the bath.
I would here remark that, although I have described apparatus by means
of which this part of my Invention may be carried into effect, yet my
Invention is not confined to the use of such apparatus, which may be varied,
so long as the peculiar feature of my Invention is preserved (viz.), the
immersion of the wire or sheets of metal to be annealed or softened in a
heated bath of melted lead or other fused metal.
I proceed now to describe the second part of my Invention, as illustrated by
the Figures in Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings. Figs. 5 and 6
represent one mode of accomplishing the object, and Figs. 7, 8, and 9, another
mode; Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6, a vertical section of the apparatus.
A, A is the ordinary standards of the machine; B is the ordinary bed plato
fixed to the bench by the screw pivots C; D, D, and D*, D, are the four
metal rolls turning in bearings in the side standards. These rolls are suitably
grooved to form the wire as it is drawn through them. The two rolls D, D,
are mounted so as to lie horizontally, and those marked D*, D*, so as to work
vertically. In both cases the rolls are capable of being adjusted by screws
E, E, and E, E*. The operation of the machine is as follows:-The end of
the wire is drawn by means of a forceps, as at F, through the largest groove
of the horizontal and vertical rollers and fixed to the block G, on the appli-
cation of power to which the wire continues to be drawn through the rolls; it
is afterwards drawn in like manner through the smaller and smallest grooves
of the rolls until reduced to the required size.
Fig. 7 is a plan or horizontal view, and Fig. 8 a side elevation of another
mode of accomplishing the object. In this case the rolls are formed, mounted,
and driven so as to reduce the wire on its being introduced between them at

page_text: the centre to which they severally converge, by drawing it through them, the
wire as it is thereby reduced and suitably formed, being merely wound upon
the block G. On reference to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the rolls D are driven
by means of bevil gear H, H, in such a manner as to cause them to turn
towards the centre to which they converge. The rolls and gearing may be
adjusted by means of the screw I, I.
Fig. 9 represents an enlarged view of parts of the rolls extending outwards
from the centre of their convergence.
In both these modes of accomplishing this part of my Invention, reference
is made only to the reducing, compressing, or drawing of circular metallic
wires, as distinguished from metallic wires of another form in the cross section.
I proceed now to described the third part of my Invention, which is illus-
trated by the Figures in Sheet 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section; and Fig. 11 an end view of a metal roll,
shewing one mode of composing the same; Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section,
shewing another mode of composition of a metal roll; and Fig. 13 shews the
outside of the roll. M is the mandril or shaft composed of wrought iron,
mallable cast iron, or cast steel, which is distinguished in the Drawing by a
darker tint; N is the outer casing of metal, cast on or round the said mandril
or shaft. The union of the two metals is effected by casting the outer casing
on or round the mandril while the latter is in a heated state. It will be
perceived on reference to Figures 10 and 12, that the relative proportions of
the mandril and outer casing may be varied, so as to give a greater or less
thickness of the cast metal, as may be required, according to the particular
depth of groove or grooves to be formed upon the outer casing or surface of
the roll. These rolls are intended to be used only for rolling iron and steel.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would here remark, that I do not claim as of
my Invention any of the apparatus and parts above referred to otherwise than
as embodying the essential purpose of my Invention, which may, nevertheless,
be carried into effect by means of apparatus varying in detail from that above
described; but what I do claim as of my Invention is,―
First, the annealing or softening of metallic wires and sheets of metal by
immersing them in a heated bath of melted lead or other fused metal.
Secondly, the reducing, compressing, or drawing of metallic wires (when
such wires are circular in the cross section) by the use of four cylindrical cast
metal or steel rolls.
And, thirdly, the manufacture of metal rolls for rolling iron and steel, com-

page_text: posed of a wrought iron mallable cast iron or cast steel mandril or shaft, with
an outer casing of metal cast on or round the said mandril or shaft.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Fildes Cocker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of July in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.