Improvements in Coating Metals in General with other Metals.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coating Metals in General with other Metals.
I, SAMUEL HEMAN THURSTON, of Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, in the State
of New Jersey, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 coating metals in general with another metal, especially
iron and steel with an amorphous, adherent, coherent, permanent copper film 'or
pelicle, the metals being practically united together by dry or cold welding;
and to the products resulting from such process, and it consists in a certain
method of procedure fully set forth in this specification and claimed at the end
thereof.
In a previous application No. 22405 dated 25th October 1898 to which this
present application is related, I have described and claimed the surfacing of iron
and steel with an amorphous, adherent, coherent, permanent coating of copper
and copper oxide, by a process similar in some respects to this present application!
To more fully specify the nature of the process, and the steps necessary to
produce a more perfect and finished product is the object of this application,
which steps are fully set out and claimed herein.
In order that persons skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may
understand, practice and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.
The first and a most important step consists in so cleaning the metal to be
coated that nothing remains upon its surfaces not homogeneous with the metal
itself, acids, alkalies, oxides, grease, and anything which prevents the coating
metal from coming in absolute contact with the molecules of the metal to be
coated injures the result. The surfaces must be free from moisture and prefer-
ably for the most perfect and permanent result, the surfaces should be dried by
heat, no air can remain between the molecules of the coating and the coated
metal, and upon this depends the efficiency of the result.
|"
This is especially important where the metal to be coated is an easily oxidiz-
able one, such as iron and steel, &c.
The second step in my process consists in impacting the coating metal upon
the surfaces to be coated, by impingement of one against the other, preferably
by oft repeated light impingement until the initial pelicle is formed, and then
by harder blows until a coating of the required thickness is formed. By light
frictional impact, the coating metal is more finely comminuted and more readily
enters into intimate touch with the molecules of the metal to be coated, and
afterward it is by harder pressure or blows practically welded to the surfaces
and all intervening gases forced away causing absolute metallic contact between
the coating and coated molecules. By this means the molecules of the coating
are caused to forcibly adhere to the surfaces being coated and also to cohere
between themselves, thus an amorphous permanent adherent, coherent pelicle is
formed upon the metal being coated, which may be rolled, extended, bent, with-
out disturbing the said film or pelicle. In performing this last step in my

page_text: process, the molecules of both coating and the metal being coated are disturbed
or disarranged and then rearranged, as the first effect of impacting or of impinge-
ment is to roughen the surfaces and disturb its molecules, and at the same time
to comminute the metal used in coating. It is also quite probable as it is
possible that an electro magnetic condition is set up, especially in the case of
copper when being impacted on iron and steel. I have found this condition in
some cases to exist very strongly.
It is possible to rub one metal upon another and produce a color without
much precaution other than ordinary cleaning and care, but such an operation
does not in any manner resemble the process claimed by me as my discovery
and invention as the result is not permanent, adherent or coherent, and must
Le secured upon the surfaces by some binder, such as lacquer.
By this process I have succeeded in coating iron and steel with many metals
and adapted it to a variety of cases and conditions, and in this application I
shall claim such products as I deem important in a commercial point of view.
These products are of an amorphous nature, not crystaline as in the case of
electrically deposited, and galvanized coatings previous to being burnished,
which is an important difference and one which affects the usefulness of the
coating produced by my invention.
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:-
-
1. The process substantially as hereinbefore specified of coating one metal
with another producing an amorphous, adherent, coherent, permanent film or
pelicle of the coating metal upon the metal to be coated, which consists in first
purifying the metal to be coated, substantially as hereinbefore specified, and
then impacting the coating metal upon the metal being coated by impingement
the one against the other until a film or pelicle of the coating metal is substan-
tially welded to the surfaces being coated in the manner substantially as herein-
before specified.
2. The within described product consisting of iron or steel coated substantially
as specified, with an adherent, coherent, permanent film or pelicle of copper
substantially such as hereinbefore specified.
3. The within described product consisting of a film or pelicle of one metal
practically welded to the surface of another, said film being amorphous adherent,
coherent and permanent in its nature, substantially such as hereinbefore specified.
4. The within described product consisting of a mass of one metal welded to
another metal by the process substantially as hereinbefore specified.
TA 1200