IMPROVED METHODS OR PROCESSES OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON IRON AND STEEL WIRE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carter Ramsden, of Redgate, in the Parish of
Bassenthwaite, in the County of Cumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
METHODS OR PROCESSES OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON IRON
AND STEEL WIRE."
Sealed the 2nd September 1879, and dated the 2nd April 1879
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Carter Ramsden at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd April 1879.
JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN, of Redgate, in the Parish of Bassenthwaite, in the
County of Cumberland. "IMPROVED METHODS OR PROCESSES OF AND APPARATUS
FOR OPERATING UPON IRON AND STEEL WIRE."
The first object of this Invention is to apply and utalise the heat and gases gene-
rated by or arising from the decomposition of water along and in conjunction with
some or one of the volatile hydro-carbons; as described in the Specification of the
Letters Patent granted me, and bearing date the Eleventh day of March 1873,
No. 873, for the purposes of annealing, or hardening, or tempering steel wire as
used for setting into cards and other purposes. In drawing down steel wire the
frequent annealing required is a great trouble and adds much to the expense thereof.
By reason of the hardness of the metal it must be annealed every two or three sizes.
Now I purpose by the aid of the heat and gases generated as described in the above
named Specification, to anneal this wire when passing from the swift or reel upon
which it is placed, to the blocks where it is drawn down, and for this purpose I fix
betwixt these two points a pipe or tube of sufficient length, each end of which is
stopped, but leaving a small hole in each stopper for the wire to pass in and out.
few inches from the entrance end of the said pipe or tube is a short arm; at some
further distance down the said pipe or tube is a longer arm. The modus-operandi
is somewhat as follows:-At the entrance to the short arm I place two small tubes
at right angles to each other, one vertical and the other horizontal; the ends of
these tubes, which take into or project towards the entrance of the short arm, are
fitted with nozzles terminating with fine points and minute orifices; the other end
of the horizontal tube is attached to a pipe supplied with steam and a proper tap or
stop valve, and the lower end of the vertical tube is connected to a vessel containing
some or one of the volatile hydro-carbons. When the tap is opened the steam is
:
A

page_text: discharged with considerable force through the nozzle at the end of the horizontal
tube and passes over the nozzle of the vertical tube, which tube becomes exhausted,
and the volatile hydro-carbon rises therein to fill the vacuum, and reaching the
orifice at the top it is caught by the rushing colum of steam and blown into the
finest spray. The result is that an intimate union of the two liquids is effected; a
light is applied, and combustion at once takes place, and an immense heat is gene-
rated free from all impurities and a complete absence of smoke. This heat and the
gases in connexion therewith pass into the short arm and then down the tube, and
pass out at the other arm, being drawn thereto by the pipe or chimney which is
connected therewith to take them away. The wire to be annealed enters into the
end of the tube nearest the short arm and passes down the whole length of the
tube and comes out close to the blocks softened and sufficiently cooled. The heat
thus generated can be regulated in its volumn by the tap which governs the inlet of
the steam, and, as a matter of course, it will be understood that different strengths
or thicknesses of wire will require different doses of heat to properly anneal them,
and the modus-operandi here described will be most economical in the finer counts, as
it will be well understood in the thicker counts, which possess a greater body of metal,
the length of time occupied in heating and cooling will make it more advantageous
that they should be annealed in a special chamber away from the blocks, and for
this purpose I construct a chamber of fire bricks into which the wire is placed, and
the heat and the gases generated, as before described, are passed in. When the
wire is sufficiently softened it is conveyed into a cooling chamber without coming
into contact with the cold air; there can be a number of cooling chambers attached
to each heating chamber.
When hardening and tempering steel wire I purpose useing a tube, cylinder,
or chamber of much larger dimensions constructed internally of fire clay or some
other substance which will absorbe and retain a great portion of the heat
passed into it. Projecting into the front entrance of this tube, cylinder,
or chamber I fix as many pairs of steam and hydro-carbon nozzles as are
sufficient to generate the requisite heat, each pair to be governed by a sepe-
rate tap so that some or all can be used. The heat and gases generated at
the front entrance pass down the whole length of the said tube, cylinder, or
chamber, and are conveyed away therefrom by means of a chimney; assuming
the said tube, cylinder, or chamber to be twelve feet long there will be different
zones of heat betwixt the entrance end (which will be the hottest) to the outlet
end (which will be the coolest), and as the hardening and tempering of steel
wire require two very different degrees of heat for their accomplishment I can
make use of the same tube, cylinder, or chamber for both operations, and which can
both be carried on at one and the same time, and, if necessary, upon the same ring
of wire, though for obvious reasons this would not prove the most economical plan,
therefore I propose to harden the wire towards one end of the tube, cylinder, or
chamber, and temper it towards the other or chimney end. The modus-operandi
is somewhat as follows:-The tube, cylinder, or chamber is fixed upon a vessel
capable of containing liquids; this vessel can be divided into two compartments;
the first compartment can be filled with water or water charged with chemicals to
give a greater degree of cold. The wire to be hardened is placed upon reels suitably
fixed, and the ends thereof are passed thro' holes perforated in the top and bottom
of the said tube, cylinder, or chamber, and attached to reels fixed in or to the vessel
containing the water or other liquid, the wire of course passing thro' the liquid
previous to being wound on to the reels; these reels can be actuated by a driving
band from a shaft, and had best be fitted with speed cones, so that the rate at
which the wire travels can be regulated. The hardened wire can then be taken
and again passed thro' the tube, cylinder, or chamber in a lower zone of heat to
impart the necessary temper thereto, and passed thro' the second vessel, which can
contain either water, oil, or soine fatty or other mixture. In some cases, especially
in fine counts, the wire after being hardened in the chamber can have the requisite
temper imparted to it by placing it into a bath of some liquid possessing a high

page_text: boiling point, such as linseed oil, the boiling point of which is about 597° F., or
mercury, the boiling point of which is about 648° F., and then taken out and
plunged into cold water or cold oil. The second object of this Invention is to
utalise the heat and gases generated as before described and by the methods before
described, in conjunction with carbonaceous fuel saturated with a solution of
carbonate of potassa for the purpose of converting iron wire into steel. The
modus-operandi is as follows:-Inside a fire clay chamber, which is closed at both
ends, is placed a tube nearly the same length of the chamber; one end of this tube
passes thro' the front end of the chamber and the other end is open; around this
tube are placed the rings of wire it is intended to convert into steel; at the front
entrance of this tube are placed as many pairs of hydro-carbon and steam nozzles
as are sufficient to generate a sufficient quantity of heat and gases. The tube is
filled with pieces of wood charcoal previously steeped in a solution of carbonate of
potassa and then dried, care being taken that the pieces of charcoal are of sufficient
size that when the tube is filled with them there is ample space left for the passage
thro' of the heat and the gases generated at the front. When the steam is turned
into the nozzles and a light applied an immense heat is generated which passes
thro' the tube amongst the steeped charcoal and the heat, and the nature of the
gases generated is such that the wire subjected to their influence is gradually
converted into steel; these gases when being conveyed away can be passed over
water, or water can be brought into contact therewith, and they, or some of them,
will in a great measure become absorbed thereby. In some cases it may be
advisable to fill the tube with pure charcoal not charged with carbonate of potassa,
but in lieu thereof to pass in among the red hot charcoal a stream of the gas of
ammonia, a decomposition will take place, and cyanagon gas will be produced,
which gas is of great utility in the conversion of iron into steel. The third object
of this Invention is to operate upon iron or steel wire, either in the ring or when
set into cards, so as in a great measure to prevent it from rusting and in some cases
very much increasing the temper thereof. In accomplishing this object I use
"glacial phosphoric acid" disolved in water, into which I immerse the wire for a
sufficient length of time until the desired effect is produced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Carter Ramsden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd October 1879.
.
JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN, of Redgate, in the Parish of Bassenthwaite, in the
County of Cumberland. "IMPROVED METHODS OR PROCESSES OF AND APPARATUS
FOR OPERATING UPON IRON AND STEEL WIRE."
The first object of this Invention is to apply and utilise the heat and gases
generated by or arising from the decomposition of water, along and in conjunction
with some or one of the volatile hydro-carbons, as described in the English Speci-
fication of the Letters Patent granted me, and bearing date the Eleventh day of
March 1873, No. 873. For the purpose of hardening or tempering steel wire as
used for setting into cards and other purposes, the modus-operandi for heating the
-wire is somewhat as follows:-I place two small tubes at right angles to each other,
one vertical and the other horizontal, The ends of these tubes which take into or
project towards the entrance of the furnace are fitted with nozzles terminating
with fine points and minute orifices. The other end of the horizontal tube is
attached to a pipe supplied with steam, and a proper tap or stop valve, and the
lower end of the vertical tube is connected to a vessel containing some or one of the
volatile hydro-carbons, such as paraffin or petroleum. When the tap is opened the
steam is discharged with considerable force through the nozzle at the end of the
horizontal tube, and passes over the nozzle of the vertical tube, which tube becomes
exhausted and the volatile hydro-carbon rises therein to fill the vacuum, and
reaching the orifice at the top it is caught by the rushing column of steam and
blown into the finest spray. The result is that an intimate union is effected, a
light is applied, and combustion at once takes place, and an immense heat is
generated, free from all impurities, and a complete absence of smoke.
When hardening and tempering steel wire I purpose using a tube, cylinder, or
chamber constructed internally. of fire clay or some other substance which will
absorb and retain a great portion of the heat passed into it. Projecting into the
front entrance of this tube, cylinder, or chamber I fix as many pairs of steam and
hydro-carbon nozzles as are sufficient to generate the requisite heat, each pair to be
governed by a seperate tap, so that some or all can be used. The heat and gases
generated at the front entrance pass down the whole length of the said tube,
cylinder, or chamber, and are conveyed away therefrom by means of a chimney.
Assuming the said tube, cylinder, or chamber to be twelve feet long, there will be
different zones of heat betwixt the entrance end (which will be the hottest) to the
outlet end (which will be the coolest), and the hardening and tempering of steel
wire require two very different degrees of heat; for their accomplishment I can
make use of the same tube, cylinder, or chamber for both operations, and both of
which can be carried on at one and the same time. I therefore propose to harden
the wire towards the nozzle end of the tube, cylinder, or chamber, and temper it
towards the other or chimney end.
The modus-operandi is somewhat as follows:-The tube, cylinder, or chamber
is fixed upon a vessel capable of containing liquids. This vessel can be divided
into two compartments. The first compartment can be filled with water, or water
charged with chemicals to give a greater degree of cold. The wire to be hardened
is placed upon reels suitably fixed, and the ends thereof are passed through holes
perforated in the top and bottom of the said tube, cylinder, or chamber, and
attached to reels fixed in or to the vessel containing the water or other liquid, the
wire of course passing through the liquid previous to being wound on to the reels.
These reels can be actuated by a driving band from a shaft, and had best be fitted
with speed cones, so that the rate at which the wire travels can be regulated. The
hardened wire can then be taken and again passed through the tube, cylinder, or
chamber in a lower zone of heat to impart the necessary temper thereto, and passed

page_text: through the second vessel, which can contain either water, oil, or some fatty or other
mixture.
The above arrangement of apparatus is most suitable for strong wire, as the flame
is in direct contact with the wire itself. For finer counts I construct a retort or
tube of fire clay, say 12 feet long, either in one, or built of sections having an upper
and lower chamber. Into the lower chamber and at the side of one end I intro-
duce one or more of the nozzles, as before described, through apertures. The flame
is allowed to pass through the horizontal division dividing the upper from the
lower chamber into the upper chamber, and by striking the top is made to descend
upon the wire passing through. After passing out of the heating chamber it is
met by a stream of oil or other suitable liquid (oil is preferred), and the requisite
temper given to it by placing it into a bath of some liquid possessing a high boiling
point, such as linseed oil, the boiling point of which is 597° Fahrenheit. Mercury
heated to about the same temperature, or even melted lead, will answer my purpose,
care however is required to prevent the lead partially coating the wire.
The second object of this Invention is to operate upon iron or steel wire, either
in the ring or when set into card, so as in a great measure to prevent it from
rusting, and in some cases very much increasing the temper thereof. This I
accomplish by the use of "glacial phosphoric acid" dissolved in water, into which I
immerse the wire a sufficient length of time until the desired effect is produced.
Such being the nature and object of this my Invention I will now proceed to
describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through my improved apparatus for
hardening and tempering strong wire; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through
my improved apparatus for hardening and tempering fine counts or small wire;
Figure 3 is a plan of the same; and Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the
retort I use for heating the fine counts wire.
The letter A indicates the tube, cylinder, or chamber, in which I heat strong
steel wire, at the entrance of the said tube I fix a number of nozzles B and C, each
of which is fitted with a stop tap D, the nozzles B are in connection with a
cistern E containing a quantity of volatile hydro-carbon, such as paraffin or
petroleum; the nozzles Care connected to a boiler or steam generator, and when
the stop taps D are open the steam is discharged with considerable force through
the horizontal nozzles over the vertical nozzles which become exhausted, and the
volatile hydro-carbon rises therein to fill the vacuum, and is blown into the tube
in the finest spray, which when lighted produces an immense heat inside the front
portion of the tube A. The strong wire to be hardened is placed upon reels G,
which I fix in any convenient position above the top of the tube A; the wire W is
then passed through an opening formed in top of tube A, and travels at such a rate
of speed that the wire is heated whilst passing over pullies F, F, fixed therein; the
heated wire W then passes through a hole in the bottom of said tube to the reel G¹,
which is immersed in water or other cooling liquid contained in cistern H, and is
secured on a revolving shaft; thus the heated wire is cooled and hardened.
In order to facilitate passing the cold wire over the pullies before I commence to
heat the chamber I arrange openings in the top of tube A, which give free access
to the pullies, and when the wire is properly arranged ready for heating the said
openings are covered by blocks A', the surplus heat from the chamber when heating
the wire passes up the chimney L to the atmosphere.
The reel G¹ containing the hardened wire is removed out of cistern H and fixed
in any convenient position above the top of tube A; the hardened wire W' is then
passed through the back portion or chimney end of the tube A which is lower in
temperature than the front part, as the heat is somewhat retarded or kept in the
front portion by the bridge J; whilst the wire is passing over the pullies F¹, F', it
is heated to the requisite degree, and wound on to the revolving reel K which is
immersed in oil or other fatty mixture contained in cistern H³, and is thereby
tempered.
When hardening and tempering fine counts or small wire I construct the retort

page_text: or heating chamber M with a partition N in the centre, the length of the chamber,
and at the side of the chamber away from the chimney are openings Y, opposite to
each of which I fix a pair of nozzles O and P, shewn in Figure 4, each of which is
fitted with a stop tap, the nozzles O are in connection with cistern containing a
quantity of volatile hydro-carbon, and the nozzles P are in connection with a boiler
or steam generator, and when the taps are opened the force of steam passing over
the vertical nozzle O exhausts the air contained in the nozzle, and the volatile
hydro-carbon rises therein to fill the vacuum, and is blown into the chamber R
against the partition N in the finest spray, and when lighted the flame passes along
the underside of N through holes N' at each side into the top chamber through
which the wire passes, and is thereby heated.
The wire to be hardened and tempered is fed into the retort from the end S, and
is heated in its travel in the direction of the arrow through the retort; the heat is
confined in the top portion of the retort by moveable lids L' that are placed at each
end of the top chamber, sufficient space being left at the bottom of the lids for the
wire to pass in and out of the retort. When the heated wire leaves the retort it is
met by a stream of oil that flows over the inclined plate S¹, and is thereby
hardened; this stream of oil is continuous, and is supplied by pipe T, which is
connected to a cistern fixed in an elevated position; the oil after passing over
inclined plate S¹ flows into the cistern T', and is pumped therefrom into the elevated
cistern before mentioned.
The hardened wire is then passed through a bath U of linseed oil, mercury, or
lead, heated by means of fire U¹ to the temperature required to give the wire the
requisite degree of temper.
After passing through the bath U it is wound on to the ordinary reels, which are
fixed in any convenient position near.the end of bath U.
In order to facilitate the cold or untempered wire through the retort before I
commence to heat the chamber or retort, I arrange a groove at the top side of the
retort through which the wire is passed, the groove is then closed with a cover W2,
and the surplus heat from the retort when heating the wire passes up the chimney X
to the atmosphere.
In my Provisional Specification I included a method or process of annealing wire
between the reels and the blocks in which it is drawn down, and a method of
operating upon iron wire for converting the same into steel; but in consequence of
experiments I have since made I find that the processes therein described will
require considerable modification to accomplish the objects I then had in view, and
I therefore make no claim whatever in respect to the said method described for
converting iron into steel; nor do I confine myself to the precise details herein
described and illustrated for operating upon steel wire, but what I believe to be
novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the methods or processes of and apparatus for operating.
upon iron and steel wire, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Carter Ramsden, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
JOHN WAUGH,
Engineer & Patent Agent,
Bradford,
Yorks
JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN. (LS.)