AN IM- PROVED METHOD OF COATING PINS AND OTHER ARTICLES WITH TIN OR OTHER
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thaddeus Fowler, of Seymour, in the State of
Connecticut, United States of America, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVED METHOD OF COATING PINS AND OTHER ARTICLES WITH TIN OR OTHER
Sealed the 14th February 1865, and dated the 1st September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thaddeus Fowler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st September 1864.
I, THADDEUS FOWLER, of Seymour, in the State of Connecticut, United
3 States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF COATING PINS AND OTHER ARTICLES WITH TIN OR OTHER
METALS," to be as follows:-.
Pins, nails, rivets, and other small articles have heretofore been coated
with tin or other metal by dipping them into such metal previously melted,
after which they have been agitated until cool to prevent their sticking
together. Pins, however, generally are so light that the agitation alone would
not prevent their sticking together; I therefore pursue the method-hereafter
described.
My Invention is especially adapted to the coating of pins made from iron
wire, but may be applied to any articles of iron or other metal. A kettle is
provided into which the pins are introduced after having been dipped in any

page_text: suitable flux, such as muriate of zinc, and the proper quantity of tin or other
metal for the given weight of pins is also introduced in said kettle, and the
kettle is placed in a furnace at an inclination and agitated while the pins are
becoming heated and the tin melted; the agitation ensuring the proper
spreading of the melted metal over all the pins. The kettle may be agitated
by hand, a long bail or handle being provided for that purpose, or said
handle may be acted upon by a crank movement or other suitable mechanism
to shake and partially. rotate the kettle.. When the pins are thoroughly
coated the kettle is withdrawn from the furnace and its contents emptied
directly upon a vibrating screen or sifter, beneath which are other screens,
sifters, or rods, having a quick vibration, and these all stand over a vessel.of
water so that the pins as they fall through these screens are so much agitated
that they are knocked apart and effectually separated from each other before
they reach the water, and so instantaneous is this movement that the pins do
not have time to cool before reaching the water, and therefore the tin is
in a fused state forming a thin smooth coating over the entire surface of, each
pin, and will not be rough or frosted in appearance, as would be the case if the
pins were in contact with each other while agitated and cooled.
This method of coating effects the same object when applied to nails, rivets,
or other small articles. The screens or separators are to be sufficiently
open to allow the pins or other articles to fall freely, but the speed of
vibration is to be sufficient to thoroughly separate such articles. .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thaddeus Fowler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd February. 1865. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THADDEUS.
FOWLER, of Seymour, in the State of Connecticut, United States of America,
send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thaddeus Fowler, Her special license that I, the said Thaddeus Fowler, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thaddeus
Fowler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
S

page_text: term, therein expressed, should and lawfully might nake, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF COATING
PINS AND OTHER ARTICLES WITH TIN OR OTHER METALS," upon the condition.
(amongst others) that I,, the said Thaddeus Fowler, by. an instrument in
writing nnder my hand and seal. should particularly. describe and ascertain.
the nature of the said Invention,.and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six: calendar months next and. immediately after. the date.of.the said:
Letters Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thaddeus Fowler, do hereby declare the
nature of my said: Invention,.and in what manner the same is to be performed..
to be particularly described: and ascertained in and by the following statement,:
reference being had to the Drawing: hereunto annexed, and to the letters and:
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 is a plan of my apparatus used.in coating said pins or other articles;
and,
,,:2 is an elevation of the furnace with the separating.apparatus in section.
Various articles, such as rivets, hooks, &c., have heretofore been protected>
from, rust by a coating of tin, zinc, or other metal'; for this purpose it has
been usual to dip them into the melted metal, or cause the same to flow over:
their surface, and then agitate the mass until gradually cooled. This operation.
could not be performed on pins or such light articles, because they would not.
bave weight enough in themselves to fall apart when simply shaken, and
besides the articles cooling when more or less in contact prevents them from.
being smooth and glossy as would be the case if the coating metal were flowed.
over the surface in a melted state, and another serious difliculty has heretó-
foro arisen in consequence of the coating metal becoming oxydized by contact'
with the air while gradually cooling.
The nature of my said Invention consists in separating the coated pins or
other articles while in the act of falling by agitation applied in such a manner
that the pins or other articles are knocked or thrown apart while the coating
metal is in a melted state, so that the smoothness and gloss of the coating metal
is not injured by contact with the other pins or articles, and each one being
detached cools much more readily than when in a mass, and for this-purpose >
I allow said articles:to fall into water or other fluid.
To accomplish the aforesaid result I make use of any suitable fire or .
Furnace, illustrated in the Drawing at a, and 6 is a pot into which the pins are:
laced after having been dipped in muriate of zinc or similar flux, and the

page_text: proper amount of granulated or ground tin or other coating metal is intro-
duced, and the kettle or pot.b is agitated and heated until the coating metal
is melted and has flowed uniformly over all the pins or other articles; if pre-
ferred the pins or other articles may be dipped into the melted metal while in
a wire basket, but: I prefer the manner before specified because a regular and
definite amount of metal can be apportioned. to coat a certain weight of pins
or other articles. So soon as coated as aforesaid, I turn the mass of pins or
other articles out of the kettle or receptacle, and while falling into the water.
box c I separate the pins by agitation, and for this purpose I have represented
a box d, containing cross wires or riddles, which box is rapidly vibrated: by
the crank e and pitman f, and by causing the pins g, g, to run over inclines
h, h, the box d is fårther shaken. The mass of pins being turned on to these
vibrating riddles or wires while the coating metal is in a melted state, is!
separated, and the pins or other articles knocked apart while falling into.the.
box c of water or other fluid, and the smoothness and brilliancy of the coat-
ing metal is not impaired as aforesaid.
It will be evident that the riddles or wires that come in contact with the
coated pins or other articles as they fall might be fitted and vibrated in any
desired manner to perform the aforesaid operation.
greater.
It will be seen that by increasing the number of riddles, wires, or rods, the,
pins will be agitated to a greater extent, and receive as they fall 'a
number of concussions or blows, so that the smallest pins will be entirely.
separated before they reach the water.
I have represented in Figs. 3 & 4 a mechanism for agitating the pot con-
taining the pins or other articles to be coated, so that the attendant will not
have to be constantly exposed to the heat and fumes arising from the furnace.
and the flux employed. In these Figs. the pot 6 is provided with the side.
bars i, i, and handle k, which when the pot is in place rests in a notch in the
bar p, so that the pot may be partially rotated, and also have a backward and
forward movement. This movement is given by a jaw l on the end of a rod m
that is actuated by a crank n'; this gives the pot a partial rotation, and at the
same time an end motion is given by a crook in the rod m, running between
two stationary rollers o, o.
'
By this means the necessary agitation is given to the pins or other articles
contained in the pot b.
I am aware that nails and other articles that have been coated with metal
have been agitated by allowing the mass to fall in such a way that the articles
scatter about and thus separate, and I am also aware that agitation has been ap-
piled to the mass while in a ladle or perforated receptacle; but what I claim and

page_text: desire to secure by Letters Patent is, the method herein specified of separating
pins and other articles so soon as thoroughly covered with the coating metal
by the use of a series of riddles, wires, or rods, to which a vibration or motion
is communicated to produce a series of blows or concussions upon the articles
as they fall from the successive riddles, wires, or rods, and thereby ensure the
entire separation of the articles while the coating metal is in a melted state as
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thaddeus Fowler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witnesses,
THO. GEO. HAROLD,
119 & 121, Nassau St.,
New York.
CHA. H. SMITH,
119 & 121, Nassau St.,
⚫ New York.
THADDEUS FOWLER. (L.B.)