IMPROVED MEANS AND PROCESSES OF PICKLING IRON PLATES, AND OF COATING THE SAME WITH TIN OR OTHER METAL,
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip William Flower, of Melyn Tin Plato
Works, Neath, in the County of Glamorgan, Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS AND PROCESSES OF PICKLING IRON PLATES,
AND OF COATING THE SAME WITH TIN OR OTHER METAL,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip William Flower
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th August 1874.
I, PHILIP WILLIAM FLOWER, of Melyn Tin Plate Works, Neath, in
the County of Glamorgan, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS AND PROCESSES OF PICKLING IRON.
PLATES, AND OF COATING THE SAME WITH TIN OR OTHER METAL," to be as
follows:-
>
In the ordinary mode of pickling and coating, when the sheets of iron
or black plate so called have been cut to size by the shearers, they are
opened sheet by sheet by the openers. They are then taken to the black
pickling room, where sawdust is placed by boys between each sheet, and:

page_text: the sheets made up in bundles are plunged by means of a tongs into a
leaden pot full of vitriol, from which they are taken to be washed and
examined, each sheet separately, by women and girls, the object of this
examination being to pick out and return for repickling any sheets with
black patches arising from contact with each other in the leaden
pickling trough, and consequent failure of the acid to clear the parts
which were in contact. They are then placed in cast or wrought iron
pots and annealed; then passed through steel rolls, called "cold rolls,"
and reannealed. They are then taken to the white pickling room, and
with the only difference of weaker acid they are treated in precisely the
same way as previously explained for the black pickling. They are then
ready to receive their coating, and the sheets are placed in tanks of cold
clean water to protect them from rust and dust. The sheets are then
taken by the tinman, who plunges them sheet by sheet in hot palm oil;
then sheet by sheet in molten tin. They are then passed on to the
washman, who brushes each sheet with a hempen brush moistened with
palm oil or other grease to remove any roughness or inequality of metal
on the surface of the sheet; he then dips them sheet by sheet in the
finishing pot of molten tin, and passes them on to be completely finished
by passing them sheet by sheet through the pressure of revolving steel
rolls. They are then rubbed sheet by sheet in a first and then a second
trough of bran to remove the grease (always found to be adhering to the
surface of the sheet). They are then polished up with sheep skins to
remove the dust arising from the bran, and are ready for sorting, boxing,
and delivery.
The object of my Invention is, by dealing with these sheets in largo
quantities placed in a rack or grate, in which the sheets will be kept
mechanically separated from each other, and which will be manoeuvered
by levers or other mechanical means, to arrive at the same results as at
present with a great economy of labor and cost.
I propose to construct a framing sufficiently wide, long, and deep to
receive the particular sizes and quantities of plates which are to be
dealt with. The quantity is immaterial, and only to be regulated by the
convenience of the workman. These frames or grates will be so con-
structed that the sheet will fall or may be placed between supports
arranged in such a manner that each sheet will be loosely held in
position, but without contact, or the possibility of contact, with each
other or with the grate, excepting by its edge.

page_text: I propose to fill the grates from the side or from the top, and with or
without the assistance of pins passing up through the table to assist in
and regulate the operation of filling, and to make the grate of iron,
copper, yellow metal, or of any material sufficiently strong for the
purpose, and at the same time able to resist the action of the acid.
When these grates have been filled I propose to close them on the sido
or top by means of a rod or band with a hasp and key or any other
mechanical fastening. The grate will then be taken to the leaden
pickling trough, and by means of a lever or other suitable lifting
apparatus will be plunged into and removed from the acid. The grate
will then by the same means be plunged into and removed from cold
water, for the purpose of cleaning the sheets from any acid adhering.to
their surface. I propose to apply this operation equally to the black and
white pickling process..
When the sheets have been white pickled by the process above
described, I propose to remove the grates, still full of sheets, from the
water troughs or tanks, and to plunge them by means of a lever or
otherwise first into and out of a bath of palm oil; then into and out of
a bath of molten tin, where the sheets may soak, if desired; then into
and out of another bath of tin to give them a finishing coat. This
process of coating is in every respect the same as at present, with the
exception that a rack full of sheets is substituted for the hand dipping,
sheet by sheet as at present; or instead of rolling I may dip the grates
into and out of palm oil, and then into and out of bran troughs, where
they will be smothered in bran poured over them from above, or other-
wise. The grates may then be lifted through by the workman, and the.
bran be removed by an aperture in the bottom of the trough, and after
dusting they can if necessary be listed. The plates are then fit for
use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Philip William Flower in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIP
WILLIAM FLOWER, of Melyn Tin Plate Works, Neath, in the County of
Glamorgan, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Philip William Flower, Her special
licence that I, the said Philip William Flower, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Philip William
Flower, 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 term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVED MEANS AND PROCESSES OF PICKLING IRON PLATES, AND OF
COATING THE SAME WITH TIN OR OTHER METAL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Philip William Flower, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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 Philip William Flower, 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 accompanying
Sheet of Drawing, and to the figures and letters of reference marked
thereon :-
In the ordinary mode of pickling and coating, when the sheets of iron
or black plate so called have been cut to size by the shearers, they are

page_text: opened sheet by sheet by the openers. They are then taken to the black
pickling room, where sawdust is placed by boys between each sheet, and
the sheets made up in bundles are plunged by means of a tongs into a
leaden pot full of vitrol, from which they are taken to be washed and
examined, each sheet separately, by women and girls, the object of this
examination being to pick out and return for repickling any sheets with
black patches arising from contact with each other in the leaden
pickling trough, and consequent failure of the acid to clear the parts
which were in contact. They are then placed in cast or wrought-iron
pots and annealed; then passed through steel rolls, called "cold rolls,"
and reannoaled. They are then taken to the white pickling room, and
with the only difference of weaker acid they are treated in precisely the
same way as previously explained for the black pickling process. They
are then ready to receive their coating, and the sheets are placed in
tanks of cold clean water to protect them from rust and dust. The
sheets are then taken by the tinman, who plunges them sheet by sheet
in hot palm oil; then sheet by sheet in molten tin. They are then
passed on to the washman, who brushes each sheet with a hempen brush
moistened with palm oil or other grease to remove any roughness or
inequality of metal on the surface of the sheet; he then dips them sheet
by sheet in the finishing pot of molten tin, and passes them on to bo
completely finished by passing them sheet by sheet through the pressure
of revolving steel rolls. They are then rubbed sheet by sheet in a first
and then a second trough of bran to remove the grease (always found to
be adhering to the surface of the sheet). They are then polished up
with sheep skins to remove the dust arising from the bran, and are ready
for sorting, boxing, and delivery.
The object of my Invention is, by dealing with these sheets in large
quantitics placed in a basket rack or grate, in which the sheets will
be kept mechanically separated from each other, and which will be
manoeuvred by levers or other mechanical means, to arrive at the samė
results as at present with a great economy of labour and cost.
I construct a framing sufficiently wide, long, and deep to receive
the particular sizes and quantities of plates which are to be dealt
with the quantity is immaterial, and only to be regulated by the
convenience of the workman. These frames, grates, or baskets, are so
constructed that the sheet will fall or may be placed between supports
arranged in such a manner that cach sheet will be loosely held in

page_text: position, but without contact or the possibility of contact with each
other or with the grate, excepting by its edge.
I propose to fill the grates from the side or from the top, and with
or without the assistance of pins passing up through the table to assist
in and regulate the operation of filling, and to make the grate of iron,
copper, yellow metal, or of any material sufficiently strong for the
purpose, and at the same time able to resist the action of the acid.
When these grates have been filled I propose to close them on the side
or top by means of a rod or band with a hasp and key or any other
mechanical fastening. The grate will then be taken to the leaden
pickling trough, and by means of a lever or other suitable lifting
apparatus will be plunged into and removed from the acid. The grate
will then by the same means be plunged into and removed from cold
water, for the purpose of cleaning the sheets from any acid adhering to
their surface. I propose to apply this operation equally to the black and
white pickling process.
When tho sheets have been white pickled by the process above
described, I remove the grates, still full of sheets, from the water
troughs or tanks, to plunge them by means of a lever or otherwise
first into and out of a bath of palm oil; then into and out of a bath
of molten tin, where the sheets may soak, if desired; then into and
out of another bath of tin to give a finishing coat. (This process of
coating is in every respect the same as at present, with the exception
that a rack full of sheets is substituted for the hand dipping sheet by
sheet as at present). The sheets can then be removed from the grates, 2
and finished by rolling and cleaning in the ordinary way; or instead of
rolling I may dip the grates into and out of palm oil, and then into
and out of bran troughs, where they will be smothered in bran poured
over them from above or otherwise. The grates may then be lifted
through by the workman, and (the bran being removed by an aperture
in the bottom of the trough) and the plates after dusting they can if
necessary be listed, and are then fit for use:
'
I may construct the lower framing of the grate or basket so that after
the sheets have been coated the lower supports may be disconnected by

page_text: I propose to use different sized grates for different sized sheets, or to
reduce or increase the size of the grate by a mechanical alteration of the
framework.
The Drawing hereunto annexed, and forming part of this my Specifi-
cation, illustrates the mechanism I use in operating on iron plates in my
novel process of pickling and coating them with metal.
I will now describe the means which I have found to be most con-
venient for dealing with a quantity of fifty-six sheets or plates, cach
twenty by fourteen inches.
A is a filler, consisting of two rows of pegs fastened to a flat framework
of metal or wood.
B is a skeleton basket of iron or other metal, across the lower framing
of which are fastened two supports notched, and somewhat similar in
appearance to the blade of a saw with the edge upwards. To the upper
framing of this basket are attached by hinges or placed by hand two
picces corresponding in every way with the supports which are below,
but with the notched or saw-edges downwards. The basket B is raised
and placed over the filler A, and the sheets of black plate or sheet iron
are placed between the pegs which have been described, the pegs con-
ducting them to the notches on the lower supports of basket B. When
basket B has thus been filled the two upper saw-edges are let down and
fastened or placed by hand in such wise that then the sheets are held by
their edges in notches corresponding both above and below. The basket
is then lifted from the filler A (which remains on the table), and the
basket B with its contents are ready for the bath.
C shows a basket loaded, closed, and ready for the bath. Basket C is
then attached to a small trolley E running on rails fixed to a timber
framing F, and by means of balance weights attached to trolley E
(similar to those in use for raising and lowering gas chandeliers). The
attached basket is successively plunged and withdrawn from baths H, J,
K, L, M, which are fixed for that purpose in a range of brickwork.
When basket C is withdrawn from bath M the sheet iron will be found
to be sufficiently coated with metal, but if it is desired to give a
handsomer finish than can be produced from the clear metal pot M theņ
the basket may be either plunged in a bath of palm oil, and the sheets
subsequently listed as in the old fashioned way; or the plates may be

page_text: removed and passed sheet by sheet through revolving steel rolls, as
employed for finishing in the ordinary process. Such process of finishing
does not affect the coating, but simply improves the appearance of the
sheets which have been pickled, washed, greased, and doubly coated by
the novel process above described, and as before stated the quantity of
sheets to be dealt with is immaterial; it may be larger or smaller,
according to the convenience or requirements of the operator; neither
is the size of the sheets important, as the basket and baths may be
constructed to suit any size sheets, and I do not limit myself to any
particular method of loading or of plunging and withdrawing the basket,
as there are no doubt various methods by which this may be accom-
plished.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I claim as secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, the process of
pickling and coating iron sheets or plates arranged in baskets and
operated on in bulk, from first to last, by mechanical means instead of
sheet by sheet and by hand, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip William Flower, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
PHILIP WILLIAM FLOWER. (1.8.)
Witness to the signature.
of Philip William Flower,
25 February 1875,
CLEM. S. B. GARDNER,
Eaglesbush,
Neath.