AN IMPROVED MEANS OR PROCESS OF HARDENING AND TEMPERING STEEL WIRE FOR CARDS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN THORNTON Machine Maker and HENRY ELLISON Chemical Manu-
facturer both of Cleckheaton in the county of York, do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for "AN IMPROVED MEANS OR PROCESS OF HARDENING AND
TEMPERING STEEL WIRE FOR CARDS AND OTHER PURPOSES" to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is by a simple and easy method to evenly and
efficiently, harden and temper steel wire, to any suitable degree, without coating
the skin of the wire with refuse from oil, lead, or the like ingredients now used.
I employ a furnace or oven for heating the wire, in which any substance such as -
coke, coal, oil, gas, or other fuel (to produce the required heat) may be used, the
wire passes from wincels through the heated furnace, and through a box, or
chamber, where it is submitted to a blast of air, cold, partially cold, or refrigerated,
but cold air I find does sufficiently well, the air is produced by a fan, which may
also be used for heating the furnace, the hardness, or temper of the steel, depends
upon the strength of the air blast, which is regulated by the ordinary valve of
the fan.

page_text: We JOHN THORNTON of Northgate Cleckheaton Card Setting Machine Maker
and HENRY ELLISON of Cleckheaton Chemical Manufacturer both in the county of
York do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MEANS OR PROCESS FOR HARDENING AND TEMPERING STEEL WIRE. FOR CARDS
AND OTHER PURPOSES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of our invention is by a simple, easy, and inexpensive method to
evenly and efficiently harden and temper steel wire to any suitable degree of
hardness without forming a coat or scale on the shin of the wire as heretofore.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 shews an elevation partly in section of apparatus for carrying out our
improved process of hardening and tempering continuous lengths of steel wire
A is the gantry or frame of apparatus supported by legs B, C is a burner on the
bunsen principle, that is, burning part gas and part air, for heating the wire D, as
it passes from wincels E to wincels F, a coke or coal. furnace, or other means may
be used for heating the wire, the wire passes through a tube H, (of metal, fire clay,
plumbago, asbestos, or other suitable material to protect the wire), to the hardening
and tempering box J, which may be made to hinge and open when required, when
passing through this box or vessel, it is subjected to a blast or current of air
brought from a receiver by pipe K, and produced by a fan, blower, or other
suitable means, the hardness or temper of the wire is partly regulated by the
ordinary valve of the fan, blast or blower; to further reduce, tone down or soften
the temper of the wire, it passes over the small pan M, of boiling or heated lead to
the wincel F, the lead pan being heated by gas or other means, one, two three or
other numbers of wires may be passing through the apparatus and be hardened
and tempered at the samo time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our sid
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we do not limit
ourselves to any particular construction of arrangement of oven hardening box or
pan, nor to any particular means of heating the same, but we declare that what
we claim is
The use and employment of a blast of air in hardening and tempering continuous
lengths of steel wire for carding, and other purposes.