Improvements in the Method of Hardening and Tempering Steel Wire.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 2nd May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 3rd June, 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Hardening and Tempering
Steel Wire.
We JAMES PINDER, of Moor End, Cleckheaton in the County of York, Mechanic,
and BOTTOMLEY WOODCOOK, of South Parade, Cleckheaton aforesaid, Stone Carver,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the hardening and tempering of steel wire in con-
tinuous lengths without the appearance of scale or film upon the surface, so that the
wire may retain the same brightness after undergoing the hardening and tempering
process as it had previous to passing through the heated furnace.
Hitherto, when it was desirable to produce bright wire cards, with steel wire, the
wire has had to be re-polished after the process of hardening and tempering.
We accomplish our object in the following manner, by leading and protecting the
steel wire into, through, and out of the heated furnace for hardening, and protecting
it while in a heated state for tempering, from the oxygen in the atmosphere; by con-
ducting the wire through a small tube into the furnace box filled with powdered
material, and from the said box through a similar tube to a cistern containing oil, by
which the wire is cooled and hardened. The oil is then removed from the surface of
the wire, and is tempered by passing through a cistern containing powdered material
heated by gas or other means, thus heating the wire to the necessary degree, which
then passes through a tube into another cistern filled with powdered material for
cooling and tempering the same, and is drawn from the last named cistern on to a
winding pulley, as bright and free from scale or any colored film as it was before
entering the tube leading into the furnace box.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.

page_text: We, JAMES PINDER, of Moor End, Cleckheaton, in the County of York, Mechanic,
and BOTTOMLEY WOODCOCK, of South Parade, Cleckheaton, aforesaid, Stone Cutter,
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:
This invention has for its object the hardening and tempering of steel wire in con-
tinuous lengths without the appearance of scale or film upon the surface, so that the
wire may retain the same brightness after undergoing the hardening and tempering
process as it had previons passing through the heated furnace.
Hitherto when it was desirable to produce bright wire cards with hardened and
tempered steel wire, the wire had to be re-polished after the process of hardening and
tempering.
We accomplish our object by leading the wire into, through, and out of the heated
furnace for hardening, and protecting it while in a heated state for tempering from
oxygen in the atmosphere, in a manner which we will explain by reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of our apparatus,
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 a transverse section through line a. b., the recessed
lid being in the position occupied when heating the wire. Fig. 4 is a detail end view
of the trays we employ. Fig. 5 a longitudinal section through a portion of two of
the trays. Fig. 6 a transverse section through the heating tray for tempering.
Figs. 7 and 8 views of the nozzle or tube for leading the wires into the furnace box.
Figs. 9 and 10 views of the nozzle or tube and pad through which the wires pass at
the outlet end of the furnace box, and the remaining figures details hereinafter
explained.
The apparatus is so arranged that, one or several lengths of steel wire W may be
passed through at the same time, the wire being drawn through the apparatus from
one or more pullies at one end, by similar pullies at the opposite end in the same
manner as in ordinary machines.
The wire W to be hardened and tempered is conducted into the furnace through a
nozzle A, in which are as many small holes as lengths of wire to be hardened and
tempered. The furnace box or trough B may be heated from below by fire, gas, or
other well known means, and is divided by two bars C, of metal or other material
extending the length of the said box or trough, and between which the wires pass;
each end of the box or trough being protected by a plate D shewn by detail
Fig. 11.

page_text: The furnace box or trough B is filled with fine powdered substance such as slaked
lime, and when the ends of the wires have been passed through the several vessels to
the rotating pulley or pullies at the opposite end; the furnace box B, is covered with
a recessed lid B³, which imbeds itself in the powdered substance, the wires passing
between the bars C imbedded in the said powdered substance, are thus protected; the
oxygen being thereby prevented coming in contact with the heated wires in the
furnace box B, thus obviating oxidation.
The wires are led out and from the said furnace box, through a nozzle A¹ similar to
the one before mentioned without the same coming in contact with the oxygen, the
outer end projecting through the opening D₁, in plate D, shewn by Fig. 11, and
supported by the bracket &, shewn by details Figs. 9 and 10; the opposite end of
the nozzle A¹ being in contact with a pad of asbestos H, between the plates H¹; the
upper one of which can be raised by the operation of cam lever J, and when closed
as shewn, prevents the air getting to the wires, and the oil passing through the holes
of the said nozzle A¹ into the furnace box.
The plates H' and asbestos pad project into the hardening tray K, which we incline
towards the furnace box B so that, the said plates and pad of asbestos are immersed in
oil supplied in a constant stream by pipe L from the elevated cistern L'; the oil over-
flowing into the bottom tray K¹, and is conveyed therefrom by escape pipe M into a
cistern.
The wires on leaving the asbestos pad H, are cooled by the oil as described and
thereby hardened, and on leaving the tray K, they pass between one or more weighted
pads similar to the one shewn by detail Fig. 12, the faces of which are coated with
cloth or other flexible material for removing the oil from off the surface of the cold
hardened wires. On leaving the last mentioned pads, the hardened wires pass through
the narrow slits N, of covered box N¹, which is filled with a similar powdered material
to that in the furnace box B, for the purpose of removing and absorbing any oil that
may remain on the wires, which pass through similar narrow slits at the opposite end
of the said box into another covered box P, which we prefer to make of copper,
filling the same with fine powdered slaked lime or other substance, which is heated by
the gas burner P¹, or other means, to such a degree of heat that the wires are heated,
and passing through similar narrow slits N, at the opposite end of the covered box,
into another covered box P filled with similar powdered material, they are cooled and
tempered to the degree suitable for card clothing or other purposes; the wires being
drawn from the last named box by drums or winding pullies as bright and free from
scale or coloured film as they were before entering the nozzle A leading into the
furnace B.
The temperature of the powdered substance in the interior of the covered box P,
may for our purpose be ascertained by inserting in the said box, a tube R formed
somewhat as shewn by sectional view Fig. 6, and placing therein a quantity of
ordinary tinner's solder, which is melted by the heat in the box; the gas jets being so
regulated that, the film on the surface of the melted solder in the cup R' is of the
colour required for obtaining the desired temper.
By hardening and tempering wire in the manner described by excluding the oxygen
from the same whilst in a heated state, we obtain tempered wire better adapted for the
manufacture of card clothing, inasmuch as, the wire is not only of the same temper
throughout, but there is no hard scale or film on the surface which has hitherto caused
much wear and tear to card setting machines. By our improvement the wire also
retains its smoothness and brightness, and the cards produced with our wire are as
"kind" as those manufactured with polished iron wire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1st. The hereinbefore described process of hardening and tempering steel wire
the essential novelty in such process consisting in the protection of the wire from
oxidation in the manner indicated.

page_text: 2nd. The hereinbefore described process for preparing steel wire for cards so as to
be bright and free from scale or coloured film and suitably hardened and tempered
consisting in treating bright steel wire in the manner and with the precautions
hereinbefore described.
3rd. Hardening and tempering steel wire by drawing it through a succession of
appliances viz., firstly, a heating box, secondly a vessel of oil, thirdly a set of rubbing
pads, fourthly a powder box, fifthly a heated tempering box, and sixthly a cooling
box, the boxes through which the wire passes in its first, fourth; fifth and sixth
stages, being charged with powdered material the first being provided with mouth-
pieces or nozzles to protect the wire against access of air substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4th. The combined improved apparatus described hereinbefore and illustrated in
the drawings for hardening and tempering steel wire according to our improved
process without oxidation.