Improved Metallic Alloys for Use in the Construction and Repairing of Railways, of the Rolling Stock Required thereon, in the Manufacture of Ordnance, and for other Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improved Metallic Alloys for Use in the Construction and Repairing
of Railways, of the Rolling Stock Required thereon, in the
Manufacture of Ordnance, and for other Purposes.
I, JOSEPH WHITLEY of Railway Works Leeds in the County of York Engineer and
Founder 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:
Whereas hitherto all such material has been formed of wood iron or steel separately
or in conjunction with each other my improvements consist in the substitution of
Aluminium Iron or steel for the construction of Railways but especially for the
production of rails wheels tyres axles and frame work for Locomotive Tender and
carriage sides also plates for boilers boiler tubes and for other purposes, by which
means I produce a stronger and lighter article.
In order to improve the strength of Cast Iron I take ordinary cast pig iron and
melt the same in crucible cupola or other furnace and then add 10% or other quantity
of aluminium to make an alloy which I then run into pig for subsequent mixture.
I then take a given quantity of ordinary cast iron pig and having melted the same
in the crucible cupola or other furnace I take a required quantity of the alloy before
mentioned and add to the molten metal so as to make an iron with Aluminium of
from 1% upwards. The alloy as above may be added to and melted with the general
charge but I prefer to introduce it in a liquid form. Iron thus compounded with
aluminium makes an alloy much stronger than Cast Iron in its original form. When
I requre to make Wrought Iron I take ordinary pig iron as used to-day and having
placed the same in the refining furnace I add according to the weight of the charge a
given quantity of Aluminium previously alloyed with pig iron as stated above so as to
give the total charge 1% of Aluminium or any larger quantity and having run the
refined iron out of its furnace the same is then passed through the puddling and other
processes in the usual way. When I require to manufacture steel in crucibles I
charge the crucible with Swedish or other suitable iron and when the same begins to
fuse I add Aluminium which assists in the liquifaction of the iron at the time it forms
the alloy and which Aluminium may vary from 1% and upwards according to the

page_text: high class quality of Steel required. When I require to produce large quantities of
steel as in the Bessemer process I melt the pig iron as heretofore and.having collected
the same I add pure Aluminium or an Aluminium alloy as above and by preference I
melt the Aluminium or Aluminum alloy and run it into the converter or the
Aluminium or Aluminium alloy may be placed in the converter in its solid state,
before the metal for purification is collected. If I require to make steel on the
Martin-Siemens process I charge the Martin-Siemens furnace with suitable material
as heretofore and immediately before the same begins to fuse I add the required
quantity of Aluminium or Aluminium alloy as above necessary to give to the mass
1% or upwards of Aluminium, or the Aluminium or Aluminium alloy may be run
into the vessel whilst the steel is being collected from the furnace. Alloys so made
may be worked into every class of article for which steel hitherto has been applied
such as rails wheels tyres axles Locomotive Engine Tender and carriage frames, plates
shells and Tubes for steam boilers, guns and mortars and with greater certainty of
success in the manipulation and practical appliance especially when great tensile
strength is required. By introducing the Aluminium whilst the iron or steel proper
is in a semi-plastic state it acts as a powerful flux and immediately reduces the iron or
steel to a liquid thus forming the required Aluminium Iron or Steel ready for ingot
or other form of casting which compound has a considerably greater strength than
any known Iron or steel as manufactured to-day. Therefore by this means now at
my command I am enabled to produce guns mortars and other ordnance of any
required calibre of an hitherto unknown density and strength and which is more than
an equivalent to any explosive force known to the arts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is,
First. The production and application of Aluminium iron or steel substantially as
herein before described.
Second. The use of Aluminium as a flux in the production of iron or steel sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Third. The application of Aluminium iron or steel in the manufacture of rails
wheels tyres and axles for railway purposes substantially as herein before described.
Fourth. The manufacture of Locomotive Engine Tender and carriage frames of
Aluminium iron or steel substantially as herein before described.
Fifth. The manufacture of Aluminium iron or steel plates shells and tubes for
steam boiler and other purposes substantially as herein before described.
Sixth. The manufacture of Aluminium iron or steel into ingot or other form
substantially as herein before described.
Seventh. The casting of Aluminium iron or steel in cylindrical or other forms
previous to subsequent manufacture substantially as herein before described.
Eighth. The manufacture of Aluminium iron or steel in crucibles or in furnaces
substantially as herein before described.
Ninth. The substitution of Aluminium iron or steel for the casting of guns mortars
and other ordnance of any required calibre substantially as herein before described.
Tenth. The remelting of iron or steel in conjunction with Aluminium or an alloy of
Aluminium for the purpose of casting the same into ingots or other castings sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1886.
JOSEPH WHITLEY.