Manufacture of a Compound Metal of Steel and Silver.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Manufacture of a Compound Metal of Steel and Silver.
I, EDOUARD MARTIN, of 46, Rue Dunkerque, Paris, France, Operative, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a compound metal consisting of
sheets or plates of steel and silver firmly united together. It has not been
practicable hitherto to produce a compound metal composed of sheets or plates
of steel and silver so effectually united as to allow of its being bent or otherwise
treated, for the manufacture of articles therefrom without deterioration or
separation of the two metals.
By my present invention I am enabled to produce a compound metal composed
of steel and silver which possesses the above described properties. I proceed
for this purpose as follows:-
I take bars, plates, or ingots of steel of any desired dimensions preferably
about 200 milimetres wide, by 600 milimetres long and from 50 to 100 milimetres
thick.
These plates are pickled and cleaned, so as to avoid all impurities and imper-
fections on the surfaces which are to receive the preparation.
Upon these plates I either deposit a thin layer of copper by electrolysis, or
by hydraulic pressure I apply a thin foil of perfectly pure copper.
In the case of galvanic deposit, I deposit, either after or before the copper
coating, a thin layer of zinc or tin, either on the steel or on the copper. When
this has been effected I heat the bar plate or ingot to a cherry-red heat and
after placing it between two steel plates having very polished surfaces, I subject
it to strong hydraulic pressure.
This operation has for its object to incorporate the copper, zinc, or tin, or
the copper alone, with the steel, in order that in the following operation there
may be no oxidation of the steel and that the united metals may when fused
form a perfectly soldered or brazed union.
When operating by hydraulic pressure, the cleansed steel bars have an electro-
lytic deposit of zinc or tin formed upon them; I prepare an exceedingly thin
foil of copper or bronze and place it on the steel plate, bar, or ingot; upon a
second prepared steel bar I place another thin foil of copper or bronze, and I
then place the two bars upon each other with their copper or bronze foils in
contact, these having been previously coated with flake white in order to prevent
them from uniting, and I tie the bars firmly together in order to prevent any
displacement of the foils. After heating these combined bars, plates, or ingots
to a red heat, I subject them to strong pressure in a hydraulic press. By this
means I obtain steel plates bars or ingots one side of which is adapted to
receive a sheet of silver without oxidation; the above operation may also be
effected by hot rolling.
The plates &c. are then pickled and cleaned, and have a sheet of silver applied
thereto. This may either be of pure silver or it may be alloyed with other metals
for strengthening it, such as aluminium, copper, tin, zinc, but preferably nickel,
in the proportion of from 2 to 5 grammes of nickel to 10 kilos of silver.

page_text: The silver sheet having been made of a weight proportionate to the amount
of silver with which a steel bar of given weight is to be coated, it is carefully
cleaned, like the steel bar, and is placed on the latter. I then place a sheet of
steel, suitably coated to prevent adhesion, upon the silver, and upon the bar thus
prepared I place a second bar similarly provided with a sheet of silver, and if
necessary I combine in like manner a number of prepared bars to form a packet,
the bars being so arranged that the sheets of silver are all enclosed between
the steel bars, in order that they may be protected from the great heat of the
furnace into which the packets are then introduced. When they have been highly
heated I subject the bars to considerable pressure in a hydraulic press, after
which I allow them to cool.
When employing a rolling mill instead of a hydraulic press for exerting the
requisite pressure, I only take two bars with the silver plates situated between
them, so as to be protected against the very high temperature to which the steel
requires to be raised for the hot rolling operation, the heat being regulated
so as to be just below the melting point of the silver.
When the packets of two bars have attained this temperature they are passed
through closed grooves of a rolling mill exerting strong pressure thereon,
whereby the silver sheets will become firmly united to the prepared surfaces of
the steel bars, and I thus obtain the compound bar of steel and silver above
described.
The bars thus obtained are then heated and rolled out to any desired size
and thickness.
According to another method, I effect by electrolysis a deposit of copper, zinc
or tin upon the prepared surface of the steel bar or ingot, and after heating the
same I firmly secure that side thereof which is to be coated with silver against
the opening of a mould of corresponding size, and I then run molten silver
into the mould, thus producing a layer of silver upon the prepared surface of
the bar which layer is by this means firmly united to the bar.
The compound bar thus produced is then heated and subjected to strong
pressure as before, after which it is rolled out to any size and thickness required.
The steel bars, plates or ingots may also be provided with a second sheet
of silver on the opposite side.
Compound bars, plates or ingots produced according to my above described
invention can be used for a great variety of objects or utensils for household
or other purposes, such as for milk cans, sardine boxes, preserve cases, cooking
vessels, grid-irons, moulds, spoons, forks, basins, plates &c.; also for articles
used for military and naval purposes, such as flasks, pannekins, elevating quad-
rants for guns, armour plates &c.
1
I, EDOUARD MARTIN, of 46, Rue Dunkerque, Paris, France, Operative, do 4
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 relates to the manufacture of a compound metal consisting of
sheets or plates of steel and silver firmly united together. It has not been 5
practicable hitherto to produce a compound metal composed of sheets or plates

page_text: of steel and silver so effectually united as to allow of its being bent or otherwise
treated, for the manufacture of articles therefrom without deterioration or
separation of the two metals.
By my present invention I am enabled to produce a compound metal composed
of steel and silver which possesses the above described properties. I proceed
for this purpose as follows:-
I take bars, plates, or ingots of steel of any desired dimensions preferably
about 200 millimetres wide, by 600 millimetres long and from 50 to 100 millimetres
thick.
These plates are pickled and cleaned, so as to avoid all impurities and imper-
fections on the surfaces which are to receive the preparation.
Upon these plates I either deposit a thin layer of copper by electrolysis, or
by hydraulic pressure I apply a thin foil of perfectly pure copper.
In the case of galvanic deposit, I deposit either after or before the copper
coating, a thin layer of zinc or tin, either on the steel or on the copper. When
this has been effected I heat the bar plate or ingot to a cherry-red heat and
after placing it between two steel plates having very polished surfaces, I subject
it to strong hydraulic pressure.
This operation has for its object to incorporate the copper and zinc, or tin, or
the copper alone, with the steel, in order that in the following operation there
may be no oxidation of the steel and that the united metals may when fused
form a perfectly soldered or brazed union.
When operating by hydraulic pressure, the cleansed steel bars have an electro-
lytic deposit of zinc or tin formed upon them; I prepare an exceedingly thin
foil of copper or bronze and place it on the steel plate, bar, or ingot; upon a
second prepared steel bar, I place another thin foil of copper or bronze, and I
then place the two bars upon each other with their copper or bronze foils in
contact, these having been previously coated with flake white in order to prevent
them from uniting, and I tie the bars firmly together in order to prevent any
displacement of the foils. After heating these combined bars, plates or ingots
to a red heat, I subject them to strong pressure in a hydraulic press. By this
means I obtain steel plates bars or ingots one side of which is adapted to
receive a sheet of silver without oxidation; the above operation may also be
effected by hot rolling.
The plates &c. are then pickled and cleaned, and have a sheet of silver applied
thereto. This may either be of pure silver or it may be alloyed with other metals
for strengthening it, such as aluminium, copper, tin, zinc, but preferably nickel,
in the proportion of from 2 to 5 grammes of nickel to 10 kilos of silver.
The silver sheet having been made of a weight proportionate to the amount
of silver with which a steel bar of given weight is to be coated, it is carefully
cleansed, like the steel bar, and is placed on the latter. I then place a sheet of
steel, suitably coated to prevent adhesion, upon the silver, and upon the bar thus
prepared I place a second bar similarly provided with a sheet of silver, and if
necessary I combine in like manner a number of prepared bars to form a packet,
the bars being so arranged that the sheets of silver are all enclosed between
the steel bars in order that they may be protected from the great heat of the
furnace into which the packets are then introduced. When they have been highly
heated I subject the bars to considerable pressure in a hydraulic press, after
which I allow them to cool.
When employing a rolling mill instead of a hydraulic press for exerting the
requisite pressure, I only take two bars with the silver plates situated between
them, so as to be protected against the very high temperature to which the steel
requires to be raised for the hot rolling operation, the heat being regulated
so as to be just below the melting point of the silver.
When the packets of two bars have attained this temperature they are passed
through closed grooves of a rolling mill exerting strong pressure thereon,
whereby the silver sheets will become firmly united to the prepared surfaces of

page_text: the steel bars, and I thus obtain the compound bar of steel and silver above,
described.
The bars thus obtained are then heated and rolled out to any desired size
and thickness.
According to another method, I effect by electrolysis a deposit of copper, zinc,
or tin upon the prepared surface of the steel bar or ingot, and after heating the
same I firmly secure that side thereof which is to be coated with silver against
the opening of a mould of corresponding size, and I then run molten silver
into the mould thus producing a layer of silver upon the prepared surface of
the bar which layer is by this means firmly united to the bar.
The compound bar thus. produced is then heated and subjected to strong
pressure as before, after which it is rolled out to any size and thickness required.
The steel bars, plates or ingots may also be provided with a second sheet
of silver on the opposite side.
Compound bars, plates or ingots produced according to my above described
invention can be used for a great variety of objects or utensils for household
or other purposes, such as for milk cans, sardine boxes, preserve cases, cooking
vessels, grid-irons, moulds, spoons, forks, basins, plates &c. also for articles
used for military and naval purposes, such as flasks, pannekins, elevating quad-
rants for guns, armour plates, &c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. Manufacture of a compound metal of steel and silver consisting in first
forming an adherent coating of copper, tin, or zinc, or of two or more of these,
upon the surface of the steel, and after subjecting it to heat and pressure,
applying to the treated surface a sheet or foil of silver or silver alloy, which is
firmly united thereto by means of heat and pressure substantially as described.
2. In the manufacture of compound metal of steel and silver referred to in
the first claim, effecting the coating of copper tin or zinc on the steel either by
electrolytic deposition or by applying thereto under heating and pressure a thin
sheet or foil of copper, substantially as described.
3. In the manufacture of compound metal of steel and silver referred to in
the first claim, the method of placing two prepared steel plates, sheets or ingots
together with their coated surfaces in contact with each other in order that the
coatings shall be protected against the heat to which the plates are subjected,
substantially as described.
4. In the manufacture of compound metal of steel and silver referred to in
the first claim, the method of placing sheets of silver upon two prepared steel
plates, and after placing these together with their silver sheets facing each
other but separated by a sheet of steel, subjecting them to heat and pressure
substantially as described.
5. In the manufacture of compound metal of steel and silver referred to in
the first claim, the method of placing the steel bar plate, or ingot with its pre-
pared face coated with copper zinc or tin against the opening of a mould and
then pouring molten silver into the mould so as to adhere to the coated face
of the steel bar plate or ingot, substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of March 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.