IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING STEEL AND IRON, AND IN HARDENING AND TEMPERING STEEL, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Chesterman, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING
STEEL AND IRON, AND IN HARDENING AND TEMPERING STEEL, AND IN
APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 17th January 1862, and dated the 24th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Chesterman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1861.
I, JAMES CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HEATING STEEL AND IRON, AND IN HARDENING AND TEMPERING STEEL, AND IN
APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
Steel has heretofore been passed in a naked state through molten metal,
generally lead, for the purposes of heating it for hardening and tempering, but
inconveniences have attended the process, and from the lead having been
exposed to the atmosphere oxidation and loss have ensued.
Now, the first part of my Invention consists in enclosing the lead or other
metal or material to be melted, and in protecting it from the atmosphere in a
suitable bath or vessel provided with a safety valve, and in forming a passage
or passages through the same, by means of tubes or otherwise, through which
CDQ,71

page_text: the ribband or other steel article to be heated, hardened, or tempered may be
drawn without coming in contact with the molten metal or material.
In the next place, in lieu of molten metal, my Invention consists in the
employment of salt or soda ash or other suitable material (except metal) or
compound, which will become liquid under heat, and at such temperature as
will be suitable for properly heating iron or for heating steel, for hardening
and tempering, either in open or closed vessels, and in passing the steel article
to be hardened or tempered, or both, or the iron to be heated into or into
and through the said bath while in a hot and melted state.
My Invention, lastly, consists of a pyrometer to be employed in the heating
of steel, for hardening and tempering, composed of a metal bar or bars, which
by expansion, when a given heat is attained in the baths, shall act upon a bell
or other signal, and so arrest the attention of the attendant.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Chesterman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Chesterman Her special licence that I, the said James
Chesterman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Chesterman, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING STEEL AND IRON, AND IN HARDENING AND TEMPERING
STEEL. AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Chesterman, my executors or administrators,
by au instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same

page_text: 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 James Chesterman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
Steel has heretofore been passed in a naked state through molten metal,
generally lead, for the purposes of heating it for hardening and tempering, but
inconveniences have attended the process, and from the lead having been
exposed to the atmosphere oxidation and loss have ensued.
Now, the first part of my Invention consists in enclosing the lead or other
metal or material to be melted, and in protecting it from the atmosphere in a
suitable bath or vessel, and in forming a passage or passages through the same,
by means of tubes or otherwise, through which the ribband or other steel
article to be heated, hardened, or tempered may be drawn without coming in
contact with the molten metal or material.
In the next place, in lieu of molten metal, my Invention consists in the
employment of what I herein-after term a flux, consisting of chloride of sodium
or common salt, soda ash, sal enixum, chloride of zinc, chloride of potassium,
chloride of calcium, alum, borax, either together or separately, or of any other
mineral or compound of minerals which will become liquid under heat, andat
such temperature as will be suitable for properly heating iron, or for heating
steel for hardening and tempering, either in open or closed vessels; but the
higher the degree of heat required, the greater should be the proportion of
soda ash or sal enixum. The steel article to be hardened or heated, or both,
is passed into and through the flux while in a hot and melted state. The steel
being kept from the action of the atmosphere no scale or oxide results. Those
articles requiring to be hardened or tempered, when removed from the melted
composition, are immersed in oil or water, or in any other fluid capable of
effecting a similar purpose.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a sectional elevation of a furnace
or apparatus for heating steel and iron constructed and fitted according to one
part of my Invention.
A, A, is the brickwork of the furnace surrounding the fire; B is a pan or
vessel made of metal or clay for containing molten metal, or the flux befc.re
described, and provided with a cover B1; C, C, C, are pipes made of iron or
clay immersed in the metal or flux, and through which pipes the metal to be
heated is led; E, E, are the fire bars, and F, F, are the bearers; G is a conical

page_text: cover or cupola to the furnace terminating in a pipe G', which is free to slide
up and down, as required, in the outer tube H, so as to form a close or open
furnace. The operation is as follows:-Lead or the flux before described is
placed and kept in a molten state in the pan B, the strip or strips of steel or
iron to be heated are led through the pipes C, C, C, whereby it or they is or
are heated without coming in contact with the lead or the flux. After being
heated, the steel is hardened by passing it through or between metal plates, oil,
water, or lead heated to any required temperature or through any other fluid
capable of effecting a similar purpose in the usual manner.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 3 a horizontal section of a
furnace similar in construction to that just described, but in which the pan or
vessel there marked B is dispensed with, and the flux aforesaid is placed in the
tubes C, C, C, through which the steel or iron is passed.
Similar letters refer to corresponding parts in these and the previous Figure.
For tempering the steel I employ chloride of zinc in combination with salt
or any other minerals capable of being melted at a moderate heat, and the
lower the heat required to effect this the greater amount of chloride of zinc
should be used, or the ordinary modes of tempering may be adopted.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a furnace more particularly adapted for
hardening or tempering large articles, such as hand or other kinds of saws,
swords, bayonets, spindles, machine knives, and other articles. A, A, is the
brickwork surrounding the fire; B is the metal or clay pan or retort containing
the flux, it rests on the fire, and is kept in place by bearers of iron or clay;
B¹ is the cover to the same; C, C, are the fire-bars resting on the bearers D, D ;
E is the dome or cupola and chimney or pipe, as before; and F is the fire-
place.
Figure 5 is a front elevation, and Figure 6 a vertical section of a furnace,
more particularly adapted for heating and hardening small articles, such as
razor blades and other cutlery. A is the outer case of the furnace; B is a
metal or clay lining to the same; C is the grate or fire-bars; D is the pan or
vessel made of any suitable fire-resisting material for containing the flux before
described, and in which the articles to be heated and hardened are placed; E
is the fire-place; F is the conical cover, which may be made to rise and fall
as before described; and G is a door in the cover; H, H', are dampers or
valves, one in the pipe above, and the other below the fire for regulating and
increasing the draft of the furnace or one of such dampers only may be used.
A great advantage resulting from the employment of my flux is, that the
articles cannot be overheated; for example, if a razor blade be made red hot
and be left, say, an hour in the flux, even the thin part of the blade will not

page_text: be in the least injured; moreover, the uniform heat which the steel receives
prevents its cracking, or becoming what is termed "water cracked;" and,
lastly, in consequence of the steel being protected from the action of the
atmosphere, the finest mark on it remains unimpaired. The steel articles
come from the oil or water clean and bright, which is of great importance,
particularly in hardening files, dies for buttons, coining, and for other
purposes.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
the particular shape, size, or construction of furnace before described, as the
same may be varied to suit, for example, the shape or size of the article or
articles to be heated or hardened without departing from my Invention; but
I claim as my "Improvements in Heating Steel and Iron, and in Hardening
and Tempering Steel, and in Apparatuses employed therein,"
First, heating steel and iron for the purposes of forging, annealing, harden-
ing, and tempering, by passing the steel or iron through a tube immersed in
lead, or in the flux herein-before described, contained in a vessel in which the
lead or flux is protected from the action of the atmosphere, substantially in
manner herein-before described.
Second, the employment of the flux consisting of one or more of the minerals
herein-before described in the heating of iron and steel, substantially in manner
before described.
Third, the construction and arrangement of apparatuses or furnaces for
heating iron, and heating and hardening steel, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Chesterman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES CHESTERMAN. (L.S.)