AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ALLOYS OF COPPER AND TIN COMMONLY CALLED BRONZES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE
OF ALLOYS OF COPPER AND TIN COMMONLY CALLED BRONZES."
A com-
munication from abroad by Pierre Dronier, of Paris, in the Republic of France,
Chemist.
Sealed the 9th May 1879, and dated the 9th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th December 1878.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ALLOYS OF COPPER AND TIN COMMONLY CALLED
BRONZES." [A communication from abroad by Pierre Dronier, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Chemist.]
It is well known that the alloys of copper and tin commonly called bronzes are
not capable of being worked under the hammer, rolling mill, or stamps, and have
therefore hitherto only been cast in moulds.
According to the present Invention such alloys are rendered perfectly ductile or
malleable by admixture there with of a small percentage of mercury, the proportion
of which may vary from one half to two per cent. In this operation the mercury
does not appear actually to enter into the composition of the alloy, its effect being
rather a mechanical than a chemical one, and it would seem as though this metal,
assuming as it does a vaporous condition at a comparatively low temperature, and
being disseminated through the liquid mass of the molten alloy, effects the opening
up or separation of the molecules so as to facilitate the penetration of the tin into
the copper, thereby producing a more intimate alloy of the two.
For effecting what may be termed the "mercurisation" of the alloy, the mercury
may either be first added to one or other or to each of the two metals séparately,
being thrown into the moulten mass and then stirred up, or it may be mixed with
the copper at the same time as or immediately after the introduction of the tin.
Di A1

page_text: Good results have been obtained by mixing the mercury with the tin preferably
heated in the proportion of two per cent. to the whole mass, and then adding this
mixture to the melted copper.
The alloy produced by the above nieans is perfectly malleable, and can be
rolled, stamped, spun, and in short treated by any of the processes to which other
malleable metals can be subjected.
The alloy also becomes harder, more elastic, resisting, and sonorous, and is par-
ticularly adapted to the manufacture of musical instruments that have heretofore
been made of brass or copper. It is less oxidisable than the ordinary bronze, and
is applicable with advantage for the apparatus required in the manufacture of sugar
and stearine, in dyeing and similar processes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
June 1879.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ALLOYS OF COPPER AND TIN COMMONLY CALLED
BRONZES." A communication from abroad by Pierre Dronier, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Chemist.
It is well known that the alloys of copper and tin commonly called bronzes are
not capable of being worked under the haminer, rolling mill, or stamps, and have
therefore hitherto only been cast in moulds.
According to the present Invention such alloys are rendered perfectly ductile or
malleable by admixture therewith of a small percentage of mercury, the proportion
of which may vary from one half to two per cent. In this operation the mercury
does not appear actually to enter into the composition of the alloy, its effect being
rather a mechanical than a chemical one, and it would seem as though this metal,
assuming as it does a vapourous condition at a comparatively low temperature, and
being disseminated through the liquid mass of the molten alloy, effects the opening
up or separation of the molecules, so as to facilitate the penetration of the tin into
the copper, thereby producing a more intimate alloy of the two.
For effecting what may be termed the "mercurisation" of the alloy, the mercury
may either be first added to one or other or to each of the two metals separately,
being thrown into the molten mass and then stirred up, or it may be mixed with
the copper at the same time as or immediately after the introduction of the tin.
Good results have been obtained by mixing the mercury with the molten tin in
the proportion of one to two per cent., and then adding this mixture to the melted
copper.
The alloy produced by the above means is perfectly malleable, and can be
rolled, stamped, drawn, chased, and in short treated by any of the processes to
which other malleable metals can be subjected.
The alloy is by the addition of mercury rendered harder, more elastic, resisting,
and sonorous, and is particularly adapted to the manufacture of musical instruments
that have heretofore been made of brass, copper, or silver. Being less oxidisable
than the ordinary bronze it is applicable with advantage for the apparatus required
in the manufacture of sugar and stearine, in dyeing and similar processes.
Mercury may be added as described not only to such bronzes as are simple alloys
of copper and tin, but also to those in which other metals enter along with copper
and tin for the purpose of rendering them more malleable.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim :-
The manufacture of malleable bronzes by adding to the alloys of which they
ordinarily consist a small proportion of mercury, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
CHA³. D. ABEL. (L.S.)