Process and Apparatus for Uniting Metal Sheets, Bars, and other Articles.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process and Apparatus for Uniting Metal Sheets, Bars, and other
Articles.
A communication from abroad by JOSEPH WILLIAM COMLEY, a Citizen of the
United States, residing at Braddock, in the County of Allegheny, and State
of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Metal Worker.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to uniting or welding metals, but more particularly to
uniting or welding (hereinafter referred to as uniting) two metals of different
density and fusibility, such as copper and iron, or copper and steel.
The primary object of my invention is to unite different metals, as copper and
iron, and copper and steel, into two or more alternate layers in such a manner
that their abutting surfaces may be united so as to provide a perfectly homo-
geneous union, so that the composite block, sheet, or other body may be ham-
mered, rolled, or otherwise worked into different forms, without the liability of the
metals separating by reason of an imperfect union and oxidation or from other
causes.
Another object is to provide a method of treatment by which copper and iron
or copper and steel in the shape of sheets, plates, bars, bolts, &c., &c., may be
united together so as to form a homogeneous union of the two metals, and the
copper purified by eliminating the impurities during the process of uniting.
A further object is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive apparatus or
device by which the metal in the various stages of the process may be under com-
plete control, and whereby the copper or fusible metal may be agitated during
the process of uniting, so that the impurities may be driven off or removed there-
from.
The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described with refer-
ence to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and then
pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a crucible, illus-
trating an iron or steel plate in position for uniting.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the crucible with the lid or cover removed, showing
the ports or vents for agitating or "teasing" the copper.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the composite plate after being passed between
rollers or otherwise reduced in thickness.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of a crucible similar to that shown
in Figure 1, illustrating how two independent plates may be united together.
Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the last mentioned crucible,
taken on the line V-V of Figure 6; the plates being united and the crucible
filled with a suitable substance so as to permit the metals to cool gradually and
prevent chilling.

page_text: Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 4,
after the metals have been united.
Figure 7 is a plan view of a modified form of crucible, which may be. em-
ployed when it is desired to provide a plate of iron or steel having a plate or
coating of copper on its opposite sides.
Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 7
before the insertion of the plate or plates to be welded or united.
Figure 9 is a sectional plan view of the composite plate after its removal from
the crucible.
Figure 10 is a sectional view of the composite plate after being passed through
rollers or otherwise reduced in thickness.
Figure 11 is a sectional view of two plates riveted together, illustrating how
the copper may be welded or united to the plates and rivets so as to prevent
corrosion of their surfaces when used in boiler construction and for ship-building
purposes; and
Figure 12 is a sectional view of a butt-welded rod which may be used to
fasten the ship-plates to the armour-plates of vessels.
Heretofore it has been proposed to plunge the iron or steel into the molten
copper and then chill, roll, or hammer the combined metals; or to fix the plates
one upon the other and then raise their temperature to a high degree of heat
and while in such condition roll or hammer them so as to unite their abutting
surfaces. It has also been proposed to cast upon or around an iron or steel
core a covering of copper or other ductile metal and then roll the combined ingot
into flat form by rolls, or otherwise; but such processes and others which have
been heretofore proposed, while serving in a measure to unite the metals, fail to
give satisfactory results in practice for uniting purposes, owing to the fact that
the union is not a perfectly homogeneous one, although the iron or steel may
have been perfectly freed from scale or rust prior to uniting.
As a metal worker for the last twenty years I have personally conducted many
experiments in uniting metals, including such as those above mentioned, and
others having in view the successful uniting of copper and iron or copper and
steel, and as a result of such experiments I have discovered a method of treating
the metals which I will now proceed to describe, and whereby I have overcome
the objectionable features of previous methods and by means of which two or
more different metals may be homogeneously united at their abutting surfaces,
so that the composite mass, block, or sheet of metal, may be hammered, rolled,
or otherwise worked, into different forms.
In carrying the invention into effect it is essential that the iron or steel, before
uniting the copper thereto, should be thoroughly freed from scale or rust, for
the reason that this class of oxides is very injurious to the process of uniting
the metals and will prevent a perfect union. Any suitable means may be em-
ployed for cleaning the surface of the metal and any suitable means may be
employed for holding the metal bar or bars, sheet or sheets, during the process
of uniting or welding. When a single sheet or body of copper is to be united
to a sheet or body of iron or steel, I preferably employ a black-lead crucible of
any desired shape.
I have illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 a preferred form, in which the body A
of the crucible is rectangular and provided with slightly sloping sides, so as to
permit the ready insertion or removal of the plates, and has preferably a series
of vertically arranged ports or vents a, arranged along the sloping sides thereof
and which extend from the upper edges of the sides and ends to the bottom
thereof; said body being provided with carbon or other refractory blocks or
rests b, located in the lower portion of each corner and adapted to support the
plate or sheet of iron or steel c¹ resting thereon, as shown in Figure 1, above the
bottom of the crucible, in order to provide a space beneath said plate correspond-
ing to the thickness of copper desired. The space beneath the plate c¹ may now
be filled with molten or fused copper through one or more of the vents or ports a,

page_text: and the cover or lid C being then placed upon the body A and held in position
in any suitable manner, the crucible with its contents is placed in a suitable
furnace and the heat is raised preferably gradually to a high degree, varying
from 2600° to 2800° Fahrenheit, according to the metals used. In all cases the
heat should be raised above the fusing point of one metal or the copper and below
the fusing point of the other. Where wrought iron or steel is used, a tempera-
ture of from 2600° to 2800° Fahrenheit is employed, and for cast iron about
2600° Fahrenheit; the heat being preferably maintained for fifteen or twenty
minutes, or until all the impurities have been thoroughly worked out of the
molten copper. This very desirable result of purifying the copper is obtained
or assisted by removing the lid or cover and using a puddling rod to agitate or
tease the copper through the vent or port holes a, so as to effect the elimination
of the sulphurous acid gas from the copper, as well as to bring or force the
oxides to the port holes, from which they may be gathered upon the puddling rod
and removed. After the scum ceases to form, I may take a piece of green wood,
if convenient, or a piece of hard wood, and thrust it into the molten copper,
causing thereby a violent ebullition or agitation which further frees the copper
of its sulphurous acid. The port holes are then carefully examined to determine
if there is sufficient molten copper in the crucible to form the desired thickness,
and, if not, sufficient scrap or other copper may be added to make up for the
deficiency. The crucible, if in an open fire or furnace, is now filled with a suit-
able substance to prevent too rapid cooling or chilling, equal parts of powdered
charcoal and sand or brick dust being preferably used for this purpose, so as to
entirely cover the plates and fill the port-holes, whereupon the crucible with its
contents is carefully removed from the furnace; but, if the crucible is placed in
a closed furnace, the charcoal and sand are to be added immediately after the
crucible is removed from the furnace, and while the copper is still in a molten
state. As soon as the copper is solidified the united or welded plate may be
removed from the crucible, and for greater economy in manufacture may be at
once rolled or otherwise worked, or may be stacked one upon another, preferably
with the iron uppermost, so as to prevent buckling while cooling.
In uniting copper and cast iron, the process should be carefully guarded,
otherwise the metals might amalgamate; and where high carbon steels are mani-
pulated, the process should receive very careful attention.
Instead of charging the crucible with a plate of iron or steel and molten
copper, as thus far described, I may place a plate or body of copper c upon the
supports b, and arrange upon the copper the sheet or body of steel or iron c¹, to
be united thereto, as shown in Figure 4. In this case the crucible is first covered
and then placed in a furnace so as to fuse the copper and permit the iron or steel
plate to drop and rest upon the supports or blocks b, after which the metals are
raised to a high degree of heat, say 2800° Fahrenheit, for copper and steel, and
treated in the manner hereinbefore described.
When the iron or steel is to be plated or united on both sides with copper,
I may employ a crucible such as is shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this case the
body D of the crucible has the vents or ports d, in its sides, and grooves d' in
its ends; said grooves being preferably centrally arranged and adapted to be
engaged by the ends of the iron or steel plate, or by tongues formed thereon,
so that said plate may be properly aligned endwise and held so as to provide a
space on opposite sides thereof equal to the thickness of the copper desired. It
is preferable first to warm the crucible, and after charging it with a plate pre-
viously freed from dust and scale, the molten copper is poured into the crucible
through the vents in the sides or otherwise, so as to fill the spaces on opposite
sides of the plate. The crucible may now be covered with the lid E and placed
in the furnace, when the heat may be raised to 2600° or 2800° Fahrenheit, accord-
ing to the metals treated, and the process carried out in all essential particulars
in the manner heretofore explained.
I thus provide a perfectly homogeneous union of the different metals, so as to

page_text: effectually prevent their separation by oxidation, rolling, hammering, or other-
wise working the same, and provide means whereby the copper may be purified
during the uniting process.
Instead of providing crucibles constructed as shown, it may be desirable in
some instances, particularly for the manufacture of heavy plates, or to unite
large quantities of copper to iron or steel, to construct a crucible of fire brick
lined with black-lead or other suitable mixture which must be thoroughly dried
and baked. I do not desire to limit my process to the uniting of copper and iron
and copper and steel, as other metals which are fusible at different temperatures
may be united by such process, and some of the steps of the process might be
omitted or their order changed, without departing from the spirit of my inven-
tion, though I preferably employ the several steps mentioned in the order stated.
It will be understood, of course, that the foregoing method of welding or unit-
ing may be applied in the manufacture of composite sheets, plates and bars of
copper and iron or steel and also various mechanical appliances, such as trolleys,
pulleys, rollers, bolts, rivets, hammers and various other tools, by simply provid-
ing suitable crucibles for effecting the union of the two metals according to
the nature and character of the article to be produced and the use to which it is
to be put.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
1 The method of uniting two metals which are fusible at different tempera-
tures, which consists in liquifying the more fusible metal and causing the less
fusible metal to contact therewith, and then raising the temperature of both
metals while thus in contact to a temperature considerably greater than the fusing
temperature of the more fusible metal, and almost to the fusing point of the less
fusible metal, whereby a homogeneous union of the metals may be effected, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The method of uniting two metals which are fusible at different tempera-
tures, which consists in liquifying the more fusible metal and bringing the same
into contact with the surface of the less fusible metal, raising the temperature
of both metals while thus in contact to a temperature above the fusing point of
the more fusible metal but below the fusing point of the less fusible, agitating the
molten metal so as to drive off the impurities, and finally solidifying the molten
metal while in contact with the metal to be united or welded thereto, whereby
the molten metal may be purified and a homogeneous union secured between the
metals, substantially as described.
3. The method of uniting copper and iron or copper and steel, which consists
in forming a liquified layer of the desired thickness of copper in contact with the
surface or surfaces of the iron or steel, then raising the temperature of both
metals while thus in contact to a degree above the fusing point of the copper
and almost to the fusing point of the iron or steel, and finally solidifying the
copper while in contact with the iron or steel, whereby a homogeneous union
of the metals may be secured, substantially as described.
4. The method of uniting copper and iron or copper and steel, which consists
in forming a liquified layer of the desired thickness of copper in contact with the
surface or surfaces of the iron or steel, then raising the temperature of both
metals while thus in contact to a high degree of heat above the fusing point of
the copper, but below the fusing point of the iron or steel, eliminating the im-
purities from the copper by agitating or teasing the molten metal, and finally
solidifying the copper while in contact with the iron or steel, whereby a homo-
geneous union may be secured between the metals, substantially as described.
5. The method of uniting copper and iron or copper and steel, which consists
in forming a layer or layers of copper in contact with the surface or surfaces of
the iron or steel, then gradually raising the temperature of both metals while

page_text: thus in contact to a degree of heat considerably above the fusing point of the
copper but below the fusing point of the iron or steel, agitating the molten copper
so as to remove or drive off the impurities contained therein, and finally gradually
cooling the metals so as to solidify the copper while in contact with the iron or
steel, whereby the copper may be purified and a homogeneous union secured
between the metals, substantially as described.
6. The method of uniting copper and iron or copper and steel, substantially
as hereinbefore described, which consists in producing a layer or layers of molten
copper in contact with the previously cleaned surface or surfaces of the iron or
steel, then raising the temperature of the metals to the boiling point of the copper
and approximating. the fusing point of the iron or steel, agitating the molten
copper to eliminate impurities, then covering the metals thus treated while still
highly heated with a heat-retaining medium and permitting the metals to
gradually cool, substantially as described.
7. A crucible for uniting copper and iron or copper and steel, comprising a
body-portion provided with vents or port-holes therein, means for supporting an
iron or steel plate so as to provide a space for the copper between the inner sur-
face of said body-portion and the surface of the plate, and a lid adapted to
fit over the body-portion and enclose the metals within the same, substantially
as described.
8. A crucible for uniting copper and iron and copper and steel, comprising a
body-portion provided with vents or port-holes in the sides thereof, non-fusible
means for supporting the iron or steel plate above the bottom of the body-portion
so as to provide a space for the copper, and a lid for enclosing the plate within
said body-portion, substantially as described.
T
1 100%
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.