IMPROVEMENTS IN DEPOSITING ALLOWS OF MEMATE"
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Timothy Morris, of Birmingham, Manufac-
turer, and William Johnson, of Washwood Heath, near Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEPOSITING ALLOWS OF MEMATE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Timothy Morris
and William Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th December 1852.
We, TIMOTHY MORRIS, of Birmingham, Manufacturer, and WIL-
LIAM JOHNSON, of Warkwood Heath, near Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEPOSITING ALLOYS OF METALS" to be
as follows: _
Our improvement consists in the employment of solutions com-
posed of cyanide of potassium, and carbonate of ammonia, to which
is added cyanides, carbonates, or other compounds of metals, in the
proportions we wish them to be deposited. Thus, for the well known

page_text: alloy brass, we take carbonate of aminonia and cyanide of potassium
(in the proportions hereafter to be stated); we add to the solution
cyanides or other compounds of copper, and cyanides or other com-
pounds of zinc, in the proportion to give the quality of brass desired
to be deposited; or, we take the before named solution of cyanide of
potassium and carbonate of ammonia, and a sheet of brass of the
desired quality, and make it the anode (in the solution named) of a
powerful galvanic battery or magneto-electric machine, and continue
this operation till the solution has taken up a sufficient quantity to
produce a reguline deposit.
To obtain the deposit, a galvanic battery or magneto-electric
machine may be employed, and the solution may be used cold; but
we prefer using it heated from 150 to 212 degrees of Fahrenheit's
thermometer, and employ a galvanic battery or magneto-electric
inachine capable of evolving hydrogen freely from the cathode, or
article attached thereto.
The carbonate of ammonia alluded to is the carbonate of
commerce, or the sesquicarbonate of chemists; the other carbonates
of ammonia may be employed, but we prefer the former.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Timothy Morris and William Johnson,
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc,
TIMOTHY MORRIS, of Birmingham, Manufacturer, and WILLIAM JOHN-
SON, of Washwood Heath, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Timothy Morris and
William Johnson, Her special license that we, the said Timothy

page_text: Morris and William Johnson, our executors, administrators, and as-
signs, or such others as we, the said Timothy Morris and William
Johnson, our 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 DEPOSITING ALLOYS OF METALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Timothy
Morris and William Johnson (or one of us), by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and scal
of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and inmediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Timothy Morris and William
Johnson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what inanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof
(that is to say):
Our improvements consist in the employment of solutions com-
posed of cyanide of potassium, and carbonate of ammonia, to which
is added cyanides, carbonates, or other compounds of metals, in the
proportions we wish them to be deposited. Thus, for the well
known alloy brass, we take carbonate of ammonia and cyanide of
potassium (in the proportions hereafter to be stated); we add to
the solution cyanides or other compounds of copper, and cyanides
or other compounds of zinc, in the proportion to give the quality of
brass desired to be deposited: or, we take the before named solution
of cyanide of potassium, and carbonate of ammonia, and a sheet of
brass of the desired quality, and make it the anode (in the solution
named) of a powerful galvanic battery or magneto-electric machine,
and continue this operation till the solution has taken up a sufficient
quantity to produce a reguline deposit.

page_text: To obtain the deposit, a galvanic battery or magneto-electric
machine may be employed, and the solution may be used cold; but
we prefer using it heated from 150 to 212° of Fahrenheit's thermo-
ineter, and employ a galvanic battery or magneto-electric machine
capable of evolving hydrogen freely from the cathode, or article at-
tached thereto.
:
The carbonate of ammonia alluded to is the carbonate of com-
merce, or the sesquicarbonate of chemists. The other carbonates of
ammonia may be employed, but we prefer the former; and in
order that our said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried ino effect, we will proceed to describe the means
pursued by us.
Our improvements consist in the employment of solutions com-
posed of carbonate of ammonia. This carbonate of ammonia is the
carbonate of ammonia of coininerce, or the sesquicarbonate of am-
monia of chemists. Other carbonates of ammonia may be employed,
but we prefer the former, and cyanide of potassium, to which are
added carbonates, cyanides, or other compounds of metals, in the
proportion we wish them to be deposited. Thus, for the well known
alloy brass, we take carbonate of ammonia and cyanide of potassium
in the following proportions; namely, to each or every gallon of
water one lb. of carbonate of ammonia, and one lb. of cyanide of
potassium, two ounces of cyanide of copper, and one ounce of cy-
anide of zinc. These proportions may be varied to a considerable
extent. Or we take the before named solution of carbonate of am-
monia and cyanide of potassium, in the proportion of one lb. of
cach to one gallon of water. We then take a large sheet of brass,
of the desired quality, and make it the anode, or positive electrode, in
the aforesaid solution of a powerful galvanic battery or magneto-
electric machine, and a small piece of metal, and make it the cathode,
or negative electrode, from which hydrogen must be freely evolved.
Continue this operation till the solution has taken up a sufficient
quantity of the brass to produce a reguline deposit. The solution
may be used cold; but it is desirable in many cases to heat it, ac-
cording to the nature of the article or articles to be deposited upon, 3

page_text: up to 212° of Fahrenheit's thermometer.
For wrought or fancy
work, about 150° Fahrenheit will give excellent results. The gal-
vanic battery or magneto-electric machine must be capable of
evolving hydrogen freely from the cathode, or negative electrode,
or article attached thereto. We prefer having a large anode, or
positive electrode, as this favors the evolution of hydrogen. The
article or articles treated as before described will immediately
become coated with brass. By continuing the process, any desired
thickness may be obtained. Should the copper have a tendency to
come down in a greater proportion than is desired, which may be
known by the deposit assuming too red an appearance, it is cor-
rected by the addition of carbonate of ammonia, or by the reduction
of temperature when the solution is heated. Should the zinc have
a tendency to come down in too great a proportion, which may be
seen by the deposit being too pale in its appearance, we correct
it by the addition of cyanide of potassium, or by an increase of
temperature.
The alloy German silver is deposited by means of a solution con-
sisting of carbonate of ammonia and cyanide of potassium (in the
proportions previously given for the brass), and cyanides or other
compounds of nickel, copper, and zinc, in the requisite proportions
to constitute German silver; but we prefer making the solution by
means of the galvanic battery or magneto-electric machine, as
above described for brass. Should the copper of the German silver
come down in too great a proportion, we correct it by adding car-
bonate of ammonia, which brings down the zinc more freely;
and should it be necessary to bring down the copper in greater
quantity, we add cyanide of potassium, such treatment being
similar to that of the brass before described.
The solutions for the alloys of gold, silver, and other alloys of
metals are made in the same manner as above stated, by employing
anodes of the alloy or alloys to be deposited, or by adding to the
solutions the carbonates, cyanides, or other compounds, in the pro-
portions forming the various alloys, always using, in depositing, an
anode of the required alloy. These solutions are subject to the

page_text: same treatment and controul as those of the brass and German silver
before described.
What we particularly claim is, the combination of the carbonate
of ammonia, before named, or other carbonates of ammonia, and
cyanide of potassium, as the ingredients for our solutions for depo-
siting alloys of metal.
In witness whereof, we, the said Timothy Morris and Wiliiam
Johnson, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Twenty-
fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
TIMOTHY MORRIS. (L.S.)
WILLIAM JOHNSON. (L.S.)
4, Old Square, Lincoln's Inn.