AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING METALS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING
METALS." A communication from abroad by James Morgan
Bottum, of the City and State of New York, in the United States
of America, Manufacturer of Watch Makers' Tools.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph
Barnard Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 15th July 1869.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 35, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR
ANNEALING METALS," a communication to me from abroad by James
Morgan Bottum, of the City and State of New York, in the United
States of America, Manufacturer of Watch Makers' Tools, to be as
follows:-
In carrying out this Invention an annealing pot of any common or
suitable form is employed, within which the metal to be annealed may

page_text: be packed in charcoal or other material, and the whole introduced into
the furnace for heating in the customary manner. When the heating
is completed the pot is removed from the furnace and placed in the
improved cooling chamber, which is then closed air-tight until the
The
gradual cooling of the metal within the annealing pot is finished.
annealing pot during this process is preferably supported out of contact
with the external walls of the chamber, and the cooling chamber itself
is preferably supported in such a manner as to lessen or avoid any
unequal conduction of heat from its various parts. If the cooling
chamber be of large size it will be lined on the interior with fire-brick
or other non-conducting material, and will be furnished rails on
which may run a truck to carry the annealing pot in or out. The
door of the cooling chamber may be hung on hinges and its joints
packed with charcoal or other proper material so as to render the tight
clamping of the door or cover upon the chamber unnecessary. A cock
or valve is employed to permit the escape from the cooling chamber
of air displaced by heat or by the gases evolved within the chamber.
The cock or valve is then closed either by hand or automatically to
prevent any reflux of air until the cooling is completed and afterwards
reopened to relieve the head or cover of unequal pressure on the outside,
when it is to be removed for the purpose of taking out the annealing
pots.
For special kinds of work or when from any cause a more perfect
vacuum is required within the cooling chamber an air pump is employed
to exhaust the air therefrom. Any oxygen remaining within the chamber
is speedily consumed by contact with the red hot annealing pot or box,
and the apparatus effectually protects the metal under treatment from
unequal or too rapid cooling or from any injurions atmospheric contact.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal 3
Patent Office on the 15th January 1870.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal 3
Patent Office on the 15th January 1870.
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, Her special
licence that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Joseph Barnard Mills, 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, au
Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING
METALS," a communication to me from abroad by James Morgan
Bottum, of the City and State of New York, in the United States
of America, Manufacturer of Watch Makers' Tools, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same 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 Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
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, that is to say :-
In carrying out this Invention an annealing pot of any common or
suitable form is employed, within which the metal to be annealed may
be packed in charcoal or other material and the whole introduced into
the furnace for heating in the customary manner.
When the heating
is completed the pot is removed from the furnace and placed in the
improved cooling chamber, which is then closed air-tight until the
gradual cooling of the metal within the annealing pot is finished. The
annealing pot during this process is preferably supported at a con-
siderable distance from the external walls of the chamber, and the
cooling chamber itself is preferably supported in such a manner as to
lessen or avoid any unequal conduction of heat from its various. parts.

page_text: If the cooling chamber be of large size it will be lined on the interior with
fire-brick or other non-conducting material, and will be furnished with
rails on which may run a truck to carry the annealing pot in or out.
The door of the cooling chamber may be hung on hinges and its joints
packed with charcoal or other proper material so as to render the tight
clamping of the cover upon the chamber unnecessary. A cock or valve
is employed to permit the escape from the cooling chamber of air
displaced by heat or by the gases evolyed within the chamber. The
cock or valve is then closed (either by hand or automatically) to prevent
any reflux of air until the cooling is completed and afterwards reopened
to relieve the head or cover of unequal pressure on the outside, when.
it is to be removed for the purpose of taking out the annealing pot.
For special kinds of work, or when from any cause a more perfect
vacuum is required within the cooling chamber, an air pump is employed
to exhaust the air therefrom. Any oxygen remaining within the chamber
is speedily consumed by contact with the red hot annealing pot or
box, and the apparatus effectually protects the metal under treatment
from unequal or too rapid cooling or from any injurious atmospheric
contact.
And in order that the Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying.
Drawings, more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the cooling chamber,
and Figure 2 a transverse section of the same, each Figure showing
an external view of the annealing pot within the chamber. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.
A represents an annealing pot made of any proper form and provided
with a removable head or cover, which may be held down by wires a, a;
B represents a hollow base supporting the cooling chamber C, which
may be of cylindrical or other form and is provided with a removable
head D packed or luted, as shown at-d, and held securely to its seat by
knuckle bolts E and nuts F. When the chamber is of large size the
head D is preferably hung upon hinges, but the heads of smaller
chambers may be entirely detachable and secured by a sufficient number
of clamps E, F, without hinges. An air cock or valve G is employed
to permit the escape of the air displaced by heat or by gases evolved

page_text: within the chamber, the said valve being then immediately closed to
prevent any reflux of air until the cooling operation is completed, and
then reopened so as to relieve the head D of unequal pressure on the
outside, when it is to be removed for the purpose of taking out the
annealing pot.
For special kinds of work, or when from any cause a more perfect
vacuum is required within the chamber, the air is exhausted by means
of an air pump applied to the cock G. The pot A is supported within
the chamber C by a frame or stand, which may consist of two or more
horizontal rods H, H, set at their ends in cross bars I, I, so that the
pot will have no direct contact with the walls of the chamber, but
will be surrounded on all sides by gas. The effect of this provision
is to prevent the rapid or unequal cooling of the pot or its contents, and
the entire apparatus effectually protects the metal under treatment from
any injurious atmospheric contact, any oxygen which may be enclosed
within the chamber C being speedily consumed by contact with the
red-hot box or pot A.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode
in which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood
that the Invention is not restricted to the details herein laid down, or
to the form or construction of the apparatus described, or any of its
parts, as the same may be changed in various ways without departing
from the essential principles involved; but what I do claim is, the
process and apparatus for annealing metals substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.
0 Witness,
FRED. HARRIS.
B. J. B. MILLS. (L.S.)