Improvements in Face Hardening Metals.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 189.-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Face Hardening Metals.
1, JOHN WATSON SPENCER, of Newburn, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Steel Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows
In view of obtaining surfaces or parts of objects made in metals, especially of
iron or steel, of hardness of various degrees, leaving if necessary the remainder or
part thereof of the object of a mild or ductile nature as may be required I weld
or fuse on by means of the electric arc (or other suitable means of applying
electrical energy for the purpose) a coating of metals or their alloys (including
carbon or other of the non-metallic elements or combinations) of such a nature
that any varying degree of hardness may be obtained up to a maximum. The
objects thus treated may be hardened by any suitable known process as may. be
desired.
By this process a coating of intense hardness may be obtained as forming part
of the more ductile material of which an object may he made without in any way
reducing the ductility of remaining parts and thus rendering it capable of being
used for many useful purposes for which it would otherwise not be so well fitted or
the relative intensity of hardness and the degree of softness of the combined metals
may be modified in degree and order of application.
Many of the hardest metals and their alloys are most refractory and cannot
be fused or welded on to iron or steel or other metals by ordinary processes, this
process enables numerous and various combinations to be formed.
The articles so treated can be hardened by any well known process, producing
the hardest surface without interfering with the soft ductile material composing
the other parts of the objects so treated.
The uses and applications of the improvements in face hardening metals are very
numerous.
The welding or fusing energy of the electric are may be applied by means of
what is known as the "Barnado" process or by other suitable means.
Such combination of metals produced as set forth can be treated mechanically
if necessary by forging, rolling or other process to reduce or otherwise modify the
thickness or relative thickness of the combined metals-as for instance in the
production of thin plates for use as protective plates, ship building, and in
the building of torpedo boats and for other uses, where a ductile plate with a
hardened surface is needed.
Tated she 10th of
1900
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Face Hardening Metals.
I, JOHN WATSON SPENCER of Newburn, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
With the object of obtaining articles made in metals, especially those made of
iron or steel, having particular parts or surfaces of various degrees of hardness
that may be desired while the remaining portion of the object, if so desired, is of
a mild or ductile nature, I well or fuse onto the parts or surfaces so to be hardened
a coating of metals or their alloys (including carbon or other of the non metallic
elements or their combinations) of any desired form or thickness and of such
a nature that any varying degree of hardness up to the maximum may be
obtained.
Such a coating material may be composed of (for instance) an alloy of chromium
iron and carbon, and is readily united with the softer steel and forms a surface
which can receive intense hardness when hardened, or other suitable material
dependent on the particular purpose for which finished article is destined.
This may be effected either by means of the electric arc or by means of, the
heating effect due to the resistance offered to the passage of an electric current
by the substances to be so united.
The operation may be performed by electrically connecting the article to be
operated upon with the source of the electric energy so that it shall form one pole
of the circuit, while the other pole is formed of a carbon pencil in electric
communication with the other terminal of the generating apparatus. In this
manner an electric are may be struck between the carbon pencil and any desired
part or surface of the article which forms the other electrode, the part or surface
so acted upon being fused or melted under the influence of the heat generated by
the passage of the electric current across the intervening space. The hard
material which is to be welded on is then gradually added in such quantity as may
be required and fused under the arc to the parts previously fused and that have to
be face hardened, or the portions to be hardened may have the hard metal or alloy
in a fluid state poured over their surface while they are in a state of fusion.
Or again the article may be locally heated by being made to form part of an
electric circuit so that the heat induced by the resistance offered to the passage of
the electric current may raise the temperature to the required point when the
metal or alloy, previously melted in a crucible or furnace, may be flowed over the
surface.
Articles so treated may afterwards be hardened or tempered by any of the
known processes which may be found to be most suitable or convenient without
interfering with the soft and ductile parts of the articles which have not been so
acted upon.
In either case it is important that the adjacent surfaces of the parts to be
united should be perfectly clean and free from scale or other extraucous matter,
and this may be secured by the use of a suitable fusible flux to protect the surfaces
from the oxydizing influence of the atmosphere and also remove any scale that may
have been formed, while the parts can be hammered or pressed together in order to
consolidate the material and secure a sound and homogeneous weld.
By this process a coating of intense hardness may be obtained as forming part of
the more ductile material of which an object may be made without in any way
reducing the ductility of the remaining parts, and thus render it capable of being
used for many useful purposes for which it would otherwise not be so well fitted.

page_text: The relative intensity of hardness and degree of softness of the combined metals.
may also be readily modified to suit any particular requirement.
Many of the hardest metals and their alloys are most refractory and cannot be
fused or welded on to iron or steel or other metals by the processes ordinarily
employed, but this process enables numerous and various combinations to be
formed.
The welding or fusing energy of the electric arc may be applied by means of
what is known as the "Barnado" process or by other suitable means.
Such combinations of metals produced as herein set forth can be treated
mechanically, if necessary, by forging, rolling or other process to reduce or other--
wise modify the thickness or relative thickness of the combined metals, as for
instance in the production of thin plates for use as protective coverings for ships,
torpedo boats or for other use where a ductile plate with a hardened surface
is needed.
The uses and applications of my improvements in face hardening metals are very
numerous, as for instance to dies for the stamping of metals etc., stamps for crushing.
quartz or any of the metallic ores or other hard substance, ball or other bearings,
punches, shear blades, drills and tools intended for the cutting and shaping of
metals or for any tool or appliance which requires a hard face, surface or edge in.
order to resist the destructive action due to the rapid cutting or wearing of the
surface being operated upon.
If the whole or a considerable portion of a stamp for instance be made of the
degree of hardness requisite to resist such cutting and wearing actions as accompany
the processes generally employed in dealing with hard steel as used for such.
purposes it is found that the metal which forms that portion of the stamp is rendered
brittle and unadapted to afford the requisite resistance to the sudden and severe.
stresses to which it is liable.
By treating the stamp however in the manner already described that portion.
only which is subjected to the more direct action of the substance being operated.
upon is covered or coated with a skin of extremely hard material, able to resist the
detrusive action of the hardest.substance, while it is backed up and supported by
a tougher and more ductile material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved method of face hardening metals or obtaining surfaces or parts.
of objects made in metals, especially of iron or steel, of degrees of hardness varying
from other parts thereof, which consists in welding or fusing upon bodies of such
metals, coatings of metals or their alloys (including carbon or other of the non-
metallic elements or combinations) by the aid of the electric arc, or other suitable-
means of applying the welding or fusing properties of electrical energy, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
2. The herein before described method of case hardening metals or producing
varied degrees of hardness between the surfaces aud the interior of metallic bodies,
by electrically welding or fusing outo the body of metal a coating or coatings of
such metal or the substances herein-stated ready for further treatment, as and for-
the purpose stated.
נוח
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant...