Improved Method of and Apparatus for Hardening and Moulding or Shaping Steel Plates and other Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVIDIUNAL DIUITIATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Hardening and Moulding
or Shaping Steel Plates and other Articles.
I, HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX, of St. George's Club Hanover Square,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of, and apparatus for, hardening
and in some cases moulding or shaping steel plates and other articles.
The important feature of my invention is.the provision of a block or blocks to be
used as chilling dies or as supports for chilling dies, said block or blocks being
cooled by any suitable cooling medium.
Another feature of my invention is the utilization of said block or blocks for
moulding the articles by pressure and chilling same during the moulding operation.
According to one mode of carrying my invention into effect, I provide a metal
block having a number of perforations therein and I connect the block with a
refrigerating machine in such a manner that the cold liquid or other cooling
medium from such machine can be caused to flow through the said perforations
thus maintaining the block at a very low temperature.
The cooling liquid may be allowed to flow in actual contact with the metal of the
block as for example it may be conducted to and away from the block by pipes
screwed into the perforations, or it may be conducted through pipes which pass
through the said perforations in contact with the walls thereof so that the cooling
effect of the liquid will be effectually transmitted through the block.
In some cases I pass the cooling medium through pipes placed around the block
in contact therewith, or I jacket the block and pass the cooling medium through
the jacket.
The steel plate or other article to be chilled is, after being heated to the proper
temperature, brought into contact with the aforesaid block and pressed thereon,
whereupon it is chilled at the surface and hardened. The cooling medium is passed
through the block more or less rapidly according to the degree of chill it is desired
to impart to the plate or other article.
If it is desired to mould the plates or other articles simultaneously with the
hardening or chilling thereof I provide a cooling block of the required shape, or I
attach to or place on the block a die of the proper shape which is cooled by contact
with the block and I press the article to be chilled on or in said die by another
corresponding die or block on the back of the article which said die or block is also
chilled if desired in the same manner as the lower block.
I may treat ordinary steel articles by this method and also articles which have
been carburized by the cementation or other known process.
Another feature of my invention consists in hardening steel plates and other
articles by contact with frozen oil which may be contained in a suitable vessel or
pit. The chill imparted by this method is not so severe as is the case with water
for example or with the block hereinbefore described, and moreover it has the
additional effect of slightly carburizing the skin of the article, so treated, thus
imparting additional hardness thereto.
FAL 1 CM 1002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Hardening and Moulding
or Shaping Steel Plates and other Artioles.
I, HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX, of St. George's Club, Hanover Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :—
My invention relates to an improved method of, and apparatus for, hardening
and in some cases moulding or shaping steel plates and other articles.
An important feature of my invention is the provision of a block to be used as a
chilling die or as a support for a chilling die, said block being cooled by any
suitable refrigerating or cooling medium. I may use two or more of such blocks
and dies.
Another feature of my invention is the utilization of the said block or blocks for
the operation of moulding the articles by pressure, and for chilling the same during
the moulding operation.
My invention comprises also the use of frozen oil as a refrigerant, in the chilling
of heated metal articles.
According to one mode of carrying my invention into effect, I provide a metal
block having a number of perforations therein and I connect the block with a
refrigerating machine in such a manner that the cold liquid or other cooling medium
from such machine can be caused to flow through the said perforations, thus
maintaining the block at a very low temperature.
The refrigerating or cooling medium is cooled to a temperature below that of
melting ice, that is to say, below the temperature of what I hereinafter denominate
ice-water. The cooling liquid may be allowed to flow in actual contact with the
metal of the block, as for example it may be conducted to and away from the block
by pipes screwed into the perforations, or it may be conducted through pipes which
pass through the said perforations in contact with the walls thereof so that the
cooling effect of the liquid will be effectually transmitted through the block.
In some cases I pass the cooling medium through pipes placed around the block
in contact therewith, or I jacket the block and pass the cooling medium through
the jacket.
The cooling medium may be passed through the block or pipes or jacket more or
less rapidly, according to the degree of chill it is desired to impart to the plate or
other article.
The steel plate or other article to be chilled is, after being heated to the proper
temperature, brought into contact with the aforesaid block which is pressed thereon,
whereupon the plate is chilled at the surface and hardened. The block is preferably
placed above the plate, but in some instances it may be beneath the plate.
If it is desired to mould the plates or other articles simultaneously with the
hardening or chilling thereof, I provide a cooling block of the required shape, or I
attach to or place on the block a mould of the proper shape which is cooled by
contact with the block, and I press the article on or in said mould or block by
another corresponding die or block on the back of the article, which said die or
block is also chilled if desired, in the same manner as the block on the opposite
face of the article.
I may treat ordinary steel or cast-iron articles by this method and also articles
which have been carburized by the cementation or other known process.
In order that this part of my said invention may be clearly understood I will
now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein
. Figure 1 is a view, part in elevation and part in longitudinal central section, of a
pair of chilling-blocks in position in readiness to receive a plate between them,

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan of one of the said blocks, one half with the cover-plate on, the
other half being partly in section, and partly in elevation with the cover-plate
removed,
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the blocks, on the line X X of Figure 1,
Figure 4 is an end elevation of part of a chilling-block of alternative construction,
and
Figure 5 is a section of the said part, on the line Y Y of Figure 4.
Like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is a casting of box form, provided
with flanges A' and with internal partitions A2. B is a cover-plate which is bolted
to the flanges A' and bears against the article to be chilled. The cover-plate is
bolted also to the partitions A2 which are widened along one edge to receive the
bolts and serve to support it, and to stiffen the casting. C is an inlet and D an
outlet for an artificially-cooled medium which flows from one to the other, between
the partitions A³, abstracting in its passage, heat from the plate or the like, through
the cover-plate B which is made thin to facilitate the abstraction. A metal plate,
in position to be chilled, is indicated by dotted lines at E.
In the modification illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 numerous inlets for the cooling
medium are provided. They consist of tubes C, screw-threaded and screwed into
bosses A cast in the wall of the block A and tapped internally to receive the
threaded ends of the tubes as shown. At the opposite end of the block a similar
series of tubes, is provided to permit of the exit of the cooling-medium.
To obtain a curved surface on the plate or other article I may vary the amount
of chill on one side and so set the plate to the required curve. I may do this
without the assistance of pressure but preferably I press a curved mould upon the
plate at the same time. For flat plates I prefer to chill both sides to prevent
warping. I may or may not use pressure at the moment of chilling for if the
temperature on both sides of the plate be kept uniform the plate will remain flat
when chilled.
According to this invention I sometimes use frozen oil, for hardening the plates
or other articles by direct contact therewith. For this purpose I prefer to place
the frozen oil in a suitable vessel or pit and place the articles to be treated on the
top thereof covering the same with more of the frozen oil. The chill imparted-by
this method is not so severe as in the case when the hardening is effected by cold
water for example, or with the chilling blocks above described, and it has the
additional effect of slightly carburizing the skin of the articles treated.
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. A method of hardening or of hardening and shaping steel plates and other
metal articles, comprising the use of a refrigerating medium or of refrigerating
mediums cooled to a temperature below that of ice-water.
2. A method of hardening or of hardening and shaping steel plates and other
articles, characterized by the employment of a hollow or perforated or channelled
block as a chilling die or chilling mould or as a support for a die or mould, cooled
by means of an artificially-cooled medium, with or without means for pressing the
work and the die or mould together, substantially as hereinbefore described, for the
purpose specified.
3. The method of hardening steel plates and other articles by means of frozen
oil substantially as described.
4. A hollow or perforated or channelled block as a chilling die or chilling
mould or as a support for a die or mould, with or without means for pressing the
work and the die or mould together, substantially as hereinbefore described, for
the purpose specified.
5. A block employed as a chilling die or chilling mould or as a support for a die
or mould in combination with pipes, and a jacket, or other means for cooling the

page_text: said block from its exterior, with or without means for pressing the die or mould
and the work together, substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose
specified.
6. The apparatus constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1894.
HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.