Improvements in the Soldering or Brazing of Metals, particularly applicable to Aluminium Alloys.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Soldering or Brazing of Metals, particularly
applicable to Aluminium Alloys.
I, FREDERICK ARTHUR ELLIS, of Sylvan Works, Sylvan Grove, Old Kent Road,
London, S.E., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the soldering or brazing of metals,
particularly applicable to aluminium alloys, and consists in the mode of preparation of
the surface or surfaces to be united, the mode of uniting said surfaces and in the
composition of a solder for the purpose.
It is well known that one of the greatest practical difficulties in the use of
aluminium alloys for various purposes, such as the manufacture of cycle frames or of
instruments, to which aluminium is eminently adaptable, is to obtain homogeneous
adhesion of the metal by soldering brazing or welding.
To effect this by my invention I prepare the face or faces of one part to be soldered,
brazed, or united to another by raising its or their temperature closely to the melting
point of the surface of an aluminium alloy, but without reaching such actual melting
point. I then apply the braze (constituted as hereinafter described) to the heated end
of the tube or of one part of the material to be united, care being taken that all
surface oxidations or impurities are first removed. I thus amalgamate a braze with
the actual metal of the aluminium tube or of one surface to be united.
The composition of the solder or braze I use, is approximately-copper, spelter,
tin and aluminium in which the tin and aluminium are combined in about the
proportion of their combining equivalents viz. :-as about 4 of tin to 1 of aluminium
by weight and these two metals form by weight of the solder or braze, the
remaining being made up of variable quantities of copper and spelter to discretion.
This braze or solder is for use with aluminium surfaces, or with almost any metal,
such as steel, zinc, brass or copper, to be united to the aluminium alloy.
Instead of sweating two parts of aluminium alloy to one another by the usual
method which I find not suitable in all cases to my solder or for my purpose I
prepare one surface of a piece of aluminium alloy or other metal in the manner above
described, and then cast the added part, such as a boss, a socket, or similar attached
part of aluminium alloy over the original part so prepared to effect the fusion of the
solder or braze and the perfect uniting of the parts and this is part of my improved
method of soldering or brazing.
The preparation of articles in the above manner, enables me to run, by casting,
bosses, sockets, or other additions of aluminium alloy upon the said prepared piece,
stem, or portion; and to obtain after such casting, a perfect and reliable fusion
of the braze or solder and an homogeneous amalgamation between the cast added
piece, and that upon which the addition has been cast.
This enables me to attach by my method sockets of aluminium alloys upon tubes of
the same material, with perfect fusion of the solder or braze and perfect homogenity
of joints, unbreakable by any amount of jar or vibration, and also to solder or braze
ends and ferrules or bushes of steel or other metals into tubes, or on to parts made of
aluminium alloy, where such additions are desirable.
Dated the 19th day of November 1895

page_text: Improvements in the Soldering or Brazing of Metals, particularly
applicable to Aluminium Alloys.
I, FREDERICK ARTHUR ELLIS of Sylvan Works, Sylvan Grove, Old Kent Road,
London, S.E. 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the soldering or brazing of metals
particularly applicable to aluminium alloys and consists in the mode of preparation of
the surface or surfaces to be united, the mode of uniting said surface and in the
composition of a solder or braze for the purpose.
It is well known that one of the greatest practical difficulties in the use of
aluminium alloys for various purposes such as the manufacture of cycle frames, or of
instruments, to which aluminium is eminently adaptable, is to obtain homogeneous
adhesion of the metal by soldering, brazing or welding.
To effect this by my invention I prepare the face or faces of one part, to be
soldered, brazed or united to another, by raising its, or their temperature closely to
the melting point of the surface of the aluminium alloy, but without reaching such
actual melting point. I then apply the braze, constituted as hereinafter described, to
the heated end of the tube, or of one part of the material to be united, care being
taken that all surface oxidations or impurities are first removed. I thus amalgamate a
braze with the actual metal of the aluminium tube or of one surface to be united. The
solder or braze I use is essentially composed of the four metals-copper, spelter, tin,
and aluminium, each of which fulfils an important function in the braze and in which
the tin and aluminium are combined in the proportion of their combining equivalents,
viz. as 118 of tin to 27-4 of aluminium by weight, and these two metals form
together at least by weight of the solder or braze, the remaining being made of
variable quantities of copper and spelter to discretion, a convenient proportion of
weights of parts reduced to their simplest denomination, is, 1 oz. of pure aluminium,
4.3 oz. of pure grain tin, oz. of refined copper, and oz. of spelter.
This braze or solder is for use with aluminium surfaces, or with almost any metal,
such as steel, zinc, brass or copper to be united to the aluminium alloy.
Instead of "sweating" two parts of aluminium alloy to one another, by the usual
method, which I find not suitable in all cases to my braze or solder or for my purpose,
I prepare one surface of a piece of aluminium alloy or other metal in the manner
above described, and then cast the added part, (such as a boss, or socket, or similar
attached part of aluminium alloy) over the original part so prepared to effect the
fusion of the solder or braze, and the perfect uniting of the parts, and this is part of
my improved method of soldering and brazing. To prepare the braze I first melt the
copper and add the spelter, thus forming a bronze and to this I add the aluminium
and mix these well in a state of fusion with a pure copper stick and finally add the tin
and allow the mixture or braze to stand in the furnace and stir with the copper stick
until completely alloyed and continue the stirring whilst cooling until completely set.
The preparation of articles made of aluminium alloy in the above manner enables
me to run by casting, bosses, sockets, or other additions of aluminium alloy upon the
said prepared piece, stem or portion of the alloy and to obtain after such casting, a
perfect and reliable fusion of the braze or solder and an homogeneous amalgamation
or brazed joint between the cast added piece and that upon which the addition has
been cast.
This enables me to attach by my method sockets or parts of aluminium alloys upon
tubes or parts of the same material, with perfect fusion of the solder or braze and
perfect homogenity of joints, unbreakable by any amount of jar or vibration and also

page_text: to solder or braze ends and ferrules or bushes of steel or other metal into tubes or on
to parts made of aluminium alloy where such additions are desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
1. A method of brazing or soldering aluminium alloys, consisting of the preparation
of one surface to be united with an aluminium braze as herein described, carefully
amalgamating the same with said surface and the completion of the brazed joint with
another part by the casting of the latter part upon the former prepared part, to fuze
the braze and make an homogeneous joint between them, substantially as described.
2. The composition of an aluminium braze, of great tenacity and power of
amalgamation with aluminium alloy, of which the essentials are that th of the
compound by weight is composed of pure grain tin and pure aluminium, in the
proportion of their combining equivalents (that is in the proportion of about 118 of
tin to 27.4 of aluminium and the remaining th is made up of variable proportions
of copper and spelter.
3. The composition of an aluminium braze of great tenacity and power of
amalgamation with aluminium alloy, consisting of 1 oz. of pure aluminium, 4.3 oz.
of pure grain tin, ½ oz. of refined copper and oz. of spelter.
Dated this 19th day of August 1896.
FELL & WILDING,
1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.