An Improved Process for the Utilization of Old Articles of Tinplate, such as Boxes, Canisters, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
TOYTOIONATT
An Improved Process for the Utilization of Old Articles of Tinplate,
such as Boxes, Canisters, and the like.
I, ADOLF GUTENSOHN, of Globe Works, Ford Road, Old Ford, in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Up to the present time only a rough method of utilizing tinplate articles, such
as old tins, boxes, and the like, has been used, consisting in burning off the
solder from such tins, their different component parts being then of very little
value.
The object of my present invention is, to recover the solder from such old tins in
such a way that the component parts of the tins are obtained in a more serviceable
state, so that they can be reconverted into bright tinplates, which can be again used
for making tinware of various kinds in the usual way.
In order to put my invention in operation, the old tins are first sorted into
different classes, according to the extent to which the coating of tin upon them bus
remained more or less intact, and according to the uses to which they have been
put, that is to say:
Those sufficiently bright are picked out from the others, which are then sorted
and separated into those which are oily or greasy, and those which are covered with
organic matter or substances not greasy.
The bright ones are treated with special care and their tops and bottoms are
separated from the sides either by a circular saw, or by grinding off the edges, or
by burning then off by electric current or by cutting them up with suitable shears
or cutters.
Which of these means is the most suitable to be employed can only be decided
by experience, and according to the size and shape or make of the tins.
These modes of separating the component parts are only used in cases where the
boxes or tins have been made by bending their edges over without soldering them
together.
In the
For boxes or tins which have been soldered, I use a furnace containing one or
more square iron pots the bottoms of which incline down and converge at the
centre to a small hole. These pots are set in the furnace so that in some the bottom
only is exposed to the fire, and in others the fire acts upon them all round.
former, greasy boxes or tius, or such as require care to prevent the still bright
surface from being spoiled, are treated, and the temperature is kept so that only
the solder, and not the tin, melts. The incliued bottom converging to a hole in
the centre, carries off the solder through a spout, to a mould in which it is
collected.
If the boxes are small or so far destroyed in appearance, that it is not thought
desirable to utilize their component parts any further after the solder has been
run off, then those pots are used upon which the fire acts all round, as in these.
larger quantities can be treated in a shorter time.
The treatment in these pots constitutes a novelty and is the most important part
of the process, as upon it depends the quantity as well as quality of the solder,
and the quality of the sides of the tins which are to be made into new tinplates.
If there are any remnants of food or other matter left in the old tins, they
must be emptied out and the tins rinsed in cold, or preferably hot,-water before
they are put into the pot.

page_text: When the component parts are separated they are collected, the tops and bottoms
if not large enough to allow a small plate to be cut out, are simply freed from
their coating of tin by one of the ordinary known processes and are sold as scrap
iron, whilst the sides are cut to such size as they will allow and are flattened out
by passing them through rollers, and they are then cleaned.
Those which remained sufficiently bright after the above treatment are further
brightened up by friction either by hand labour or by revolving brushes or similar
appliances. Those which have lost their brightness altogether either on one side
only or on both sides, but are not rusty, are cleaned by boiling them in a weak
solution of soda or lime, or other cleaning material, by scouring (either by manual
labour or machinery), or they are soaked in hot resin, palm oil, grease, or petroleum,
until all the impurities on the surface are melted off or are at least soft.
The selection of either of these methods of cleaning the surface of the flattened
sides of the tins or other articles must be left to the experience and practice of the
workpeople employed.
When the plates or sides have been thus cleaned they are ready for re-tinning
which is done by the aid of a chemical flux or greasy material, in the same mauner
as new tinplates are made from black iron plates. Plates formed of sides of which
the coating of tin is well preserved, even if not bright, can be brightened by passing
them through the ordinary grease (finishing) pot rollers without their being first
dipped into the tin pot.
As stated, only the plates formed from the sides of tins which are not rusty can
be treated in the above way, those which are rusty or are coated with a hard
burned-on substance must be cleaned by immersion in a hot acid bath of diluted
hydrochloric or sulphuric acid.
The re-tinning of these is then effected in the same manner as above described.
In case the component parts of the old tins or boxes appear almost worthless,
I employ the simple method of running the solder off by mixing them with shavings
and lighting the latter, but I do this with a grate underneath a heap of boxes, so
as to collect the solder more easily than is commonly done by persons who collect
such tins and what they call burn them for the sake of the solder only. I may
also construct a moveable furnace in which shavings, hot air or gas can be employed
for the above purpose.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1802
EDWARDS & Co.,
36, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Utilization of Old Articles of Tinplate,
such as Boxes, Canisters, and the like.
I, ADOLF GUTENSOHN of 247 Old Ford Road Old Ford in the County of
Middlesex 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 :-
Up to the present time only a rough method of utilizing tin plate articles, such
as old tins, boxes and the like has been used consisting in burning off the solder and
tiu from such tins, their different component parts being then of no value for making
into articles of tin ware.
The object of my present invention is, to recover the solder from old tin ware in
such a way that the component parts of the articles of tin ware are obtained in a
serviceable state, and so that they can be reconverted into bright tinplates, which
can be again used for making tinware of various kinds in the usual way.
In order to put my invention in operation, the old tins are first sorted into

page_text: different classes according to the extent to which the coating of tin upon them has
remained more or less intact, and according to the uses to which they have been
put, that is to say :-
Those which are comparatively bright are picked out from the others, which are
then sorted and separated into those which are oily or greasy, and those which have
organic matter or substances not greasy adhering to them.
The comparative bright articles are treated with special care and may have their
component parts separated either by means of a circular saw, or by grinding off the
edges, or by burning them off by electric current or by cutting them up with
suitable shears or cutters.
These modes of separating the component parts are only used, in cases where the
articles are in a good state of preservation and where the parts are connected
together by bending their edges over and without or with very little solder the
solder if any being recovered from the cuttings in any suitable manner.
For boxes or tins which have their component parts connected together by solder,
I provide a furnace containing one or more iron pots the bottoms of which incline
downwards towards an outlet. These pots are set in the furnace so that their.
bottoms only are exposed to the fire. Other pots may be provided and arranged so
that the fire can act upon them on the sides as well as the bottom.
In the pots
which have their bottoms only exposed to the fire are placed greasy boxes or tins,
or such as require care to prevent the bright surface from being injured, and the
temperature is regulated so that only the solder is melted and not the tin.
If the
sides of the pot were exposed to the fire or the temperature be too great, the grease
on the articles contained in the pot would ignite and melt the tin and thereby
frustrate the object of my invention. The solder melted from the articles passes
down the inclined bottom of the pot to the outlet and may be conducted thence
through a spout into a mould or other receptacle.
If the boxes are small or so far destroyed in appearance, that it is not considered
desirable to preserve the component parts for making tin plates-they-are placed in
the pots upon which the fire acts on the sides as well as the bottom, as in these pots
larger quantities can be treated in a shorter time, the solder melted therefrom being
collected as before described.
The treatment in these pots constitutes an important part of the process, as upon
it depends the quantity as well as quality of the solder, and the quality of the
surfaces of the tins which are to be made into new tinplates.
When the component parts of the articles are separated they are removed
from the pots and those parts which are not large enough to form a plate, are
freed from their coating of tin by any known or suitable means and used as
scrap iron, whilst the larger parts are cut to such a size as they will allow, and
flattened out by passing them through rollers. These plates are then cleaned
either by boiling them in a weak solution of soda or lime, or other cleaning
material, and scouring (either by manual labour or machinery) or they are
soaked in hot resin, palm oil, grease heated to the melting point of tiu, or
petroleum, until all the impurities on the surface are removed or are at least
softened, but not so as to remove the tin froin the plates.
The selection of either of these methods of cleaning the surface of the
flattened plates must be left to the experience and practice of the workpeople
employed.
When the plates have been cleaned they are ready for re-tinning which may
be done by the aid of a chemical flux or greasy material, in the same manner as
new tin plates are made from black irou plates. If the tin surface of the plates is
defective they are dipped into the tin pot and then passed between the finishing
rollers. Plates of which the coating of tin is well preserved but not bright can
be brightened by passing them through the ordinary old style grease or (finishing)
pot rollers without their being first dipped into the tin pot, the rollers being kept
moist
by having tin supplied thereto.
"
Only the plates which are not rusty can be treated in the above way, those

page_text: which are rusty or are coated with a hard burned-on substance must be cleaned by
immersion in a hot bath of diluted hydrochloric or sulphuric acid before being
subjected to the tinning process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1st. The renovation of old tin plate by first separating the component parts of
old articles of tin ware and flattening them, then removing from the dirt or grease
by means herein before described without disturbing or removing the tin from their
surfaces and finally finishing them in the ordinary way of tinning or by simply
passing them between rollers in a grease bath heated to the melting point of tin,
to which rollers tiu is supplied so as to impart a polished surface to the plates
substantially as herein before described.
2nd. The process hereinbefore described for renovating old tin plates aud
recovering the solder by which the component parts of articles of tinware are
connected together the said process consisting in heating the articles in a pot or
vessel set in a furnace so that only the bottom of the pot or vessel is in direct
contact with the fire and so that the heat is only sufficient to melt the solder without
melting or disturbing the tin with which the plates had been coated; an outlet for
the solder being provided at the bottom of the pot or vessel, the separated parts of
the articles being removed from the pot or vessel, flattened and cleaned and then
thinly coated with tin to give a polished surface to the plates substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 23rd dex of January 189
JOHNSON & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.