IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN AND TERNE PLATES
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Saunders and
Joseph Piper at the Office of the. Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 21st July 1866.
We, JOHN SAUNDERS and JOSEPH PIPER, of Cookley Ironworks, Kidder-
minster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN AND TERNE PLATES," to be as follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of tin
and terne plates. For these purposes in preparing plates for tinning we take
the plates out of the cold-water cistern in which they have been placed after
the last or white pickling, and we pass them singly.through between one or
Dain Rd 1

page_text: two pairs of rollers which are covered with vulcanized india-rubber or other
suitable elastic material. It is preferred that the rollers should be arranged
to be fed from below, in order that the water may not hang or adhere to the
surface. By these means the plates are nearly freed from water, and may
then be introduced into grease raised to a high temperature; but if it be wished
that the plates should be absolutely dried they are received from the rollers
on to an endless chain or apron, which is arranged to carry them through a
heated chamber.
When it is desired entirely to neutralize the acid remaining on the plates.
after pickling a solution of lime is used in the cistern in which they are
deposited, and when desired the plates on being removed from the cold-water
cistern may be immersed in a solution of salammoniac. in either case the
removal of the water by rollers and the drying of the plates by carrying them
through a hot chamber may be retained: these prepared plates may then be
coated by the old process, or by that next described.
According to the old mode of tinning plates the pickled plates were taken
from the cold-water cistern and generally, but not invariably, introduced wet
into the first grease pot, or as it is called "the tinman's hole," and this pot
derived its heat from the tinman's pot. The plátes after soaking some time
in this grease pot were then taken out therefrom and immersed in the molten
tin in the tinman's pot.
Now, according to our Invention, the first grease pot in place of deriving
its heat only from the tinman's pot, as heretofore, is heated by the direct
action of fire, which, is by preference below the pot, and the heat is
considerable as compared with what was previously the case; the heat
of the grease according to our Invention being raised to about 450° to 560°
Fahrenheit. In this first grease pot is placed a rack for receiving a number
of plates (say, 40 or 50) separated the one from the other as the plates require
to remain in this grease pot some minutes. The grease used in this pot is
of the same kind of stale grease as heretofore used in the first grease pot or
tinman's hole; when, however, sufficient quantity of such stale grease cannot
be obtained we introduce into the pot other grease, and place at the bottom
scruff metal, as we find that the processes of coating and finishing the plates
are better carried out when the grease used in the first grease pot has been
heated in contact with tin or terne metal. The plates are taken from the first
grease pot and immersed in the melted tin or terne metal in the tinman's pot,
where there is a similar rack to that which is as above stated placed in the first
grease pot. The tin or terne metal in this pot is kept at a heat of about

page_text: 5000 to 600° of Fahrenheit, and the plates remain in this metal for some
minutes; the plates are then taken out singly and dipped in melted tin or
terne metal (in another pot) heated to about 450° to 500° of Fahrenheit:
the plates are then passed once or more times between pressing rollers which
The plates when observed to have on them scruff or
work in grease.
hardened metal are to be brushed as heretofore.
In some cases in preparing plates they are taken from the 'shearer and
annealed in the usual way, then pickled and cold rolled once; the plates then,
as they come from the rolls, are received on an endless chain or apron, and
passed thereon through a hot-air chamber to dry them; they are then cold
rolled again as often as is required, then annealed and pickled for the last
time.
'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Saunders and Joseph Piper in the Great Seal Paterit
Office on the 21st January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
SAUNDERS and JOSEPH PIPER, of Cookley Ironworks, Kidderminster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six. in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Saunders and Joseph Piper. Her special licence that we.
the said John Saunders and Joseph Piper, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Saunders and Joseph
Piper, our 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, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTз
IN THE MANUFACTURE, OF. TIN AND TERNE PLATES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we. the said John Saunders and Joseph Piper, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: 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 we, the said John Saunders and Joseph Piper,
do hereby declare the nature of the 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of tin
and terne plates. For these purposes in preparing plates for tinning we take
the plates out of the cold-water cistern in which they have been placed after
the last or white pickling, and we pass them singly through between one or
two pairs of rollers which are covered with vulcanized india-rubber or other
suitable elastic material. It is preferred that the rollers should be arranged
to be fed from below, in order that the water may not hang or adhere to the
surfaces. By these means the plates are nearly freed from water, and may
then be introduced into grease raised to a high temperature; but if it be
wished that the plates should be absolutely dried they are received from the
rollers on to an endless chain or apron, which is arranged to carry them
through a heated chamber.
When it is desired entirely to neutralize the acid remaining on the plates
after pickling a solution of lime is used in the cistern in which they are
deposited, and when desired the plates on being removed from the cold-water
cistern may be immersed in a solution of salammoniac. In either case the
removal of the water by rollers and the drying of the plates by carrying them
through a hot chamber may be retained; these prepared plates may then be
coated by the old process, or by that next described.
According to the old mode of tinning plates the pickled plates were taken
from the cold-water cistern and generally, but not invariably, introduced wet
into the first grease pot, or as it is called "the tinman's hole," and this pot
derived its heat from the "tinman's pot." The plates after soaking some time
in this grease pot were then taken out therefrom and immersed in the molten
tin in the "tinman's pot."
Now according to our Invention the first grease pot in place of deriving
its heat only from the "tinman's pot," as heretofore, is heated by the direct
action of a fire, which is by preference below the pot, and in the heat is
considerable as compared with what was previously the case, the heat
of the grease according to our Invention being raised to about 450° to 560°
Fahrenheit. In this first grease pot, is placed a rack for receiving a number of
=

page_text: plates (say, 40 or 50) separated the one from the other as the plates require
to remain in this grease pot some minutes. The grease used in this pot is
of the same kind of stale grease as heretofore used in the first grease pot or
tinman's hole when, however, sufficient quantity of such stale grease cannot
be obtained we introduce into the pot other grease and place at the bottom
scruff metal, as we find that the processes of coating and finishing the plates
are better carried out when the grease used in the first grease pot has been
heated in contact with tin or terne metal, scruff metal being cheapest for this
purpose. The plates are taken from the first grease pot and immersed in the
melted tin or terne metal in the tinman's pot, where there is a similar rack to
that which is, as above stated, placed in the first grease pot. The tin or
terne metal in this pot is kept at a heat of about 500° to 600° of Fahrenheit,
and 'the plates remain in this metal for some minutes; the plates are then
taken out singly and dipped in melted tin or terne metal (in another pot)
heated to about 450° to 500° Fahrenheit: the plates are then passed once
or more times between pressing rollers which work in grease. The plates
when observed to have on them scruff or hardened metal are to be brushed as
heretofore.
In some cases in preparing plates they are taken from the shearer and
annealed in the usual way, then pickled and cold rolled once: the plates then,
as they come from the rolls, are received on an endless chain or apron, and
passed thereon through a hot-air chamber to dry them: they are then cold
rolled again as aften as is required, then annealed and pickled for the last
time.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed to
describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the two ends of a drying chamber or
oven and apparatus used for drying plates of metal about to be coated; .
Figure 2 is a plan thereof: Figure 3 is an end elevation, and Figure 4" a
transverse section thereof.
In order to remove the water from plates about to he coated they are
passed between one or more pairs of rollers which are covered with vulcanized
india-rubber, or other suitable flexible material. The plates thus freed from
the water may then be introduced into the highly heated grease pot hereafter
described. When the plates are to be absolutely dried and heated before
being introduced into a grease pot, then one or more pairs of such rollers are

page_text: applied to the heated chamber or oven and apparatus employed for heating
and drying the plates. In the Drawings only one pair of rollers a. a, is used.
through between which each plate is pressed, and it is then received on to
an endless chain or apron b, b, which carries the plates in succession through
the heated chamber or oven c, c, which is heated by a fire at d, the products
of combustion pass under and then back over the heated chamber or oven to
the chimney e; the manner, however, of heating the chamber or oven e may
be varied. The endless chain or apron is carried on the cylinders or cylin
drical frames b', '. This carrying and drying apparatus is also suitable when
preparing plates after they have come from the shearer and have been
annealed, pickled, and cold rolled once, when the plates are received on an
endless chain or apron, and are carried thereby through the hot-air chamber
c, c, to dry them; the plates are then again cold rolled as often as required,
then annealed, and again pickled. The plates treated as above explained
may be then coated with tin or terne metal as heretofore, or in the manner in
which we will now proceed to describe, according to which the grease pot
(into which the plates are first introduced before being placed in the tin or
terne metal in the tinman's pot) in place of being heated to a comparatively
low temperature, such as has heretofore been the practice, this grease pot
is to be so set and heated as to admit of the grease therein being kept at a
degree of heat greater than the melting point of the tin or terne metal in the
tinman's pot, we prefer that the heat of the grease in this grease pot should
be kept up to about 450° to 560° of Fahrenheit, and this is best done by the
direct action of a fire. In this grease pot is a rack capable of receiving and
keeping separate a considerable number of plates, say, from 40 to 50, or
such other number as will keep the workman at the last pot of the series fully
employed. In the tinman's pot we also use a like rack, and the plates are
taken from the rack in the grease pot singly by tongs and placed in the rack
in that pot, whilst others are introduced into the vacant spaces of the rack
in the grease pot. The tin or terne metal in the tinman's pot is kept at a
heat of about 500° to 600° of Fahrenheit. From the tinman's pot the plates
are taken out singly by tongs and dipped one or more times, according to the
judgment of the workman, into the tin or terne metal in another pot in which
the coating metal is kept at a somewhat lower temperature than in the
tinman's or previous pot, say, from about 450° to 500°. 'The plates are then
placed singly in a grease pot, as is now commonly practised, and are raised
out therefrom by rollers revolving in the grease in such pot. The plates as
they come from the tinman's pot, or when they have been once dipped into

page_text: the last-mentioned pot containing tin or terne metal are to be brushed when
necessary, as has heretofore very commonly been the practice at the washman's
or finishing metal pot.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Saunders and Joseph Piper, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOSEPH PIPER.
ம
(L.S.)