A PROCESS FOR PLATING METALS AND METALLIC ALLOYS
Year: 1886

page_text: I CARL EDUARD STEINWEG of the town of Lüdenscheid in the Empire of
Germany, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "A PROCESS
FOR PLATING METALS AND METALLIC ALLOYS" 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 process for plating metals and metallic
alloys.
Plating is a process in which two different metals are united by firmly pressing
the cleaned or dressed surfaces of the two metals on to each other after the said
metals have been heated to a suitable extent. The metals are so firmly and
intimately connected that they form apparently one piece of metal-Up to the
present time it has only been possible to plate copper with silver, gold or platinum,
iron with nickel, copper nickel or cobalt and a few other metals or in other words
only such malleable metals can be united by pressure the melting temperature of
which are near each other.
By means of my process any one desired metal or metallic alloy can be united
to a second. In order to effect this purpose the surfaces must, as is necessary in
all plating processes, be well cleaned and fitted to each other whereupon the said
metals are galvanically provided with a thick layer of a malleable metal the melting
point of which is lower than that of the two metals to be united.
The pieces of metal so prepared are placed with the galvanised surfaces on each
other and, taking care that the customary precautions for preventing the oxidation
of the metals are not omitted, are then heated to the appropriate temperature and
welded together. In this manner plates, wire or pieces of desired profile can be
plated and the baser metal can not only be plated on the one side but on both sides
and not only the two but more various metals can be united or combined with each
other in any desired serial order.
For instance in order to plate a piece of iron on both sides with sheet metal
composed of German silver with high melting point all three pieces of metal are
subjected to the galvanic process and so covered with a thick layer of nickel or
other malleable metal are then laid upon each other in desired order, heated up to
the requisite temperature and welded together and if correctly treated the metals
will adhere perfectly to each other. In like manner iron can be plated with

page_text: copper or any desired variation in the layers of metal be made as any one of
the malleable metals can by employing my process be combined with one or more
other malleable metals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
'
The process of uniting or combining metals by providing the pieces of metal with
a thick galvanic cover or deposit of a malleable metal the welding temperature
of which is lower than the melting temperature of the metals to be united and
whereby the galvanised surfaces are welded together at an appropriate high
temperature by pressure or in other suitable manner substantially as set forth in
the foregoing specification.