Improvements in the Method of Welding or Working Metals Electrically.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Welding or Working Metals
Electrically.
A communication by CHARLES L. COFFIN, of Detroit, in the County of Wayne
and State of Michigan, United States of America, Chemist.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object an improved method of welding or working
metals electrically, hereinafter fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus which may be used to practise
the invention.
Figure 2 is a side view thereof; and
Figure 3 illustrates a slight modification.
In these figures, F represents a base or frame, in which is mounted a conductor
of some refractory material, preferably carbon, the base F being suitably insulated,
and being connected by a conductor Y with one pole of a generator of electricity.
C represents a carbon or other suitable refractory electrode held in an insulated
handle H and connected by conductor X with the other pole of a generator of
electricity. B represents an article to be heated, or two articles, as shown in
Figure 1, to be welded together. P represents a protective coating of any suitable
refractory material, with which conductor D may be enveloped to keep it from
the air.
In operating the invention, the article to be heated is in contact with conductor D,
conductor C is brought against the outer side of said material, and a current is then
passed through conductor D, material B and material C. As soon as the circuit
is established, conductor C is raised from the material so as to establish an arc
between it and the material, by which the material B becomes rapidly heated. At
the same time the heating effect of the current raises the conductor D, or that
part of it which is in contact with material B to a state of incandescence, thereby
heating the underside of material B.
When two articles are to be welded together, the conductor D may be forked,
as shown in Figure 1, so that the welding edges of the materials may be subjected
on one side to the arc, and on the opposite sides to the heating effect of
conductor D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
The herein described method of heating metals electrically, consisting in
heating the material on one side by contact with a conductor in electrical con-
nection with one terminal of a generator, and heating the material on the other side
by a voltaic arc.
Dated this 5th day of December 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.