IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PICKLING WIRE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Fin of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PICKLING WIRE" A communication
from abroad by the American Screw Company (Incorporated), of Providence,
Rhode Island, United States of America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1877
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Fum of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PICKLING
WIRE" A cominunication from abroad by the American Screw Company
(Incorporated), of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
It is well known that preparatory to cold drawing iron wire it is necessary that
the same should be subjected to the corrosive action of an aqueous solution of
sulphuric acid This operation is commonly known as "pickling"
The wire when prepared for pickling is in coils of practically the same diameter
Originally a single coil was immersed in the solution and removed before putting
in anothei This mode involved much waste of acid and was very laborious and
expensive
Subsequently circular tubs or vats of considerable depth were used in which
numerous coils of wire were placed one above the other in a stack, and vertical
skeleton hoisting reels were used for simultaneously putting then coils into the
tubs and removing them therefiom This last-named apparatus has been used for
a long time with great practical economy in acid and labor as compared with the
previous inethod
The acid and water are mixed in the vat and the wie immersed therein Steam
is then applied for obtaining more heat in the liquor than that incident to the action
of the acid on the water The desnable corrosive action on the wire is best attained
during the active operation of the acid upon the water Numerous experiments
and long practice have determined the most effective proportions of acid and water,
[Price fid 1

page_text: hoisting recl
It is a hollow iron cylinder with a heavy base at a and a concave
head at b The base at its under side is recessed in radial lines for the reception of
the arms c, which are pivoted centially to the column at its base
These arms
extend from a point near the centre of the column outwardly so as to afford a good
support for the lower coil of several with which the reel may be loaded A central
shaft & in the column is provided at its upper end with a lever c with which
Joop catch at fis aanged to engage for preventing rotation of the shaft The
shaft should be packed at the base u to prevent leakage into the column A ball
or eyebolt as at is provided for connection with hoisting tackle The lower end
of the shaft d is provided with a foul-amed catch plate h. Its aims extend out-
ward beyond the inner ends of the arms c When the arus of the catch plate aic
opposite the radial recesses tho aims cengage therewith and are thereby maintamed
na honzontal position for supporting the coils of wine, as shown in Figures I
and 3, meantime the catch loop f secures those parts in this position
After the
eel laden with coils of wie has been hoisted from the tank and placed on tho
ground the shaft d 18 rotated, the arms cieleased, and the reel hoisted, leaving the
coils standing in a stack convenient for washing and dipping
When released
the aims c and catch plate occupy positions as shown in Figure 4, and in dotted
lines in Figure 1
When placed end wise on the ground the aims c assume a horizontal position, tho
shaft and catch plate are then iotated and the loop catch adjusted, after which
another lot of coils of who may be loaded on the ieel
When the column B is attached to the tub, as in Figure 6, I employ a hoisting
cel like that shewn in Figure 7 It consists of a three-armed head as at 2, and
three strong hooks & swiveled to the head so that they may be freely turned in any
direction The bottom of the tub is provided with several radial bars, as at 7,
which keep the lower coil from contact with the bottom of the tub A stack of
coils 19 hoisted from the floor in the hook ieel and lowered into the tub
When the column B is detachable and is not a part of the reel, as in Figure 3,
the hook reel on the column reel may be used for putting the stack of coils in the
vat. On removing the ieel the detachable column is inserted until the pickling
operation is completed
However the column B may be constructed it should have a diameter, say, from
two to three inches less than the inside diameter of the coils of wire to be pickled
As a rule the coils vary but little in diameter owing to the uniformity in the size
of the coiling drums in diawing machines
The practical value of my Invention will be fully comprehended when I state
that from experiments with vnts with and without a displacing column, all other
things being substantially equal and each being made to perform the same pickling
service, it was demonstrated that the quantity of acid required for pickling about
12,000 pounds of wire was as 270 pounds of acid to 320 pounds in favor of the
tubs with the columns
The spent liquors from the column tubs afford a large quantity of copperas
crystals, and those from the other tubs afford none The annular space in the
column tub is peculiarly favorable for the exposure of the wire and for the cucula-
tion of the liquor in contact therewith
The diminished quantity of solution used involves much saving in steam for
hoisting it The requirement of a lesser quantity of acid and water involves a
saving of labor in handling, and in time for filling and emptying the tubs More-
over while the spent liquors of the old tubs have no capacity for properly corroding
or etching the wire they have a slightly greater quantity of acid remaining than in
the spent liquors from the column tubs
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The combination with a wne pickling tub or vat of a displacing column

page_text: occupying the central space enclosed by the coils of wue, as above described and
for the purposes specified
Second A hoisting reel provided with a displacing column, as above described
and for the purpose specified
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven