IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR HEATING, HARDENING, AND TEMPERING WIRE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARDS FOR CARDING FIBRES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Law and Henry Law, of the Firm of Messieurs
Samuel Law and Sons, of Cleckheaton, in the County of York, Card Manu-
facturers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR HEATING,
HARDENING, AND TEMPERING WIRE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARDS FOR
CARDING FIBRES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Law and Henry
Law at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th January
1880.
JOSEPH LAW and HENRY LAW of the Firm of Messieurs Samuel Laws and Sons,
of Cleckheaton, in the County of York, Card Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPLIANCES FOR HEATING, HARDENING, AND TEMPERING WIRE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CARDS FOR CARDING FIBRES."
This Invention relates to improvements in appliances to be used in the heating,
hardening, and tempering steel wire, from which to manufacture cards for carding
fibres.
According to this our said Invention in the heating, hardening, and tempering
wire for purpose aforesaid, we employ in combination three vessels. The first
contains molten lead, the second oil or water, the third molten lead. A slit
for each wire is cut in the ends or sides of the vessels to a point so far
below the level of the surface of the lead and the oil or water as to ensure
the complete immersion of the wire; there is also for each vessel containing
lead a lid or cover having on its underside ribs or projections which, when the
lid is closed, ensure the wire being kept well below the surface; each lead con-
taining vessel is further provided with vertical ribs or guide pieces for sustaining
partitions across the vessel, so as to shorten or vary the length of "bath" of
molten metal through which the wire must pass, according to the temper to be
given thereto.
In the passing wire from one vessel to another, or from one point to another,
numerous guide pulleys have been used; these in the temping of wire are most
objectionable, because of the bending the wire. By the use of the vessels having
slits, as alone described, the wire is kept in a straight line during the processes of
heating, hardening, and tempering, passing from one creel through the baths straight
to the "winder or finished creel.
The oil or water requires constant replacement, as it becomes heated by the hot
vire passing therethrough in the process of hardening. When oil is used the escape
hrough the slits is caught by an under vessel, and a constant supply being main-
ained from tap and reservoir; but of molten metal there is no escape, as it does not
un through the slits.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Joseph Law and Henry Law
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th September 1880.
JOSEPH LAW and HENRY LAW, of the Firm of Messieurs Samuel Law and Sons,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
of Cleckheaton, in the County of York, Card Manufacturers.
APPLIANCES FOR HEATING, HARDENING, AND TEMPERING WIRE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CARDS FOR CARDING FIBRES."
This Invention relates to improvements in appliances to be used in the heating,
hardening, and tempering steel wire, from which to manufacture cards for carding
fibros
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section.
Figure 2 is a plan view according to this Invention.
At 1, 1, are creels containing the wire 2, 2, 2, 2, which is to be operated upon; 3
is a vessel containing melted tallow or other fatty substance; 4 is a bath containing
molten metal, such as lead or other soft metal readily fused, or alloys of lead and
tin in about the proportion of 20 parts of lead to one part of tin; 5, 5, are guide
pulleys; 6, 6, are covers or lids which may be raised or lifted separately, so that
when a length of wire be run off or completed, or by reason of breakage, there may
be no obstruction to the operation on the other wires.
"
The application of soda ash and potash to the baths containing molten lead or
on the surface of
alloys of metals in great part prevents the formation of "scum
the bath, and otherwise facilitates operating on the wire; the proportion of soda ash
or potash is about five ounces to a bath containing about 224 lbs. of molten lead or
alloys.
7 is a bath or cistern containing oil.
8, a vessel for catching waste or overflowing oil.
At 9 is another bath containing molten lead.
10, 10, 10, are ordinary winders, on which the wire is wound as finished; 11, 11,
are furnaces for melting the lead contained in the baths 4 and 9; 12, 12, 12, are the
flues or passage ways from furnace to the main chimney or flue.
The wire on passing from the creels is drawn into and through the melted tallow
or other fatty substance, thence through a bath of molten lead or alloys, thence
issuing at a red heat and passing into the bath of oil, being hardened thereby; and
in the passing from the oil bath to and through the molten lead in the last bath the
process of tempering or letting down from the hardening described is effected with
certainty and much regularity. The use of the appliances as described ensures the
regularity required in operating on the wire, and at the same time affords great
facility for executing the work, and at a slight cost compared with other known
processes for such purpose, and any coating of the wire with metal is avoided.
"
From practical use of the apparatus above described we find that slits in the ends
of the vessels containing molten metal are liable to "make up or become closed by
refuse; we therefore find it convenient to use guide pulleys, as shown in the
Drawings; and we would further state that the best results are obtained when the
molten lead or alloys contained in the vessel for heating the wire is at a tem-
perature of about 800 to 2,000 degrees. The oil in the vessel requires constant
replacement, as it becomes heated by the hot wire passing therethrough in the
process of hardening, and a constant supply should be maintained from a reservoir
and tap.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this our said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed, we would

page_text: have it understood that we are aware of the prior Patents of Ashworth and
Ashworth, No. 3513, A.D. 1878, and the Patent granted to John Carter Ramsden,
No. 1315, A.D. 1879, respectively, and we do not claim anything covered by either
of these Patents; what we do claim is,-
Firstly. The method of and use of the appliances for preparing and treating the
wire prior to hardening, as and for the purpose described.
Secondly. The method of and use of the appliances for preparing, and heating,
and tempering the wire, as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Law and Henry Law, have hereunto
set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
JOSEPH LAW. (L.S.)
HENRY LAW. (L.S.)