IMPROVEMENTS IN INDURATING IRON AND IN PROTECTING IRON AND STEEL FROM OXIDATION.
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Webster, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
INDURATING IRON AND IN PROTECTING IRON AND STEEL FROM OXIDATION.".
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Webster at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th June 1863.
I, JAMES WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
INDURATING IRON, AND IN PROTECTING IRON AND STEEL FROM OXIDATION," to be
as follows:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Indurating Iron and in Protecting Iron
and Steel from Oxidation," relates, in the first place, to an improved prepara-
tion or composition of chemical substances, with which iron is to be treated
when in a hot state, for the purpose of hardening or indurating the same. In
preparing the hardening or indurating compound for the purposes of my
Invention, I take about equal proportions of carbonate of potash and
American ash, pulverized and mixed together, and to this is added hydrochloric
acid until carbonic acid gas ceases to be given off. This mixture is put into a
close vessel or retort, and heated so as to drive off the water and reduce the
mass to a homogeneous liquid state, when it is run off or ladled out and cast
into blocks, which become solid when cold; of this mixture, which may be

page_text: called No. 1, I take about 17 per cent., and after roughly pulverizing the
same, I add thereto about 88 per cent. of prussiate of potash, also roughly
pulverized; these two ingredients are also melted in a close vessel, and when
in a liquid state are fit for use, and may be called No. 2. This mixture may,
however, if desired, be cast into blocks for future use, but when required for
use must be reduced again to the liquid state. The metal articles to be
operated upon are heated to a bright red heat, and in this state are dipped
into the liquid preparation No. 2, after which they are left to cool a little, and
are then dipped in water until cold. They may then be cleaned, if desired,
and the hardening process will be complete. Many articles, however, require
to be protected on their surfaces from oxidation, for which purpose I prepare
a varnish composition, consisting principally of, say 50 per cent. of paraffine
oil, 15 per cent. of naphtha, 3 per cent. of tar, about an equal quantity of
mixture No. 2 in a pulverized state, and 20 per cent. of rosin, and about half
that quantity of heavy or tar oil. This preparation will answer very well for
rough articles, which must be heated to about 300°, and then dipped in the
composition. For finer articles, however, it will be found advisable to add
a small proportion of gutta percha with sulphide of carbon in addition to the
naphtha as its solvent. For steel articles, the indurating or hardening
process, of course, is not required, but the surface of the metal may be
protected from oxidation by the varnish composition above referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Webster in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Webster, Her special license that I, the said James Webster,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Webster, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
INDURATING IRON, AND IN PROTECTING IRON AND STEEL FROM OXIDATION," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Webster, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what 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 I, the said James Webster, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Indurating Iron and in Protecting Iron
and Steel from Oxidation," relates, in the first place, to an improved prepara-
tion or composition of chemical substances with which iron is to be treated
when in a hot state for the purpose of hardening or indurating the same. In
preparing the hardening or indurating compound for the purposes of my
Invention, I take about equal. proportions of carbonate of potash and
American ash, pulverized and mixed together, and to this is added hydrochloric
acid until carbonic acid gas ceases to be given off. The proportions in which
the carbonate of potash and American ash are mixed are not material, and in
fact, I sometimes use one or other of the substances without the other, or
commercial chloride of potassium may be employed. The mixture or com-
bination of ingredients above named is to be put into a close vessel or retort,
and heated so as to drive off the water and reduce the mass to a homo-
geneous liquid state, when it is run off or ladled out and cast into blocks,
which become solid when cold. If chloride of potassium be used, it will
only require the addition of a little free acid to render it suitable for the
purposes of my Invention. Of this mixture, which may be called No. 1, I take
about 17 per cent., and after roughly pulverizing the same, I add thereto
about 83 per cent of yellow prussiate of potash, also roughly pulverized;
these two ingredients are also melted in a close vessel, and when in a liquid
state are fit for use, and may be called No. 2. This mixture may, however,
if desired, be cast into blocks for future use, but when required for use, must
be reduced again to the liquid state. The metal articles to be operated upon
are heated to a bright red heat, and in this state are dipped into the liquid or
molten preparation No. 2, after which they are to be left to cool a little, and
then dipped in water, where they are to remain until cold. They may then

page_text: be cleaned, if desired, and the hardening process will be complete. Many
articles, however, require to be protected on their surfaces from oxydation, for
which purpose I prepare a varnish composition, consisting principally of, say
50 per cent. of paraffine oil, 15 per cent. of naphtha, 3 per cent. of tar, about
an equal quantity of mixture No. 2, in à pulverized state, and 20 per cent. of
rosin, and about half that quantity of heavy or tar oil. This preparation will
answer very well for rough articles, which must be heated to about 800°, and
then dipped in the composition.
As a modification of the above varnish composition for coating the articles
black outside, the following may be advantageously employed; namely, I pound
and a half of the composition above named, No. 2, and containing the cyanide
of potassium; gutta percha four pounds; creosote, obtained from gas works,
four pounds; linseed oil, fifty pounds; and paraffinie oil, forty pounds; also
sufficient bisulphide of carbon to dissolve the gutta percha. For finer articles,
the above preparation with a. less quantity of linseed oil, will be found
extremely useful, but I do not bind myself to the exact proportions above
named. For steel articles, the indurating or hardening process, of course, is
nor required; but the surface of the metal may be protected from oxidation
by the varnish composition above referred to..
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Indurating Iron
and.in Protecting Iron and Steel from Oxidation," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured
to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the preparation or combination of
articles above named, or other equivalent chemical agents, for hardening or
indurating iron, as herein set forth.. I also claim the preparations above
described for protecting metallic surfaces from oxidation.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Webster, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness to the Signature of James Webster,
RICHARD HEATHFIELD,
Henley Lodge, Handsworth.
JAMES WEBSTER. (L.S.)
8, Lee Crescent,
Birmingham.