IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, AND COATING OF METALS, AND IN THE MEANS OF APPLYING HEAT
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDMUND
MOREWOOD, of Enfield, in the County of Middlesex, and GEORGE ROGERS, of
the same place, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by.
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth
day of February, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Edmund Morewood and George Rogers, our exors, admors,
and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that we, the said Edmund Morewood and George Rogers, our exors, adñiors,
and assigns, and such others as we, the said Edmund Morewood and George
Rogers, our exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within-
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, AND COATING OF METALS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
APPLYING HEAT;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that
we, the said Edmund Morewood and George Rogers, or one of us, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, to be inrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Edmund Morewood and George Rogers, do hereby declare that the nature
of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
One part of our Invention consists in coating slabs or sheets of wrought
zinc, which we perform in the following manner:-We heat such piece of
wrought zine (rolled or extended or beaten zinc) upon a hot iron plate,
and when it is a little above the melting point of lead, which can be ascertained
by touching it with a thin stick of lead, we sprinkle on its surface a little
powdered sal ammoniac, and then proceed to rub it with a stick of lead until
the whole surface is covered with a more or less thick coat of lead. We then
pour on gently a sufficient quantity of melted lead, taking care that the
temperature of such lead is not sufficiently high to melt the zinc.
We remove
such coated metal from the hot plate and allow it to cool down entirely, or to
cool down to the proper heat to be rolled into sheets, or otherwise extended.
We would observe, that in this process of coating wrought zinc we lay a little
sand around the edges of the zinc, in order to prevent the lead flowing off it
in the operation of coating.
Another portion of our Invention has for its object the obtaining a thick
eoating of lead or tin or their alloys upon zinc, or suitable alloys of that metal,
by the employment of a pan or suitable means to retain the molten metal
about coated zinc, in the process of dipping such zinc into molten metal. In
carrying out this part of our Invention we proceed as follows:-We take a
piece of zinc, and we prefer that it should be stout wrought zinc, and having
cut it to the internal size of the mould herein-after referred to, we clean its
surface with acid, as is well understood; we then coat the piece of zinc with
lead or its alloys by dipping it into molten lead, on the surface of which should
be kept a flux, and we use sal ammoniac for this purpose. Having coated
the piece of zinc with lead or its alloys, we place it in a mould, such as is shewn
in the Drawing. The depth of this mould must be varied according to the
size and thickness of the slab of coated zinc to be produced; we prefer that it
be about three-quarters of an inch deep, and that the piece of zinc to be laid

page_text: in it be about three-eighths of an inch thick. The piece of coated zinc is laid
upon the ledge shewn upon the inside of the mould. The mould, with the zinc
in it, is then dipped in a more or less vertical direction into the bath of molten
lead, and while in the bath it is turned into a horizontal direction, and in that
direction lifted out of the molten metal, but some variation as to the direction
may be at times desirable, the zinc being kept down in its place by means
of tongs or other suitable contrivance. The mould or pan is then set aside,
and the zinc is still to be kept in its place until the lead has set, when the
compound slab may be turned out and allowed to cool. The temperaturo
of the molten lead in this process should be kept as low as practicable;
and we prefer to dip the mould or pan into the molten lead each time
before laying the zinc in it, in order to bring the pan or mould up to the
temperature of the molten lead before introducing the zinc. If it be
wished to coat one side of the zinc only, instead of both, we smear the
other side with a solution of gum or glue, or some other adhesive and
obstructive matter, in order to prevent the contact of the two metals. In such
case we prefer to put sand or other powdery matter in the lower portion of
the mould, and either dip the pan containing the zinc into molten lead, as
before described, or make both it and the zinc, or the zinc only, hot, by
placing them or it on a cast-iron slab, or in some other suitable way, and then
pour the necessary quantity of molten lead into the pan. The slab of zinc
should be secured in its place by a wedge or other suitable contrivance.
Such coated sheets we afterwards extend by rolling, as herein-after mentioned,
or otherwise. Cast zinc slabs or spelter may also be thus prepared, in which
case we have discovered that great advantage is obtained by what may be
called forging or beating it, in preference to rolling it, so as to break down the
grain of the zinc, after which the coated slabs may be rolled as herein-after
mentioned, or otherwise extended.
Another part of our Invention has for its object the extension of zinc after
it has been coated, by immersing or dipping it in molten lead or suitable
alloys of that metal. And in carrying into effect this part of our Inventior,
we take a piece of zinc, by preference wrought zinc, of such size and thickness
as may be necessary, in order by after extension to produce from it a sheet or
other article of the size required. We clean the surface of this piece of zinc
by dipping it in weak muriatic or other suitable acid; we then gradually dip
it into the molten lead or alloy, the surface of which molten metal should be
covered with sal ammoniac; and when the zinc is completely coated with lead,
we carefully withdraw it from the molten metal, and allow it either to cool
entirely, or to cool down to about the heat at which zinc is rolled. At this

page_text: heat we pass the sheets through between rolls, thus smoothing the surface
and extending the sheet. We would remark that we use the rolls slightly
hollowed on the surface; and that we also smear the surface of the sheets
with a little grease in order to prevent sticking. We would also remark that
the heat of the lead must be only just above the melting point of that metal,
and that the pieces of zinc to be dipped should not be too thin, or they are
apt to break in the process of immersing or dipping, and we prefer that the
pieces should be one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch thick.
Another part of our Invention has for its object the stamping or otherwise
forming projections or indentations on the ends of pieces of eave or other
gutters made of wrought iron or of zinc, or of those metals coated, so as to
strengthen them and render them more capable of fitting together and
preventing leakage. Heretofore these articles have been so made, that in
connecting the lengths together the smooth faces of the gutters have simply
lapped one over the other, the joint being only made by either solder or paint.
This portion of our Invention consists in stamping or otherwise producing a
groove or other suitable impression at or about one or both ends of the
lengths of gutters, thereby setting those portions. of the gutters to a uniform
size and shape, and at the same time strengthening them, and rendering the
joint more secure. The operation of stamping this groove or impression
when iron is used may be done either hot or cold, according to the impression
required and the quality of the iron. The groove or impression which we
prefer to produce on the ends of the gutters is about an inch and a half broad
by about one-eighth inch deep, and running round the gutter about a quarter
of an inch from the end of it. This is done between iron or other suitable
metal dies cut to the pattern required. The gutter, after having been formed,
is placed with its end on one of the dies, and the other die is then forced
down upon it to strike the pattern. The same result may be produced by
passing the ends of the gutters between circular dies or rollers cut to the
pattern required.
Another part of our Invention has for its object the stamping or otherwise
forming a flute or flutes, or other suitable projections or indentations, across
And in
corrugated sheet metal or sheets of metal similarly bent or formed.
carrying out this part of our Invention we prefer to proceed as follows:-We
take a sheet of iron or coated iron, or other suitable metal, and having
stamped it lengthways with what are called step corrugations, we then stamp
at or near each end of the sheet a flute or other impression across the
step corrugations. If the flute or impression is not to be deep it may be done
cold, but if it is to be pretty deep we heat the iron (not coated) to a bright

page_text: red heat before stamping or otherwise forming such impressions. The end
flutes must be so stamped that when the sheets are laid upon a roof or other
surface the flutes will fit one upon another. We prefer that the steps should
be lengthways of the sheets, and that the cross flutes or impressions should be
the narrow way of the sheet, but we do not confine ourselves to their being
in these particular directions.
Another part of our Invention has for its object the combined use of
sal ammonia, or other suitable chloride and sand, or a similar substance, laid
on the surface of metal when coating one metal with another. We have
found that, if instead of using sal ammoniac alone upon the surface of zinc in
the process of coating iron with zinc, a small quantity of powdered sal ammo-
niac be mixed with a considerable quantity of sand or other suitable matter,
such as hereafter mentioned, and the mixture be laid on the surface of tho
molten zinc, a considerable saving is effected both in the quantity of flux
consumed and in the amount of heat necessary to keep the zinc in a molten
state, the sand preventing the surface of the molten metal from cooling as
fast as it otherwise would. A small quantity of powdered sale ammoniac
must from time to time be mixed with the sand as it lays on the surface
of the molten metal; or powdered charcoal or coke or loam may be used in
the place of sand.
Another part of our Invention consists in the use of a lighter metal floating
upon a heavier one when coating one metal with another. Thus in coating
iron with molten lead we have a division in the upper part of the bath of
molten lead, the lower edge of the division dipping below the surface of
the molten lead. On the side of the division at which the articles to be
coated enter the molten lead we float on the surface of the lead a thin
layer of molten zinc, and the articles to be coated entering the lead
through the layer of molten zinc pass under the division bar or other
instrument, and are withdrawn through the molten metal on the other
side of the division perfectly coated. In this operation we first clean the
article, as is well understood, and a suitable flux is to be used on the surface
of the molten metal, and we prefer to use sal ammoniac. The lighter metal
employed in this operation must be one which does not easily combine with
the heavier one when thus used.
Another part of our Invention relates to coating wire and other surfaces
with molten metal. In carrying out this improvement instead of bringing
the articles which are being coated out of the molten metal in the ordinary
way, we cause them to pass out through a tube or other confined passage,
which we prefer to have filled with a vapour or gas which will, as far as

page_text: possible, exclude the air and prevent the oxidation of the surface of the
molten metal. And in order to keep the air as completely as possible from
such tube or confined passage, we cause a current of the vapour or gas to
enter near the bottom or one end of the tube or passage by means of a
small pipe passing from a boiler or gas holder containing the vapour or gas to
the tube or passage through which the wire or other article travels. We
use carbonic acid or steam for this purpose, but we do not confine ourselves
to these. In coating wire chains, &c. in this way, we cause them to travel
gradually through the bath and out on the other side through the tube
or confined passage by means of guides in the bath and a reel or a drum
outside, as is well understood, but other contrivances may be substituted.
Another part of our Invention consists in placing or employing a fan
or blower in the flue at a point beyond or after the fire to draw off the
products of combustion when heating baths of metal for coating.
Another part of our Invention consists of drawing pipes made of black iron
and afterwards coating them. This part of our Invention is for manufacturing
uncoated sheet iron into pipes by seaming the edges of such sheets so as
to form pipes, and then cleaning the same, and then dipping them into
molten zinc or other suitable molten metal, so as to coat the iron and at the
same time solder up such seams or joints.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Morewood, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.