AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING LEAD TO IMPART TO IT THE PROPERTY OF ADHERING TO, AND AMALGAMATING WITH OTHER METALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Middleton Justice of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents for an
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING LEAD TO IMPART TO IT
THE PROPERTY OF ADHERING TO, AND AMALGAMATING WITH OTHER METALS
communicated to him from abroad by Francis J Clamer of the City of
Philadelphia United States of America
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the, said Philip Middleton Justice
at the Office of tho Commissioners of Patents on the 14th August 1883.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF
TREATING LEAD TO IMPART TO IT THE PROPERTY OF ADHERING TO, AND AMAL-
GAMATING WITH OTHER METALS a cominunication to me from abroad by Francis
J Clamer of the City of Philadelphia United States of America
Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in coating the surfaces of metals
with lead, and by the ordinary method it is almost impossible to put a smooth
surface of this metal upon Iron Copper Brass, Yellow Metal &c The object of this
invention is to treat melted metallic lead by adding thereto Sal-ammoniac, Arsenic,
Phosphorus and Borax or a similar flux, and by this method so change the nature
of the metal, that by a process similar to galvanizing with zinc, the surfaces of
metal, such as Iron, Copper, Brass &c may be covered with a complete smooth and
permanent coating of lead, free from holes and not liable to scale off Lead while
in a molten state absorbs various gases from its surroundings & from the atmo-
sphere, the gases thus absorbed, prevent it from adhering closely to the surface of
inetals dipped into it and cause the small holes and blisters so frequently found in
a sheet of metal coated with lead in the usual way. Melted lead is also thick and
sluggish. consequently a coating formed in the usual way is full of ridges the metal
being very unevenly distributed over the surface of the sheet I have discovered a

page_text: process whereby these difficulties are overcome I treat lead while in a molten stato
with certain articles which render it peculiarly adapted for use as a coating material
These articles are Sal-ammoniac, arsenic and phosphorus The Sal-ammoniac has
great cleansing power and drives out from the lead all the gases and impurities
The arsenic by its hardening and solidifying qualities renders the lead incapable of
receiving any further impurities or gases In my experiments I have found that it
makes the lead permanently impervious to these influences and the lead may be
melted over and over again without losing the effect of the arsenic The Phosphorus
destroys the sluggishness and renders the mass limpid I have found that the
combined effect of these materials upon a mass of molten lead when applied as
hereinafter set forth, is to make it an excellent coating The hardening influence
of the arsenic is mollified by the softening and liquifying effect of the Phosphorus
while the tendency of the phosphorus to render the lead scaly is taken away by
the cleansing effect of the Sal-animoniac To carry my invention into effect I take
ordinary pig lead and melt it in a vessel suitable for the purpose, after which the
surface of the melted metal is covered with powdered charcoal, this is done to
prevent oxidization and to retain the materials which I afterwards introduce
When the lead has been thus melted and covered with charcoal I add for every one
hundred pounds of lead first, Three ounces of Sal ammoniac then half an ounce of
arsenic after this one ounce of Phosphorus and lastly half an ounce of Borax or a
similar flux These substances are introduced separately one after the other the
unctal being gently agitated meanwhile in order that they may be distributed
thoroughly through the whole mass, when the metal has thus been treated all that
is necessary in order to coat an article, is to free the surface thereof from any dirt
or scale and then dip it in the same manner as when galvanizing with zine If the
metal is not needed for immediate use it may be run into bars or ingots and used
at any future time either as a solder or for coating the surfaces of articles or for
mixing with other soft metals such as tin, zinc, copper &c The action of Sal
ammoniac, arsenic,-and. phosphorus.as.herein.set out is.not.confined to..lead. alone,
but other metals such as Tin and zinc, that are used for metal coating may be
improved in a similar manner I do not therefore confine myself to the treatment
of lead alone When treating tin or zinc by this process, the proportion of
phosphorus is increased about one third I do not confine myself to exact pro-
portions and amounts of the Sal ainmoniac. Arsenic or phosphorus as herein set
out, as these may be varied and the use of the Borax or flux omitted entirely.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Philip Middleton Justice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd December 1883.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF
TREATING LEAD TO IMPART TO IT THE PROPERTY OF ADHERING TO AND AMAL-
GAMATING WITH OTHER METALS A communication to me fro:n abroad by Francis
J Clamer of the City of Philadelphia United States of America
Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in coating the surfaces of metals
with lead and by the ordinary method it is almost impossible to put a smooth
surface of this metal upon Iron, Copper, Brass, yellow metal &c The object of this
invention is to treat melted metallic lead by adding thereto sal-ammoniac Arsenic,
Phosphorous and Borax or a similar flux and by this method so change the nature
of the metal, that by a process similar to galvanizing with zinc, the surfaces of
metal such as Iron Copper, Brass &c may be covered with a complete smooth
and permanent coating of lead free from holes and not liable to scale off Lead
while in a molten state absorbs various gases from its surroundings and from
the atmosphere the gases thus absorbed prevent it from adhering closely to
the surface of metals dipped into it and cause the small holes and blisters so
frequently found in a sheet of metal coated with lead in the usual way Melted
lead is also thick and sluggish consequently a coating formed in the usual way is
full of ridges the metal being very unevenly distributed over the surface of the
sheet I have discovered a process whereby these difficulties are overcome I treat lead
while in a molten state with certain articles which render it peculiarly adapted for
use as a coating material These articles are Sal ammoniac Arsenic and Phosphorous
The sal-ammoniac has great cleansing power and drives out from the lead all the
gases and impurities The arsenic by its hardening and solidifying qualities renders
the lead incapable of receiving any further impurities or gases In my experiments
1 have found that it makes the lead permanently impervious to these influences and
the lead may be melted over and over again without losing the effect of the arsenic
The phosphorous destroys the sluggishness and renders the mass limpid I have
found that the combined effect of these materials upon a mass of molten lead when
applied as hereinafter set forth, is to make it an excellent coating The hardening
influence of the arsenic is mollified by the softening and liquifying effect of the
Phosphorous while the tendency of the Phosphorous to render the lead scaly is
taken away by the cleansing effect of the sal-ammoniac To carry my invention
into effect I take ordinary pig lead and melt it in a vessel suitable for the purpose,
after which the surface of the melted metal is covered with powdered charcoal, this
is done to prevent oxidization and to retain the materials which I afterwards
introduce. When the lead has been thus melted and covered with charcoal I add
for every hundred pounds of lead first three ounces of sal-ammoniac, then half an.
ounce of Arsenic after this one ounce of Phosphorous and lastly half an ounce of
Borax or a similar flux. These substances are introduced separately one after the
other the metal being gently agitated meanwhile in order that they may be
distributed thoroughly through the whole mass; when the metal has been thus
treated all that is necessary in order to coat an article, is to free the surface thereof
from any dirt or scale, and then dip it in the same manner as when galvanizing
with zinc. If the metal is not needed for immediate use, it may be run into bars
or ingots and used at any future time either as a solder or for coating the surfaces
of articles or for mixing with other soft metals such as Tin, Zinc, Copper &c

page_text: The action of sal-ammoniac, Arsenic, and Phosphorous as herein set out is not
confined to lead alone, but other metals such as Tin and Zinc, that are used for
metal coating, may be improved in a similar manner I do not therefore confine
myself to the treatment of lead alone When treating Tin or Zinc by this process,
the proportion of Phosphorous is increased about one third I do not confine myself
to the exact proportions and amounts of the sal-aminoniac Arsenic or Phosphorous
as herein set out as these may be varied and the use of the Borax or flux omitted
entirely I have found that the best results are obtained when the above
proportions are preserved and Borax or a similar flux used
Having thus described the nature of the invention as communicated to me from
abroad by my foreign correspondent and how the same may be carried effect [sic]
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
The process of purifying lead, tin, zinc, and similar metals and preparing them
for metal coating and amalgamating with other metals which consists in
providing a molten bath of the metal and subjecting it to the action of sal-
ammoniac, arsenic, and Phosphorous substantially as herein set forth
In Witness whereof I the said Philip Middleton Justice have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twentieth day of December in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
Signed sealed and delivered
in the presence of
-HENRY BANFILL-HATCHIWELL.
55 & 56 Chancery Lane
W.C
PHILIP M. JUSTICE (L.S.)