AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING METALS AND METALLIC COMPOUNDS OR ALLOYS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53 Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF TREATING METALS AND METALLIC COMPOUNDS OR ALLOYS.”
A communication from abroad by Louis Clémandot, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th February 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING METALS AND METALLIC
COMPOUNDS OR ALLOYS." [A communication from abroad by Louis Clémandot,
of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to a method of treating all kinds of metals and metallic
compounds or alloys and consists in subjecting the metal or alloy when raised to a
temperature sufficiently high to ensure the necessary ductility to powerful com-
pression, and then allowing it to become completely cool while still under pressure.
The nature of metals after undergoing the three phases of this operation, viz.―
heating, compression, and cooling under pressure is considerably modified, the grain is
rendered much finer, and the density of the metal considerably increased. Metals
thus treated undergo a kind of mechanical hardening and acquire a degree of
hardness and density hitherto unattainable. Steel in particular may be said to
receive a peculiar temper by compression, by which it acquires coercive properties
and becomes permanently magnetic.
It is therefore not an ordinary tempering or hammer hardening operation, but
rather resembles forging although it surpasses it in its effects inasmuch as the
metal acquires novel properties and more particularly an excessive degree of
hardness.
With regard to the phenomena due to the application of this method of
treatment, it would appear that the compression and cooling of the metal under
pressure present the molecular state of the metal in a peculiarly favorable condition
for homogeneousness, the solidified metal may be said to be amorphous, whereas

page_text: the contrary is the case in the ordinary cooling of a metal in which crystallization
or a tendency to crystallisation may occur.
It has been stated that the metal is before compression heated to a sufficient
degree to render it ductile enough for the purpose, and this may be done either by
reheating the metal or by taking it at any suitable stage of its manufacture. For
very soft metals such as certain kinds of alloys, the employment of heat is not
essential and the process of compression may therefore be applied to metals or
alloys in a cold state according to the results it is desired to obtain.
By this method of treating metals and metallic compounds or alloys, their
quality is much improved, for example, steels heretofore unsuitable for tool making
will, after being treated according to this process, be rendered of very good quality
for the purpose. Moreover this treatment when applied to metals in course of
manufacture, will permit of the association therewith of still larger proportions of
substances employed to modify their properties according to the purpose for which
they are to be employed. This improved method of treatment is applicable to all
the metals including wrought, cast, or malleable cast iron, steel, copper, zinc, gun-
metal, bronze, brass and nickel and is therefore susceptible of a great number of
applications, but is more especially applicable for producing excellent qualities of
steel for magnets, rails, tools, files, gravers, cutlery, coiners dies, coins, machine
bearings, &c.
The mechanical means employed for the compression of the metal may be of any
suitable kind but it is preferable to use hydraulic power when available as being
more powerful, easily regulated and at same time more readily applied in the
different cases enumerated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th August 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING METALS AND METALLIĊ
COMPOUNDS OR ALLOYS." A communication from abroad by Louis Clémandot
of Paris France.
This Invention relates to a method of treating or tempering all kinds of metals
and metallic compounds or alloys and consists in subjecting the metal or alloy
when heated (to a sufficiently high temperature to ensure the necessary ductility)
to powerful compression and then allowing it to become completely cool while still
under pressure.
The nature of the metals after undergoing the three phases of this operation
vie:-heating, compression, and cooling under pressure, is considerably modified,
the grain is much finer, and the density of the metal considerably increased.
Metals thus treated undergo a kind of mechanical tempering and may be made to
acquire a degree of hardness and density hitherto unattainable. Steel in particular
may be said to receive a peculiar temper by compression, by which it acquires
coercive force which enables it to be permanently magnetized.
It is therefore not an ordinary tempering or hammer hardening operation, but
rather resembles forging although it surpasses it in its effects inasmuch as the
metal acquires novel properties and more particularly an excessive degree of
hardness.
With regard to the phenomena due to the application of this method of
treatment, it would appear that by the compression, and the cooling of the metal
under pressure, the molecular state of the metal is brought into a peculiarly
favorable condition for homogeneity.
It has been stated that the metal is before compression, heated to a sufficient
degree to render it ductile enough for the purpose, and this may be done either by
reheating the metal or by taking it at any suitable stage of its manufacture.
As above mentioned this method of tempering by compression imparts to steel
coercive force; I may however produce the magnetization of the metal either after
or during the compression.
By this method of treating metals and metallic compounds or alloys their
quality is much improved; for example, steels heretofore unsuitable for tool making
will, after being treated according to this process, be rendered of very good quality
for the purpose. Moreover this treatment when applied to metals in course of
manufacture, will permit of the association therewith of still larger proportions of
substances by which their properties are modified, according to the purpose for
which they are to be employed.
This method of treatment is applicable to all the metals including wrought, cast,
or malleable cast iron, steel, copper, zinc, gunmetal, bronze, brass, and nickel and is
therefore susceptible of a great and almost infinite number of applications, but it is
more especially applicable for producing excellent qualities of steel for magnets,
rails, tools, files, gravers, cutlery, coiners' dies, coins, machine bearings, &c.
The mechanical means employed for the compression of the metal may be of any
suitable kind but it is preferable to use hydraulic power, when available, as being
more powerful, easily regulated, and at same time more readily applied in the
different cases enumerated. It is preferred to use hydraulic apparatus operated by
means of accumulators as the sudden action of which such apparatus are capable,
gives the best results.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
bereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :
1st The method of treating metals and metallic compounds or alloys consisting
in subjecting the same when heated to powerful compression and letting cool under
pressure, so as to effect a tempering by compression, essentially as herein before
described.
2nd In tempering steels by compression as herein described in order to render
them magnetic, I claim the effecting the magnetization of the said steels during the
operation of compression itself as herein mentioned.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twelfth day of August A.D. 1882.
A
M CLARK r.༢༽