IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC ALLOYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Perceval Moses Parsons, of Melbourne House, Blackheath,
in the County of Kent, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN METALLIC ALLOYS."
Sealed the 4th August 1876, and dated the 7th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Perceval Moses Parsons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th February 1876.
PERCEVAL MOSES PARSONS, of Melbourne House, Blackheath, in the County of
Kent, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC ALLOYS."
My improvements relate to that class of alloys in which copper forms the base
and is alloyed with zinc and tin in various proportions, forming the different
qualities of bronze, brass, yellow, and Muntz metal, and my Invention consists in
adding to such alloys a small proportion of spiegel eisen, ferro-manganese, or other
carburet of iron containing manganese in sufficient quantity, by which addition
these alloys are rendered more homogeneous and closer in texture, harder and
stronger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Perceval Moses Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1876.
PERCEVAL MOSES PARSONS, of Melbourne House, Blackheath, in the County of
Kent, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC ALLOYS."
My improvements relate to that class of alloys in which copper forms the base
and is alloyed with zinc and tin in various ascertained proportions, forming the
different qualities of bronze, brass, yellow, and Muntz metal, and my Invention
consists of adding to such alloys a proper proportion of spiegel eisen or ferro-
manganese, or other forms of carburet of iron, combined with a sufficient quantity of
manganese, by which addition these alloys are rendered more homogeneous and
closer in texture, harder, and stronger.
The alloys composed as above to which my Invention is applicable are, as is well
known, very numerous and have been given a variety of names, according to the.
[Pics L71
D

page_text: proportions in which the metals composing them are combined; but in order to
explain the best means of putting my Invention into practice I will classify theso
alloys under three heads.
inetal.
1st. Those composed of copper and tin which I will designate gun
2nd. Those composed of copper, tin, and zinc, which I will designate bronze.
And, 3rd. Those composed of copper and zinc which I will designate brass.
In carrying out my Invention I find that to obtain the best effects it is desirable
that the ferro-manganese to be used with the gun metal alloys should be richer in
manganese than that used with the brass alloys, while that used with the bronze
alloys may be between the two and regulated as conveniently as can be by the
proportions of tin and zinc employed, that is to say, if little zinc is used in the
bronze alloy the ferro-manganese employed may be as rich or nearly as rich in
manganese as in the gun metal alloys, while if the zine predominates the ferro-
manganese employed may be the same as or a trifle richer in manganese than that
used with the brass alloys; and if the zinc and the tin are about equal the quantity
of the manganese contained in the ferro-manganese may be between that used for
the
gun metal and that used for brass alloys.
The ferro-manganese used to mix with the gun metal alloys should contain from
about 10 to 40 per cent. of metallic manganese, while that used to mix with the
brass alloys should contain from about 5 to 20 per cent. of metallic managenese, and
that used for the bronze alloys should be between the two, according to the
proportions of tin and zine employed, as before explained.
In selecting the ferro-manganese to be used for the purposes of my Invention it
is very desirable that it should contain as little silicon as possible; when spiegel eisen
can be obtained of the best quality containing but a minute quality of silicon and
from 5 to 10 per cent. of manganese it will be suitable to mix with the brass
alloys, and it may even be used with the gun metal alloys; but it will be found
advantageous to employ for both as well as for the bronze alloys a ferro-manganese,
which I make as follows:-I obtain ferro-manganese as now manufactured for and
used in steel works rich in metallic manganese, containing say from 50 to 60 or
even 70 per cent., this I melt in a crucible under powdered charcoal along with the
requisite proportion of the purest wrought-iron scrap I can obtain to bring down
the quantity of metallic manganese to any of the proportions before named; I thus
obtain a ferro-manganese suitable for the purposes of my Invention, containing the
least possible quantity of silicon. Thus, supposing it is desired to employ a ferro-
manganese to mix with any of the before-named alloys containing 20 per cent of
manganese and a ferro-manganese containing 60 per cent. of metallic inanganese,
and say 1 per cent. of silicon is melted with wrought iron scrap in the proportion
of 100 of ferro-manganese to 200 of wrought-iron scrap, a ferro-manganese
containing the desired quantity of metallic manganese, videlicit, 20 per cent., will be
obtained containing only one-third per cent. of silicon instead of 1 per cent., and so
on for any other proportions required; not only this but a still further portion of the
silicon is eliminated and the metal refined by this second melting in a crucible, as
described.
The quantity of ferro-manganese to be employed will vary both with the nature
of the alloy as well as with the quality required in each particular alloy, and this
will also to a certain extent have to be regulated by the quality of the copper, tin,
and zinc employed; the purer these metals the larger inay be the quantity of ferro-
manganese emyloyed, and therefore no precise quantities can be specified; but
generally for ordinary gun metal, that is to say gun metal composed of about
90 per cent. of copper and 10 per cent. of tin, from 1/2 to 11/2 per cent. of ferro-
manganese, as above described, may be added, containing say about 20 per cent.
of metallic manganese, and as the tin is increased the ferro-manganese should contain
more manganese and less iron.
The quantity of ferro-manganese employed should be regulated according to the
purposes for which the alloy is intended to be used; generally the effect produced is
with the smaller quantities named to increase the strength of the alloy and the

page_text: hardness slightly, and as the quantity of ferro-manganese is increased the hardness
is also increased, but at the same time the alloy becomes more brittle. A similar
effect is produced by the addition of the ferro-manganese to the brass and bronzo
alloys. With the brass alloys from 1/2 to 5 per cent. of the ferro-manganese, as above
described, may be employed with advantage for general purposes and for the bronze
alloys, any proportions between those to be used for the gun metal and brass alloys
may be advantageously used, these proportions being adjusted according to the
quantities of tin and zinc used, that is to say, the more tin used the less should be
the quantity of ferro-manganese.
In putting my Invention into practice the copper should be first melted in a
crucible or other vessel in the ordinary manner and the spiegel eisen or ferro-
manganese, either with or without the addition of wrought-iron scrap as before
described, should at the same time be melted in a separate smalier furnace capable
of generating a high temperature in a plumbago crucible under powdered charcoal,
and when it is completely fused and the copper is also fused and at a boiling heat
the ferro-manganese should be poured into the copper and the two well mixed
together by stirring with an iron rod previously made red hot; the tin or zinc, or
both, should then be added in the usual way and in the requisite proportions,
according to the kind of alloy it is desired to produce. After the tin and zinc are
added the metal should be again well stirred with a red-hot rod and skimmed, it
may then be either poured into ingot moulds for future use or it can at once be cast
in moulds to produce any articles required.
In making castings I find that dry sand or loam moulds well coated with charcoal
blacking are preferable to green sand moulds; the metal should be well skimmed
before pouring, and it should be cast at as low a heat as possible, so long as it is
sufficiently fluid to fill the mould, and the runner should have a good head and be
attached to the thickest part of the casting, which, if possible, it should exceed in
bulk, so as to solidify the last and act as a feeder while the cast is cooling. If metal
noulds are employed the alloy is rendered closer in texture and somewhat harder.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manuer in which it is
to be performed, I declare that I claim as my Invention,-
1st. The manufacture as herein-before described of alloys of copper with tin or
zinc, or both, by adding thereto small proportions of spiegel eisen, ferro-manganese,
or other carburet of iron combined with a sufficient quantity of manganesc.
2ndly. The use in the said manufacture of ferro-manganese melted with wrought-
iron scrap for the purpose herein mentioned.
3rdly. The use in the said manufacture of the spiegel eisen or the ferro-manganese
by adding it with or without wrought-iron scrap in a melted state to the copper
when melted, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Perceval Moses Parsons, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the said
Perceval Moses Parsons,
in the presence of
AUGUSTUS MASON,
Sol.,
15, Furnival's Inn,
London.
P. M. PARSONS.
(L.S.)