Year: 1888

page_text: I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention, which has been
communicated to me from abroad by La Société Anonyme Le Ferro-Nickel, of Paris,
in the Republic of France, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of metallic alloys such as German silver
and consists in the employment as hereinafter described of a combination which is
capable of imparting to the manufactured article a high degree of tenacity
homogeneousness closeness of texture malleability and capacity for preventing the
transmission of heat.
In carrying out this Invention in the manufacturo of a German silver possessing the
qualities hereinbefore referred, an alloy is prepared as described in former Letters
Patent granted to me and dated April 29th 1886 No. 5832 the said alloy being
obtained by adding aluminium to a mixture of nickel and copper in a state of fusion
in the proportion of from one hundred and seventy five to fifty parts by weight of
aluminium for one thousand parts by weight of the mixture of nickel and copper.
The proportion between the nickel and the copper varies from ten to forty per cent. of
nickel and the quantity of aluminium varies in inverse proportion to the quantity of
nickel, one hundred and seventy five parts by weight for example (175 centigrammes)
of aluminium being added to one thousand parts by weight (1 kilogramme) of the
mixture of nickel and copper when the percentage of nickel in the said mixture is
equal to ten per cent. or fifty parts by weight (50 centigrammes) to one thousand
parts (1 kilo) of the mixture when the latter contains forty per cent. of nickel.
This alloy being prepared as described in my said former specification by first fusing
the nickel then introducing and stirring in the copper and finally introducing the
aluminium is employed according to the present Invention in the manufacture of
other alloys containing zinc such as German silver and imparts to the latter in a high
degree the tenacity ductility or malleability and other valuable qualities hereinbefore
enumerated

page_text: To manufacture an alloy composed of nickel copper and zinc and possessing these
qualities an alloy without zine is formed in the first place in the manner described in
the said former Specification No. 5832 A.D. 1886 that is to say according to any of
the following examples namely:-
Ni
Cu
Al
1
2
3
4
5
6
-
0.100
0.900
0.150
0.200
0.250
0-300
0.400
0-850
0.800
0.750
0.700
0.600
0.00175
0.00150
0.00125
0.001
0.00075
0.00050
::
This alloy constitutes a prepared material to which zinc is added as hereinafter
described and a "classic German silver" is thus obtained. (The term "classic German
silver is hereinafter used to designate compounds of nickel copper and zinc and the
term "special German silver" is applied to the possible combinations with copper)
Copper and nickel alloys without zinc are employed in which a small proportion of
alluminium intervenes and in which if necessary to economise the latter material
metallic maganese is partially substituted therefor ferro cyanide of potassium being
added in this case to act as a reducing flux. These combinations formed the object of
the invention patented by the patent No. 5832 hereinbefore referred to.
According to the quality of the classic German silver that is to be obtained a certain
proportion of nickel may be added to the preliminary preparation or alloy (special
German silver) or the proportion of copper may be diminished as in the following
examples.
K
K
K
To obtain 40 Kilogrammes for example of classic German silver according to this
Invention 5.000 Kilo of the special German silver according to formula No. 1
(Ni 0-100, Cu 0.900 Al 0-00175 centigrammes) is mixed with nickel copper and zine
so as to form a crucible charge in about the following proportions vic. :-
K
Ni 0-500
Special German silver No. 1 5.000 containing { Cu 4-500
This composition forms a typical alloy in which the incorporation of special German
silver represents 124 per cent. of the total weight to be melted and a great
improvement is effected with regard to the homogeneity and non conducting power
of the product.
The quantity of aluminium which intervenes represents in this case the maximum
allowance for obtaining the best conditions for a non conducting metal without
prejudice to the malleability of the alloy.
According to another example 40 Kilograms of classic German silver may be
obtained by using 10 Kilos of tho special German silver according to the formula
K
K
K
No. 6 (Ni 0.400, Cu 0.600, Al 0.00050 Centigrammes) and combining them with nickel
copper and zinc in the following proportions viz. :—

page_text: perfect but the non-conducting qualities will be diminished owing to the reduction in
the quantity of aluminium.
It will be readily understood that it is not necessary to give examples of the use of
all the formula for the special German silver which is employed according to this
Invention to realise any quality or combination of German silver and zinc alloys.
These formulae are quoted here because they represent the alloys patented by the
former patent No. 5832 A.D. 1886 hereinbefore cited the Specification to which may
be referred to for practical details of the preparation of the materials the present
invention being based on the employment of the special German silvers or alloys
therein described as a basis for obtaining the improved combinations with zinc. It
should be observed that the more the quantity of aluminium is forced or increased the
more the alloy ultimately obtained will present the qualities of non conducting and
homogeneity but that by increasing the proportions of aluminium beyond that
indicated in the first example the products are rendered less malleable and commence
to be of no practical utility except for the manufacture of castings requiring great
strength and perfect closeness of texture.
If it be necessary to economise the aluminium which is a semi precious metal or to
use it in very small proportions only in order to simply form a classic German silver
greatly improved with regard to its malleability and homogeneity being exempt from
flaws or air holes nickel may be employed as indicated in the specification herein before
referred to which, has been proviously rendered malleable or the agents required to
render the nickel malleable may be introduced into the alloy.
Take for example the formula No. 3 of the special German silver arranged with a
view to economising the aluminium this being accomplised by partially substituting
the metal manganese for the metal aluminium the alloy being prepared in fact with
nickel previously rendered inalleable by adding to the nickel while in a state of partial
fusion or pasty consistency about 175 centigrammes of metallic manganese
and 0 gr. 4375 ten milligrammes of ferro cyanide of potassium to every 100 grammes
of Nickel contained in the alloy and afterwards at the moment of pouring out the
metal 5 centigrammes of aluminium to every hundred grammes of nickel.
K
To obtain a classic German silver of the same type as the second example
hereinbefore mentioned take 15.000 of the special German silver No. 3 containing
manganeso ferrocyanlde of potassium and alumium as before stated. For 40 Kilos
the charge will then be as follows :-
K gr
The 5 Kilos of nickel may be rendered malleable but in a classic German silver tho
copper and the zine supply their coefficient of malleability so that the manganese
contained in the 15 Kilos of the special German silver No. 3 (0.052 fifty
centigrammes) is amply sufficient to deoxidise and impart compactness or closeness
to the final alloy.
It is seldom necessary to incorporate larger quantities of special German silver than
37 per cent. of the weight to be inelted in order to succeed perfectly in producing
the improved alloys with zinc.
In order to produce these alloys in which the special German silver intervenes as a
material for obtaining German silver with zinc free from oxides the nickel is first-

page_text: melted the copper being gradually introduced the mixture is stirred and the special
German silver is added care being taken to moderate the temperature in gradually
introducing the zinc. The zine being incorporated the mixture is finally stirred and
then poured out as in the case of ordinary German silver. The nickel and
the copper may be put into the cruciblo simultaneously with stirring: when all the
charge is melted adding the preparation of special German silver followed by the zinc.
When operating in this way which is less advantageous than the method hereinbefore
described it is necessary to urge the fusion so as to obtain a maximum of heat in the
shortest possible time.
Scraps or refuse clippings or other waste compound of the alloy obtained as
described in my said former Specification may be employed with advantage for the
purpose of improving the quality of other alloys containing zinc such as German silver
as hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to bo performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of improved metallic alloys by the combination with the
materials employed in the manufacture of German silver or like alloys containing zinc
of an alloy of nickel, copper and aluminium with or without the addition of
manganese and ferro cyanide of potassium substantially as herein before described.
2. The improved metallic alloys manufactured substantially as herein before
described.