IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING IRIDIUM AND CERTAIN ALLOYS OF IRIDIUM, WITH A VIEW TO THEIR MANUFACTURE INTO GOLD PEN POINTS AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING PIECES OF IRIDIUM, OR OTHER LIKE METAL OF SPECIAL SIZE OR SHAPE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of Wm. P.
Thompson and Co., Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and of 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING IRIDIUM AND CERTAIN ALLOYS OF IRIDIUM, WITH A VIEW TO
THEIR MANUFACTURE INTO GOLD PEN POINTS AND OTHER ARTICLES
REQUIRING PIECES OF IRIDIUM, OR OTHER LIKE METAL OF SPECIAL SIZE
OR SHAPE." A communication from abroad by John Holland, of the City of
Cincinnati, in the County of Hamilton and State of Ohio.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1881.
WILLIAM_PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of G, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, and of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING IRIDIUM AND CERTAIN ALLOYS OF IRIDIUM,
WITH A VIEW TO THEIR MANUFACTURE INTO GOLD PEN POINTS AND OTHER
ARTICLES REQUIRING PIECES OF IRIDIUM, OR OTHER LIKE METAL OF SPECIAL
SIZE OR SHAPE." A communication from abroad by John Holland, of the City
of Cincinnati, in the County of Hamilton and State of Ohio.
The object of this. Invention is to fuse, mould, and prepare iridium, in order that
this metal may be used in the mechanic arts wherever a hard non-wearing, non-
corrosive substance is needed.
Iridium is rarely found pure, and only as dust or in small grains or scales with
other metals. By reason of its non-fusibility by the ordinary processes, it is of
little use except for pointing gold pens, and, as found, there is but a small pro-
portion of it large enough to be used to advantage for this purpose.
I have also used it in its natural state, and as usually found alloyed with osmium
(iridosmine) and other metals for pointing my fountain pens, and have experienced

page_text: much difficulty in obtaining grains or scales large enough for such use; many of
these pieces were also imperfect, having cracks and fissures which rendered them
worthless for drilled points for fountain pens.
The pieces as found are also of irregular shape, a large proportion of the metal
must therefore be wasted, as the dust which results from grinding the grains to
the proper shape was heretoforo of little use..
By my present Invention I am enabled to fuse the dust and grains as found
either pure or with its alloys into a molten mass, and mould the same into the
desired shape and size.
I accomplish this result by the following process:-
The metal (preferably the dust, which being of little use in the arts, is com-
paratively inexpensive) is put into a crucible (for my purpose a sand crucible will
answer) and subjected to as high a heat as is practicable in an ordinary furnace.
When the metal has attained a high temperature I add to it about one fourth its
weight of phosphorus. After the addition of the phosphorus the metal quickly
fuses, when it should be immediately poured into suitably shaped moulds. I find
it best to have the moulds highly heated, to prevent the metal from chilling and
settling too quickly. The metal so treated may be used for a great many purposes,
but for some uses it is desirable to make it tougher and harder. This result I
accomplish by subjecting the moulded piece or pieces to the following treatment :-
So soon as the poured metal becomes "set" I remove it from the mould and return
it to the crucible, adding with it lime, chalk, or other well known absorbent of
phosphorus, and return the crucible to the furnace and again subject it to a high
heat. This eliminates the phosphorus and leaves the metal as hard and non-fusible
as in its natural state.
I prepare the metal for pointing my stylographic fountain-pens by casting it
upon a plate of metal, the surface of which is crossed by fine ribs resembling lattice
'or net work. I pour the molten metal upon this plate, filling the interstices
between and covering the ribs. The metal is thus moulded in the form of a thin
sheet or plate, having one of its faces grooved the reverse of the ribs upon the
mould. Through these cubes the plate is broken into small cubes or squares of
the size to be drilled, and formed into fountain pen points. The same plan may be
adopted with advantage to prepare journal bearings for watches in place of the
jewels now commonly used. For pointing my gold pens I mould the metal into
the form of wire or small rods; these I break into pieces of a size to make strong
substantial nibs. The metal may also be cut by using a copper wheel or disc, and
diamond dust or corundum.
As the metal is exceedingly hard, practically non-fusible, except by the herein
before described process, non-corrosive, and capable of receiving a high polish, it
will, now that I have discovered a mode of working it, supply a great need long
felt in many branches of the arts.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions. of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th November 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, and of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING IRIDIUM AND CERTAIN ALLOYS OF IRIDIUM, WITH
A VIEW TO THEIR MANUFACTURE INTO GOLD PEN POINTS AND OTHER ARTICLES
REQUIRING PIECES OF IRIDIUM, OR OTHER LIKE METAL OF SPECIAL SIZE OR
SHAPE." A communication from abroad by John Holland, of the City of Cincinnati,
in the County of Hamilton and State of Ohio.
The Provisional Specification relating to this Invention has inadvertently been
entered in the exact words communicated to me, and in every place where the
personal pronoun "I" is used it must be understood as referring to the original
communicator, Mr. John Holland.
The object of the Invention is to fuse, mould, and prepare iridium, in order that
this metal may be used in the mechanic arts wherever a hard, non-wearing, "non-
corrosivo substance is needed.
Iridium is rarely found pure, and only as dust or in small grains or scales with
other metals. By reason of its non-fusibility by the ordinary processes, it is of
little use except for pointing gold pens, and, as found, there is but a small pro-
portion of it large enough to be used to advantage for this purpose.
It has also been used in its natural state, and as usually found alloyed with
asmium (iridosmine) and other metals for pointing fountain pens, and much
difficulty has been experienced in obtaining grains or scales large enough for such
use; many of these pieces were also imperfect, having cracks and fissures which
rendered them worthless for drilled points for fountain pens.
The pieces as found are also of irregular shape, a large proportion of the metal
must therefore be wasted, as the dust which results from grinding the grains to the
proper shape was heretofore of little use.
By this Invention the dust and grains as found, either pure or with its alloys,
can be fused into a molten mass, and the same moulded into the desired shape and
size.
This result is accomplished by the following process:-
The metal (preferably the dust, which being of little use in the arts, is com-
paratively inexpensive) is put into a crucible (for this purpose a sand crucible will
answer) and subjected to as high a heat as is practicable in an ordinary furnace.
When the metal has attained a high temperature there is added to it about one
fourth its weight of phosphorus. After the addition of the phosphorus the metal
quickly fuses, when it should be immediately poured into suitably shaped moulds.
It is best to have the moulds highly heated to prevent the metal from chilling and
setting too quickly. The metal so treated may be used for a great many purposes,
but for some uses it is desirable to make it tougher and harder. This result is
accomplished by subjecting the moulded piece or pieces to the following treat-
ment: So soon as the poured metal becomes "set" it is removed from the mould
and returned to the crucible, adding with it lime, chalk, or other well known
absorbent of phosphorus, the crucible returned to the furnace and again subjected
to a high heat; this eliminates the phosphorus and leaves the metal as hard and
non-fusible as in its natural state.
The metal for pointing stylographic fountain pens is prepared by casting it upon
a plate of metal, the surface of which is crossed by fine ribs resembling lattice or

page_text: net-work. The molten metal is poured upon this plate, filling the interstices
between and covering the ribs. The metal is thus moulded in the form of a thin
sheet or plate, having one of its faces grooved the reverse of the ribs upon the
mould. Through these grooves the plate is broken into small cubes or squares of
the size to be drilled, and formed into fountain pen points. The same plan may
be adopted with advantage to prepare journal bearings for watches, to be used in
place of the jewels now commonly used. For pointing gold pens the metal is
moulded into the form of wire or small rods; these are broken into pieces of a size
to make strong substantial nibs. The metal may also be cut by using a copper
wheel or disc, and diamond dust or corundum. As the metal is exceedingly hard,
practically non-fusible, except by the herein before described process, non-corrosive,
and capable of receiving a high polish, it will, now that a mode of working it has
been discovered, supply a great need long felt in many.branches of the arts.
Having now described this Invention as communicated to me, I wish it to be
understood that what I believe to be new and desire to protect under the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The art or process of fusing iridium, which consists in subjecting the same
to the action of heat, and then adding phosphorus, substantially as before set
forth.
Second. The method, substantially as herein before set forth, of fusing and
moulding iridium for use in the arts, which consists first in raising the metal to
a high heat, then adding to it phosphorus in about the proportion specified, and
finally pouring the fused mass into suitably shaped moulds.
Third. The method, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of fusing- and
moulding iridium for use in the arts by first raising the metal to a high heat, then
adding to it phosphorus in about the proportion specified, and after the metal is
cast releasing the phosphorus by subjecting the metal to heat in a bath of lime,
chalk, or similar absorbent.
Fourth. The method of casting iridium, or rather phosphuret of iridium, so as to
adapt it for pen points and other small objects, namely, pouring phosphuret of
iridium out on to metal plates, preferably heated, the surface of said plates being
crossed with fine ribs, so that when cold a net-work of grooves shall appear in the
iridium plate, which by this means can be broken up into pieces the size and shape
required.
Fifth. As a new article of manufacture, the cubes, blocks, and other forms of
iridium or phosphuret of iridium cast to shape and afterwards if desirable heated
with lime or other suitable substance to extract the phosphorus.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto-
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.