A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF AND COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING OR ENAMELLING CAST IRON SURFACES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Browne, of the Firm of Browne and Company,
of 5, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents,
for the Invention of "A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF AND COMPOSITIONS
FOR COATING OR ENAMELLING CAST IRON SURFACES." A communication from
abroad by Antoine Francois Alphonse Grebel, the elder, of Guise Department,
of Aisne, France, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 19th March 1880, and dated the 22nd September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Browne at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September 1879.
ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, of 5, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents. "A NEW AND IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING OR ENAMELLING CAST IRON SURFACES."
(A communication from abroad by Antoine Francois Alphonse Grebel, the elder,
of Guise Department, of Aisne, France, Civil Engineer.)
This Invention consists in coating or enamelling cast iron surfaces in the mould
itself at the time of casting, instead of having to make the cast iron red hot in
ovens after it comes from the mould, as at present practised for enamelling cast
iron surfaces.
The surface by this process has not the customary gloss, but inasmuch as the
coating does not contain lead in any form it offers greater resistance to acid
solutions, and it contains no deleterious constituant. Above all it is for pipes and
all other articles whose inside surfaces cannot be enamelled by any system already
known that this Invention is superior. According to this Invention the article to
be cast is first moulded, and the surfaces to be enamelled are covered with a coating
of lime tempered with urine, which is to be smoothed over, and then coated with
the vitreous composition hereafter described (if necessary the mould is then dried),
and is then ready for running. The heat of the melted metal fluxes the enamel
which thus incorperates itself with the iron and cools with it. The article is thus
completely glazed where required when taken from the mould, which must be
done while still hot, and it only remains to brush off the coating of lime

page_text: -
which is used to prevent contact of the enamel with the sand of the mould, and
then while still warm wipe over with a oily rag. Moulds may be treated in two
different ways, according as they are to be run either in a green or dry state.
Moulds to be run in the moiste or green state should be dusted with finely powdered
lime, the pattern then replaced to level the coating of lime, or it must be otherwise
smoothed down. This coating takes the place of the usual black dusting. The fine
enamel powder must then be sifted on to the said coating of lime by means of a
very fine sieve, the mould must then be carefully moistened, which may be done by
means of a spray of boiling water or steam. Moulds and cores to be cast dry
(which is the method generally adopted, and gives the best results) after being
dried must be coated with the lime prepared as before described), (as a substitute
for the usual black coating, which is to be smoothed over, and upon this coating is
to be laid (either with a soft brush or a dabber), a layer of about a fortieth of an
inch of the powdered enamel rendered plastic to a suitable consistancy by the
addition of boiling water; it is then to be completely dried, when it will be
ready for running. According to this Invention the enamel compositions are as
follows:-
First for colourless enamel :-Take 60 parts of window glass,
30 parts of white sand,
2 parts of dried borax.
whole in a glass furnace, grind the product, and mix it with 10
clay perfectly dried.
Mix and melt the
parts of raw pipe
Second. White enamel.-10 parts of glass of the above composition are to be
substituted by 10 parts of oxide of tin.
Third. Blue enamel.-2 parts of glass are to be substituted by 2 parts of oxide of
cobalt. The same applies to composition, No. 2, which thereby possesses. more
opacity and beauty. Other colors may be obtained by means of other colirific
oxides well known and employed in the manufacture of enamels.
The proportions of oxide of tin and other oxides may be varied according to the
degree of opacity and color desired; compositions of different degrees of fusibility
applicable to the different thicknesses of the iron to be coated may be obtained by
increasing, as the case may require, the proportion of the fluxes or of the siliceous
sand. The thicker the substance of the iron to be coated the less should be the
fusibility of the compositions, and vice versa..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Browne in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd March 1880.
ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, of 5, Southampton
"A NEW AND IMPROVED
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents.
METHOD OF AND COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING OR ENAMELLING CAST IRON SURFACES."
(A communication from abroad by Antoine Francois Alphonse Grebel, the elder, of
Guise Department, of Aisne, France), Civil Engineer.
This Invention consists in coating or enamelling cast iron surfaces in the mould
itself at the time of casting, instead of having to make the cast iron red hot in
ovens after. it comes from the mould, as at present practised for enamelling cast
iron surfaces. The surface by this process has not the customary gloss, but inasmuch
as this as this coating does not contain lead in any form it offers greater resistance
to acid solutions, and it contains no deleterious constituents. Above all it is for
pipes and all other articles whose inside surfaces cannot be enamelled by any system
already known that this Invention is superior. The following is an example of the
means of carrying out this Invention:-The article to be cast is first moulded, and
the surfaces to be enamelled are covered with a coating of lime tempered with urine,
which is to be smoothed over, and then coated with the vitreous composition, the
mould is then dried and is then ready for running. The heat of the melted metal
fluxes the enamel, which thus incorporates itself with the iron and cools with it. The
article is thus completely glazed where required when taken from the mould, which
must be done while still hot, and it only remains to brush off the coating of lime which
is used to prevent contact of the enamel with the sand of the mould, and then while still
warm wipe over with an oily rag. Moulds may be treated in two different ways accord-
ing as they are to be run, either in a green or dry state. Moulds to be run in the
moist state may be dusted with finely powdered lime, the pattern then replaced to level
the coating of lime, or it must be otherwise smoothed down. This coating takes
the place of the usual black dusting. The fine enamel powder must then be sifted
on to the said coating of lime by means of a very fine sieve, the mould must then
be carefully moistened, which may be done by means of a spray of boiling water or
steam. Moulds and cores to be cast dry (which is the method generally adopted,
and gives the best results) after being dried may coated with the lime prepared
as before described (as a substitute for the usual black coating) which is to be
smoothed over, and upon this coating is to be laid, either with a soft brush or a
dabber, a layer of about a fortieth of an inch of the powdered enamel rendered
plastic to a suitable consistancy by the addition of boiling water, it is then to be
completely dried when it will be ready for running. The following are examples of
enamel compositions :-First for colorless enamel,—
Take 60 parts of window glass,
30 parts of white sand,
2 parts of dried borax. Mix and melt the whole in a glass furnace, grind
the product, and mix it with 10 parts of raw pipe clay perfectly dried.
Second. White enamel.-10 parts of glass of the above composition are to be
substituted by 10 parts of oxide of tin.
Third. Blue enamel.-2 parts of glass are to be substituted by 2 parts of oxide of
cobalt. The same applies to composition, No. 2, which thereby possesses more
opacity and beauty. Other colors may be obtained by means of other colorific
oxides well known and employed in the manufacture of enamels. The proportion
of oxide of tin and other oxides may be varied according to the degree of opacity
and color desired. Compositions of different degrees of fusibility applicable to the

page_text: thicker the substance of the iron to be coated the less should be the fusibility of the
compositions, and vice versa.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature and object of this Invention,
and the means of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that it is not intended to limit this Invention to the preliminary coating
of lime, or to the employment of the special fluxes and enamels herein stated, as
these may be varied according to the purposes to which the enamelled surfaces are
to be exposed. For example, the use of lime may be dispensed with in special
cases, as for instance, in the case of a surface which is to be exposed to the action
of acids or acid vapours, but what I claim is coating or enamelling cast iron surfaces
in the mould itself at the time of casting, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of March, in the year of our Lord. One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.