AN INOXYDABLE WHITE METAL, SUITABLE FOR MAKING TAPS OR COCKS AND OTHER USEFUL ARTICLES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Vigouroux, of Nimes, in the Department
of the Gard, in the Empire of France, Metal Founder, for the Invention
of "AN INOXYDABLE WHITE METAL, SUITABLE FOR MAKING TAPS OR COCKS
AND OTHER USEFUL ARTICLES."
Sealed the 3rd March 1863, and dated the 10th September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Vigouroux at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1862.
J, JOSEPH VIGOUROUX, of Nimes, in the Department of the Gard, in tho
Empire of France, Metal Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN INOXYDABLE WHITE METAL SUITABLE FOR MAKING TAPS OR
COCKS AND OTHER USEFUL ARTICLES," to be as follows ..-
My improved metal is composed of tin, regulus of antimony, and nickel, in
the following proportions:-For making the principal parts (chamber or
barrel) of a tap or cock, take tin 785 parts, regulus of antimony 195 parts,
nickel 20 parts. The key of the cock consists of two parts; for the first or
conical core carrying the upper part I compose my metal of tin 807 parts,
regulus of antimony 175 parts, nickel 18 parts; for the second part, or that
which encloses the conical core, I compose my metal of 715 parts tin, 215
regulus of antimony, and 70 parts of nickel. When my improved metal is

page_text: used in the manufacture of spoons, forks, mathematical instruments, and other
articles, I use the same proportions as for the barrel of the cock, namely,
tin 785 parts, regulus of antimony 195 parts, and nickel 20 parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Vigouroux in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
VIGOUROUX, of Nimes, in the Department of the Gard, in the Empire of
France, Metal Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Ter heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Vigouroux, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Vigouroux,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Vigouroux, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN INOXYDABLE WHITE
METAL, SUITABLE FOR MAKING TAPS OR COCKS AND OTHER USEFUL ARTICLES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Vigouroux, my
executors or adininistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Vigouroux, do hereby declare tho
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
referenco being had to the Sheet of Drawing hereunto annexe and to the
Diagram drawn thereon:-
Tho many disadvantages attending the use of brass and copper in the manu-
facture of taps or cocks led me to seck some other metal which, while resisting
the action of acids, might be easily worked. I ascertained that by combining

page_text: antimony and nickel, and giving them tin for basis, 1 could obtain an
inoxydable metal of a sort of steel white, of a fine grain, capable of a high
polish, and of becoming an ornamental metal. The synthetical proportions of
the combinations are, tin 785 parts, regulus of antimony 195, nickel 20=
total 1000 parts. Having submitted this metal to chemical experiments which
it perfectly resisted, I proceeded to manufacture a cock effecting the operation
with great facility; the two parts of the cock, that is to say, the barrel and tho
key, taking in the mould and on the lathe the most graceful forms. But on
placing the key in the tap and turning it, I quickly discovered that the
surfaces in contact caught in each other and the tap would not act; the metal
had resisted the acids but could not resist the friction on itself without almost
soldering it, being too greasy and unctuous; I therefore took two crucibles,
in the first crucible I formed the combination above described, but in the
second crucible I combined, tin, 715, regulus of antimony, 215, and nickel,
70 parts=1000 parts, thus forming a brittle and cold metal, but pre-
serving all the beauty attained by the combination in the first crucible. With
the product of No. 1 crucible I cast the barrel of the tap, and with that in
No. 2 the key, and having turned and fitted them I have the satisfaction of
finding them work well. I had now a hard brittle metal working in a metal
of the saine nature, but obtained by proportions, giving it a soft and greasy
consistency, but I shortly discovered that tho metal formed in No. 2
crucible was too hard and brittle to be used for the key, as a slight shock
would break it. To remedy this I decided upon casting the key in twice, the
first casting being effected with the following combination :-Tin 807, regulus
of antimony 175, and nickel 18 parts, total 1000 parts, and with its conical
part, namely, that which enters the tap, less than the size it is eventually
to obtain. I then run or cast around the said conical part, which I call the
core of the key, a jacket or casing of the metal formed in No. 2 crucible.
The Drawing shews section of a tap key made as immediately above
described, the first casting being indicated by shading in cross lines, and the
second casting or jacket by the single lines of shading. The dotted lines x, y,
indicate the chemical line of separation of the two combinations of metal.
Thus made the key resists shocks or blows, it being formed of a soft combi-
nation, and on breaking a key so made it will be seen that no absolute line
of demarcation exists between the two combinations, the only difference being
that the grains of cristallization are larger in the centre than on the edge or
outer circle. To sum up, the smelting and casting are effected in the
ordinary manner, only that the tap is cast in three operations, that is to say,
the barrel or principal part of the tap, composed of 785 parts tin, 195 parts

page_text: regulus of antimony, and 20 parts nickel-1000 parts. The key, which is
composed or cast in two parts, the first part or conical core with its upper
part being composed of 807 parts tin, 175 parts regulus of antimony, and 18
nickel 1000 parts, and lastly, the second part of the key or jacket enveloping
the conical core, and composed of tin 715 parts, regulus of antimony 215
parts, nickel 70 parts=1000 parts. These three castings being executed,
the pieces are turned in the lathe, and the tap produced is, from the beauty of
the metal, an ornamental object, while presenting many advantages on the
score of health in dealing with liquids.
Having now described the naturo of my said Invention, and the means by
which I produce the metal required for a cock or tap, I would have it
distinctly understood that I claim the exclusive use of the metal formed by
the combinations of parts essentially as herein set forth, for whatever purposes
such metal so produced is applicable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Vigouroux, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOSEPH VIGOUROUX. (L.B.)