'Selfhardening" Steel, Combined with other Steel
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1887
Complete Left, 18th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
DAID, али
'Selfhardening" Steel, Combined with other Steel
I FREDERICK WILLIAM SEAMAN of Adelaide Road, Brincliffe, Sheffield in the
County of York, Steel Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My improvements in the manufacture of ingots, bars, and tools of what is known
in the trade as "
selfhardening" Steel, has for its object, first, to protect such
selfhardening steel during the processes of heating, hammering, and rolling from the
ingot; secondly to enable such bars and tools to be forged and shaped by the smith
with much greater facility and certainty than is possible with selfhardening Steel under
ordinary conditions.
What are known as "Selfhardening" Steels, are so dense and hard that they will
cut or otherwise operate upon ordinary steel and other hard metals, without being
hardened, in the usual manner; such steels are likewise not softened by the heat
generated by friction, when used as turning tools or other similar tools, as would be
the case with water hardened tools of ordinary steels.
These desirable qualities are not found compatible, or coexistant with toughness,
strength, and malleability, and such steel is very stubborn in resisting the action of
the Tilt or Steam hammer, and the rolls; and it is especially difficult work for the
smith, when forging it into shape.
Further, when such steel is being drawn down to required sizes, it is very liable,
(as it requires most careful and skilful heating, and because of its extreme density
and obdurate nature,) to have slight cracks formed across any of its corners or angles,
which flaws however small, form points of weakness from which the tool may fracture,
and considerable damage to machinery, and danger to workpeople may, and frequently
does result therefrom.
To avoid these drawbacks to the use of this "selfhardening" steel in its ordinary
condition, I combine such steel whether known as "selfhardening," "Mushets," or

page_text: my own “Air Hardening" Steel, or other class of steel or alloy of sufficient hardness
to work other metals without waterhardening, with a covering, or partial covering,
of milder strong-bodied-steel; such combination being made in the Ingot mould, by
any of the well known ways at present in use, and suitable for producing the desired
form of combination.
Thus for example, the ingot mould may have a removable partition, so that when
the larger part of the mould has been filled with mild tough steel, the said partition
can be removed and the molten selfhardening steel poured into the smaller cavity of
the mould, and against the red hot face of the ingot of mild steel, or in a recess formed
therein, the result being a combination or welding together of the two steels into
one ingot.
The form of such combination may be varied to suit the purpose for which the
steel is or may be required; for example, a bar may be produced having three of its
sides of mild steel, and one of selfhardening steel, this side being to form the cutting
edge of a planing or turning tool; another bar may be formed with a centre of the
said selfhardening steel, and the surrounding steel of a mild and tough nature.
This combination of a steel that does not require bardening and from which the
cutting edge or point of a tool, can be made with tough and strong steel to form
the back or support for the harder steel, is of decided public utility; first in reducing
the cost of producing tools from selfhardening steel.
Second, in its increased resilience.
Third, in its increased strength and consequent reliability and safety in use.
Fourth, the comparative ease with which it can be forged into form, without flaws
through the greatly diminished risk of "burning" in the heating.
Fifthly The ease and certainty with which ingots composed (for example) of
two thirds of kind working steel, surrounding or partly surrounding one third
of selfhardening steel, can be forged or cogged down from the ingot; the risk of
spoiling it by too rapid chilling being also much reduced by reason of the larger
body of softer steel, helping to retain the heat in the harder portion.
Dated the 02 1
1007
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Selfhardening Steel, Combined with other Steel.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM SEAMAN of Adelaide Road, Brincliffe, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention of improvements in the manufacture of ingots, bars, and tools of what
is known in the trade as "selfhardening" steel, has for its object, first, to protect
such selfhardening steel while being heated and during the processes of hammering,
or of rolling it down from the ingot; second, to enable the smith to forge and shape
such bars, or tools, with much greater facility and certainty, than is possible with
selfhardening steel under ordinary conditions.
What are known as Self-hardening" steels, are so dense and hard, that they will
cut, or otherwise operate upon ordinary steel, and other hard metals, without being
hardened in the usual manner in oil or water; such steels are likewise not softened
by the heat generated by friction, when used (for example) as a turning tool or other
similar tool, as would be the case with a water hardened tool of ordinary steel.
These desirable qualities are not found compatible or coexistent with toughness,
malleability and strength, and such steel is very stubborn in resisting the action of
the Tilt or Steam Hammer, and of the Rolling Mill, and it is especially difficult for
the smith to forge into the various required shapes.
Further when such steel is being drawn down to required sizes it requires most
careful and skilful heating, and because of its extreme density and obdurate nature,
it is very liable to have slight cracks formed across its corners or angles, which flaws
however small, form points of weakness from which the tool may fracture, and
considerable damage to machinery, and danger to workpeople may and frequently
does result therefrom.
To avoid these drawbacks to the use of this "selfhardening" steel in its ordinary
condition, I combine such steel (whether known as "Self-hardening," Mushets" or
my own "air-hardening" steel, or other class of steel, or alloy, of sufficient hardness
to work other metals without being first hardened in water or oil), with a covering or
partial covering, of milder strong-bodied steel; such combination being made in the
ingot-mould by any of the well known ways at present in use and suitable for
producing the desired form of combination.
Thus for example the ingot mould may have a removable side or partition, so that
when the larger part of the mould has been filled with mild tough steel, the said side
or partition can be removed and the molten "self-hardening" steel poured into the
smaller cavity of the mould and against the red hot face of the ingot of mild steel,
or into a recess formed therein; the result being a combination or welding together
of the two steels into one ingot.

page_text: The form of such combination may be varied to suit the purpose for which the
steel is or may be required, for example, a bar may be produced having three of its
sides of mild steel and one of self-hardening steel, this side being to form the cutting
edge of a tool; or in the case of a wire drawing plate it it would form the face of
such plate; or the mild and tough steel may entirely surround the selfhardening
steel.
This combination may be also carried out in the formation of large plates which
require a very hard face, and thus avoid the well known risks and difficulties of
hardening large solid masses of steel in oil or water, and to the production of which,
this process suitably modified for use on a large scale, is particularly available.
This combination of steels that do not require hardening, with tough and strong
steel of thoroughly malleable nature to form the back or support for the harder steel,
is of decided public utility; first, in reducing the cost of producing tools from
self-hardening steel; second, in its increased resilience; third, in its increased strength
and consequent reliability and safety in use; fourth, the comparative ease with which
it can be forged into form without flaws, oweing to the greatly diminished risk of
"burning" in the heating.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1-As a new production a "compound" steel the face or faces, or other portions
intended for the working part or parts; is or are composed of air-hardening or
self-hardening steel, with a body or backing of strong bodied, tough-natured steel;
such combination being available for such various utilizations of the process as
herein before described, or to others that this combination may be found to lend
itself to.
2-As a new production, a Drawplate, Cutter, Disc, Plate, Tool, or other like
article, having a face, edge, point or other surface to operate with or to be operated
upon, of air-hardening or self-hardening steel, and the backing or the supporting
portion of tough steel; for the purposes specified, and substantially as described.
Dated the 17th day of January 1888.
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.