Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1894-Accepted, 23rd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel Articles.
1, LIONEL MADDISON, of 1, New Court, Temple, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a process for converting or partially converting iron or
low grade steel articles into high grade steel in moulds treated in the manner
hereinafter described in which the iron and steel articles are placed, and secondly
to the casting of iron or low grade steel into moulds so as to produce the cast
articles in such a manner that the outsides thereof to any predetermined depth are
carbonized so as to be capable of taking any temper or any degree of hardness.
In order to carry this invention into practice I provide a suitable mould of
compressed carbon which may be formed of carbon ground to a fine powder and
treated with suitable material such for instance as glucose or tar and afterwards
compressed by hydraulic or other pressure into the required form of the finished
article to be treated. This mould is then covered on its internal surface with a
hydro-carbon either in a solid or liquid condition. This may be effected by forming
a paste of carbon and petroleum or other hydrocarbon and smearing it on the
mould or by soaking the mould in petroleum or other suitable hydrocarbon. I
sometimes combine these two methods and smear the paste on after the mould has
been soaked.
I then place the mould in any suitable converting furnace.
The depth of carburization is controlled by the heat to which the article, to be
treated is raised and by the length of time during which the articles are subjected
to the converting heat.
In some cases the mould may be used after compression without the paste or
liquid hydrocarbon and sometimes it is advisable to paste a thin layer of powdered
carbonaceous material between the mould and the article placed therein.
The articles after being taken from the mould are hardened and tempered in the
usual manner.
The other part of my invention by which the casting of iron or low grade steel
is accomplished to effect the results desired consist in the following treatment.
I take a mould constructed as hereinbefore described and either treated in a
similar manner as that above described by the hydrocarbon liquid or paste, or as I
prefer left in its original condition after compression, and I heat the mould to 'any
suitable temperature. Into this mould I cast low grade steel or iron and thus I
obtain articles of any required form or shape. In some cases to ensure the casting
being effected at a lower temperature I place in the molten liquid a small quantity
The same
(about one per cent.) of aluminium or sodium in any suitable manner.
moulds may be used over and over again and the expense of remoulding avoided.
Should the carbon of the mould have entered to a sufficient depth into the cast
If however
article I then harden and temper in any usual or suitable manner.
such is not the case I subject the article to the treatment herein before described as
the first part of my invention.
In the event of any work being required on the said articles in order to bring
them to their perfected or finished shape the machining or tooling should be done
before the bardening and tempering operations are effected.
·
:
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel Articles.
I, LIONEL MADDISON, of 1, New Court, Temple, Barrister-at-Law, 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 relates to a process for converting or partially converting iron or
low grade steel articles into high grade steel in moulds treated in the manner
hereinafter described in which the iron and steel articles are placed, and secondly
to the casting of iron or low grade steel into moulds so as to produce the cast
articles in such a manner that the outsides thereof to any predetermined depth are
carbonized so as to be capable of taking any temper or any degree of hardness.
In order to carry this invention into practice I provide a suitable mould of
compressed carbon which may be formed of carbon ground to a fine powder and
treated with suitable material such for instance as glucose or tar and afterwards
compressed by hydraulic or other pressure into the required form of the finished
article to be treated. The proportions used and the method of treatment are similar
to those employed in the preparation of electric light carbons. This mould is then
covered on its internal surface with a hydrocarbon either in a solid or liquid
condition. This may be effected by forming a paste of carbon and petroleum or
other hydrocarbon and smearing it on the mould or by soaking the mould in
petroleum or other suitable hydrocarbon. I sometimes combine these two methods
and smear the paste on after the mould has been soaked. The paste is made of
about the consistency of vaseline. A low form of hydrocarbon is used.
I then place the article to be treated in the mould, and place the mould in any
suitable converting furnace.
The depth of carburization is controlled by the heat to which the article to be
treated is raised and by the length of time during which the articles are subjected
to the converting heat.
In some cases the mould may be used after compression without the paste or
liquid hydrocarbon and sometimes it is advisable to paste a thin layer of powdered
carbonaceous material between the mould and the article placed therein.
The articles after being taken from the mould are hardened and tempered in the
usual manner.
The other part of my invention by which the casting of iron or low grade steel
is accomplished to effect the results desired consist in the following treatment.
I take a mould constructed as herein before described and either treated in a
similar manner as that above described by the hydrocarbon liquid or paste or as
I prefer left in its original condition after compression, and I heat the mould to
any suitable temperature, for example a temperature of about the melting point of
cast iron. Into this mould I cast low grade steel or iron. In some cases to ensure
a good casting at a lower temperature than would be otherwise possible I place in
the molten metal a small quantity (about one per cent.) of aluminium or sodium in
any suitable manner. The same moulds may be used over and over again, and the
expense of re-forming the same after each casting thereby avoided. Should the
carbon of the mould have entered to a sufficient depth into the cast article I then
barden and temper in any usual or suitable manner. If however such is not the
case I subject the article to the treatment hereinbefore described as the first part
of my invention.
1:
In cases where the parts of the casting are very thin and the metal would be
liable not to fill them I may also re-heat the mould after the first casting operation
has been performed to a temperature above the melting point of cast iron in order
to allow the metal to fill every part of the mould.

page_text: In the event of any work being required on the said articles in order to bring
them to their perfected or finished shape the machining or tooling should be done
before the hardening and tempering operations are effected.
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. The method or process of treating, in carbonaceous moulds such as described,.
steel articles, to convert the same into high grade steel from the surface to any
desired depth inward, substantially as described.
2. The method or process of producing steel articles, hard on the surface and
for any desired depth inward by casting the molten metal (iron or low grade steel).
either with or without a small quantity of aluminium or sodium added thereto in a.
carbonaceous mould, substantially as described.
3. For use in the processes above described a mould composed of carbon treated
with tar, glucose or like carbonaceous substance and highly compressed and with
or without an internal coating of powdered carbonaceous material, substantially as.
described.
4. Such a mould having its internal surface covered with a hydrocarbon paste,
or soaked in a liquid hydrocarbon, or both covered with paste and soaked, substan-
tially as described for the purpose specified.
5. The method or process of heating a mould into which metal has been cast to
insure the said metal filling every part of the mould substantially as described.
Dated this 15th dow of M 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.