Improvements in Coating Iron and Steel with Copper and Copper Oxide.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coating Iron and Steel with Copper and Copper
Oxide.
I, SAMUEL HERMAN THURSTON, of Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, State of New
Jersey, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 the coating of iron and steel in order to protect it from
oxidation, and specifically to coating iron and steel with copper film, and copper
oxide and to the furnishing of a product having a surface coating practically
permanent in its nature in regard to its appearance and power of resisting
changes from contact with the atmosphere, and it consists in a certain method
of procedure fully set forth in this specification and claimed at the end thereof.
In order that persons skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may
understand, perform and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.
I am aware that it is old in the art to coat one metal with another for various
purposes, by electrical process, by dipping in molten metal, by dipping in hot
solution and by rolling two metals together, after soldering them, and by rubbing
an alloy of metal on iron to give color, but I am not aware that one metal has
ever before my invention been permanently secured to another metal by means
of the process I am about to describe, nor has any product ever been known in any
way similar to the product which is furnished by the practice of my invention
or process, or ever produced by any other means, whether by my process or not.
My invention as herein disclosed is confined to coating iron and steel with a
film of copper, and copper oxide, and I shall in this present specification particu-
larly so describe the steps necessary for this purpose.
Having thoroughly cleaned the surfaces of the iron to be coated (by cleaning
I mean purifying the surfaces from matter which prevent adhesion of the coating
metal) I rub the said surfaces with copper, until a thin coherent film adheres
to the iron. This may best be done by light frictional impact oft repeated, as
with revolving copper brushes, and afterward roll or compress the copper film
into the molecules of the iron, as copper has a peculiar affinity for iron which
other metals do not possess, it forms a union with the iron as no other metal or
alloy of metals does. I then preferably heat the iron provided with the said
copper film to a heat sufficient to turn the said film to a deep blue black, and
leave on the iron a thin skin of black oxide of copper or cupricoxide, which
adheres so tenaciously to the iron as to practically form a part of the iron itself.
I sometimes heat the iron before coating it, to drive off any moisture there might be
present. The cupricoxide formed is very dense and quite black, and serves as a per-
fect protection for the iron against the atmospheric attacks. It is to be here stated
that the copper film will adhere to the iron and protect its surfaces, even if it is
not changed to a black cupricoxide, and for some especial purposes I propose to stop
my process at this point. This copper film adheres so tenaciously to the iron as
to resish removal by bending, rolling or hammering, and can only be filed off
or removed by abrasion. Coat after coat may be applied in the manner heretofore
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page_text: described until a thickness is attained suitable for the uses to which the product
is to be put. This is particularly true when the cupricoxide is formed from the
film, and a copper film may be formed over the cupricoxide film and not again
heated to form another coating of cupricoxide, but I prefer for most purposes
to carry my process to its full limit and leave a film of cupric black anhydrous
oxide of copper on the iron of such thickness as will be sufficient for the special
purposes needed.
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 within described process of coating iron and steel with copper, which
consists in first thoroughly cleaning the iron surfaces to be coated and then
rubbing the surfaces with copper until a copper surface is formed upon it and
united with the molecules of the iron by impact, substantially as specified.
2. The within described process of coating iron and steel with copper oxide,
which consists in first cleaning the iron to be coated and then rubbing one upon
the other until a film of copper is formed upon the iron to be coated, and then
heating the said film to the desired temperature to form cupric oxide, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore specified.
3. The within described product consisting of iron and steel covered with an
adherent coating of oxide of copper, substantially such as hereinbefore specified.
Dated this 25th day of October 1898.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant