IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN METALLIC ALLOYS, AND IN FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Andrew Keates, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Copper Smelter, and John Fenwick Allen, of
St. Helen's, in the same County, Copper Smelter, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN METALLIC ALLOYS, AND
IN FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESS."
Sealed the 29th November 1870, and dated the 9th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Andrew Keates
and John Fenwick Allen at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 9th August 1870.
We, JOSEPH ANDREW KEATES, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Copper Smelter, and JOHN FENWICK ALLEN, of St. Helen's,
in the same County, Copper Smelter, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN
METALLIC ALLOYS, AND IN FURNACES EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESS," to be as
follows:
•
The object of our Invention is to produce alloys of copper and.
manganese on a manufacturing scale. For that purpose we,--

page_text: First. Employ copper in the form or condition of an oxide or pre-
cipitate and manganese in the form or condition of a carbonate or a
pure oxide in a finely divided state.
Second. We prepare the said copper and manganese for fusing by
mixing them together with charcoal powder or dust or other car-
bonaceous substance.
Third. We fuse the said copper and manganese in a reverberatory
furnace heated by coal or other fuel, but preferably a Siemens' rever-
beratory gas furnace, such furnace being so fitted with doors, dampers,
or other regulating means that only a small through draft of air or
heated gases takes place during the fusing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Andrew Keates and John Fenwick Allen
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
ANDREW KEATES, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Copper
Smelter, and JOHN FENWICK ALLEN, of St. Helen's, in the same County,
Copper Smelter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Joseph Andrew Keates and John Fenwick Allen,
Her special license that we, the said Joseph Andrew Keates and John
Fenwick Allen, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Joseph Andrew Keates and John Fenwick Allen, our
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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN METALLIC ALLOYS, AND IN FURNACES EMPLOYED IN
THE PROCESS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Joseph Andrew Keates and John Fenwick Allen, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one

page_text: of our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 we, the said Joseph Andrew Keates and John
Fenwick Allen, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :—
The object of our Invention is to produce alloys of copper and
manganese on a manufacturing scale. For that purpose we,--¨
First. Employ copper in the form or condition of a carbonate or a
prepared oxide in a finely divided state. When an oxide of copper is
used we prefer to employ the copper scale (known also as "pickle dust")
obtained in the manufacture of sheets and other forms of metallic copper.
Suitable oxides can also be obtained by oxidising metallic copper in a
furnace, or by calcining the carbonate or sulphate of copper. When a
precipitate of copper is used we prefer to obtain it from a solution of
chloride or sulphate of copper. When a carbonate of manganese is
employed we prefer to obtain it from the chloride of manganese liquors
used in the production of chlorine. A suitable oxide of manganese is
obtained by calcining the carbonate.
Second. We prepare the above mentioned copper and manganese for
fusing or melting by mixing them together with charcoal powder or
dust or other carbonaceous substance practically free from iron and
silicon. Finely ground wood charcoal is preferred.
Third. We fuse or melt the copper and manganese mentioned in the
above first part when mixed with charcoal as mentioned in the above
second part by preference in or on the hearth of a reverberatory furnace
heated by coal or other fuel, but preferably a Siemens' reverberatory gas
furnace, such furnace being so fitted with doors, dampers, or other
regulating means that only a small through draft of air or heated gases
takes place during the fusing. A Siemens' furnace provided with
horizontal regenerators is preferred.
Although alloys of copper and manganese containing very varied
proportions of these metals can be produced under our Invention, we
prefer in practice to make an alloy containing 80 per centum of copper,

page_text: and 20 per centum of manganese. This we call standard metal. It can
be used by itself for various obvious purposes in the arts, but is specially
suitable for remelting with other metals, so as to provide alloys possessing
desired colours and properties. When a hard alloy is desired the
proportion of manganese is increased, and this can be added in quantity
up to 45 per centum, and conversely when a soft alloy is desired the
proportion of manganese is decreased, say, down to 1 per centum.
The standard metal above described is conveniently obtained by fusing
in the manner mentioned a mixture containing 50 parts by weight of
oxide of copper, 50 parts of carbonate of manganese, and from 20 to 30
parts of wood charcoal. Instead of 50 parts of carbonate of manganese
40 of oxide may be used.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and set
forth the manner in which the same can be advantageously carried into
practice, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to any particular proportion of the substances mentioned, nor to the
exact details set forth so long as the leading features of our improve-
ments are retained; what we do claim is, the employment of
manganese in the conditions herein-before mentioned, the preparation of
the same by mixing with charcoal, and the fusing in a reverberatory
furnace, all substantially as set forth.
copper
and
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Andrew Keates and John
Fenwick Allen, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.
In the presence of
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JOSEPH ANDREW KEATES. (L.S.)
JOHN FENWICK ALLEN.
(L.S.)