A Process for Augmenting the Resistance of Iron, Steel, and other Metals.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Augmenting the Resistance of Iron, Steel, and other
Metals.
We, FERDINAND FELDHAUS and Jean-Claude OLLAGUIER, Manufacturers,
both of 6 Rue des Commerçants, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby,
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for increasing the resisting power of iron, steel
and other metals by compression.
The metal is heated and then laid upon a matrix and so arranged that it cannot
become elongated. The size of the matrix is regulated according to the size of
the piece of metal to be operated upon. A press is then put in motion by means
of cog-wheels or any other suitable method and an upper matrix or die is caused
to descend upon the lower matrix and compress the metal. The force used in
compression must be proportionate to the resistance required in the metal. The
apparatus for compressing the metal may be of any suitable size, shape or material.
The metal thus compressed is not sensibly elongated and its hardness is greatly
increased.
The advantages of this are manifold, the metal is not so likely to rupture, it will
stand a great deal more wear and consequently lasts longer, it is therefore very
economical and it is not necessary to temper the metal, thereby saving a considerable
amount of elasticity which is taken away in tempering metal.
Dated this 9th day of November 1899
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Augmenting the Resistance of Iron, Steel, and other
Metals.
We, FERDINAND FELDHAUS and JEAN-CLAUDE OLLAGUIER, both of 6, Rue
des Commerçants, Brussels in Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturers 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 :-
Our system has for its object to impart to steel or wrought or rolled iron or, as
in the case of tyres, axles and ships' plates where the forging takes place first and
subsequently the rolling or vice versa, a greater resistance than that hitherto
obtained by other processes; it is especially applicable to tyres, axles, rails for
railways or tramways and elsewhere, to ships' plates, to cannons, to guns, in, short
to all pieces of iron and steel where a great resistance is wanted, besides it furnishes
metal which in use gives surprising results.
Hitherto, the Thomas, Martin and Bessemer soft steel employed for the
manufacture of tyres, axles or railway axles give when these have been finished
and passed official inspection, a resistance varying from 40 kilos. and even less to
65 kilos. per square millimetre, according to the treatment to which the metal has
been subjected, but, with the system of compression or rolling forming the present
invention, we increase the resistance in the same quality of steel from 20 to 40%
per square millimetre.
In the case of soft steels giving a resistance of 44 kilos., we attain by the
employment of our process as much as 68 kilos. per square millimetre, and with

page_text: harder steels having a resistance of 75 kilos., we can impart to that as much as
95 kilos. resistance per square millimetre; the foregoing is by way of an example;
finally, in applying our system we obtain with soft steels and at a relatively low
price a resistance equivalent and even superior to special kinds of steel treated by
special systems.
Our process, therefore, will render immense service to industry and its employment
will produce great benefits to companies which employ it, notably railway companies,
in their iron for tyres axles and rails, in fact if only these latter be considered, they
will pay a relatively small price for tyres having a resistance equivalent to those
which are now paid for at a very dear rate, and the price of which is so high that
they can only be employed in tyres for locomotives, besides, our system will allow
of the tyres of all the wheels without distinction being made of this metal having
a greater resistance and so doubling the life of the structure.
The economies obtained by the adoption of our process will therefore be very
great, taking into consideration that the railway companies can make general use
of tyres having a great resistance, since the wear on these will be much less, this
economy is equally applicable to the rails, since these made according to our system
will be much superior to those which the railway companies now use, and will be
less liable to crack or tear so rendering a longer service, and this is due not only
to the high resistance acquired by our process, but also to the structure which is
obtained.
Incidental to the application of our process, railway accidents will be avoided in
a notable degree, most of the catastrophes arising from a rupture of the tyres,
rails or axles.
Our system is equally applicable to ships' plates of all kinds to which we can
impart by our process of compression a much greater resistance.
The advantages of our system will be equally applicable to cannons, guns, in fact
to cannon of every kind, and, having a greater resistance than is now the case, they
will be capable of avoiding accidents, it will also allow of the employment of a
much stronger charge of powder and consequently these arms will wear much
longer. For obtaining these results, we compress the body of the cannon by our
system of drawing, which has for its object to impart the necessary hardening
whilst avoiding tempering which always alters the elasticity of the metal.
We would add that our system of compression without drawing or lengthening
by rolling or pressing by the force of inertia whilst giving a much greater resistance
to steel alters the elasticity in a very little degree which the steel possesses before
the treatment to which we subject it.
In support of what we have advanced above, we will give some comparative
results obtained in different trials.

page_text: of the press according to the articles to be treated, as clear a description as possible
will now be given in order to allow of our method of procedure being fully
understood, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.
At the
Figure 1. A represents a section of a cage having at one end a screw B to which
a right or left hand movement may be imparted by any suitable means.
other end of the cage A, there is a shaft C pivoted at D; this shaft has a cog
wheel E and a bevel gearing F operated by the pinion G fixed on the shaft H
which is driven from the motor. This shaft H is supported by several brackets
solidly fixed on a foundation plate. I is a carriage sliding by means of the screw B
in the cage A. This carriage bears a shaft J having in its lower part a cog-
wheel K corresponding to the wheel E arranged on the shaft C. L is a disc of
very hard steel of the form shown in the drawings, supported and guided by
sliding rollers. This disc is intended to receive the steel tyre which has been
previously heated, for railways, tramways or the like purposes, which it is intended
should be compressed, and thus acquire a much greater power of resistance. M_M'
are two rolling rollers of cast metal, fixed by keys on the shafts C and J. The
roller M has the shape of the three faces of the tyre, the interior and the two
sides; the disc L has one part which maintains the form of the 4th face, that is
to say,
of the part of the tyre which travels on the rails. In order to effect the
compression of the metal, the roller M which fits the tyre to be compressed is by
means of the screw B.caused to approach the tyre. This latter which is held by
the disc L presses the said disc against the roller M' which in fact it never leaves
being retained by other rollers arranged for the purpose.
When these arrangements are complete, the apparatus is set in motion which
causes the disc L to rotate and to carry with it the tyre, the pressure given by the
screw B compresses the tyre which is at a suitable heat and which cannot expand
being held in the disc and only revolving with it by means of the pressure
imparted to the tyre by the rolling roller on 3 faces and by the pressure of the
other roller against the disc. From this there results as strong a compression as
may be desired, or at least as strong as the tyre of the machinery admits of; the
disc being a very hard steel and cold, all the pressure is received by the tyre and
the operation is terminated while still at a red heat.
This mechanism may be so arranged that the tyre revolves vertically or
horizontally. The preceding explanations being granted, it must necessarily.
result that the tyre to be compressed, of whatever diameter or width, must be
made thicker in its manufacture in the forge whilst preserving its customary
external diameter in order that it may easily fit into the disc. If it is smaller
than the disc, it soon expands sufficiently to fit exactly and that is the moment
when the compression commences until it has received the resistance and the
necessary strength. This operation may be performed with tyres in course of
construction in the works where they are made and that without increasing or
only to a small extent their cost.
Figure 2. This drawing represents a section of the apparatus serving to
compress iron rails for railways, but may also be employed for compressing axles,
cannons, ship plates, etcetera." A are two cages receiving the cylinders or rolls B
and their fittings, bearings, nuts and pressure screws. C are gearings, one of
which is placed on the cylinder or roll which receives its motion directly from the
motor and communicates it to the other cylinder or roll at the same speed. D are
two guides on which the carriage E slides, the latter receiving its back and
forward motion by means of a screw which itself receives its motion by means of a
system of friction gear revolving in both directions at will. This carriage E has
a certain number of very hard steel stamps, placed side by side like the keys of
a piano. These stamps are pressed two at a time simultaneously one below and
one above by means of the cylinders B shown in Figure 3, and compress the
substance in small sectious gradually as the carriage advances, causing thus these
rows of stamps to pass in their turn between the cylinders or rolls which compress
the article transversely either in a uniform manner or more at one place than at

page_text: another, that is to say they compress the head of the rail without compressing the
neck and the foot for instance.
The upper series of stamps may be fastened together forming a hinge among
themselves on one side in order to assume a vertical position as is shown in dotted
lines; on the other side there is a rod I connecting them, in order to allow of them
rising together, this position allows of the rail being inserted in its place having
been previously heated to a suitable temperature or even when cold. When this
rail is inserted, the upper stamps are allowed to fall and the movement of the
carriage between the two cylinders or rolls cominences, these latter in their rotary
movement lowering the stamps in front until the rail has been compressed to the
necessary extent.
Cylinders or rolls with an alternative motion are preferable in case it is
necessary to pass the rail several times in order to cbtain the requisite resistance
and structure. The pressure is given by the screw G operated by the bevel
gearing, the shaft and the flywheel H, which serve to lower the upper roll or
cylinder.
Figure 3. This drawing represents a section and a longitudinal view of the
apparatus for compressing rails, axles, etcetera; for its explanation, the explana-
tion relating to the preceding Figure will suffice.
Figure 4. This sheet shows how the rail may be placed upright, that is to say
on its base, how it can be supported by moulds up to half its head, and how the
other half of this part on which the tyres of the vehicles run may be compressed.
This part has been rolled rather stouter in order to have something on which to
effect the necessary compression for obtaining the required resistance, a compression
which can be obtained either directly by the roll itself or by stamps for the
purpose, of the kind described in Figure 3. For the compression of certain
articles, we use the force of inertia imparted by friction presses constructed for
such purpose.
Figure 5. In the preceding explanations, this system was more particularly
founded on increasing the resistance of metal by the compression of the metal by
means of rolling or otherwise without expanding, or at least only to a very small
extent, the substances; and we stated that our process was applied to tyres, axles,
.railway rails, etcetera, without laying much stress on obtaining these same results
by the use of any suitable mechanical press, but for the practical application of
this system, we have found that for certain articles such as musket barrels, cannon
balls, shells, bombs and any sort of projectiles and finally for a large number of
articles which it would take too long to enumerate here, the use of a press is
necessary.
In order to increase the resistance of steel intended for rifle barrels, for instance,
we have designed a mechanical press which has a very powerful pressure which can
be imparted as may be desired by means of suitable gearing.
In order to compress the article and impart to it the desired resistance, it is
placed while warm with its point in a movable matrix (such matrix being changed
according to the article which is to be compressed) so that the article cannot
expand at that moment the press is set in motion by means of gearing and the
upper matrix descends on the lower matrix in order to compress the substance and
causes it thus to acquire the extra resistance desired. In order to allow this
method of procedure being better understood, our apparatus will now be described
with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawing. Fig. 5 is a front view of the
machine. Fig. 6 plan view of this machine. A is a base plate of cast iron in
order to raise the machine to a suitable height. B is the cast iron frame of the
machine. C the supports of the small gearing. D is the large gear wheel.
E small gear wheels revolving one to the right and the other to the left, and
engaging as desired with the large gearing D for causing the upper stamp to rise
or to descend by means of the worm F which receives its rotary motion from the
large gear wheel D. F worm, having a left hand and a right hand thread
communicating the rotary motion to the worm wheels G which in their turn cause

page_text: the ordinary screws I to revolve. The arrangement of the worm with a left hand
and a right hand thread is for the object, of causing the threads of the worm to
work together, and thus to diminish the effect of the shock sustained by the
supports H. G worm wheels gearing with the worm F. H supports of the
worm F.
I a screw for raising or lowering the stamp carrier J. J, upper stamp
carrier on which is fitted the stamp K, which may be changed as desired in order
to suit the shape of the article which is to be compressed. K is the upper stamp,
K' the lower stamp or matrix which also can be changed if desired; Loscillating
pieces for engaging the small sized gearing; M pulleys operating such gearing;
N cross pieces connecting the oscillating piece L; O operating bar of the
oscillating piere L; P handle for operating the rod O; Q, upper cross bar.
In the accompanying drawings which are filed as illustrative of specimen ways
in which our invention may be carried out, we have only indicated the general
arrangement of our system of compression by rolling by the mechanical press or by
other force, but we do not limit ourselves in any way, either to the forms or
We reserve all latitude for
dimensions or the substances employed for the tools.
constructing such apparatus in such ways as may seem suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is―
1. The process for treating metals with a view to augment their resistance,
substantially as hereinbefore described, and consisting essentially in subjecting the
metals, after heating, to compression and under conditions so that they cannot
become materially elongated, as described.
2. In a process for treating metals such as specified in Claim 1, the employment
of presses of the kind hereinbefore described and shown.
ليم
1002
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.