AN IMPROVED COMBINATION OR ALLOY, OR IMPROVED COMBINATIONS OR ALLOYS OF METALS, APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS PURPOSES FOR WHICH BRASS AND COPPER ARE USUALLY EMPLOYED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FENTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirtieth day of May, in the seventh year of Her reign, and in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Fenton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said James Fenton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said James Fenton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED COMBINATION OR ALLOY,
OR IMPROVED COMBINATIONS OR ALLOYS OF METALS, APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS PURPOSES
FOR WHICH BRASS AND COPPER ARE USUALLY EMPLOYED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINERY;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said James Fenton, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my

page_text: said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Fenton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following explanation thereof (that is to
say):
My improved combination or alloy, or improved combinations or alloys of
metals, is intended to be used in the construction of machinery in general in
those places and situations where brass and copper is usually employed, and is
designed as a substitute for such metal, in consequence of not being liable to
heat, and other destructive results caused by friction and ordinary wear and
tear, also by greatly decreasing the consumption of oil or grease, and being of
increased durability and much lighter weight in the same bulk of metal. All
these advantages will be sufficiently evident to the practical engineer and
mechanic, as well as the great variety of purposes for which this improved
combination or alloy of metals may be employed in the construction of
machinery, such as steps, bearings, pedestals, journals, bushes, axle boxes,
connecting rod ends, cocks, taps, pump barrels, pump rams, plunges, or
buckets, &c. &c., and also as a substitute for the more elementary parts of
machinery (formerly made of brass or copper), such as rollers for calico and
other printers bowls, &c.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, which is to be
according to this formula, or in the manner following:-
Firstly, I take thirty-two parts of copper, fifteen parts of block tin, and one
part of sheet brass, and mix or combine these in the following manner :-
I fuse or melt the copper in a crucible or other suitable vessel or furnace;
add to it the sheet brass, and afterwards the block tin; then pour off the
alloy in ingots. This alloy forms what I call a "hardening metal."
I claim the novel and peculiar use of these metals to form " my hardening
metal," but the quantities may be varied to give the alloy any required degree
of hardness; or various other metals may be added in small quantities to effect
the same purpose. But I likewise claim the use of these in connection with
copper and block tin. The above constitutes the first part of the process 1
employ in the manufacture of my ultimate alloy or alloys.

page_text: Secondly, I take two parts of the "hardening metal," previously described,
nineteen parts of zinc, spelter (or so many parts of calamine as shall be equal
to said zinc or spelter), and three parts of block tin, and mix or combine these
in the following manner:-I fuse or melt the zinc, spelter or calamine in a
crucible or other suitable vessel or furnace, which must be sufficiently large to
contain, along with the zinc or spelter, the "hardening metal" previously
described, and the block tin last specified; the "hardening metal" should be
fused or melted in a separate crucible or other suitable vessel or furnace, and
then mixed or combined with the zinc, spelter, or calamine. The alloy must
be well stirred with a suitable implement, in order to render the combination
of these two metals or semi-metals as complete as possible. I then add the
block tin, in order to give the ultimate alloy or alloys the requisite degree of
ductility or toughness. The whole must be again well stirred with a suitable
implement, in order to render the combination of this the ultimate alloy or
alloys as complete as possible. It may then be cast or employed in the usual
manner in the various forms required for the construction of machinery.
While the zinc or spelter is being fused or melted, the surface of it should be
well covered with a coating of powdered charcoal, in order to prevent the
volatility of the semi-metal.
I claim the use of these metals and semi-metals, above described, to form my
ultimate alloy or alloys, but the proportions may be varied to suit particular
cases, and a variety of other metals may be added in small quantities, the use
of which I also claim, though not absolutely requisite to form my ultimate
alloy or alloys.
I further claim the use of the semi-metal, zinc, spelter, or calamine, as
the basis of my ultimate alloy. And although I have found the manner
of combination above described the most effective in preparing the alloy or
alloys which I substitute for brass and copper in construction of machinery,
I claim the use of the said alloy or alloys, although combined in any other
manner or proportions whatever, such combination or alloy being made either
in the exact proportions herein set forth, or in any other, within such limits as
are substantially the same, and will produce a like result as a substitute for
brass and copper to be used in the construction of machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fenton, hath hereunto set his
hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
JAMES (L.8.) FENTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-eighth day of
November, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Fenton came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.