IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLDERING DEVICES
Year: 1889

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, Patent Agents, of
52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLDERING DEVICES" a communication to
me from abroad by William Hacker, of 1102 South Second Street, Philadelphia, in
the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Trustee,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in Devices or
Machines for Soldering the Seams of Sheet-Metal, and it has more particular
reference to the soldering of sheet-metal cans; and it has for its object to simplify
and otherwise improve upon previous devices of this character, to effect a saving in
solder, and to provide a free and uniform flow of the solder to the seam at all times,
thus ensuring the perfect soldering of the seam notwithstanding the slight
inequalities that may exist in the sheet metal, or slight imperfections in the form of
the can.
A further object of the invention is to provide a soldering machine in which the
solder is melted within a suitable chamber, and carried by capillary attraction from
said chamber to the seam of the can, the mechanism employed being of such
construction as to ntilize the same blaze or burner in melting and in maintaining a
free flow of the solder.
To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain to, the same consists
in the peculiar combinations and in the novel construction, arrangement and adaptation of
parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and then
specifically defined in the appended claims.
The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :.
Figure 1, is a perspective view of a sufficient portion of a machine constructed in
accordance with this invention to fully illustrate its construction and operation.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same and Figure 3 is a modified form of the
soldering iron, in which is shown the principle applied to a hand-soldering iron.
In figure 1 of the drawings is shown three of the soldering irons, but it is to be
understood that the number of irons may be increased or diminished at pleasure.
The specific construction of the irons and burner may be seen on reference to figure 2
in which H is the gas-supply pipe suitably supported on the frame A of the machine,
i

page_text: :
and provided with suitable outlets governed by cocks, as shown, to which are
connected the flexible pipes communicating with the burner L. These burners
being of any suitable or well known construction, I have not shown them in detail,
and a further description of them in this connection is unnecessary.
The soldering irons are constructed as follows: J is a casting of suitable shape,
pivoted on the shaft, and provided upon the rear portion of its upper face with a
solder trough or chamber 2. J2 represents a series of parallel wires arranged
in proximity to and extending from the interior of the solder chamber over the front
edge of the same and thence downward over the upper inclined face of the
casting J, and terminating at a point slightly beyond the outer edge of the same,
where they together form the soldering iron proper o, which is designed to hear upon
the can at the point at which the solder is to be applied during the process of
manufacture. The cans are designed to be carried along by any suitable machinery
such as is commonly used for the purpose.
J³ is a plate of metal corresponding in form with the upper face of the front portion
of the casting J, and it is fitted down upon the upper faces of the wires J2 and serves to
retain the same in place against the upper face of the casting. Jare longitudinal
bars or rods having their ends secured within the inner ends of the casting J, at
points slightly above the plate J³, and the said plate is held securely in place by
means of metallic wedges J, which are driven in between the upper face of the
plate and the lower edges of the bars J, as will clearly appear upon reference to
figure 2 of the drawings.
The burner I is passed into the hollow interior of the lower portion of the casting J
through suitable openings formed for the purpose in the rear face of the casting, and
it is designed by means of said burner to keep the entire casting heated to such a
degree of temperature as to ensure the solder both within the solder chamber and
between the wires being kept at all times in a molten condition.
The castings, J, are arranged in proximity, as shown in figure 1, and are sleeved
on the shaft. These castings are in all respects similar, and in order to ensure a
close contact of each with the soldering iron next adjacent in the series, there is
provided a spiral spring M2 loosely sleeved upon the end of the shaft j, and adapted
to bear against the outer end of the first casting in the series. M³ is a rod secured
at one end to the rear face of the casting J. M is a weight adjustably secured to
the rear end of the rod M³ and it serves the purpose of regulating the pressure of
the soldering iron upon the seam, as will be understood upon reference to figure 2.
M is a spiral spring connected at one end with a support or bracket M and sup-
porting the rod Ms.
Each of the several castings J sleeved upon the shaft jact independently of the
remaining castings in the series, and each is provided with a rod M3 and is counter-
balanced in the manner described. 13 is a set-screw tapped through the rod M³
and bearing against the lower face of the support of the bracket M, and by the
adjustment of this set screw the movement of the arm may be adjusted.
The seam of each can as it is carried past the series of soldering irons is acted upon
in turn by each of the irons, so that in case the seam is not perfectly soldered by the
first iron a perfect soldering of the seam is insured by the contact with the next irons
in the series.
N is a shaft extending the entire length of the machine upon a higher plane than
that of the soldering irons. N¹ is a casting sleeved upon said shaft and provided with
an arm N at its outer end carrying a weight N³. Extending along the entire length
of the casting N³, at its rear side, is a rod N' forming a part of the casting.
It will be seen that when at any time it may be considered desirable to lift all of
the soldering irons simultaneously from contact with the cans, by lifting the weight N³
from a horizontal to a vertical position, the rod N4 will be depressed, and will bear
downward against the upper faces of the weight rods M³ thus depressing their rear
ends and raising the soldering irons; and by reversing the weight N3 so as to cause it
to occupy the position shown in figure 2, the rod N' is raised from contact with the
rods M³, and the irons are returned to their former position.

page_text: Although a series of parallel wires is shown as the medium for conducting the
molten solder, it is at once evident that iron filings or other substance of a similar
nature could be substituted for the wires, the How of solder being maintained by
capillary attraction between the particles of filings, instead of the spaces between
the wires. It is also evident that the principle may be applied to a hand-soldering
iron, by securing the mass of parallel wires within the head of the iron, as shown in
figure 3 of the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1, A soldering instrument consisting of a number of separate bodies affording
capillary interstices for the passage of molten solder, substantially as described.
2, In a soldering machine, a solder-feed formed of a plurality of wires, substantially
as described.
3, In a soldering machine, a syphonic solder-feed formed of a plurality of wires,
substantially as described.
4, A solder-feed consisting of a number of separate bodies arranged in the form
of a syphon and affording capillary interstices for the passage of molten solder,
substantially as described.
5, In a soldering machine, a capillary syphonic solder-feed formed of a plurality
of wires compressed, substantially as described.
6, The combination, with the solder-holder, of a plurality of wires, and a plate
for holding said wires against said holder, and means for holding said plate against
the wires, substantially as and for the purpose described.
7, The combination, with the solder-holder and the longitudinal bars above the
same, of the plate, the wires between said plate and the holder, and keepers for
holding said plate in position, substantially as described.
8. The combination, with the solder-holder and the longitudinal bars above the
same, of the plate, the plurality of wires between said plate and holder, and the
wedges between the bars and plate, substantially as described.
9, A solder feeder formed of a plurality of separate bodies affording capillary
interstices for the passage of molten solder, with one end forming the point of the
soldering iron, substantially as described.
10, A combined syphonic solder feeder and iron, formed of a plurality of separate
bodies arranged near each other and affording capillary interstices for the passage
of molten solder, substantially as described.
11, In a soldering machine, a solder-feeder composed of a series of wires arranged
in the form of a syphon, one end of the wires forming the point of the soldering
iron, substantially as described.
12, In a soldering machine, a solder-holder, combined with a soldering iron
consisting of a plurality of wires having one end in said holder and the other
end extended to the position of the parts to be soldered, substantially as described.
13, In a soldering machine, a combined capillary solder-feeder and iron formed
of a plurality of wires, substantially as described.
14, A hand soldering iron composed of a head, a holder, and a plurality of
separate metallic bodies forming an absorbent core and projecting beyond said head,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this Twelfth day of March 1889.