IMPROVED METHOD OF AND PROCESS FOR STEELING IRON
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I THOMAS FROGGATT Senior filesmith of No 1 Holly Villa Gloucester Road in'
the Parish of St Marks Cheltenham Gloucestershire, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for "IMPROVED METHOD OF AND PROCESS FOR STEELING IRON " to
be as follows:
I.
According to my invention I produce steel upon the surface of the iron to any
depth desired by submitting the articles to be operated upon to a certain heat in
any suitable furnace the length of time this, heat is maintained varying according
to the depth of Steel required the mixture I use for converting the surface of iron
into steel is composed by mixing Charcoal Soda ash and Limestone in suitable
proportions as may be required according to the depth of Steel.

page_text: I THOMAS FROGGATT Senior late of No 1 Holly Villa, Gloster Road in the
Parish of St Marks, now of 6 St Georges Street, High Street Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire, File Smith, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF, AND PROCESS FOR, STEELING IRON and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
According to my invention I produce steel upon the surface of Iron to any desired
depth by submitting the articles to be operated upon to a certain heat in any
suitable furnace, the length of time during which this heat is maintained varying
according to the depth of steel required.
The mixture I use for converting the surface of the iron into steel is composed
of Charcoal, Soda-ash, and Limestone, in suitable proportions.
The proportions of the above-named ingredients which I have found most
successful in practice are
Pulverised 'Charcoal 18 parts
"
Limestone 9
Soda-ash 3
"
"
In carrying out, my invention I embed the articles to be submitted to the
steeling process in a suitable furnace at a temperature sufficient to maintain them
at a cherry or blood red heat; the time during which this heat is so maintained
varying according to the mass of the articles and the depth of steel required
thereon. The progress of the operation and the depth of the steel, is ascertained
by means of test pieces which may be withdrawn at any period of the process and
the actual condition of the articles treated thereby noted-It is preferable after the
heating process is completed and before withdrawing the articles from the furnace
to gradually reduce the temperature and thereby prevent any distortion that might
otherwise result from a too sudden fall of temperature-The time occupied in the
process varies from twenty hours according to the quantity of steel required upon
the article treated.
It is not necessary to provide a fresh supply of steeling mixture for each
operation, as that which remains unconsumed after one operation may be collected
and with the addition of a small quantity of fresh mixture may be used over again.
The combination of steel and iron resulting from the abovedescribed process
may be worked in the usual manner, and its cross-section reduced by hammering
or rolling, the material still retaining the original quantity and quality of steel,
and it may be hardened and tempered in precisely the same manner as ordinary
steel.
Amongst the many purposes for which the combined material is especially
adapted I may mention, Safe Doors and Plates, Cable Chains, Taps, Dies, Bolts,
Screws and nuts, Engine Fittings, Axles, Piston Rods, Slide Bars, Coupling Chains,
Bolt Machines and Rivetters, Snaps for Bolt-heads, Nut Machine punches, every
description of hammers, or any other machinery or tools where steel is now used,
at a much less cost and with increased durability.
W Ts

page_text: It will be evident that in addition to the above-mentioned purposes, steeled iron
manufactured according to my invention may be advantageously employed for any
purposes where a hard surface combined with internal toughness is required.
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° In an Improved method of and process for Steeling iron, the use of a steeling
mixture composed of Charcoal, Soda-ash, and Limestone, in the proportions
described.
2° In an Improved method of and Process for Steeling Iron Packing or
embedding the articles to be operated upon in a sufficient quantity of the steeling
mixture in a suitable furnace closed to exclude the air, and submitting the same to
a high temperature in the manner and for the purpose described and set forth in
the foregoing specification.