A NEW MANUFACTURE OF A MATERIAL TO BE USED THE PRODUCTION OF CAPSULES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE THIN FLEXIBLE METALLIC SHEETS ARE EMPLOYED
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Betts, of No. 1, Wharf Road, City
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Capsule Manufacturer,.for the
Invention of "A NEW MANUFACTURE OF A MATERIAL TO BE USED
THE PRODUCTION OF CAPSULES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE THIN
FLEXIBLE METALLIC SHEETS ARE EMPLOYED."
Sealed the 31st March 1868, and dated the 16th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Betts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th January 1868.
I, WILLIAM BETTS, of No. 1, Wharf Road, City Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Capsule Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "A NEW MANUFACTURE OF A MATERIAL TO BE USED
IN THE PRODUCTION OF CAPSULES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE THIN FLEXIBLE
METALLIC SHEETS ARE EMPLOYED," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the production of a new material for the
more ecconomical production of capsules, and which material may also
be employed for other purposes to which the material now well known
as "Betts' metal "is applicable.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I take an ingot of lead, which may be
about three-quarters of an inch in thickness, I then pass such ingot
through reducing rolls until the same is reduced to about th of an
inch; I then place on the surface of such lead a band of tin, one end
of which is folded or doubled so as to cover the whole of one side of
the slab of lead and the end portion of the other side. This slab so
covered is then passed through rolls with considerable pressure so as to
unite the tin to the lead and afterwards reduced by rolling into a thin
band. This thin band is cut or divided into strips, and such strips are
folded over on both sides of an ingot of lead which has been reduced to
about ths of an inch in thickness as before, the tinned surface being on
the exterior of the slab; I then pass these metals through rolls so as
to make them combine; the combined metal is then reduced to about
an eighth of an inch in thickness when the long strip is cut into con-
venient lengths, so that such lengths may be passed through a broad
pair of rolls; these lengths being presented in any convenient numbers
to the broad rolls, and in a direction contrairy to that through which the
strips have passed in the earlier parts of the rolling process, this metal
is then rolled down by these broad rollers until it attains the thickness
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Betts in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th July 1868.
, TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BETTS, of No. 1, Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Capsule Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Betts, Her special license, that
I, the said William Betts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Betts, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: 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 "A NEW MANUFACTURE OF MATERIAL
TO BE USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF CAPSULES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE
THIN FLEXIBLE METALLIC SHEETS ARE EMPLOYED," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Betts, my exccutors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain 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 I, the said William Betts, do hereby declaro
the nature of my 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 :-
My said Invention relates to the production of a new material for the
more economical production of capsules, and which material may also
be employed for other purposes to which the material now well known
as "Betts's metal" is applicable.
In carrying out my Invention I take an ingot of lead, which may be
about three-quarters of an inch in thickness, I then pass such ingot
through reducing rolls until the same is reduced to about three-eighths
of an inch in thickness; I then place on the surface of such lead a band
of tin of about the same breadth as the lead slab, which is folded or
doubled over one end of the lead slab so as to lap over a portion of one
face of the same, whilst it covers the whole of the opposite side or surfaco
of the said slab of lead. The thickness of this band of tin should be about
one-fifteenth the thickness of the lead slab. The slab so covered on one
surface is then passed through rolls with considerable pressure so as to
unite the tin to the lead, the end over which the tin is folded being first
presented to the rolls. The compound slab thus obtained is afterwards
reduced by rolling into a thin band. This compound metal thin band is
cut or divided transversely into suitable lengths, and such lengths are
folded over on both sides or surfaces of an ingot of lead which has been
reduced to about three-eighths of an inch in thickness as before, the
tinned surface of the compound strip or band so applied being on the
outer side, or forming the exterior surface of the whole. The thickness of

page_text: this compound strip or band should be about one-twentieth of that of the
lead slab to which it is applied. I then pass the lead slab so covered
with the compound strip or band through rolls, subjecting them to con-
siderable pressure so as to make them combine, taking care to present
first to the rolls that end of the slab over which the compound strip
or band has been folded. The combined or compound slab thus obtained
may be reduced by rolling in the usual manner to the thickness required
for the manufacture of capsules or for other purposes where thin flexible
metalic sheets are employed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
manufacture of material to be used in the production of capsules, and
for other purposes where thin flexible metalic sheets are employed by
applying and combining by the aid of pressure a layer or thickness of
combined lead and tin to or with the surface of lead slabs, which are
afterwards rolled or otherwise reduced to the thickness desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Betts, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of
July, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.