IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF METALLIC ALLOYS OR COMPOUNDS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Alexander Dick, of Cannon Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF METALLIC ALLOYS OR COMPOUNDS." Partly a communication
from abroad by Charles James Adolph Dick, of Philadelphia, in the United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Alexander Dick at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1880.
GEORGE ALEXANDER DICK, of Cannon Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC ALLOYS OR COMPOUNDS."
Partly a communication from abroad by Charles James Adolph Dick, of
Philadelphia, in the United States of America.
This Invention consists in the manufacture of improved metallic alloys or
compounds to be employed for castings, consisting mainly of wrought iron or of
mild steel, that is to say, a steel which contains only a small proportion of carbon,
and which is combined, as hereinafter described, with phosphorus and tin, and
with or without the addition of lead.
In carrying out into practice the said Invention I proceed as follows:-Scraps
of wrought iron, or mild steel, or iron sponge, are heated in a crucible or tank
furnace or bed furnace to a bright red heat or to a white heat, and a proportion of
tin or phosphuret of tin, as the case may be, is then added thereto, in the manner
hereinafter fully described; the iron will be completely melted down or dissolved in
a short time. It will be found that the resultant alloy or compound, being very
fluid, is applicable for making fine castings of considerable strength, and is also well
adapted for bearings or journal boxes. The quality of the said alloy is improved
for some purposes by the addition thereto of a proportion of lead, and the toughness
and ductility of the metal or alloy forming these castings is greatly increased by
subjecting the same whilst at a red heat to the process of annealing, especially
if the casting has been made in a chill mould. I have found in practice that the
alloy or compound with lead, such as hereinbefore described, is an excellent material
for bearings and other like purposes. The iron used in the manufacture of the
alloys or compounds, in accordance with the said Invention, should be free or very

page_text: nearly free from carbon, and the steel used should not contain more than about
0.25 per cent. of carbon. The presence of phosphorus in manufacturing the above
alloys or compounds is necessary, as it renders the same liquid during the melting
operation and greatly improves the uniformity, soundness, and strength of the alloy
or compound produced. Iron or steel which may be found to contain phosphorus
may be selected for use, according to my Invention, or phosphorus may be added
during the melting operation in combination with the required quantity of tin. I
use tin in the form of phosphuret of tin or pure tin, where sufficient phosphorus is
already found to be present in the iron or steel.
When using the well known iron sponge obtained by direct reduction of iron ore,
instead of wrought iron scrap, in the manufacture of the said alloys or compounds,
the reaction and the melting of the particles of metallic iron in the said sponge
It
upon the introduction of the phosphuret of tin will take place at a rapid rate.
will be found that the use of iron sponge offers the further advantage that a vitreous
slag will be formed by the melting of the earthy impurities contained in the sponge,
which slag protects the melting or molten compound in the crucible against the
action of the oxygen in the atmosphere. When using phosphurets of tin in
manufacturing the alloys or compounds from iron or steel containing an insufficient
quantity of phosphorus, as above mentioned, those phosphurets which contain 5 to
15 per cent., or a larger per centage of phosphorus, are selected, and the amount of
phosphorus present in the perfected alloy shall have a proportion to the tin of at
least 5 to 100, and the proportion of the tin to the iron or steel shall not exceed
about 10 to 12 per cent. I have found that small proportions will answer the
purpose, but they must be varied according to the iron employed, the necessity of
effecting rapidly the melting operation, and also according to the purpose for which
the alloy or compound is required. In some cases the iron or steel is first melted,
and the tin or phosphuret of tin, or tin and phosphuret of tin, is then mixed with
the same, adding or not adding lead as the case may be, and according to the quality
of alloy or compound required to be produced. The quantity of lead should not
exceed the quantity of tin indicated above (10 to 12 per cent). The presence of
Binall quantities of carbon in the alloy or compound renders it necessary to reduce
the proportion of phosphorus, but not beyond the above indicated minimum
proportion of one-twentieth of the tin, which could otherwise be advantageously
used, or the resulting alloy or compound would become hard and brittle. The lead
is added in the crucible or furnace, either together with the tin or phosphuret of
tin, or afterwards, and the whole alloy or compound remains exposed to the action
of heat for a sufficient length of time to allow of an intimate and uniformn mixing or
combination of the different ingredients. The metal is then run into ingots or
moulds ready for use. It may be remelted in an ordinary furnace without any
practical alteration in its component proportions, and it may be cast in sand or in
chills at a low temperature.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Alexander Dick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
December 1880.
GEORGE ALEXANDER DICK, of Cannon Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC ALLOYS OR COMPOUNDS."
Partly a communication from abroad by Charles James Adolph Dick, of Philadelphia,
in the United States of America.
The said Invention consists in the manufacture of improved alloys or compounds,
consisting mainly of wrought iron and of mild steel, that is to say, a steel which
contains a small proportion of carbon, and which is combined, as hereinafter
described, with phosphorus and tin, and with or without the addition of lead. In
carrying out into practice the said Invention I proceed as follows:-
Scraps of wrought iron or mild steel, or iron sponge, are heated in a crucible or
tank furnace or bed furnace to a bright red heat, or to a white heat, and a proportion
of tin or phosphuret of tin, as the case may be, having been added thereto, in the
in the manner hereinafter fully described, the iron is completely melted down or
dissolved. It will be found that the resultant alloy or compound, being very fluid,
is applicable for making fine castings of considerable strength, and is also well
adapted for bearings or journal boxes. The quality of the said alloy is improved,
for some purposes, by the addition thereto of a proportion of lead, and the toughness
and ductility of the metal or alloy forming these castings is greatly increased by
subjecting the same, whilst at a red heat, to the process of annealing, especially if
the casting has been made in a chill mould. I have found in practice that the
alloy or compound with lead, such as hereinbefore described, is an excellent material
for bearings and other like purposes. The iron used in the manufacture of the
alloys or compounds, in accordance with the said Invention, should be free or nearly
free from carbon, and the steel selected for use should not contain more than about
0.25 per cent. of carbon. The presence of phosphorus in manufacturing the above
alloys or compounds is necessary, as it renders the same liquid during the melting
operation, and greatly improves the uniformity and soundness and strength of the
alloy or compound produced. In some cases therefore I select for use, according to
my Invention, qualities of iron or steel which may be found to contain phosphorus ;
in other cases I add phosphorus during the melting operation in combination with
the required quantity of tin. I use tin in the form of phosphuret of tin when
phosphorus is required to be added, or I use pure tin where sufficient phosphorus
is already found to be present in the iron or steel employed to form the required
alloy. The latter mode of manufacture offers the advantage of great uniformity in
the product and of a rapid reaction and melting of the iron, which circumstance
is of importance owing to the tendency of the tin to be vapourized at high
temperatures. On the other hand the use of iron or steel which is known to
contain phosphorus will be a cheap method of manufacturing the metallic alloys
or compounds according to my Invention.
When
When using the well known iron sponge, obtained by direct reduction of iron ore
instead of wrought iron scrap, in the manufacture of the said alloys or compounds,
the reaction and the melting of the particles of metallic iron in the said sponge upon
the introduction of the phosphuret of tin will take place at a rapid rate.
using phosphurets of tin in manufacturing the alloys or compounds from iron or
steel containing an insufficient quantity of phosphorus, as above mentioned, those
phosphurets which contain 5 to 15 per cent. of phosphorus are adopted, and it is
essential that so much phosphorus must be present in the perfected alloy or
compound, as that it bears a proportion to the tin of at least 5 to 100, but must not
exceed a proportion of 2 per cent. relatively of the component quantity of iron, and

page_text: the proportion of the tin to the iron or steel contained in the alloy shall not exceed
10 to 12 per cent. I have found that small proportions of tin will answer the
purpose, but they must be varied according to the iron or steel employed, the
necessity of effecting rapidly the melting operation, and also according to the
purpose for which the alloy or compound is required. In some cases the iron or steel
is first melted, and the tin or phosphuret of tin is then mixed with the same, adding
or not adding lead as the case may be, and according to the quality of alloy or
compound required to be produced. The quantity of lead should not exceed 6 to 8
per-cent. of the iron or steel. The presence of a small proportion of silica or of manganese,
or of both, in the steel or iron employed is not injurious, and need not be taken into
consideration. The presence of sinall quantities of carbon in the alloy or compound
renders it necessary to reduce the proportion of phosphorus which could otherwise
be advantageously used, or the resulting alloy or compound would become hard and
brittle. The lead is added in the crucible or furnace either together with the tin
or phosphuret of tin or afterwards, and the whole alloy or compound remains exposed
to the action of heat for a sufficient length of time to allow of an intimate and
uniform mixing or combination of the different ingredients. The metal is then
run into ingots or moulds ready for use. It may be remelted in an ordinary furnace
without any practical alteration in its component proportions, and it may be cast
in sand or in chills at a comparatively low temperature. A good alloy or compound
for bearings is made by combining 93 per cent. of iron sponge, 9 per cent. of
phosphuret of tin containing 10 per cent. of phosphorus, and 5 per cent. of lead.
Or 5 per cent of phosphuret of tin containing 5 per cent of phosphorus, 3 per cent.
of lead, and 92 per cent. of steel containing 0.2 phosphorus, 0.4 silica, 0.2 carbon,
0.8 manganese, and 98.4 iron.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion that the
proportion of ingredients hereinbefore mentioned are approximate only, and may be
varied according to the results desired to be produced without departing from the
main principles of the said Invention, and that what is considered novel and original,
and is therefore claimed as constituting the said Invention, are,-
First. The manufacture of the fusible alloy or compound consisting of iron or
steel, tin, and phosphorus, substantially as above described.
And Secondly. The manufacture of the fusible alloy or compound consisting of
iron or steel, tin, lead, and phosphorus, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Alexander Dick, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.