A New or Improved Process of Annealing Iron Castings.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1887-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Process of Annealing Iron Castings.
I, CHARLES MELBOURNE WHITE, of 27, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, (a
communication to me from abroad by The King Annealing Process Company, of
Belleville, St. Clair County, in the State of Illinois, one of the United States of
America, Manufacturers of Annealed Castings,) and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
This invention consists in a process of annealing iron castings to render them
malleable, the object of the invention being to thoroughly, effectively and much
more quickly anneal the castings than with the process heretofore employed.
This invention consists in features of novelty. hereinafter fully described and
pointed out in the claims.
The process at present employed, of annealing iron castings, is to insert the cast-
ings in pots and to pack them with a refractory material, such as iron scale, the
pots then being inserted in a furnace, oven or other device in which the annealing
is accomplished. There are several objectionable features in such process, among
which are a great expenditure of time to obtain an annealed condition of the cast-
ings, and the employment of a vast quantity of pots owing to such pots deteriora-
ting very rapidly in use and soon becoming worthless. By the employment of
this improved process, the annealing of the castings is very materially hastened,
and the use of pots is entirely dispensed with, thus rendering this process a most
valuable oue.
In carrying out this invention the castings are treated in a mixture consisting
of a refractory material that forms a covering into which refractory material is intro-
duced a quantity of alloy of manganese and iron, or other form of manganese, in
metallic state. Other material besides those containing manganese may be intro-
duced into the refractory material for the purpose of expediting the annealing of
the castings, such material being hereinafter set forth.
It is preferred to employ the well known alloy of iron and manganese, known as
Ferro-manganese, in this process.
The castings may be treated by coating them with the magnanesian substance
in such manner that it adheres to them, before they are introduced into the
refractory material, or the manganesian substance may be introduced into the
refractory material and the castings be inserted therein without the manganesian
substance being applied directly to the castings. In either instance it is preferable
to employ the manganesian substance in a pulverized or powdered condition.
For the purpose of expediting the annealing of the castings, a readily combus-
tible substance is introduced into the refractory material, such as sawdust or
charcoal, that will be fired by the heat of the furnace or other device in which
the castings arc annealed; also a volatile substance, such as turpentine; and
an acidiferous substance, such as vinegar; and a greasy substance, such as tallow
or beef suet.
The refractory material which is preferably employed is siliceous sand, although.
others of a refractory nature may give satisfactory results.

page_text: Where the castings are treated with alloy of manganese by applying a coating
of this substance to them, a coating of adhesive substance, such as tallow or beef
suet is first applied to the castings for the purpose of causing the manganesian sub-
stance to readily adhere to them.
The proportions of the ingredients employed which have been found to give
satisfactory results are the following:-
Sufficient siliceous sand, or other refractory material to enclose the castings,
Five per cent. of eighty per cent. of ferro manganese, or its equivalent of other
manganesian substance.
Ten per cent. of saw dust.
Five per cent. of tallow or beef suet.
To which is added sufficient vinegar and turpentine to render the mixture
thoroughly moist throughout.
It is to be understood that the proportions specified may be varied, for while the
proportions of the ingredients stated have been found to give satisfactory results,
it may be found desirable in some instances to vary the proportions named. For
instance, larger castings than the ordinary run will necessarily require the employ-
ment of a greater percentage of tallow or beef suet and manganesian substance
than smaller castings require.
When the ingredients have been combined in a mixture in the furnace or other
receptacle or device in which the castings are packed with the mixture, heat is
applied to the furnace, receptacle or device to a sufficient extent to bring the
temperature therein to a soft white heat, and such heat is maintained for a
suflicient period to cause the castings to become thoroughly annealed, when after
cooling the castings are removed.
This process is adapted more especially for the treatment of cast iron wherein
the carbon is combined, and it is found by experimenting that in the treatment
of the iron, the carbon is not destroyed nor is the iron robbed of any of its con-
stituent parts, but the structure is changed rather by changing the condition of
the carbon in the material.
"
The applicant is aware that manganese oxides have been employed in connec-
tion with wrought or malleable iron for the purpose of affecting the surface of the
iron, but this is quite distinct from this invention, which consists in annealing
iron castings of substantially the character named, in the presence of metallic
mangauesian substances whereby the character of the material is rendered malleable
in greatly reduced time and all oxidizing is prevented. The theory upon which
this improved process seems to depend is that the surrounding material acts as an
oxygen neutralizing agent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion und in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The process of annealing iron castings which consists in embedding them in
packing containing metallic manganese or an alloy thereof, and a refractory material
such as sand, mill scale or the like, and subjecting the whole to sufficient heat to
anneal the castings.
2. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in packing them with an
alloy of iron and manganese and refractory material, and subjecting the whole to
sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
3. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in packing them with
metallic manganesian substance, and refractory material and a readily combustible
substance, and subjecting the whole to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
4. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in packing them with
metallic manganesian substance, and refractory material and a readily combustible
substance, and a volatile substance, and subjecting the whole to sufficient heat to
anneal the castings.
5. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in packing them with

page_text: metallic manganesian substance, and refractory material and a readily combustible
substance and a volatile substance, and an acidiferous substance, and subjecting
the whole to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
6. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in packing them with
metallic manganesian substance, and refractory material and a readily combustible
substance and a volatile substance, an acidiferous substance, and a greasy sub-
stance, and subjecting the whole to suflicient heat to anneal the castings.
7. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in coating the castings with
an adhesive substance, then applying thereto a coating of metallic manganesian sub-
stance, and then inserting said castings in a mass of refractory material, and sub-
jecting the whole to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
8. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in coating the castings
with an adhesive substance, then applying thereto a coating of metallic
manganesian substance then inserting said castings in a mass of refractory material,
containing a readily combustible substance, and subjecting the whole to sufficient
heat to anneal the castings.
9. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in coating the castings
with an adhesive substance, and then applying thereto a coating of metallic
manganesian substance, then inserting said castings in a mass of refractory material
containing a readily combustible substance, and a volatile substance, and sub-
jecting the whole to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
10. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in coating the castings
with an adhesive substance, then applying thereto a coating of metallic
manganesian substance, then inserting said castings in a mass of refractory material
containing a readily combustible substance, a volatile substance, and an acidiferous
substance, and subjecting the whole to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
11. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in coating the castings
with tallow or beef suet, or analogous substance, then applying thereto a coating of
metallic manganesian substance, then inserting said castings in a mass of refractory
material, containing sawdust, turpentine, and vinegar, and subjecting the whole
to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
12. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in packing them in a mass
of refractory material, containing metallic manganesian substauce, sawdust, tur-
pentine, vinegar and tallow or beef suet, or analogous substance, and subjecting
the whole to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
13. The process of annealing iron castings, consisting in packing them with a
metallic manganesian substance, and refractory material, and subjecting the whole
to sufficient heat to anneal the castings.
14. The process of manufacturing iron articles, which consists in first casting
the articles of iron designated as combined carbon iron, then annealing such
articles in refractory substance to render it suitable for use substantially as herein
explained.
1
1007
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.