IMPROVEMENTS IN SCOURING NEEDLES AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF IRON AND STEEL WIRE, AND IN APPARATUS USED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Guise, of Redditch, in the County of
Worcester, Needle Hardener, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SCOURING NEEDLES AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF IRON AND STEEL WIRE,
AND IN APPARATUS USED FOR THAT PURPOSE."
Scaled the 9th April 1868, and dated the 29th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Guise at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
January 1868.
I, WILLIAM GUISE, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Needle
Hardener, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SCOURING NEEDLES AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF IRON AND
STEEL WIRE, AND IN APPARATUS USED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
In the ordinary method of scouring needles the hardened and
tempered needles are wrapped up in cloth in quantities varying from
five to twenty-five pounds, together with a quantity of softsoap, emery
powder, and either oil or water. Two of these packets of needles are

page_text: placed on a flat surface called a runner bench, and a flat board or slab
called a runner is placed thercon; a reciprocating motion is given to
the runner, and the needles are thereby rubbed against one another
and among the scouring materials. The packets are opened from
time to time and more water or oil is added to replace that which
has been evaporated or absorbed by the cloth. After being several
days submitted to the treatment described the needles are sufficiently
scoured, that is the scale or oxide resulting from the hardening and
tempering process to which the needles are exposed previous to scouring
is effectually removed. In this the ordinary method of scouring the
heat produced is such as to interfere more or less with the temper of
the needles, and thereby to produce great uncertainty in the temper
of the finished needles; and the object of my Invention is to prevent
the injurious interference with the temper of the needles during the
scouring process, as well as to expedite the scouring of the needles.
In scouring needles according to my Invention I make up packets
of the needles in the usual way and mix the usual scouring materials,
that is to say, softsoap and emery powder therewith. Instead however
of only moistening the packets of needles from time to time I conduct
the scouring process with the packets of needles wholly or partly
immersed in water. By these means the unduo heating of the needles
is prevented, and the temper of the needles is not interfered with during
scouring. Although I prefer to use water to prevent the needles
becoming heated, yet oil or a solution of soap or washing soda in
water or other liquid which will not injuriously affect the needles may
be used in place of water.
2
My improvements in apparatus used in scouring needles and other
articles consist in the addition of sides by preference three or four
inches deep to the runner bench, the said sides converting the said
runner bench into a shallow trough capable of holding water; I put
water into the said trough to the depth of an inch or more, and I
conduct the scouring process in the said shallow trough. In this
the needles are kept constantly wet. As the needles cannot
way
become heated during the scouring process, as conducted according to
my Invention, the runner used may be heavier than the ordinary runner,
or it may be weighted so as to press heavily on the needles. By the
use of greater pressure on the needles the scouring is effected more
expeditiously than by the ordinary method of conducting it.

page_text: My improvements are applicable not only to the scouring of needles,
but also to the scouring of various other articles made from iron or
steel wire, such, for example, as knitting pins, hackle or gill pins, sail,
pack, or yarn needles..