Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Hardening and Tempering Steel Wire.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left. 13th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Hardening and
Tempering Steel Wire.
I, DANIEL CONRADE BATEMAN, of Whitecliffe, Cleckheaton, in the County of
York, Card Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object the construction of an apparatus by a novel
combination of parts arranged in such a manner that, it is particularly applicable
for the hardening and tempering of fine steel wire suitable for the manufacture of
card clothing and to so construct the apparatus that, the wire during its heated
state is not exposed to the action of the atmosphere, thereby preserving the colour
and tenacity of the wire by preventing oxidation during its heated state.
I accomplish my object in the following manner: I fix at an inclination a number
of tubes above a series of gas jets or other heating agency, whereby the tubes may
be heated to the required temperature placed within a chamber formed of brickwork
or other nonconducting material.
The inclined tubes are connected at the lower end with a tank through which a
constant flow of oil or other cooling liquid is circulated for hardening the wire, and
is maintained at a level above the openings from the tubes into the tank.
The hardened wires on leaving the said tank pass between flexible material for
removing the surplus oil or other liquid from the surface of same, are then conducted
through separate pipes heated by suitable means to the necessary temperature, by
which the hardness is reduced to the degree of temper required for the purpose for
which the wire is intended to be used.
The wires are drawn through the tubes by any well known means, and in order
to protect them whilst heated, from the action of the atmosphere, each wire ou
entering a tube passes through a plug of flexible material, such as india rubber of
such length that the air cannot enter the tube along with the wire to be heated,
which emerges therefrom at the opposite end below the surface of the oil or other
liquid in the before mentioned tank, where it is cooled and thereby hardened.
The wire on entering the tempering tubes is protected in the same manner, is
heated therein, and by the tubes being extended for some distance beyond the
heated portion the wire is cool before it gets through the tube, thus by these means,
the brightness of colour and tenacity of the wire is preserved.
Dated this 16th day of Mar 1891.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Hardening and
Tempering Steel Wire.
I, DANIEL CONRADE BATEMAN, of Whitecliffe, Cleckheaton, in the County of
York, Card Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to effect the hardening and tempering of steel
wires in such a manner that, the original brightness and colour of the wire will not
be impaired by said process of hardening or tempering so that, the wire, after treat-
ment is in condition for use without subsequent cleaning or polishing, the invention
[D11

page_text: being especially intended for the treatment of fine steel wire suitable for being
made into teeth for card clothing.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. is a side elevation partly in section of apparatus embodying my
invention:..
Fig. 2. is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3. is a transverse section through the heating chamber, on the line 1. 2.
Fig. 1.
and
Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the hardening tank, on the line 3. 4. Fig. 1.
Figs. 5. 6. and 7. are enlarged views of details of the apparatus.
In Figs. 1 and 2. A. represents a heating furnace composed preferably of slabs
of refractory material mounted upon a suitable framework A. and containing a
séries of tubes B. of which there may be as many as desired, five being shown in
the present instance.
These tubes are upwardly inclined and from their forward ends towards the rear
ends, the forward end of each tube passing into a tauk D. and being submerged in
oil or other liquid, which is maintained at a desired level in said tank and is caused
to circulate through the same in any available manner.
A branch pipe P. communicating with each tube B. allows a current of oil or
other liquid to flow through same into tray R. thereby keeping the interior of
tube B. clear and by the end of pipe P. terminating below the surface level of oil
or other liquid in said tray it is sealed against the admission of air.
To the rear end of each tube B. is applied a short tube a of rubber or other
elastic or semi-elastic material, the outer projecting end of this tube being closed
by a plug a' of like material as shown more clearly in the enlarged view Fig. 6.
The tubes B. may be heated in any desired manner, as for instance by a fire built
directly in the furnace A. or by gas introduced into the same from any outside
generator.
In the drawings however I have shown in the lower part of the furnace two
burner tubes each of which is supplied with gas from a suitable pipe d. air
entering the burner tube through openings. in a cap at one end of said tube
(see Fig. 5.) or the supply being augmented, if desired, by a blast of air through
a pipe g communicating with said cap, the mixture of gas and air escaping through
openings i. in the tube and when ignited enveloping the tubes B.
In the front end of the tank D. is a slot to which is adapted a slide having
in its under edge as many notches as there are wires to be treated (see Fig. 4.) and
in advance of the tank D. are a series of presser pads H. of rubber or other
flexible or clastic material, each of these pads being acted upon by a weighted
lever J. so as to press it into contact with its body, as shown in Fig. 7.
In advance of the presser pads II. is a vessel K. containing lead or other metal
or alloy which can be melted at a comparatively low temperature and through this
vessel pass a series of tubes L. closed at their rear ends by clastic tubes and plugs
in the same manner as the tubes B. and projecting at their front ends some distance
beyond the vessel K. and by preference, through a supplementary vessel K¹
through which water or other cooling liquid is caused to circulate.
The vessel K. and its contents may be heated in any suitable manner so as to
maintain the soft metal or alloy in a molten state, the means shown in the present
instance for heating said vessel K. being similar to those adopted for heating the
tubes B. in the furnace A.
In advance of the vessel K is a tray M. containing powdered lime, chalk, or the..
like, and in advance of this tray is another set of presser pads H.
The wires are drawn from spools S. and pass first under a bearing barm thence
around guide pins n and thence through the plugged upper ends of the tubes B. and
in passing through the latter they are heated owing to the temperature at which
said tubes are maintained. The wires emerge from the contracted forward ends of
the tubes B. and pass through the oil or other liquid in the tank D. whereby the

page_text: hardening of the wires is effected, the wires finally passing from the tank D.
through the notches in the bottom of the slide which closes the end of said
tank.
The surplus oil is removed from the surfaces of the wires by their passage beneath
the presser pads H. and the wires then enter the plugged rear ends of the tubes I..
in the lead bath K. and in their passage through these tubes they are subjected to
such a degree of heat as will properly temper or anucal the same, this degree of
heat being readily regulated by the proper regulation of the temperature of the
lead bath.
In passing through the projecting ends of the tubes L. the wires are cooled
gradually so as to be at a low temperature when they emerge from said tubes and
pass through the lime or chalk in the tray M. and thence beneath the presser
pad H prior to being wound upon the spools S¹.
A prominent feature of my invention is the hardening and tempering of the wires
while they are free from oxidising influences, for it will be observed that each
tube B. is scaled against air at one end by the tube a and plug a' and at the other
end by the liquid in the tank D. and tray R. and the same is true of the tempering
or annealing tubes L. for when each of said tubes is closed at one end and projects
some distance beyond the lead bath at the other end, the heating of that portion of the
tube which is within the lead bath is sufficient to prevent the inflow of air into
the open end of the tube to such an extent as to bring such air into contact with
the heated portions of the wire passing through the tube, the projection of the tube
beyond the lead bath being sufficient to insure such cooling of the wire before the
air acts upon the same, that said air has no chance of exercising an oxidizing effect
upon the wire.
If desired, however the delivery ends of the tubes L. may be closed by plugged
tubes of asbestos or like heat resisting material. By preventing the wires from
coming in contact with the air while said wires are heated, no hard scale or film is
formed upon the wires but, on the contrary the original brightness colour and
tenacity of the wires are effectually preserved.
It will be obvious that by dispensing with the hardening portion of my apparatus,
the tempering or annealing portion may be utilized and hardened bright wire in
continuous lengths tempered or annealed by passing it through the tubes L. sealed
at one end in the manner described and heated by the lead bath K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The mode herein described of hardening or tempering steel wires said mode
consisting in subjecting the wire to the action of heat and excluding the air from
contact with said heated portions of the wire, substantially as specified.
2. The combination in apparatus for hardening or tempering wire, of draft
mechanism S for the wire, a tube B. through which the wire is drawn, and means
for heating said tube and for preventing the inflow of air at either end of the same,
to the heated wire substantially as specified.
3. The combination in apparatus for hardening steel wire, of a tank D. containing
hardening liquid, an inclined tube B. having its lower end submerged in said liquid,
means for closing the upper end of the tube, and a furnace A. for heating said tube,
substantially as specified.
4. The combination of the heating tube B. through which the wire is drawn, with
means for closing the end of said tube, said means comprising an elastic tube a
applied to and projecting beyond the end of the heating tube and an elastic plug a¹
closing the end of said elastic tube, substantially as specified..
5. The combination in apparatus for hardening and tempering steel wires of draft
mechanism S¹ for the wires, the inclined tubes B. a furnace A. for heating the same,
a hardening bath D. in which the lower ends of said tubes are submerged,
tempering tubes L. through which the wires pass after leaving said hardening

page_text: bath, a metal bath K. for heating said tempering tubes and means for preventing
the access of air to the heated portions of both sets of tubes, substantially as
specified.
6. The combination of the heated metal tempering bath K. and the tubes L
passing through the same and plugged at one end, the opposite ends of the tubes
projecting for a considerable distance beyond said tempering bath, substantially as
specified.
7. The combination of the heated metal bath K. the tempering tubes L. passing
through the same, and plugged at one end and a cooling bath K¹ through which
said tubes also project, substantially as specified.
8. The combination in apparatus for hardening and tempering steel wires of
draft mechanism for the wires S₁ the inclined heating tubes B. the furnace A. for
heating the same, the hardening bath D. in which the lower ends of said tubes are
submerged, presser pads H. for cleaning the wires as they emerge from said bath, a
heated metal tempering bath K. having tempering tubes L. passing through the
same, a tray K containing powdered lime or chalk through which the wires pass
after leaving the tempering tubes and means for closing the heating and tempering
tubes against the passage of air substantially as specified.
Dated this 10th day of February 1892.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.