IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN ALLOYS OR COMBINATIONS OF METALS, AND IN DEPOSITING CERTAIN METALS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PARKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Artist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander Parkes, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Alexander Parkes, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexander Parkes, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
át any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN
ALLOYS OR COMBINATIONS OF METALS, AND IN DEPOSITING CERTAIN METALS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Alexander.
Parkes, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Parkes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to the combination of various metals, whereby I am
enabled advantageously to produce white or pale-coloured alloys, applicable
to various useful purposes. I shall describe these alloys or combinations under
distinct heads.
The first I effect by certain proportions of zinc, tin, iron, and copper, as
hereafter described.
The second by certain proportions of zinc, tin, and antimony, either with
or without arsenic, as hereafter described.
The third by certain proportions of zinc, copper, iron, and nickel, as here-
after described.
The fourth by certain proportions of silver, copper, and nickel, with or
without zinc.
The fifth by certain proportions of nickel, iron, and copper.
And as to the first part of my Invention, I am aware the same metals hav
been before proposed to be used, but in different proportions, and producing
for their result a red or redish yellow metal, not malleable; whereas my
improvements, in contradistinction, are confined to the production of a white
or pale-coloured metal, and possessing considerable malleability. To produce
one hundred pounds of the alloy, I take thirty-three pounds and a half of that
quality of zinc called foreign zinc, sixty-four pounds of tin, one pound and a
quarter of iron, and two pounds and a quarter of copper; or I take fifty
pounds of the zinc, forty-eight pounds of tin, one pound of iron, and three
pounds of copper, or any intermediate proportion of the zinc and copper may,
likewise be used, still obtaining a white metal, slightly varying, according to,
the relation of the metals used. In order to combine these metals, I first melt
the iron and copper together in a crucible in a casting furnace, and while in a
fused state I add the tin in such quantities at one time that the iron and
copper shall not become solid, as is well understood by the workman. I then
add the zinc, and well combine the whole by stirring them together. The flux
I recommend for this alloy is composed of one part lime, one part Cumberland
ore, and three parts sal ammonia (by weight). This alloy may be cast in
sand or ingots for rolling, as required. I claim here the use of zinc, tin, iron,
and copper, combined in the proportions above mentioned.
The second head of my Invention relates to the combination of zinc, tin,
and antimony, either with or without the addition of arsenic. To produce one

page_text: hundred pounds of this alloy, I take sixty-six pounds of that quality of zinc
called foreign zinc, thirty-two pounds and a quarter of tin, and three pounds
and a quarter of antimony; or I take seventy-nine' pounds three quarters of
foreign zinc, nineteen pounds and a half of tin, and two pounds three quarters
of antimony, or any intermediate proportions of the zinc, tin, and antimony. As
these metals melt at a low heat, I put them into a convenient vessel of iron or
clay to melt them, and I employ the ordinary flux, known by casters as black
flux, and when well combined I cast the alloy into an ingot or mould, as
required. This metal, when for sheets, I roll cold. When I require the
above alloy, for the purpose of sheathing ships or vessels, I add to the above
quantities from eight ounces to sixteen ounces of metal arsenic to the one
hundred pounds of the above alloy. I claim the use of zinc, tin, and
antimony, with or without arsenic, in the proportions above mentioned."
The third head of my Invention relates to the combination of zinc, copper,
iron, and nickel, so proportioned as to produce a white metal, suitable as a
substitute for German silver, and which I effect by first combir the iron
and nickel in certain proportions. I prefer that the iron and nickel should be
in equal quantities; but I have succeeded perfectly with one part nickel to two
parts of iron; but I have found it essential that these two metals be first
combined, and then the copper and then zine added in the required proportions,
or the combination of copper and zinc may be added. To produce one hundred
pounds of this alloy I take forty-five pounds and a half of alloy of nickel and
iron in equal proportions, forty-five pounds and a half of copper, and ten and
à balf pounds of zinc of the quality called foreign zine; or I take thirty and
three quarter pounds alloy of nickel and iron in equal proportions, forty-six
pounds copper, and twenty-six and a quarter pounds zinc, or any intermediate
proportions of the copper and zinc. I claim under this head the means of
making a white alloy, by combining nickel, iron, copper, and zinc, in the range
of proportions above mentioned.
The fourth head of my Invention relates to the combination of nickel;
silver, and copper, either alone or in combination with zinc or other metals.
The proportions will depend upon the purposes for which the alloy is required,
but either of the two following are useful compounds, and little oxidised by
the atmosphere. I take copper sixty pounds, nickel twenty pounds, silver
twenty pounds; or I take copper sixty pounds, nickel tens pounds, silver ten
pounds, zinc twenty pounds. I first melt the copper and nickel together, with
or without flux, by preference with flux; when these are melted, I add the
other metals, either together or separately. This alloy may be poured into
ingots for rolling, or it may be cast into sand.for various purposes. Under

page_text: this head claim the producing an alloy of silver, nickel, and copper, with or
without zinc.
The fifth head of my Invention relates to the combination of nickel,.iron,
and copper. The proportions I use to produce one hundred pounds of this
alloy are as follows:-I take twenty-five pounds nickel, twenty-five pounds
iron, and fifty pounds copper; or I take fifteen pounds nickel, twenty-five
pounds iron, and sixty pounds copper. I prefer to melt the iron and nickel
together first with either of the fluxes before described; I then add the copper.
The above compound possesses valuable properties as a non-conductor of heat,
and is applicable to a variety of purposes. I claim the producing an alloy of
nickel, copper, and iron, in the range of proportions herein mentioned.
The sixth head of my Invention relates to the depositing of metals by
employing a salt or salts of the metal intended to be deposited (rendered liquid
by heat) together or in connection with electric currents. It is well known
that heretofore, when depositing metals by the aid of electric currents, it has
been usual to employ a salt of the metal to be deposited in a state of solution,
water being the solvent. Now, the object of. this part of my Invention is to
use salts or compound salts of the metals in the state of fusion. And I will
here observe, that the salts I have found most advantageous for the above
purpose are the iodides, chlorides, and phosphates, but others may be employed,
and, generally, those capable of holding the metals when in a fused state. I
have also found that these salts may be used with advantage in combination
with other salts, as hereafter explained, avoiding the use of those salts which
will decompose the salt of the metals employed, For example, the iodides of
gold and silver may be used alone or. combined with iodide of potassium or
sodium or with the byposulphites and some others. I will now state, as an
example with reference to silver, the process I have found most perfect. I
take of the chloride of silver six pounds; I fuse or liquify the same in a
convenient vessel. Those I have hitherto used are of silver or of enamelled
iron; but unless the vessel be of silver it is necessary to employ one that will
support the required heat and not be acted upon by the salts in fusion. When
the salt or compound salts become fluid I suspend a plate of silver in connec
tion with the negative pole of any suitable electrical apparatus, as is well
understood, and the article to be plated or silvered to the positive pole of the
same arrangement, when the article will soon become coated with silver, and
the desired thickness will be obtained by continuing the process; or I take
six pounds of iodide of silver, and fuse it as before. If to this compound of
silver I desire to add other salts, which is desirable in order to obtain a large
quantity in a fused state for a bath, I prefer the iodide of potassium in the

page_text: proportion of three to ten pounds thereof to six pounds of the iodide of silver,
and sometimes I take the salts of other metals, as, for example, the idodides of
mercury or copper, in the proportion of one to two pounds of either of them to
six pounds of the iodide of silver. As an example of gold, I take twenty
ounces of iodide of gold, and as this salt is costly I prefer to use with it a
larger proportion of the iodides of potassium or sodium, say eighty ounces of
either of them. The remaining part of the process described for silver is
applicable here, except that the plate to be suspended in the fused salts will be
of gold instead of silver..
Having described as examples the best preparations I am acquainted with
for gold and silver, I will observe, that the process as applied to other metals
is the same, with the exception of the salts to be employed, and is applicablo
with the salts of platinum, of copper, and of zinc. I do not confine myself to
the use of the particular salts or processes above described or explained, my
claim under this head of my Invention being for the deposition of metals by
electric currents from their salts when in a state of fusion, and whether used
separately or combined with other salts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Parkes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid Alexander Parkes came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
5 aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand sight hundred and fouter five