Improvements in the Hardening and Tempering of Wire and Tapes, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1892
Complete Si ecification Lelt, 9th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Hardening and Tempering of Wire and Tapes,
and in Apparatus therefor.
I ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the Firmn of Ashworth Bros. of The Moss Brook
Works, Collyhurst, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the continuous hardening and tempering of steel wire
by drawing the wire through heating quenching and tempering media. Letters
Patent Number 3513 of the year 1878 were granted to me in conjunction with my
brother George Ashworth for an invention whereby we hardened and tempered
steel wire by drawing it in straight lines first through a gas flame to heat the wire,
secondly through a liquid bath to quench the wire and thirdly through a second
flame to temper the wire. A further invention for which Letters Patent
Number 16047 of the year 1886 have been granted to me and my said brother had
for its object to keep the wire from exposure to the oxygen of the atmosphere
until cool enough to bear such exposure without injury. This we proposed to
accomplish by passing the wire directly from the tempering medium into a tube or
chamber containing a gas or mixture of gases free from oxygen. The object of
my present invention is to more fully shield the wire from oxygen whilst it is in a
heated state. To beat the wire I pass it through a heated tube retort or muffle
which is kept full of gas or a mixture of gases or of a vapour which is free from
oxygen as for example I may use for this purpose hydrogen, carbon monoxide or
dioxide, nitrogen or hydro carbon vapour.
For my purpose I consider small tubes each serving for the heating of a single
wire to he suitable.
The inlet end of the tube might be left open or be contracted so that an inlet
opening only slightly larger than the section of the wire would be left, or the tube
end might be provided with a mouth piece screwed on or fitting tightly on the
pipe end or adapted to be clamped thereon and containing a small opening for the
passage of the wire. I may provide the mouth piece with a hinged or flexible flap
which will yield to permit of the passage of a piecing. I may apply a packing of
asbestos between this mouth piece and the pipe end. The pipe would be kept
supplied with the gas or vapour (which to avoid repetition I will suppose to be
hydrogen gas or ordinary carburetted hydrogen gas) so that the gas would tend to
pass out at the inlet orifice where the issuing gas might be ignited.
The gas inlet branch would by preference be formed upon the said mouth piece.
I may arrange for the gas to be heated before entering the tubes or heating
muffle.
At the outlet end of the pipe the wire would be passed directly into a quenching
liquid without being exposed to the atmosphere. The tube or a connecting part
may open into the tank or liquid supply pipe the flow of liquid passing downward
through a slot or branch tube or the tube ends might be fixed in a plate corre-
sponding to the shield plate in the drawings attached to the Specification of the
aforesaid invention of the year 1878 the space between such plate and the cistern
end being closed at the sides and opening downward below the surface of liquid in
the lower cistern.
The top of the space would also be closed or be restricted so that the issuing gas
could be ignited.
I may arrange for the wire to pass through a stream of falling liquid as
mentioned in the said Specification of 1878 but I should arrange for the liquid to
descend through an enclosed space so as to shut out the atmosphere. The liquid

page_text: may descend through a box or rectangular shute connected on one side with the
heating tube end and on the other side with a tube extending to the tempering part
of the apparatus or with a tube ending in an outlet orifice such tube being kept
filled with gas.
When tempering with melted metal the tube would pass through
such metal. From the tempering tube the wire would pass directly into a tube or
chamber containing gas as in the aforesaid invention of 1886 or an extension of
the tempering tube might be kept filled with cold gas.
In all cases I may use asbestos packing in the making of the joints. The
tempering may be effected by heating a part of the tube through which the wire
would pass after leaving the quenching bath by means of gas flames or by other
suitable means or the wire might pass through a muffle or chamber containing
heated gas.
In case the wire passed from the quenching medium into the outer air to be wiped
or cleaned before entering the tempering part of the apparatus the wire might
enter such tempering part through a restricted aperture or mouth piece as when
entering the heating tubes. In some cases tubular passages through blocks or
bodies might take the places of separate tubes.
I may dispense with the supplying of special gas to any section of the
apparatus.
I may arrange for the maintenance of a partial vacuum in any part of the
apparatus through which the wire passes in a heated state in order to prevent a
circulation of air through such part as for example the wire before entering a
heated tube or the heated part of a tube may pass through a partially exhausted
chamber or section the exhaust being sufficient to withdraw any air which may be
capable of entering the wire inlet orifice so that such air would be cut off from
access to the heated part.
"
The wire inlet passage may be restricted and a restricted inner inlet opening to.
the heated part of the tube may be provided.
I may use electricity to heat the tubes or to impart heat to the wire by radiation
as for example I may use a tubular conductor or pass the wire through a tube or
chamber of porcelain or other suitable material which may be protected by non-
conducting material. In this chamber would be a conductor through which a
current of electricity would be passed under conditions which would generate heat
sufficiently for my purpose or there might be more than one conductor. The wire
might or might not be led into contact with the conductor.
Dated this 8th day of December 1892.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Hardening and Tempering of Wire and Tapes,
and in Apparatus therefor.
I ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the Firm of Ashworth Bros. of The Moss Brook
Works, Collyhurst, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying drawings:-
My invention relates to the continuous hardening and tempering of steel wire
or tape by drawing the material which I will term wire through heating quenching
and tempering media. Letters Patent Number 3513 of the year 1878 were granted
to me in conjunction with my brother George Ashworth for an invention whereby
we hardened and tempered steel wire by drawing it in straight lines first through a
gas flame to heat the wire, secondly through a liquid bath to quench the wire and
thirdly through a second flame to temper the wire. A further invention for which
Letters Patent Number 16047 of the year 1886 have been granted to me and my

page_text: said brother had for its object to keep the wire from exposure to the oxygen
of the atmosphere until cool enough to bear such exposure without injury. This
we proposed to accomplish by passing the wire directly from the tempering medium
into a tube or chamber containing a gas or mixture of gases free from oxygen.
The object of my present invention is to more fully shield the wire from oxygen
whilst it is in a heated state. To heat the wire I pass it through a heated tube
retort or muffle which is kept full of gas or a mixture of gases or of a vapour
which is free from oxygen as for example I may use for this purpose hydrogen,
carbon monoxide or dioxide, nitrogen or hydro carbon vapour.
For my purpose I consider small tubes each serving for the heating of a single
wire to be suitable.
At the outlet end of the tube the wire would be passed directly into a quenching
liquid without being exposed to the atmosphere.
When tempering with melted metal the tube would pass through such metal.
From the tempering tube the wire would pass directly into a tube or chamber
containing gas as in the aforesaid invention of 1886 or an extension of the
tempering tube might be kept filled with cold gas.
The tempering may be effected by heating a part of the tube through which the
wire would pass after leaving the quenching bath by means of gas flames or by
other suitable means or the wire might pass through a muffle or chamber containing
heated gas.
I may arrange for the maintenance of a partial vacuum in any part of the
apparatus through which the wire passes in a heated state in order to prevent a
circulation of air through such part.
I may use electricity to heat the tubes or to impart heat to the wire by
radiation.
Arrangements for carrying my invention into effect are illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Of these drawings
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the parts
necessary to the illustration of my invention.
In these figs. A indicates the position of the heating muffle or furnace B is the
quenching or hardening bath or cistern and C is the tempering or letting down
section of the apparatus. The wires are indicated by the dotted lines d d and are
shown as passing through metal tubes which extend through the A and C sections.
The part A may be a muffle retort or chamber heated by means of a burning mixture
of gases in the ordinary or in a suitable manner or otherwise suitably heated. The
section C may consist of a metal pot or cistern containing lead which would be kept
fluid during the operation by means of burning mixed gases or of a furnace or by
suitable means.
The lead might be dispensed with and the pipes be directly heated
by the gas flame or the tubes f might extend through a muffle retort or chamber
heated by any suitable means.
The inlet ends of the tubes e open into a mouth piece 9 through which the wires
pass before entering the tubes.
This mouth piece is formed in two parts connected together by means of screws
so that it can be clamped upon the tube ends.
Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of the mouth piece.
Half round hollows to suit the tubes are formed in the two parts of the back
wall of the mouth piece so that when the two parts are secured together the said
wall will fit the tubes, or if it be intended to use joint packing allowance must be
made for the thickness of such packing. I propose to use a thin fabric made from
asbestos to make a suitably tight joint between the parts so that there shall not be
an excessive leakage of gas from the mouth piece. The wires pass into the mouth
piece through small holes only a little larger than the wires. Gas of the indicated
nature is supplied to the mouth piece through a pipe at h or the gas may be
supplied to the chamber at the other end of the tubes as will be hereinafter
mentioned.

page_text: The tubes extend through the heating chamber A and open into a space i which
is not open to the atmosphere.
This space is enclosed on one side by the end of the cistern B and on the other
by a plate which corresponds to the shield plate in the drawings attached to the
Specification of the aforesaid invention of the year 1878.
The space is closed at the two ends by projections b' from the cistern and at the
top by a flange 1. The plate 7 is intended to be formed in two parts having half
circular hollows on the two meeting edges so that when the upper part is held down
upon the lower part by means of screws the tube ends are clamped as in the case
of the mouth piece asbestos packing or other suitable substance being used to close
the joint. The lower end of the plate dips below the surface of a second cistern k
which receives the overflow of liquid from the upper cistern which also extends
into the liquid in the lower cistern so that the space i is enclosed on all sides.
The wires pass from the tubes across the space i and through perforations into
the cistern B. Liquid escaping through such perforations falls into the cistern k.
The space becomes filled with gas passing from the mouth piece through the tubes
so that the wires whilst in a heated state being surrounded by the gas do not
become oxidised.
The gas might be admitted in the first instance into the space i and pass through
the tubes into the mouth piece. I should admit a flow of gas sufficient to supply
unavoidable leakages through the joints of the connections a little gas being also
permitted to escape through the inlet openings of the mouth piece so as to ensure
that the atmosphere shall be excluded from the interiors of the tubes. The
escaping gas, if inflammable may be lit at the escape exits and so be consumed. In
place of permanent gas I may use gaseous vapours such as the vapour of a hydro
carbon.
Such vapour may be generated in any suitable manner and be conducted into the
passages for the wires, or hydro carbon may be fed into such passages or be passed.
in with the wires. The gas or vapour may be passed in cold or in a heated state.
In place of a single mouth piece applied to the series of tubes each tube might have
a separate mouth piece having a small inlet aperture for the wire.
When maintaining a partial vacuum in the tubes I should withdraw air from the
mouth piece so as to cut off air entering with the wires from passing forward into
the tubes. The dotted lines at m indicate the application of an exhaust pipe
applied so as to withdraw air which would enter the inouth piece through the inlet
holes. The circulation of air through the tubes being prevented the stagnant air
would cease to have an injurious effect upon the wires.
To partially exhaust the tubes I may use a suitable pump or exhausting
apparatus connected by means of a pipe or of pipes with the tubes at points
between any air inlet openings and the parts of the tubes exposed to the heating
medim.
The section Fig. 4 illustrates the employment of a falling stream of liquid partly
in accordance with the invention of 1886 in place of the cistern B.
The wires would pass directly from the heated tubes into the stream.
The
stream would fall through an enclosed space and the enclosing walls would dip
below the surface of liquid in the catch cistern so as to exclude air from such space
as in the case of the space i. The hardened wires would pass out of the cistern B
through perforations and before entering the tempering sectiou might be operated
upon by wiping appliances not shown in the drawings.
The wires would pass through a second mouth piece and after passing through
the heated tubes would pass out through a third mouth piece g*.
The tubes would be kept full of gas or vapour or means would be adopted to
prevent the circulation of air as in the case of the tube e.
If the wiping of the wires would not be considered to be necessary the wires
might pass from the section B to the section C through tubes so that the mouth
piece g¹ would be dispensed with but a second space corresponding to the space i
would be required at the exit end of the cistern.

page_text: I should make the tubes extending between the section C and the exit at g
longer than the indication in the drawing so that the wires would have time to cool
to a suitable extent before emerging into the atmosphere in accordance with the
hereinbefore mentioned invention of the year 1886.
The mouth piece at g² would be supplied with unheated gas and such gas would
have a cooling effect.
I may apply a larger chamber of any suitable form in place of the part o² in
which case the tubes could be shorter. When using a larger cooling chamber I
might give such chamber a more copious supply of cold gas and allow the greater
part to escape at the end of the chamber nearest to the part C.
I may greatly vary the formation and arrangement of the parts of the apparatus
so long as the wires whilst being heated and tempered would be passing through
enclosed spaces kept supplied with a non oxidising gas or mixture of gases or with
a hydro-carbonaceous vapour so as to exclude the ordinary atmosphere.
Besides acting in the exclusion of the atmosphere the gas or gaseous vapour if
well selected and free from sulphur may have an improving effect upon the wires.
If a gas rich in carbon such for example as carburetted hydrogen or hydro-
carbon vapour be used the wire will be prevented from losing carbon in section A
and may even take up a slight addition of carbon. The gas might be passed from
the tubes in section C to section A.
I may utilise waste heat arising from the section A to heat the gas or vapour or
to generate vapour and such heated gas may be passed into the tubes e or for into
both or into a muffle or chamber used in place of section C.
In place of the separate tubes. I may use blocks or bodies formed with tubular
passages or channels through which the wires would be passed.
I do not restrict myself in respect of the number of tubes in each series nor to
the use of more than one tube.
Fig. 5 illustrates the method of heating the wires by electricity. The wires
exposed or enclosed in tubes would be passed through a muffle or chamber through
which would also extend conductors n through which electric currents would be
caused to flow under conditions which would cause the conductors to be raised to a
high temperature whereby the muffle and the wires would become heated.
The muffle would be well protected by non-conducting material so as to conserve
the heat generated.
My invention is designed to be used in the treatment of wires of round flat or
other sections and of so called steel tapes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1.) The parts of an apparatus for heating and tempering steel wire and tapes
formed arranged and adapted to be used substantially as set forth and indicated.
2.) In such apparatus the tubes passing through the heating and tempering
muffles chambers or sections and supplied with a gas or mixture of gases or a
vapour of the indicated nature substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3.) The heating tubes e each provided at one end with a small inlet aperture to
suit the wire or tape to be operated on. and opening at the other end into an
enclosed space i from which the wires pass through apertures into the quenching or
hardening liquid and the pipe h or an equivalent pipe or set of pipes conveying gas
or vapour of the indicated nature into the tubes and space substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
4.) The enclosed space from which the atmosphere is excluded and provision for
the flow of a stream of liquid into such space and for the passage of a heated steel
wire or tape or of two or more wires or tapes through such stream substantially as
and for the purpose set forth with reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings hereto.
5.) The tempering tubes e heated by means of melted lead or by suitable means
each provided with inlet and outlet apertures to suit the wire or tape to be operated

page_text: on and supplied with a gas or vapour of the indicated nature substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
6.) The tubes provided with mouth pieces constructed to be clamped or fastened
upon the ends of the tubes and having small apertures to suit the wires or tapes to
be operated on in combination with means for supplying such tubes and mouth
pieces with gas or vapour of the indicated nature substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
7.) In apparatus for hardening and tempering steel wires and tapes passing
currents of gas or vapour of the indicated nature into heated tubes, channels, passages
or chambers through which the wires or tapes pass to be heated either before or after
the quenching or hardening for the purpose set forth.
8.) The partial exhaustion of the tubes or passages for the heated wires by
withdrawing air by means of a suitable pump or exhausting apparatus connected
with the tubes or passages at such a point or points as will cut off air from passing
forward into the tubes.
9.) The method of heating steel wires or tapes in hardening and tempering
apparatus substantially as set forth with reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings
hereto.
Dated this 8th day of September 1893.
EK. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.