Improvements in Processes of Manufacturing Seamless Gold-plated Wire and Flat Strips.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1890-Accepted, 9th Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECI
CATION.
Improvements in Processes of Manufacturing Seamless Gold-plated
Wire and Flat Strips.
I, CHARLES ROBINSON SMITH, of the City and County of Providence, in the State
of Rhode Island, United States of America, Manufacturing Jeweller, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROCESSES OF MANU-
FACTURING SEAMLESS GOLD PLATED WIRE AND FLAT STRIPS," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In the accompanying drawings like letters indicate like parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism used in my improved process.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the standard or guide plate used to support the wire
during the process.
Fig. 3 shows in side elevation and cross section the shell or split tube of gold, which
is to be plated on the wire.
Fig. 4 shows partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal and cross sections,
the composition or base-metal wire which is to be plated.
Fig. 5 shows partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal and cross sections,
the gold shell in position upon the wire of base metal.
Fig. 6 shows partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal and cross sections,
the seamless gold plated wire, which is the product of my improved process.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are respectively, side and end elevations and a top plan of a
modified form of said mechanism, adapted to receive the gold in the form of a ribbon
or wire to be plated on the composition wire.
This invention relates to the manufacture of that class of wire, used by jewellers,
which consists of an interior solid wire of base-metal and an exterior solid tube of
gold, which is soldered upon said inner wire. It has been common, hitherto, to make
such wire by drawing, through a draw-plate, a compound cylindrical ingot of gold,
having a core of inferior metal, until it is reduced in diameter to the requisite size,
the result being a wire of base metal, having a thin covering of gold-plate or by
soldering a gold plate upon a flat piece of composition stock and then cupping this
compound plate until a tube is formed, which can be drawn down into a solid wire
through a draw-plate. These processes, however, are tedious and expensive and the
stock requires frequent annealing from time to time during the operation. The
repeated drawing of the stock toughens and hardens the fibre of the gold, making.
the wire less capable of being worked to advantage.
By my improved process, I dispense with the preliminary formation of a compound
soldered plate or ingot and also the entire process of reducing the stock to the desired
diameter by drawing, (except the final drawing to get a proper finish,) I thus obtain a
better result and at a less cost.
In the drawings, A represents a shell or split tube of gold, made from flat stock in
the usual manner. This tube has the usual longitudinal opening a. B is the solid
wire of composition, or any suitable metal. The shell A should be covered with
borax, or any of the well known fluxes, and the wire B is also covered with the same
preparation. The shell A is then slipped or drawn on the wire B, (as shown in Fig. 5,)
the opening a being apart as before. Fig. 6 shows the result of my process, which is
a solid wire, havi g an inner core of inferior metal and an outer seamless tube of
gold-plate soldered firmly thereon, by the process hereinafter described.
Any suitable mechanism, which will rotate and feed the wire at a proper rate of
speed, may be adapted to this process. In the drawings I represent a form of
mechanism suitable for this purpose. It consists of a machine, having a bed piece C
and upright bearings D. A shaft E is mounted in said bearings. The shaft E has a
longitud al slot. b and is movable along pins c, which enter said slot. F is a friction
clutch, engageable in the usual manner with the pulley G, by means of which clutch

page_text: the pulley is made fast or loose upon the shaft, as may be desired. The shaft E is
screw-threaded and is movable longitudinally, when revolved, by its engagement with
a feeder H, which is screw-threaded in its upper surface, and which is vertically
movable through the bracket I. The feeder H can be thrown up into engagement
with the shaft E, or may be disengaged therefrom, by means of a suitable lever or
treadle. The shaft E is thus capable of rotation and longitudinal motion, at the same
time, by the engagement of the friction clutch F with the pulley G and of the
feeder H with the shaft E, respectively. At the end of the shaft E is a socket d, and
a set screw e.
A standard J has a slotted head K and a set-screw f. In the slotted head rests a
guide plate L, which is horizontally adjustable in the slot of the head K, and when it
is in the desired position, it is secured by the set screw f. The guide plate L has an
opening or aperture g, which is V-shaped in its lower part, as seen in Fig. 2. A set-
screw h, passing through a boss m on the top edge of the guide-plate L, has its lower
end projecting into said aperture, as seen in Fig. 2.
Blow-pipes M, of any desired number, preferably two or more, are placed as
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
After the gold shell A has been put upon the wire B, as shown in Fig. 5, a sleeve
or tube N, made of platinum, is slipped on the wire loosely and is passed through the
aperture of the guide-plate L. One end of the wire is inserted in the socket d of
the shaft E and is fastened there by the set screw e. The platinum sleeve N rests in
the aperture 9 of the guide plate L and is held in its adjustment there by the
set-screw h, as best seen in Fig. 2.
When the pulley G has been made fast to the shaft E by the clutch F and the
feeder H has been engaged with the shaft E, as already described, a rotary and
progressive movement is imparted to the wire B and its enclosing shell A. Said
mechanism advances or feeds the wire through the platinum sleeve, (which is snugly
held within the guide plate L by the set-screw h,) on, between the blow-pipes M. The
heat of the blow-pipes should be regulated at 2000° F. When the wire and shell are
exposed to this heat, the gold is immediately melted and flows over the wire in a solid
mass, closing up the opening a. As is well known, the heated metal is drawn toward
the flame, and, as the wire is both rotated and fed, the gold is flowed uniformly over
the wire and united to it, forming a solid mass, having a surface of gold-plate, which
is seamless throughout.
Instead of placing a split tube or shell of gold plate on the wire, as above described,
leaving a longitudinal opening a, I may apply the gold-plate in strips, or ribbons,
or in the form of a wire, and arrange to feed it upon the base metal wire in an angular
direction. To accomplish this purpose, the modifications of mechanism, shown in
Figs. 7, 8 and 9, are useful. An arm Ó, pivoted at n, carries a rod P, fastened to it
by the collar o and screw p. A sliding collar Q, adjustable on the rod P by the
screw 9, has a downwardly projecting piece r, bent as seen in Fig. 8, to which
a steel plates is fastened by a screw t. A platinum guide R is secured to the
steel plates by the screw u. Near the end of the rod P is a supporting rod S,
which passes through the rod P and is vertically adjustable therein by the set
screw v. The lower portion of the rod S is broadened transversely, as seen in Fig. 8,
and there concaved, so as to rest on the wire, as the latter is advancing. The arm
and all these connected parts can be swung upward, into the position indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 8. As the steel plates is slotted, as shown at w in Fig. 7, it is vertically
adjustable and can be held in the desired position by the set-screw t. By such
adjustment, the delivery of the platinum guide R can be brought to any required
distance above the wire which is to be plated, while the supporting rod S, adjustable
in the rod P by the set-screw v, holds the arm P and the guide R connected therewith
at a uniform height above said wire.
The strip of gold plate T is fed from a suitable reel, through feed-rolls, (not shown,)
which are of such size and so timed in rate of speed in relation to the rotation of the
wire, to be plated, that the length of the strip T, fed as stated, is equal to the
circumference of said wire.

page_text: The wire B, having been properly covered with the fluxing material, is supported
in the holding plates U and is fed to the blow pipes V W, and at the same time
rotated by the mechanism herein before described, or in any suitable manner.
As soon
as the gold strip T, which has also been previously coated with the fluxing material, is
exposed to the heat of the blow-pipes, it melts and flows on the wire B, in the same
manner as already explained. The blow pipe V is oblong and should give a flame,
heated to about 360° F., which "sweats" the wire B, or partially softens it, to adapt
it the better to receive the gold-plating. It is made oblong, so as to give an extended
flame for this purpose. The blow pipe W, (shown in Figs. 8 and 9, but not shown in
Fig. 7) is the common blow pipe, having a small round discharge. The heat of its
flame should be 2000° F. When the wire is exposed to the heat of both blasts, the
gold is melted and flows over the wire B in a solid and uniform mass.
By using a second guide R and two strips T of gold, one of red gold and the other
of green gold, a pleasing contrast of color may be obtained, which, by regulating the
comparative speed of the rotation and advance of the wire B and by other readily
apparent modifications, will produce various novel and artistic results.
By this process, gold of a high grade may be plated on gold of a lower grade, or
silver can be plated on a baser metal or any desired metal upon another; and this
process is also applicable to plating flat stock, as well as to plating wire.
By feeding the wire and plate to the flames by means of power, automatically, by
suitable mechanism, a uniform rotation is given to the wire and a steady advance at
the same time. Each of said motions is capable of any desired degree of variation,
so that the portion of the wire to be plated, as well as the plating metal, can be kept
in the flame as long a time as is necessary to completely melt and flow the gold
uniformly on the composition wire.
When the plating has been accomplished, the wire so plated is pickled in acid to
remove the fluxing material, which may remain on the outer surfaces, and the wire is
then drawn through a draw plate to give it a smooth and polished appearance, or said
wire may be finished by hammering, rolling or in any other proper manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The improved process of plating herein described. consisting of the following
steps; covering with a fluxing material the metal which is to be plated, covering with a
fluxing material the plating metal, placing the latter metal upon the former and passing
them, so in contact, through the flame of one or more blow-pipes and there fusing and
flowing the plating metal upon the metal to be plated, in position, in a solid mass,
substantially as specified.
Second. The improved process of manufacturing seamless gold-plated wire herein
described, consisting of the following steps, covering a wire of base metal with a
fluxing material, covering a split tube of gold plate with a fluxing material, placing
the split tube upon the wire, feeding said wire and tube with a rotary and longitudinal
movement through the flame of blow-pipes and fusing there the gold tube upon the
wire in a solid mass, and then smoothing and finishing the plated wire by any of the
usual methods for that purpose, substantially as specified.
Third. The improved process of manufacturing seamless gold-plated wire herein
described, consisting of the following steps: covering a wire of base metal with a
fluxing material. covering a strip of gold plate with a fluxing material, feeding said
strip to said wire in an angular direction, feeding said wire with a rotary and
longitudinal movement through the flame of blow-pipes and fusing there the gold
strips upon the wire in a solid mass, and then smoothing and finishing the plated wire
in any suitable known manner, substantially as specified.
בד
CHARLES ROBINSON SMITH.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.