Steel and to Fluxes therefor.
Year: 1886

page_text: Steel and to Fluxes therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates chiefly to improved welding fluxes which will more
thoroughly clean and prepare metal for welding than those heretofore used; which
will in addition to these properties, prevent the oxidation of the metal while heated
for welding, hammering, drawing or rolling, and which will weld Bessemer,
Siemens, Martin, and other similar classes of steel. It also relates to the use of
these fluxes in rolling and welding iron and steel.
It is difficult to weld steel without decarbonizing it by over-heating, and also
oxidizing the metal, causing it to scale, and preventing a thorough union of the
fibre. These difficulties lead smiths to manipulate steel at too low a degree of
heat.
This invention has for one of its objects the overcoming of these difficulties, by
the use of a flux which will readily adhere to the metal, preventing oxidation even
at a high red and approaching white beat, and allowing the steel to be brought
into a semi-waxy condition, when it may be welded by the hammer, or welded by
rolling.
Another object of the said invention is to provide ready means for re-rolling old
steel rails up into billets the said rails being bound together in bundles, and treated
by sprinkling the surfaces with the flux hereinafter described the said bundles
being then passed through rollers in the same manner as in re-rolling billets or
bundles of iron.
Another object of the said invention is to provide a flux which will purify steel
as well as iron, so that its quality will be improved by heating the metal, applying
the flux and re-rolling, this treatinent causing the metal to weld much more easily
and uniformly than before, as well as improving the texture of the steel and iron
treated by it.

page_text: The basis of the improved flux is fluor spar; I prefer to use spar containing
about 48% of calcium, and 52° of fluorine."
The following is the preferred formula: Ten parts of finely pulverized fluor spar
and nine parts of finely pulverized carbonate of soda are mixed together and
applied to the metal in a heated condition in the same manner as other fluxes are
applied.
When the metal contains phosphorous, I make the flux of fluor spar, sodium and
lime taking preferably ten parts of spar, nine parts carbonate of soda, and five
parts of lime; sulphate of lime is preferred. These proportions however may be
varied according to the qualities of the metal to be worked.
I sometimes employ six parts of fluor spar; four parts of carbonate of soda, and
two parts of carbonate of lime.
The fluorine set free by the heated metal, acts on the oxides contained in the
metal, driving off the impurities, and improving the quality of the metal. The
sodium and lime assist in retarding the action of the heat upon the fluor spar, and
in setting free the fluorine, causing it to pass into and through the pores of the
metal and assist in its purification. By means of this flux all kinds of scrap iron
"and scrap steel can be readily treated, toughened, purified and worked. Old steel
rails made from 'Bessemer steel can, 'when' heated and treated by this flux, be
reworked with the same facility as bar iron.
Another important result is accomplished by this invention;-piles of the metal
may be made of alternate layers of steel and iron, treated by this flux and rolled,
the iron being thoroughly welded to the steel, so that a homogeneous union of the
fibres of the two metals is accomplished at one beating of the same,
The metal should be brought to the ordinary heat employed for welding iron or
a little lower. By means of this flux, iron may be rolled around steel, or steel
rolled around iron, and a homogeneous welding of the two metals obtained, so that
it can be drawn into bolts, wires, axles or any other form for commercial uses,
having the steel upon the outside or upon the inside as may be desired. The
communicator of this invention believes that he is the first to accomplish this by
piling the two metals, and treating with the flux in a heating furnace.
I do not wish to limit myself to the use of carbonate of soda, or carbonate of
lime; as other forms of sodium or potash, and other forms of lime may be employed
with more or less efficiency. Neither do I wish to limit myself to the application of
a flux to metal while heated, as the flux may be applied to the pile when cold, and
afterwards heated; but I deem the application of the flux to the metal after it. has
been heated, the better form of using it.
A very important result is accomplished by the use of this fluorine flux, and the
re-working of steel, or steel and iron. The metal thus worked can be welded after
being rolled, by the use of sand alone, without any other welding flux. This is
believed to be caused by the metal taking up a portion of the fluorine,, which,
when it is heated, is given off, and lessens or prevents oxidation of the metal,
allowing it to be very much more easily welded than any other steel hitherto
known.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A welding flux, composed of fluor spar and sodium, pulverized and mixed,
as described.
'Second. A welding flux composed of fluor spar, sodium and lime, finely divided
and mixed, substantially as specified.
Third. A flux composed of fluor spar and carbonate of soda, finely divided and
mechanically mixed, substantially as specified.
Fourth. A flux composed of fluor-spar, sulphate of lime, and carbonate of soda,
finely divided and mechanically mixed, substantially as specified.

page_text: Fifth. In the process of re-rolling steel or iron the employment of a fluorine
flux applied to the metal in a heated condition, substantially as specified.
Sixth. In the process of re-rolling steel rails and other scrap steel, piling the
same and applying the fluorine flux, and then subjecting the pile to heat in the
furnace and rolling the same into any desired form, substantially as specified.
Seventh. The process of combining steel and iron consisting essentially in
applying a fluorine flux to the surfaces of the metals, heating the same in a
furnace, and then welding by re-rolling or hammering, substantially as specified.
Eighth. The manufacture of bars or pieces of steel by piling old rails or other
similar scrap, the said scrap being treated with the fluorine flux herein described, and
then rolled or hammered into shape for commercial use, substantially as specified.
Dated this 11th day of May 1886
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.