IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND COMPOUNDING OF CAST IRON WITH OTHER METALS OR MATERIALS CONTAINING SUCH METALS WHILE IN A MOLTEN STATE
Year: 1873

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to George Gordon de Luna Byron, of New York,
in the United States of America, but at present of 89, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND COMPOUNDING OF CAST IRON WITH OTHER
METALS OR MATERIALS CONTAINING SUCH METALS WHILE IN A MOLTEN
STATE." A communication to me from abroad by William Mernorice
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gordon de Luná
Byron at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 7th October 1873.
I, GEORGE GORDON DE LUNA BYRON, of New York, in the United
States of America, but at present of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND COMPOUNDING OF CAST IRON WITH OTHER
METALS OR MATERIALS CONTAINING SUCH METALS WHILE IN A MOLTEN STATE
""

page_text: (a communication to me from abroad by William Mernorice Arnold, of
New York, United States of America); to be as follows:-
°
The object of this Invention is to compound with cast iron, while in a
state of fusion, certain ingredients herein-after fully specified for the
purpose of giving it a closer grain and making it stronger, more
malleable, less likely to corrode, and more capable of receiving and
retaining a high steel-like polish. It is also thereby rendered less liable
to be chilled while in process of cooling.
On account of these pro-
perties it is better adapted to use in the construction of machinery,
bridge and architectural castings, car wheels, shafting, anchors, chains,
cannon, and even the construction of armour plates for vessels, railroad
bars, tires for locomotive wheels, chairs, frogs, rivets, bolts, pipes, clbows,
safes, locks, rifle and pistol parts, and even cutlery and tools to be made
from this new composition. Its great resistance to corrosion from salt
water peculiarly adapts it to the construction of propeller blades.
The ingredients are cast iron, carbonate of soda, copper, tin, zinc, and
antimony. These are used in somewhat different proportions, according
to the quality of the pig iron used and of the composition desired to be
produced for ordinary grades of the crude iron, and of the desired
composition.
The following proportions are preferred:-Cast iron, one hundred
pounds; carbonate of soda, one pound; copper, one pound; tin, one
half pound; zinc, five pounds; antimony, one half pound.
The iron may be melted in a common blast or cupola furnace. It
should be brought to as high a heat as practicable; there is no danger
of its becoming too hot.
In a vessel by itself the copper is first melted, the tin, the antimony,
and the zinc are then added, one after the other, in the order just
mentioned, each being allowed to melt before the next is added; tho
whole should then be heated as high as convenient. It should not
however be made to boil or burn so as to cause the evaporation or
volatilization of the zinc, which will not become volatile at as low a
temperature as when heated by itself. When all is ready the soda is
placed in ladle, into which the iron is to be drawn. It at once unites
with the molten iron and performs its functions. Borax, potters' clay,
feldspar, or other flux may then be spread over the melted surface of

page_text: the iron, although this is not indispensable. The other melted com-
position is then to be added to this prepared and molten iron.
It would be dangerous to make this intermixture in an open vessel on
account of the violent chemical action which takes place as soon as they
are brought into contact.
In order that they may be safely mingled the vessel which contains
the iron may be covered with a cap, the form of an inverted conc, in one
side of which a small aperture may be left, through which the com-
position can be poured. After being thus incorporated the wholo is
ready to be cast into moulds.
The proportions above given are intended to be used in cases where
the cast iron employed is of a medium degree of hardness, and when the
composition produced is desired to be of a medium quality.
When the cast iron to be used is very soft the soda may be dispensed
with altogether or a smaller quantity used.
•
A less quantity of zinc may also in such cases be employed, or a
larger quantity of copper. Either of these directions or all together
may be pursued, according to the hardness or softness of the crude
metal.
The harder the quality of the iron the more soda, the more zinc, and
the less copper will be requisite, and vice versa when the crude iron is
very soft.
When the composition to be produced is desired to be of a very soft
quality, other things being equal, moro soda is used, more zinc, and less
copper, and the reverse of all this when the composition is desired of a
very hard quality.
When a finer and stronger composition is wanted the quantity of the
other ingredients as compared with the iron employed should be
increased. In such cases their use in proportions to be determined by a
common integral multiplier is recommended, that is to say, they should
be double, treble, quadruple, and so on, to the above proportions, though
this rule is not indispensable.
Some of the above-named ingredients may be omitted altogether, or
other ingredients may be used, and still a valuable compound may be
produced, but the ingredients above set forth are preferred.

page_text: Instead of the metals above mentioned salts or oxides containing them
may sometimes be used advantageously, though the metals themselves
are preferred.
The Invention is not confined' to the proportions or precise materials.
above enumerated, nor is the particular method of manipulation herein
set forth regarded as essential, it may be considerably varied -without
essential prejudice and without a departure from the Invention.
In practice it is proposed to prepare alloy intended for use in the
manufacture of the composition and to cast said alloy into ingots or
other merchantable shape to be kept on sale in the market. Such ingots
will be so compounded as to produce different grades of the final com-
position; and numbered according to the degree of hardness or softness
to be produced in such final composition, in order that the manufacturer
may know what result he is to produce by the use of ingots having
either of the said numbers.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
.
filed by the said George Gordon do Luna Byron in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 7th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
GORDON DE LUNA BYRON, of New York, in the United States of
America, but at present of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the ycar of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Gordon de Luna Byron, Her
special licence that I, the said George Gordon de Luna Byron, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Gordon de Luna Byron, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,

page_text: "
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
AND COMPOUNDING OF CAST IRON WITH OTHER METALS OR MATERIALS CON-
TAINING SUCH METALS WHILE IN A MOLTEN STATE (a communication
to me.from abroad by William Mernorice Arnold, of New York,
United States of America), upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Gordon de Luna Byron, my exccutors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing, under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain tho
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Gordon de Luna Byron, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
-
. The object of this Invention is to compound with cast iron, while in
a state of fusion, certain ingredients herein-after fully specified for the
purpose of giving it a closer grain and making it stronger, more
malleable, less likely to corrode, and more capable of receiving and
retaining a high stecl-like polish. It is also thereby less liable to be
chilled while in process of cooling. On account of these properties it is
better adapted to use in the construction of machinery, bridge and
architectural castings, car wheels, shafting, anchors, chains, cannon, and
even the construction of armour plates for vessels, railroad bars, tires for
locomotive wheels, chairs, frogs, rivets, bolts, pipes, elbows, safes, locks,
rifle and pistol parts, and even cutlery and tools to be made from this
new composition. Its great resistance to corrosion from salt water
peculiarly adapts it to the construction of propeller blades.
The ingredients are cast iron, carbonate of soda, copper, tin, zinc, and
antimony. These are used in somewhat different proportions according
to the quality of the pig iron used and of the composition desired to be
produced for ordinary grades of the crude iron, and of the desired
composition.
The following proportions are preferred:-Cast iron, one hundred
pounds; carbonate of soda, one pound; copper, one pound; tin, onc
half pound; zinc, five pounds; antimony, ouc half pound.

page_text: The iron may be melted in a common blast or cupola furnace. It
should be brought to as high a heat as practicable; there is no danger
of its becoming too hot.
In a vessel by itself the copper is first melted, the tin, the antimony,
and the zinc are then added, one after the other, in the order just
mentioned, each being allowed to melt before the next is added; the
whole should then be heated as high as convenient. It should not
however be made to boil or burn so as to cause the evaporation or
volatilization of the zinc, which will not become volatile at as low a
temperature as when heated by itself. When all is ready the soda is
placed in ladle, into which the iron is to be drawn. It at once unites
with the molten iron and performs its functions. Borax, potters' clay,
feldspar, or other flux may then be spread over the melted surface of the
iron, although this is not indispensable. The other melted composition
is then to be added to this prepared and molten iron.
It would be dangerous to make this intermixture in an open vessel on
account of the violent chemical action which takes place as soon as they
are brought into contact.
In order that they may be safely mingled the vessel which contains
the iron may be covered with a cap, the form of an inverted cone, in one
side of which a small aperture may be left, through which the com-
position can be poured. After being thus incorporated the whole is
roady to be cast into moulds.
The proportions above given aro intended to be used in cases whero
the cast iron employed is of a medium degree of hardness, and when the
composition produced is desired to be of a medium quality.
When the cast iron to be used is very soft the soda may be dispensed
with altogether or a smaller quantity used.
A less quantity of zinc may also in such cases be employed, or a
larger quantity of copper. Either of these directions or all together
may be pursued, according to the hardness or softness of the crude
metal.

page_text: When the composition to be produced is desired to be of a very soft
quality, other things being equal, more soda is used, more zinc, and less
copper, and the reverse of all this when the composition is desired of a
very hard quality.
When a finer and stronger composition is wanted the quantity of the
other ingredients as compared with the iron employed should be
increased. In such cases their use in proportion to be determined by a
common integral multiplier is recommended, that is to say, they should
be double, treble, quadruple, and so on, to the above proportions, though
this rule is not indispensable.
Some of the above-named ingredients may be omitted altogether, or
other ingredients may be used, and still a valuable compound may be
produced, but the ingredients above set forth are preferred.
Instead of the metals above mentioned salts or oxides containing them
may sometimes be used advantageously, though the metals themselves
are preferred.
The Invention is not confined to the proportions or precise materials
above enumerated, nor is the particular method of manipulation herein
set forth regarded as essential, it may be considerably varied without
cssential prejudice and without a departure from the Invention.
In practice it is proposed to prepare alloy intended for use in the
manufacture of the composition and to cast said alloy into ingots or
other merchantable shape to be kept on sale in the market: Such ingots
will be so compounded as to produce different grades of the final com-
position; and numbered according to the degrees of hardness or softness
to be produced in such final composition, in order that the manufacturer
may know what result he is to produce by the use of ingots having
either of the said numbers.
Having thus described this Invention, what I claim as new and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. The composition produced by the mixture of the ingredients
above described when made substantially of the proportions and in the
manner herein contemplated and set forth.
Second. An alloy adapted and intended for use in the manufacture of
the final composition, and which alloy is composed of copper, tin, zinc,

page_text: and antimony, substantially in the proportions above contemplated and
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Gordon de Luna Byron,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.