US21817A - Mantjtactttbe of sheet-iron - Google Patents

Description

J. CHANDLER.

Making Sheet Iron.

Patented Oct. 19. 1.858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. CHANDLER, OF

ATTICA, OHIO.

MANUFACTURE OF SHEET-IRON.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,817, dated October 19, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnPHUs CHANDLER, of Attica, in the county of Seneca, in the State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Process of Treating Iron, Espe cially Sheet-Iron, During Its Manufacture; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in treating iron during the manufacturing process, with certain mineral matter either alone or in addition to that already used, for the purpose of chemically regulating or altering the character of the surface scale on theiron and also facilitate its manufacture, which mineral matter acts upon the iron during the processes of heating and rolling the iron into plates, sheets, &c.

In order that those skilled in the art may understand and use my invention I will proceed to point out the mineral matter used, the manner of using; its effects upon the iron, and also wherein it differs from other modes, and its advantages. The kind of mineral matter used, depends on the purpose for which the iron is designed to be used, as will be further explained.

I provide a tub, trough, or vessel (see drawing) of any suitable dimensions, and material for holding the mineral matter mixed with water to a pasty consistence, like mortar, and into this mineral paste, which I term a bath I dip the bars, plates or sheets, or either of them, and thereby get a coating of the paste on the bars, plates, or sheets, which adheres to them, on their being with drawn from the bath. Or the mineral coating may be applied with a brush or otherwise. The bars, plates, or sheets after being coated with the paste are then heated, and rolled, which processes of covering the iron with the paste, heating and rolling it or either of them may be repeated as often as desirable. The object and use of the mineral paste together with its chemical character and effects, will appear from the following consideration. The high temperature at which it is necessary to roll iron into plates, sheets, &c., renders the iron highly susceptible to oxidation, and by the action of the atmosphere, the surface of the iron becomes covered with a scale of oXid of iron, which is ordinarily a mixture of the black and red oXids of iron. The higher the temperature at,which the iron was worked, the greater is the proportion of red oXid which forms. This red oxid gives to the iron an unsightly appearance and makes the iron of an inferior quality.

Among the methods of treating sheet iron devised by other inventors I will mention the following: First, working the iron at a low temperature, to avoid the formation of red oxid; this is well known and practiced. Second, smearing the surface of sheet iron, which has been cleaned of its oxid and made bright, smearing with oily or resinous substances, practiced. in making imitation Bussia sheet iron. Third, throwing coal dust on to and between the sheets during the rolling process, both for the purpose of preventing the sheets from sticking, and also partially reduce the red oxid of iron to a lower degree of oxidation, which plan is well known and practiced. Fourth, smearing the plates or sheets with black lead in order as the inventor says in his claim, to incorporate solid carbonaceous matter by pressure into the surface of the iron.

The bath which I use for treating iron that is to be used for stove pipe and similar use, is composed principally of peat, from peat bogs; to which I add a metallic salt, or oxid, being governed by the following considerations as to the character of the salt, or mineral, added, and also its quantity: First peat always holds combined with it more or less of metallic salts or other mineral compounds which renders it partially incombustible, among which may be mentioned common salt, and iron ore. This property of burning slowly may be increased by adding more salts or other metallic compounds, and is advantageous in my invention as the iron being coated therewith, is protected from the atmosphere during the heating and rolling processes Further, in heating iron in contact with peat, the peat imparts a steel like character to the iron. Second, metallic salts or OXlClS in contact withheated iron yield up one or more of their constituents, which uniting with the oxid of iron alters its character and properties.

Some of the non-metallic constituents of mineral matter when mixed in the bath, act upon the heated iron or its oxids as follows:

carbons and hydrogen or carbo-hydrogens reduce the red oXid to the black oxid. Chlorin from common salt or other chlorids mpart a greenish tinge to the oxid and make it more adhesive to the iron. Compounds of phosphorus give to the iron a blue tinge. Iodin mixed with coal and thrown between the sheets in rolling imparts to the oxid of iron a pink or purplish tinge. Some of the metallic oxids and their salts from the bath act on the heated iron as follows: The alkalis potash and soda ifused in considerable quantity unite with the scale of oxid of iron and when heated to a high temperature harden and vitrefy the scale and make it flake off of the iron easily and leave the iron bright and clean. Chlorid or carbonate of copper imparts to the flame of the burning peat on the iron a bluish tinge and also gives to the surface of the sheet the same rich bluish tinge and makes the oxid cling to the iron more tenaciously. Oxid of cobalt used in the bath has a very similar effect. If iron ore be used in the bath it effectually prevents the sheets sticking together during the rolling process. That species of fuel called turf being similar to peat may be substituted therefor, also coal,

oil or other carbonaceous combustible may be substituted for peat in the bath.

From what has now been said, the nature of the bath for this kind of iron will be V be used for tinned, galvanized, or coppered ironor iron that is to be covered with another metal the bath contains oxids or salts of such metals together with potash and sal ammoniac or other fluxes.

A bath formed of oxid of zinc, chlorid of zinc, potash and sal ammoniac, each twenty equal parts, and ten parts each of chlorid of tin, and lead, and made into a paste with Water and applied to the iron before, at, andduring the heating and rolling of the iron will deposit an incipient coating of zinc on the iron so that the iron on being dipped into melted zinc, tin or copper, will receive an increased thickness of these metals. If salts of copper, or tin or cadmium be substituted for those of zinc, an incipient coating of these metals will be reduced on the iron. Other proportions for a bath may be used, and other mineral matter, as peat, iron ore, &c., may be mixed in the bath. These substances make the bath more economical. The relative proportion of the ingredients of these mixtures or salts to be used for a bath may vary very much; thus, the chlorids or oxids of zinc, tin, &c., alone on hot iron deposit an incipient metallic coating of these metals on the iron, but preference is given to mixtures containing potcarbonaceous matter applied to the iron, for 7 black sheet iron, all burns off, or is removed, and the sheet receives a high finish, and is of a very superior quality, similar to Russia sheet iron.

I do not claim coating iron with black lead, neither do I claim, broadly, the effect of burning carbonaceous matter on sheet iron in its manufacture, nor any particular method of. applying such matter.

For black sheet iron, as at present practiced, I first break down the bars into plates, then dip the plates while warm into the bath tub, the bath being a pasty mixture of blue clay. Other clays may be used. The plates being pasted with the clay are piled two or more together, and again heated, and it is advisable to heat them to a higher tempera ture than an ordinary plate heat and also to heat them longer. They being heated are again rolled into sheets. The clay now, nearly all cracks off, and should all be removed from the sheet. Sometimes the clay clings tenaciously to the sheet. If it does the sheet may be passed through corrugated rolls to loosen it. I also sometimes dip the hot sheet in water to loosen the scale. After the clay scale is all removed from the sheets a number of them are piled together and given a low heat, (below a red heat preferred) and again rolled and repeated when desirable. The finishing heat and rolling may be done under covers when preferred.

For sheet iron that is to be galvanized, &c., I mix white clay in chlorid of zinc for a bath, dip or smear the bars with this, and

heat the usual way, and when heated, before rolling, again smear them with chlorid of zinc and during the breaking down the chlorid should be again applied. Any loosely adhering scale should be swept off, or removed, and the plates dipped into the bath. It is then ready for again heating, and rolling, during which the chlorid may be again applied. The sheets should be thoroughly annealed and the clay scale removed as already explained and the sheets are then ready for dipping in the usual way.

I do not wish to be understood that I confine myself to the precise manner herein explained as the processes may be varied very much. I have also found that sheet iron rolled by the English plan of sticking is very much improved by dipping the plates or sheets in a bath of pulverized iron ore in order to facilitate their being torn apart.

I claim:

Coating or covering bars, plates, or sheets of iron or either of them before, at, or during the manufacturing process of heating and rolling, with clay iron ore or other mineral matter or salts, and also with the 10 chlorids or other compounds of zinc, tin, &c., or of their mixtures with other mineral matter for the purpose substantially as set forth.

J OSEPHUS CHANDLER. Witnesses:

THOMAS C. DONN,

HENRY CHANDLER.

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