US22041A - Joseph thomas - Google Patents

Description

J. THOMAS.

Furnacefor Tampering Steei Springs.

No. 22.041. Patented Nov. 9; 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH THOMAS, OF NEW l'Oliii, N. Y.

FURNACE FOR TEMPERING STEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,041, dated November 9, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH THOMAS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for Tempering Steel Springs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, represents a plan or top view of my furnace. Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, is an end elevation of the same. 7

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in passing the steel wire or strip of sheet steel which is intended to be tempered, and the length of which may be indefinite, through an opening in a plate of fire clay, or of cast iron 'which is exposed to a well regulated fire from both sides, in an upright furnace which is placed over a tank containing water 01' other liquid suitable for hardening steel, so that the Wire or strip of sheet steel becomes heated to the proper degree without coming in contact with the fire, and that the same when so heated may be passed through the tank containing the liquid in order to harden it; said tank being placed in such relation to an additional furnace which serves to heat two thick plates of cast iron or other suitable material that the steel wire on strip of sheet steel may be passed from the tank between the two heated plates, so

that the same receives the proper temper, the whole being so arranged, that the steel wire or strip of sheet steel is hardened and tempered at one operation.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, is an upright furnace which is divided into two compartments by a vertical plate 13, made of fire clay or cast iron or other suitable material, and C, is the fire grate which is situated in the lower part of the furnalce, so that a fire built on the grate heats the plate B, from top to bottom. In the center of this plate is a vertical passage a, open at both ends so that a piece of steel wire or strip of sheet steel may be passed through the same.

D, is a tank containing water or other suitable liquid for hardening steel, and a roller Z), is arranged in this tank and under the passage 61, so that the steel wire or strip of sheet steel, intended for tempering, as it runs out of the passage (4, may be passed under the roller Z), and through the liquid in the tank D, the quantity of which must be such as to reach at least to the center of the roller Z). By thus passing the steel wire or strip of sheet steel through the passage a, it becomes heated without coming in immediate contact with the fire, which in itself is a great advantage, as steel is damaged in all cases where it is brought in immediate contact with the fire before it is hard ened, and the fire in the furnace must be so regulated and the speed with which the steel wire or strip of sheet steel is passed through the passage a, must be such that the same is heated to the proper temperature before it enters the tank containing the liquid. The temperature to which steel is to be heated, in order to harden the same, depends upon the quality of the steel used and must therefore be determined in each case by actual experiment.

An additional furnace E, is arranged in close proximity to the tank D, and this furnace is covered with a plate, F, of cast iron or other suitable material, which is provided with a projecting rim (Z, between which another plate, G, fits easily. That part of the rim (Z, facing toward and from the tank D,

is partly removed, see Fig. 1. This furnace is provided with a separate grate and two openings 6, e, are made in the sides of the same whereby the draught of the fire may be regulated. The plate F. and G, may thus be heated to any desired degree and by passing the steel wire or strip of sheet steel as it comes from the tank 1), between the two plates F, and G, the temper required for a good spring will be given to the same, if the temperature of the two plates and the speed with which the steel wire or strip of sheet steel is passed between the same is properly regulated. Any length of steel wire or a strip of sheet steel of indefinite length may thus be hardened and tempered by one operation, by first bringing both furnaces to the proper temperature and passing the end of the steel through the passage to, and under the roller Z), and between the plates F, and G, and drawing the same through with a speed which depends upon the respective heat of the two furnaces.

Having thus described my invention, What- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Arranging a plate B, in an upright furnace with a central passage a, in such a manner and in such relation to a tank D, containing water or other suitable liquid that a piece of steel wire or a strip of sheet steel may be heated and hardened without coming in immediate contact with the fire by passing the same through the passage a, and through the liquid contained in the tank I D, the Whole being arranged substantially f as specified.

2. And I also claim arranging the two furnaces A, and E, and the tank D, in such relation to each other that a piece of steel wire or a strip of sheet steel may be hardened and tempered by one operation, by passing the same through the plate B, in the furnace A, and through the liquid contained in the tank D, and from thence between the plates F and G, which are heated by the fire in the furnace E, the whole being arranged and constructed substantially as described.

JOSEPH THOMAS. Witnesses:

S. H. \VALEs, JAMES G. COOPER.

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