US1719365A - Tarnish-resisting silver and silver plate and processes for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

* plate are produced by the use of mercury, as r Patented any 3, ldfltl,

DANIEL GRAY AND RIGHARD 0. HADLEY, 0F UNEIDA, 'Al ID WILLIAM E. MURRAY, 01E

'UTJECA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 ONEIDA COMMUNITY, NEW YORK, A UORPUEATION 01? NEW YORK.

LIMITED, U-F UNEIDA,

TARNTSH-RESISTING- SILVER AND SILVER PJLATE AND PROCESSIEfi FOR PRUDUCING:

a. Drawing. Application filed April a, 19%, Serial No. 703,9Wl. Renewed December is, race.

This invention relates to tarnish resisting silver, silver alloys and silver plated Ware, and to a process of producing the same.

The tarnishing of silver, silver alloy or silverplated articles on the shelves of the dealer, and in the house andother places of use, is a source of muchinconvenience and expense in that frequent cleaning of the articles, by rubbing, polishing, etc. is necessaryto restore them to their natural color and brightness, such cleaning also impairing the original lustre or finish and in time resulting in more or less wear of the polished surface and its surface ornamentation.

lt is the object of this invention to over.- come these objections by-providing silver, silver alloy and silverplated Ware which will be tarnish resisting, and also a process of producing such Ware.

This is accomplished according to the present invention by combining With the silver, silver alloy or silver plate a'inetal or metals which, in such combination, will have a shielding action as to tarnish so that the article as a Whole will be tarnish resisting.

The metal selected for this purpose is mercury.

The present invention has particular reference to the production of silver, silver alloy or silver plate, to all of which mercury has been added.

According to the present invention this tarnish resisting silver, silver alloy and silver before stated. Thesilver, silver alloy or silver plate is exposed to the vapor of mercury in an oven maintained at a suitable temperature for vaporizing the mercury, and under this condition the mercury is absorbed by the silver, silver alloy or silver plate.

. (The detailed Way of carrying out the process may be described as follows The silver, silver alloy or silver plate is set our hands.

placed in-a steam jacketed oven of about 1 cubic foot capacity together with'an excess of mercury. We have found that temperatures ranging from 290 F. to'3159F. are suitable for the purposes of this process. The mercury is contained in shallow open dishes. The time of exposure which We use ranges from a few minutes to a few hours, depending upon the amount of mercury which We Wish to be absorbed by the silver, silver alloy or silver plate. V

Depending upon the amount and surface of silver, silver alloy or silver plate tobe treated, varying percentages of mercury may be added.

Very good results havebeen obtained in this respect by the absorption by the silver, silver alloy or silver plate of from fractional percentages upto as high as 14% of its Weight of mercury.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein-described process of producing tarnish-resisting silver, silver alloy or silverplate Which consists in exposing the silver, silver alloy or silverplate to mercury in an oven maintained at a suitable temperature for the vaporization of the mercury and the absorption thereof by the silver, silver alloy or silverplate.

2. An article having a working surface con-- taining not less than about of silverand a quantity of mercury suflioientto render said surface resistant to tarnish, but not sufiicient to form asoft amalgam With said silver. In testimony whereof, We have hereunto DANIEL GRAY. RICHARD o. BAILEY. WILLIAM s; MURRAY;-