Treatment of brass

Claim 1

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING BRASS CONTAINING 5% TO 40% ZINC AND THE BALANCE ESSENTIALLY ALL COPPER TO COLD WORKING AND THEN ANNEALING IT AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 500* C. TO 600* C. FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE RECRYSTALLIZATION WITHOUT INCREASING THE AVERAGE GRAIN SIZE TO ABOVE ABOUT 0.045 MM., THEN SUBJECTING THE BRASS TO SEVERE COLD WORKING SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT A REDUCTION IN CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA GREATER THAN 65%, THEN ANNEALING THE THUS-WORKED BRASS AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 375* C. FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE RECRYSTALLIZATION WITHOUT INCREASING THE AVERAGE GRAIN SIZE TO ABOVE 0.008 MM., WHEREBY THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE ANNEALED BRASS IN MAINTAINED AT A VALUE ABOUT 55,000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH, AND THEN SUBJECTING THE THUS-ANNEALED BRASS, SUBSTANTIALLY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE TO SUBSTANTIAL PLASTIC DEFORMATION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING BRASS CONTAINING 5% TO 40% ZINC AND THE BALANCE ESSENTIALLY ALL COPPER TO COLD WORKING AND THEN ANNEALING IT AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 500* C. TO 600* C. FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE RECRYSTALLIZATION WITHOUT INCREASING THE AVERAGE GRAIN SIZE TO ABOVE ABOUT 0.045 MM., THEN SUBJECTING THE BRASS TO SEVERE COLD WORKING SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT A REDUCTION IN CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA GREATER THAN 65%, THEN ANNEALING THE THUS-WORKED BRASS AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 375* C. FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE RECRYSTALLIZATION WITHOUT INCREASING THE AVERAGE GRAIN SIZE TO ABOVE 0.008 MM., WHEREBY THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE ANNEALED BRASS IN MAINTAINED AT A VALUE ABOUT 55,000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH, AND THEN SUBJECTING THE THUS-ANNEALED BRASS, SUBSTANTIALLY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE TO SUBSTANTIAL PLASTIC DEFORMATION.