FR2662184A1 - Electrolysis basket with a lockable lid especially for precious metals - Google Patents

Abstract

Electrolysis basket especially for precious metals comprising a meshed cage supporting a hopper for introducing anode metal in divided form. According to the invention a lid (5) which can be closed by a latch (7) closes the entry of the hopper (4). Applications: protection of anode metals against loss and theft.

Description

The present invention relates to an electrolysis basket intended in particular, but not exclusively, for the electrolysis of precious metals such as gold and silver.

It is known that these precious metals, because of their inalterability, are very often used to form a protective layer on a metal substrate made of less noble material.

It is known to carry out such electrolysis using baskets whose walls constitute a grid, made of a material which cannot be attacked by the electrolytic solution and which, for example, consist of titanium or stainless steel. These baskets are intended to receive the metal to be deposited on the part to be protected in divided form, for example in the form of shot, balls or berlingots.

The metal thus introduced into the basket forms the anode while the part to be covered by electrolysis forms the cathode.

The advantage of these baskets is that they can be filled during electrolysis so that the surface of the baskets opposite the surface of the part to be covered remains substantially constant throughout the electrolytic coating operations which allows d '' get a regular coating.

For this purpose, it is also known to provide at the upper part of the basket a hopper or chute, welded to the basket, allowing the introduction inside the basket of anodic metal in divided form. In the case of electroplating of precious metals, and in particular in the case of electrolysis of silver, the metal is generally introduced in the form of shot inside the hopper and descends under its own weight in the basket, that thus remaining constantly filled.

However, the electrolysis basket remains open when it is filled out of the bath and after it has been immersed in the bath. In the case of precious metals, it is desirable that these metals be protected both against loss of metal and against possible theft which, given the divided state of the metal, does not appear immediately.

The object of the present invention is to solve this problem.

According to the present invention, the electrolysis basket comprising a mesh cage capable of receiving a metal in divided form and a metal introduction hopper secured to the upper part of the basket is characterized in that a lockable cover is mounted on the part. top of the hopper.

Access to the metal in the basket is therefore normally only authorized by qualified personnel.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cover is articulated on one of the edges of the hopper, which makes it possible to avoid its loss or its fall inside the electrolysis tank.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, a lock is mounted on the cover and cooperates with a support welded to the upper part of the hopper.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear during the following description of a particular embodiment, given only by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the figures which represent - FIG. 1 a view of front of an electrolysis basket
according to the invention - Figure 2 a side view of the same basket - Figure 3 an enlarged view of the cover lock
hopper - Figure 4 a top view of the protective cap.

In FIG. 1, it can be seen that the basket comprises a grid cage 1 of generally rectangular shape surmounted at its upper end by two hooks 2 also joined by their upper part by a handle 3. The hooks 2 make it possible to keep the basket submerged in the bath.

In the case of precious metals, the basket is advantageously thin and in the example shown, the thickness is substantially equal to 4 / 100th of the height. Under these conditions, the introduction of the shot would be very difficult and that is why, there is provided at the upper part of the basket a hopper, fixed on the basket, for guiding the shot towards the inside of the cage.

At the upper part of the cage 1 is also a hopper 4 allowing, as explained above, the introduction of filler metal during the electrolysis. As can be seen in FIG. 2, in the case of precious metals, the cage is preferably very narrow so that a maximum surface of divided metal introduced into the cage is arranged opposite the part to be covered (not shown).

As is better seen in FIG. 3, the hopper 4 is according to the invention closed at its upper part by a cover 5 articulated around an axis 6 secured to the hopper 4. This cover makes it possible to isolate the interior of the basket from the outside and, according to a characteristic of the invention, it is provided with a lock 7 mounted by means of a bolt 8, a finger or index finger 12 penetrating inside a slot 13 provided in a lug 9 welded to the internal wall of the hopper 4. Of course, this hopper is open at its lower part and opens out inside the cage 1.

However, a lock of the type described, that is to say relatively simple, could be opened using pliers. Also, according to the present invention there is provided above the lock 7 a protective cap 10 having a fairly fine slot 11 so that a particular key can only turn the index finger 12 and thus release the opening of the cover.

Of course, any other form of lock can be used to prevent the opening of the cage and the hopper by an unauthorized person.

It goes without saying that many variants can be introduced, in particular by substitution of technically equivalent means without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

10) Electrolysis basket especially for precious metals,  comprising a mesh cage (1) capable of receiving a  metal in divided form and a hopper (4)  for introducing the anode metal, characterized in that a  lockable cover (5) is fitted to the part  top of the hopper (4). 20) Basket according to claim 1 characterized in that the  cover (5) is articulated around an axis (6) on one  edges of the hopper (4). 30) Basket according to one of claims 1 or 2 characterized  in that a lock (7) is mounted on the cover (5)  and cooperates with a support (9) welded to the hopper (4). 40) Basket according to any one of claims  previous, characterized in that the lock is  covered by a hollow cap (10). 50) The electrolysis basket according to claim 1,  characterized in that the thickness of the cage (1) is  much less than the height of said cage.