US1036655A - Anode-support. - Google Patents

Description

MWMW o. E. LEPFEL.

ANODE SUPPORT. K

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1911'.

1,036,655, y PatenneaAugz?, 1912;

INVENTOR wrrNEssEs- @@Zwf@ CLARENCE E. LEFFEL, 0F MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPIR-ELLA COMPANY, 0F MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

ANODE-SUPVPORT.

roaacaa To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. LEFFEL, a resident of Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Anode-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

lhisinvention relates to anode supports intended for use in electro-plating.

The purpose oi' the invention is to provide a support for the anode plate of simple and cheap construction, which can be very readily applied to the anode and in a manner to produce a good electrical contact, and which can also be readily removed from the anode when the latter is worn out, and used upon other similar anodes, thereby efecting a great saving.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter de'- scribed and claimed.`

ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view through an electro-plating tank showing the anode in position;

' Fig. 2 is a side view of the supporting hook for the anode; Fig. 3 is an edge view ot' the same; Fig. fl is a side View of the upper por# tion of the anode showing the socket therein; and Fig. 5 is a view looking downward on the anode shown in'Fig. 4.

in the drawings 1 represents the electroplating tank which may be of the usual or any desired construction, shape, or size. Extending along over the tank are two pairs of conducting rods or bars 2 for supporting the anode and cathode, respectively.

3 represents an anode which may 4be of any suitable size, shape and material. That shown is a long dat pla-te about halt` an inch thick. This plate is supported from one pair of conducting bars 2 by means of a -suspending member 4 of special design and detachably attached to the plate.

The usual way of suspending the anodes is by means of hooks cast into the anodes and suspended from round, generally tubular conducting supports. In order to secure good conductivity and minimize corrosion.

of contact surfaces these hooks are generally cast from nickel composition, which is quite expensive, costing as much asfty cents per pound. When the anodes areexhausted the nickel cast in hooks must be scrapped with the remnants ot the anodes, With a resulting very low. recovery, as com- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 27, 1911.

Patented Aug. 27,1912.

serial No. 651,522.

pared with the original cost of the hooks. The consequence is' that in a large' electroplating'establishment where very considerable numbers ot' tanks are constantly in use the cost of thesesupporting hooks amounts to a very considerable sum in the course of a year.

` My invention is intended to provide an anode support whereby the suspending members need not be scrapped, but can be used repeatedly, thereby producing a very large saving in thecost ot' operationof electro-plating plants. I substitute for the usual round tubes for'supporting the anodes a pair of fiat bars 2 set edgewise vertically and spacedslightly apart.

In carrying out the invention the anode` is provided in its upper end with a dovetailed socket 6 which tapers in both directions, that is, tapers downwardly from the top to the bottom of the socket, and also from one'side to the other of the anode. The socket preferably 'extends entirely through the anode from one side to the other, but at least opens on one side face thereof. The suspending member 1 is provided on its lower end of its shank -7 with i an enlargement 8 which is similarly tapered in two directions increasing in width downwardly, and being Wider atone end than at the other, thereby producngva portion somewhat Wedge-shaped. This tapered portion is inserted in the socket 6 from one side of the anode and is driven tightly thereinto, thereby producing not only a firm mechanical support for the anode, but providing an almost perfect electrical contact, equally as good as if the suspending member were cast integral with the anode. 'While the suspending member is removable from the anode the manner of connection is such that a practically perfect electrical contact is secured, which is of great importance in electro-plating, since the current used is of very low voltage.

The socket 6 can be formed in the anode by corng when casting, and preferably both the socket and the enlargement 8 on the suspending member are filed, or otherwise finished, to produce smooth contacting surfaces. I

The enlargement 8 and socket 6 may take various shapes, as shown and described in my application filed-concurrently herewith, Serial No. 651,521, the essential being that when desired. 'At the ends of the cross-head are downwardly projecting lips or flanges 11 which normally project downwardly along the outery faces of the bars 2 and prevent accidental vturning of the suspending member. The, construction, however, permits of the ready disconnection of the anode from and its connection to the supporting conductors. -The cross-head 10 is of suf-H- cient thickness to provide wide contact surfaces on the bars 2 to conduct the necessary volume of current.,

The form of' 'suspending member with cross-head permits of the use of flat rectangular conducting bars 2 set edgewise vertically, which are much cheaper than the usual roundsbars or tubes employed for conducting supports.

The anode support described is of simple construction and can be manufactured at a low labor` cost.v It provides a secure support fort-he anode and one having an almost perfect electrical contact, while at the same time being removable from the. anode so thatv the hooks can be 'detached from one wornout anode and attached to another at a very great saving.- The anodes themselves require no special shaping or fabrication' other than the provision of the sockets 6 in the upper ends Qthereof. These sockets need be only of the width of the thickness of the anode soA that an enlargement or thickening at the top ofthe anode involving a considerable amount of metal atthe point Where it does no particular good is entirely avoided.

A,1. An anode support comprising bars spaced apart and a supporting member'secured to the anode and comprising a shank" provided with a cross-head adapted to pass between said bars and be rotated and rest j thereupon.

2. An anode support comprising spaced bars and a member secured to an anode comprising a shank and cross-head adapted to pass between the bars and be turned to rest thereupon, said cross-head being provided at its ends with downwardly projecting portions arranged to lie outside of the supportingv bars and prevent accidental turning voit' the support and anode.

3. An anode support comprising conduct-A -ing bars spaced apart, and a member adapted to rest thereon, comprising, a shank having a cross-head at its upper end and provided at its lower end with an enlargement tapered'in one direction transversely to the j axis of the shank and adapted to enter a corresponding socket in an anode.

4. An anode support comprislngeconducting bars spaced apart and a member comprising a shank adapted to pass between said bars and provided at its upper end with a cross-head arranged to rest on said bars and at its lower end provided with an enlargement taperingtransversely to the axis of' the shank, andan anode provided in its upper end with a correspondingly shaped socket'to receive said tapered enlargement.

A 5. An anode support comprising conduct-` ing bars spaced apart and a member comprising a shank adapted topass between 'said bars and provided at its upper end with a cross-head arranged*A to rest on said barsand at its lower end provided with anV enlargement tapering both transversely to and along the axis of the shank, and an anode provided in its upper end with a cor.

I have hereunto CLARENCE E. LEFFEL.

Witnesses: J. H. PARDEE,

T. F. CHARLTON.

Copies of this. patent may be obtained for ve cents each, bileddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C."',.

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