US1342899A - Metal-plating machine - Google Patents

Description

C. W. EDDY.

Patented June 8, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- ATTURNEY.

C. W. EDDY.

METAL PLATING MACHINE.

A-PPLlcATloN FILEP APR.29, 1919.

1,342,899. Patented June s, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTDR.

C. W. EDDY.

METAL PLATING MACHINE.

APPLLcATxoN FILED APR. 29, |919.

'1 ,342,899. Patented June 8, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 7 Fl f5. 4.

C. W. EDDY. VMETAL PLATING MACHINE. APPLlcATloN FILED APR.29,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTUE.

QW f

ATTDRNEY.

UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

HARLES W. EDDY, 0F EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.'

METAL-PLATING MACHINE.

Application iiied April 29, 1919. serial No. 293,555.

by carrying on the various steps of wash-I ing, coating or plating and drying the articles in one continuous operation, the articles entering the machine at one end in thelr unfinished state Iand discharging at the oppo-r site endwith a metal plate finish without thelintermediary of manual handling or contro .The invention further residesin an improved electrode arrangement whereby one of the two electrodes employed is disposed out of the plating solution whereby the 'same will not become coated with the solution. Other objects are to improve the washers and driers for the articles, the invention consisting in` the features of construction ,and the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accom anying drawings whereina Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the machine.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof with ai part of the feed hopperv broken away and depicting the driveV mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the 'machine immediately beyond the drive mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a similar view through thepickling drum into which the articles are initially conducted.

Fig. 5 is a like vView through the plating drum illustrating thev electrodes and their mounting. l

Fig. 6 isa detailed section through the driving disks as mounted on one of the drivev shafts.-

Fig. 7 is a lengthwise section through an imEroved drying drum, and

ig. 8 is a transverse section therethrough.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, a suitable supporting structure or frame is provided having spaced Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented June s, 192e.

rows of standards 1 formed with shaft bear-` ings 1n -which the shafts 2 are journaled, the same being driven through worm gears 3 by a transverse common shaft': deriving lts power from a suitable source of power asvtransmitted by the belt and pulley connect1on 5. Fixed on the shafts 2 are alternate pairs of large and small friction disks or wheels 6 and The pickling drum 8 is supported between and on the first pair of wheels 7 on each shaft, being rotated thereby as the shafts are driven; said drum having a pair of perlpheral rims 9 resting on said wheels. Intermediate the rims the drum is radially enlarged to provide a pickling chamber which has peripheral perforations 10 whereby the pickling fluid may readily gain entrance to the interior. A supply trough 11 is supported above the base of Vthe frame between the spaced drum rims 9 so that the perforated periphery will have its lower arc dis` posed in or passing through the pickling llquid contained therein. From the central perforated portion the drum has lateral conical extensions supporting the rims and forming the receiving and delivery sides or ends of the drum.

Into the conical extension 12 the articles.

are fed from hopper 14 and from this eX- tensio'n the articles pass on'into the pickling chamber through an opening 13 in the partition wall.

This hopper is supported on the standard bracket 15 and has a lateral escape opening or passage 16 adjacent the drum through which any of the articles fed into the hopper may escape should it becomev caught or jammed against the drum.

The articles such as screws pass from the hopper to the drum, while the latter remains at rest or is rotating, and as the drum revolves a cleat or pin 17 secured to and extending inwardly from the periphery of the drum, collects the articles, carries them upwardly and deposits them in a chute 18 inclining outwardly through the conical eX- tension 19 for discharging intol a washing drum 20.

From the washing drum the articles are fed into a conical extension 21 of the plating drumy 22 from which they pass through partition wall opening 23 into the plating chamber which contains the proper coating solllltilom such as for electro-plating with mc e loo los

By means of a blade 2li-secured to and extending inwardly from the periphery of the drum the coated articles arey elevated and again discharged into the inclined chute 25 which leads to a second washing-drum 26 that empties into a drying drum 41,. A

The two washing drums are substantially` alike in construction, consisting of arear- Wardly flaring, perforated casing havingv its forward end encircled by .an oppositelyl liared skirt 27 and a; collecting shield 28- inclosing the remainder lof the perforated casing. Theskirt l27 is designed to direct all the drippings of the pickling and plating liquids back intotheir respective chambers,

discharging onto the connector 29 and the conical sections 19 and -30 of the pickling and plating drums. Aspray pipe 31 enters lthe forward end of each washing drum and discharges downwardly onto the articles as 20 they pass over the perforations inclosed by the shield -29 whereby the washing liquid will pass through the perforations onto the shield. By reason of its configuration, the liquid is collected at the apex 32 which isV '25 perforated to' discharge into a drain pipe l 33'over which it the drum. y

Peripheral track 34 on the washing drums are supported to run on the large drive wheels 6 whereby the drums will be driven ata fast rate of speed as compared to the more slowly revolving pickling and plating drums.

The plating drum is electrically insulated 35 from its drive wheels 7 on whichthe peripheral tracks or rims 35 operate, byA coating the interior of the drum with suitable insulating material, or the drum may be made of wood, as indicated in Fig. 5. The delivery chutes 18 and 25 are supported on an upstanding bracket 36, and depending from chute 25 within the plating chamber is Aa supporting hanger 37 having a pendulumlike electrode 38, pendent in the plating solution, and a weighted electrode '39 Constructed to extend laterally above the plating solution but proximity to the periphery of the drum. This second electrode terminates in the passes during rotation of V59', shape of a ball and is designed to rest upon *ff-the articles above the liquid and thereby `v-l establish electrical connection with those immersed. The electrode 39 is suspended from an insulated part of the hanger 37, 5 5 and wires 40 electrically connect to a source .of electrical energy.

Thegdlying drum 4l is also perforated andgequipped with peripheral tracks 4l` operab e` over the supporting drive wheels 60 l7. A spiral conveyer blade 42 is ixed within the drum for slowly advancing the material beneath a drying blast issuing downwardly froman axial conduit 43. Brieiy setting forth theoperation, the articles'are placed within the feed hopper Y ofv j `V'8 --which` `may 'be substituted for 'the iirst- .driimjorarranged on' the machine frame to receive the articles from the said drum 41.

which into the pickling drum where t'ey' are thoroughly cleansed and-.laterwashed'inthe first washing drum :20, from-,whence the articles follow into 'the plating I- A Y Y Subsequently to traversing the second washing drum the articles-'aredried in'drum 41 or in another type exemplilied in Figs. 7 and This second type of drier consists of two conical shells 45 and 46 arranged one within the other and in reverse manner, the' inner shell having its larger end portion formed of wire fabricy 47 constituting a sieve. The articles are fed through pipe 48 into the smaller end of the inner shell and therewith is also supplied an absorbent material, such as saw dust, which absorbs the moisture from the articles and later passes through the interstices of screen 47 into the outer shell whose opposite inclination reconducts the saw dust backl to the feed end where it is again delivered by the fiat spiral wall 49. Obviously, revolving the drum on its peripheral tracks 50 will' effect a continuous flow of saw dusteirst with the articles and then in a reverse direction, the whole operation being automatic throughout. Y

VThe several steps of washing, coating and are carried on in a single, continuous operation of the machine,.the washing drums being rotatedV at a faster rate of speed than the remaining drums.

. The difference in speed between the drums is accomplished by the different sized wheels on the drive shaft which have frictional contact with their peripheral tracks.. By reason of this friction drive no damage or injury will be caused shoulda piece of work in anyV mannerV be caught between two drums. The operation is entirely automatic throughout requiring no `attention on the part of the operator except'V in so faras the supply of pickling and plating solutions may require replenishment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let'- ters Ijatent shm 1. metal coating mac e comprising a pickling drum, a washing drum communieating therewith to receive the metal articles therefrom, a coat drum mounted to receive the articles 'from the washing drum, a second washing drum for receiving the material from the 'coating drum, and a drying drum into which the second washing drumdischarges, and a common drive for the drums whereby the articles will be continuously acted upon from one end of the machine to the other endin an automatic manner.

2. In a metal coating machine, a pair of Y parallel shafts, a plurality ofindependent 130 dr1ve the respective d porting'the washing be` diameter than those supporting t 4e pickllngl shaft perforated tainer, said saicd washing drum sets `of, wheels fixed-on the shafts'and ing drum mdependently drums, and wheels mon'drive shaft for the carried b the shaft for -supporting 'and driving the respective drums, said wheels havingrelatively different diameters.

4. In a machlne offthenature described,

vspaced shafts, gearing connecting the same for simultaneous rotation, spaced pairs of drive wheels fixed on'. the shafts, the wheels of both shafts being arranged in coacting pairs,

aI pickling drum, a coating drum, and anY interposed washing drum, all of said drums being rotatably and frictionally supported and driven `by the wheels, the drive wheels' supporting the washing drum being larger than lthose support' `the other drums whereby to rotate sald interposed drum faster. a

- 5. In-a machine of the nature described, spaced' intergeafred shafts, an interposed trough therebetween adapted to contain a 4pickling liquid, a' pickling' drum rotatably supported oft" and between the shafts and. formed with' a \perforated periphery the lower are of which` passes through the liquid contained in the trough, and means for removing metal articles from the drum by and durinlg rotation thereof.

L 6. n a machine ofthe nature described, spaced shafts intergeared torotate synchronously, an interposed containerfor pickling a pickling drum having spaced periphera tracks supporting the drum Oifthe sand constituting a frictional drive therefor, said tracks straddling the4 container, and said drum having a peipherally portion extending into the container, and a washing drum/ into which the chute discharges. Y

7. In a machine of the nature described`, 'spaced' intergeared shafts,

an interposed con'- `tainer for pickling li uid,'a ickl' having peripheral trac stra t e condrum having. its lower arc extending [into the container,- a wash' drum into which -the pickling drum disc arges, d having peripheral tracks an supporting the tracksso as to frictionally said'wheels supl8. Ina machineof the nature descril-)ei'lv the drum Y of larger a rotatably supported drum adapted to contain a cleans' g liquid for cleaning the articles placed therein, a trough leading therefrom to discharge the material from the a washing drum of conical sha into which the material is discharged, saidpiivashing drum comprising a perforated casing having an encircling oppositely flaring skirt about its smaller end to direct the draining liquid from the-material back into the first drum, and a collectin sheath inclosing an adjacent portion of t e perforated casing, an a spray pipe arranged within the washporinclosed by the sheath tion of the casing may-receive the drainage terial as it is delivered from the first means and means for electro-plating the 'material comprising a drum containin a coating solution, a swinging electrode epending into the coating also swingingly mounted but disposed above with and'to engage the material as it emerges from the solutlon, v

10. In a machine 'of the nature described, a 'rotatably Imounted drum' containing a plating solution, a blade extending vinwardly from its periphery of the drum to carry the material being treated to the -upper portion of the drum and discharge the same, a trough into which the material is discharged for delivering same from the drum, a brac et support depending from the trough into the drum and aving an insulated part, va pendulum like electrode extending from the support down into the plating solution, and a second electrode supported by the insulated part and extending toward the periphery'of the drum but free of the solution.

11. In a coating machine,

Va coatingdrum, and an interposed washing drum receiving from the' first drum and delivering to' the second drum, and vmeans for rotating the washing first and ,secondh drums.

12..' a coating machine,

a coa ing drum, drum receiving liverl -means or supporting and driving the drums at relativelydiferentspeeds. A.

In'testimony whereof AI havegsigned my name to this specification in the' presence of twoA subscribing witnesses.. l CHARLES W. EDDY.. Witnmem I ADA E. HAGEBTY,

J. A. Mum..

a. cleansing bath, means for washing the ma-- solution, anda second electrode a picking drum,

drum faster than thefor dlscharglng a washing spray onto the material as it moves over that solution so as not to become coated there-

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